Good Evening All;
Just a comment on our discussion to date:
Ref: Canadian 17pdr Fireflies used for 'Concrete Busting'
After what we've read and learned while studying this thread, would it be safe to assume, that at least across JUNO beach, there were 4x 17pdr Fireflies employed, with the role of 'Concrete Busting', two each from the First Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse (6th and 10th Cdn Armd Regts respectively), and that none of these four were 'D.D.s', but were in fact 'Wading' tanks. Also, that at least the two from 1H, were involved with the direct engagement of a specific target during the run in and that all four of these tanks were positioned on the top of the ramp (as evidenced by PA 132653 and the statement from John McGillivray's first post below, "with two 17-pounder Shermans mounted on the bow") of their respective LCTs, so that they would not only be able to engage targets to their front, but also to be the first off, so has to further engage their assigned targets upon landing.
My reasons for the above statement are thus:
from John McGillivray's posts:
"You're going with Lieutenant Irving. He's going to be on a landing craft with two 17-pounder Shermans mounted on the bow and you're going to be ammunition detail. You and three other guys." The twenty-one-year-old Torontonian joined Lieutenant Fleming Ladd Irving's party on an LCT and found the two tanks chained down on the vessel's bow. Irving told the four men they were to pass ammunition stored behind the tanks up to the loaders while the gunners engaged a fortification next to Courseulles-sur-Mer that was protecting a German gun. The lieutenant explained that the ammo-passing detail was necessary so that when the tanks finished the fire mission they could immediately land with still full ammunition racks.”
"Well ahead of the LCTS bearing the DD squadrons was the one with the two 1st Hussars 17-pounder tanks mounted on its front that were commanded by Lieutenant Irving and tasked with firing on the fortified gun position near Courseulles."
“Following close on the heels of the 1st Hussars DD tanks was the LCT carrying Lieutenant Irving and Sergeant Lamb's 17-pounder Sherman Fireflies that had been tasked with knocking out a fortification in Mike Sector."
from John McGillivray's posts and one by myself:
"During the actual landing operations two 17pdr Shermans commanded by Lieut. F.L. Irving and Sgt. Lamb, were to engage and destroy specific forts from their LCT. This scheme was carried out according to plan, but while proceeding inland Lieut Irving was killed when his tank was hit by a 50 mm. The tank, however, was repaired by the unit fitters and put back into action two days later".
from one of my posts:
"we know that 2x 17pdrs gun tanks of the 6th Cdn Armd Regt (1st Hussars)(Lt. Irving and Sgt Lamb crew commanders, respectively), were tasked with the engagement of a fortification next to Courseulles-sur-Mer during the run in to Juno, being mounted on the bow of an L.C.T. carrying AVREs of one of the attached Assault Sqns, R.E."
from John McGillivray's posts:
"6 and 10 Cdn Armd Regts were each in addition to supply two Sherman tansk Vc to be employed as “concrete-busters” in the assault. These would be borne in L.C.T. (C.B.) (see Ships and Craft of Force “J”, Appendix “B”) and would disembark so as to deliver observed fire from their 17-pounder guns against emplacements (R.C.A., 3 Cdn Inf Div O.O. No. 1). Concrete-busters would revert to regimental command on completion of their tasks (2 Cdn Armd Bde O.O. No.1). "
from Gord Crossley's post:
"It mentions two B Squadron Vc tanks attached to the RN for "breaching" activities"
So in conclusion, we now know that their were four Canadian 17pdr Fireflies employed in 'Concrete Busting', two each from the First Hussars (6th Cdn Armd Regt) and the Fort Garry Horse (10th Cdn Armd Regt), and that all four of which were 'Wading' tanks and not 'D.D.s' and that all four of these tanks (two apiece) were positioned in the bow of their respective LCT, positioned, more or less, at the top of the ramp, so's they would be the first vehicles off, enabling them to continue the engagement of their assigned targets, as quoted above, from various sources.
Comments.
Cheers
