Any ideas on this Achilles wireless setup

[Jack Geratic]

british-troops-take-shelter-near-an-m10-wolverine-tank-v0-hhhbf12mpg4b1.jpg 3rd Canadian Anti-Tank Regiment.jpeg d-day-british-forces-during-the-invasion-of-normandy-6-june-1944-an-m10-wolverine-3-inch-self-pr.jpg


I think on the front is something like the example in the link below. It states it was telescopic with a height of 21 inches when closed, and could be raised to 90 inches.
https://thecanadiansoldier.com/produ...-radio-antenna

m10 hull side aerial.jpg

The mast on the hull side looks much heavier - was this the standard B type aerial, but In this instance sitting atop an extension?

[Johnny Canuck]

Antenna on radioman's right would be a G Rod (24") on an extension (PC 767010)(24" +-). Top would have Aerial base No.9 for the G rod and the bottom dome is rubber secured with a flat ring bolted to the extension supplied. The bottom rubber dome allowed the barrel to traverse pushing the whole thing over. The mount also allowed the G rod to clear the clutter on the upper deck.
The F Rods were mounted on a bracket behind the headlight guard on front glacis radioman's side. No.8/10 base plus required F Rods.
WS19/22 would have been mounted in hull right front as the M10 was open turret TD.

Geoff

[David Dunlop]

The VHF signal output from the B-Set of the Wireless No. 19 was a weak one with a very short range. The extension Geoff describes as fitted to the M10 B-Set Aerial Mount enabled the G-Rod for the B-Set aerial to clear the top of all the hull and metal of the M10 turret to maximize the range for B-Set communications as much as possible in all directions.

If only the original Mount fitted to the right side hull had been used, the B-Set signals would have essentially been radiating out to the right of the vehicle and blocked to the left. Not a good situation.


David

[Jack Geratic]

Geoff, thanks kindly for providing insight to the Achilles subject. Now I have some follow up questions. . .

First the G Rod on the hull side. What is the detail at the top as indicated in the cropped photo below.

G rod.jpg

Found a similar looking rubber base which is described as the insulator, but maybe not the same thing as you have it being bendable if the turret/gun barrel is swung over the antenna?

Antenna Base.jpg

Now to the front antenna as the WS19/22. Suppose the main bottom portion could be 21 inch length when compared to the one located on the hull side. The diameter does not match and should be about double compared to the WS19 example found. Unfortunately cannot find a WS22 to compare with. . .
front glacis.jpg

[Jack Geratic]

Hello Dave, thank you for the clear explanation of why the B-Set required to be perched atop an extension.

Forgot to mention I had googled the part number PC 767010 for that extension but failed to find anything. Are there any images/diagrams known or some info on the diameter of that pipe?

[David Dunlop]

Hello Jack.

I used to have an NOS Extension in my 19-Set stuff years ago but finally sold it off as I had absolutely no need for it. It was a specialized piece of kit is seems that had no place in the late war/post war Canadian Supply System for the 19-Set.

First time I have seen one in wartime use in your photos and at that, I am very suspicious it is mounted onto a steel tube adapter sitting between the rubber base of the extension and the hull of the M10. That adapter may be unique to the circumstances of installation on the M10 and perhaps, even a field mod to make everything work.

The extension consists of a molded rubber base cylinder with a circular flange at the base, held to the vehicle by a heavy duty steel ring using four bolts. the steel tube is vulcanized onto the top of the rubber cylinder via a small steel plate welded to the end of the steel tube. The ID if the tube is large enough to feed the B-Set Connector cable through it all the way to the top. The top which you have highlighted has a steel fitting welded to it. the lower portion is a small cup, large enough to hold the B-Set Cable Connector that clips onto the bottom fitting of the Aerial Base No. 9. The top part of this cup is identical in appearance to the tops of any of the steel post style mounts for the Aerial Base No. 9. That is, it has been machined to the correct OD and depth for the bottom of the Aerial Base No. 9 to sleeve down over it once the cable is in place and be fastened to the top of the extension with the four standard screws set at 90 degrees apart for this purpose. The shiny ring you see is the bottom of the Aerial Base No. 9 in place on top of this upper extension fitting.

