Western Desert Finds

[Kym Loechel]

I was sent these pics and thought they might be of interest.. They are sand blasted ready for painting some restoration needed.. All Western Desert Finds.!! Might on the forum somewhere but not that I've seen.. Told they are from a German website but no idea where..

[Kym Loechel]

Hows the barb Wire.??? Still sharp they tell me.. Just makes you wonder about the mines..!!??!!

[Kym Loechel]

I know this one should be posted elsewhere but its all from the same batch..

[Kym Loechel]

More of the trucks.. Anyone interested in a border raid.??

[Kuno]

...actually it is not the "Western Desert" but Libya wehre all above 7 locations are to be found. Except two pictures all were taken during our trip to these wrecks in May 2008 when we did the TV documentary. Fascinating places anyway!

[Kym Loechel]

Sorry about the wrong location but they were sent second hand and i just went with the lo-cal that was on the email..
They are GREAT pics ... Is it right that the Libyan Government won't allow any thing other than pictures to be removed.?? Any chance of seeing the documentary down under one day.??

[Darrell Brown]

Wow, does that steel look good , would be great projects I am sure but at what cost to recover those? Darrell

[Kuno]

@ Darrell; why to recover these wrecks? You would find better and cheaper Chevrolets around your hometown - these above are really part of the history and should remain as they are!!!

[Darrell Brown]

Hello yes there are more CMPs around here than you can shake a stick at for sure! I didn t mean me recover them, also I could agree they are part of history, point well taken, cheers Darrell

[Kuno]

...Darrell; the history of the WBs is going to be shown in this book: www.jebelsherif.org (which I hope to have completed soon). The French Chevrolet & the Tank have as well their place in the same book - only about the two CMP we could not yet find out, who drove them; most probably some French but after the war (although the trucks were assembled in Alexandria in 1941).

[japes]

Can anyone ID the tank. I have seen it IDed as Italian but I don't think it is. I admit I don't have the greatest resources to check but the ones I do have don't look like this one.

J.P. Brescacin

[Radek]

Originally Posted by japes

Can anyone ID the tank. I have seen it IDed as Italian but I don't think it is. I admit I don't have the greatest resources to check but the ones I do have don't look like this one.

J.P. Brescacin

Stuart M3, US tank!!!

[Kuno]

...the short history of this particular tank is described in our book as well - will take some time until it is ready ;-)

[serge]

Hello Mister RADEK

The tank founded in the NORD AFRICAN DESRT is only the ancestor of the SUART M3. If the shape is the same there are some difference mainly in the fact that STUART is a welded tank and the tank founded has it's hull riveted.

This kind of tanks where largely used by the EIGHT ARMY OF MONTGOMERY at the begin of the desert war.
Nevertheless if you wish to restore such tank , I have learned that A british society has imported 15 STUART from BRESIL

Regards Serge

[Kuno]

Colleagues; I would be very glad, if you could give me the precise type / name of that tank in the desert (so that I can do the correct caption in the book). Many thanks in advance; Kuno

[tankbarrell]

It's an M3A1 light tank. Commonly known as a Stuart. It is not an early M3 as it has the later turret with no cupola.

[serge]

Hello

I excuse me,I was wrong in my observation. In military vehicle meeting, it's the STUART with welded hull which is commonly seen also with there twin V8 engines. So I have believed that the tank in the desert was an M2 due to the riveted hull. So, it's a STUART M3 or M3A1
One of the main goal of this forum is to have a better knowledge of all this
trucks and armoured car. I give you also the web address about the 20 STUART founded in BRASIL and imported in Europ
www.mvcgfrance.org/doc_et_pub/20stuart.htm

Regards and happy new year to everyone

[Radek]

What I know the Stuarts from Brasil still have owners. Are sold.

[zemsi]

Originally Posted by serge

I give you also the web address about the 20 STUART founded in BRASIL and imported in Europ
www.mvcgfrance.org/doc_et_pub/20stuart.htm

... see also this MLU thread. In the English article, it's written that 16 tanks were recovered, in the French article 20 (deux M3 et dix-huit M3A1 Stuart). What's the correct number?

[Scrivo18]

Hi Guys

It is a similar model Stuart M3 to the one that I own, called the Hybrid, as it has the rivitted hull construction and the latter model horseshoe turret.
mine can be seen on www.timstankworld.com It would have the seven cyclinder radial engine in it.

Tim

[tankbarrell]

Were M3 Hybrids sent out to the Western Desert? I thought not hence I think it is an early M3A1. Hard to tell without seeing the inside. Early M3A1 were rivetted.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

More desert finds on this Italian web page: http://www.dunes.it/sahara_aviation_safety/index.htm

Kuno will probaly have some comments on this?

H.

[RichardT10829]

i am totally stating the obvious here but how destructive is sand !....mind in this scenario it has prepared the metal just nicely.....wonder how long it would take to do my carrier tub.

[Kuno]

Yes; I know most of these wreckages. But it was not always / only the sand which took the paint away.

The Italian biplane, the Romeo Ro1 was set on fire by the Italians after they could not recover it. Same happened to the Chevrolet truck (the one with the round hood). It was one of Leclerc's trucks which suffered a mechanical breakdown - the crew set it ablaze. Then the Savoia Marchetti S.79 at el-Uwenat; it was set on fire by one of the first LRDG patrols in 1940 (actually there were two planes at the same location). The other S.79 (in the sanddunes) suffered a lot of its damage by people who wanted to remove the engines and to break it apart for the melting pot.