The Insulator you posted a picture of looks like a main set aerial base for a wireless set that is not a 19-Set or 22-Set. Possibly a No. 9 or No. 11 Set...but do not quote me.

The photo you posted of the two aerial bases puzzles me. The forward mount assembly should be for the main set aerial for whatever wireless set was installed in the M10, but I have not seen anything quite like it before. Sorry.

Could this M10 have been set up as a Command Vehicle with two wireless sets on board?


David

[Johnny Canuck]

Hello Jack
First photo the arrow points to a common WS19 part, a No.9 aerial mount used with all G Rod applications clamps, extensions, mounts etc.. Attaches with 4 small screws through its metal base, centre is rubber and flexible, top is metal and threaded for the G Rod.

Second picture is same idea as the G Rod extension bottom rubber; but two or three times larger. Picture shows mount used with D Rods (7/8" various lengths., for WS9, 11, 12 ?? and command vehicles.

Third photograph is poor. Might just be something in front of the aerial base 9/10 with F Rods mounted, (static up to four 4' rods, mobile only 2 rods were used). I think you can just see the bottom angle of the No.8/10 base
Mount in window labelled WS19 is antenna for CDN WS58, post war adjustable adapter, aerial base No. 8 (spring clamp) and an antenna cable.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Hello Jack.

The Insulator you posted a picture of looks like a main set aerial base for a wireless set that is not a 19-Set or 22-Set. Possibly a No. 9 or No. 11 Set...but do not quote me.

David

Not quite: the big insulator was originally Aerial Base No.3 for wireless trucks using the No.2 or No.3 set and Aerial Rods 'D' - as part of the 34-ft mast. Later on they were used on wireless trucks with serious high power transmitters (WS 12, 12HP, 33, ET4336, etc.) and the rubber insulator was not up to the job, so it was bypassed electrically with the four copper braid straps, and sat on a large mushroom-shaped ceramic insulator (Insulator, W/T, 'H') so that it could be fed from underneath - the No.3 required a wire to the terminal on top of the insulator. The combination was redesignated Aerial Lead-in No.16.

Use with the whole 34-ft mast caused the rubber dome to collapse under the weight, so a "skeleton cone" support was made that was inverted over the rubber insulator and locked onto studs on the top plate, the rods were inserted and a screw clamped onto the bottom rod to take the load off the rubber. Static use only, of course - it was a rigid assembly.

The final version was Aerial Base No.20 which did away with all the Base No.3 bits and simply had a rigid socket bolted through Insulator W/T 'H'.

Best regards,
Chris (G8KGS)

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Johnny Canuck

Antenna on radioman's right would be a G Rod (24") on an extension (PC 767010)(24" +-). Top would have Aerial base No.9 for the G rod and the bottom dome is rubber secured with a flat ring bolted to the extension supplied. The bottom rubber dome allowed the barrel to traverse pushing the whole thing over. The mount also allowed the G rod to clear the clutter on the upper deck.
The F Rods were mounted on a bracket behind the headlight guard on front glacis radioman's side. No.8/10 base plus required F Rods.
WS19/22 would have been mounted in hull right front as the M10 was open turret TD.

Geoff

Agreed. The 'B' set base is on an Aerial Base No.9 Mounting No.3 to get the 'G' rod above the turret roof line. I think the 'A' set aerial still has the remains of some waterproofing from the beach landing on it - probably a plastic tube and a lot of asbestos mastic to seal the ends (insulator at the bottom, aerial rod at the top) and keep the water out while wading. There's a discarded exhaust trunk in one photograph to hint at wading ashore....

Best regards,
Chris.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Jack Geratic

I think on the front is something like the example in the link below. It states it was telescopic with a height of 21 inches when closed, and could be raised to 90 inches.

Attachment 136977

The mast on the hull side looks much heavier - was this the standard B type aerial, but In this instance sitting atop an extension?

Those are standard WS19 aerial bases. The one on the tank side is the 'B' set Aerial Base No.9 on a Mounting No.3 (tall aluminium tube mount on a rubber base) fitted to a 'stalk' mounting of some kind on the tank. The mounting further forward is Aerial Base No.8 with Aerial Rods 'F' for the 'A' set.

Chris. (G8KGS)