Grant

[Darren Witty]

My Grant was delivered yesterday!

Can anyone help with the location of hull numbers if there are any that can help identify it?

There is a T number on the side but as yet can only read the first three numbers.

The set of tracks I got with it are not rubber blocked and I have been told they are Sherman tracks.

Thanks
Darren

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Darren,

You´ve got yourself a nice project there!

As for serial numbers, check my Sherman Register: Serial numbers page. You should be able to find the serial number stamped on both the front and rear towing lugs, but you can trust only the rear numbers, as the final drives were subject to replacement as the one on your tank.

There are no such things as "Sherman tracks" or "Grant tracks". Yes, M3 series medium tanks were fitted with rubber block or WE-210 at the factory, but these were swapped for any of the myriad track types available when worn out. In this day and age, you should be happy to have a set of tracks at all.

Note: consider joining G104 - the Sherman Register mailing list.

Is your Grant equipped with the radial engine or diesel engines?

Regards,
Hanno

[Darren Witty]

Interior and engine mounts. Radial?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Darren Witty

Radial?

Yes, that engine mount is for the radial engine. That makes your tank a Grant I.

H.

[Darren Witty]

Part of the army number and the number stamped on the rear towing eye.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Darren Witty

Part of the army number and the number stamped on the rear towing eye.

The "T" in the hull serial number got me stumped, so I passed the numbers on to the Sherman Register mailing list, and as usual Joe DeMarco came up with very solid information!

Can you check if the census number is actually T23714?

Hope this helps,
Hanno

To: "G104"
From: "Joe DeMarco"
Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:19:13 -0500
Subject: Re: [G104] M3 Grant for sale in Australia / serial number

Hi Hanno,

Based on the examination of a few examples, Baldwin Locomotive Works stamped an exact sequential build number on the front & rear towing lugs of their Grants. The Number has been seen with a T prefix as in the photo of Darren's Grant. Thus, he has the 211th Grant built by Baldwin. It would have been accepted in March, 1942, & would have been one of the last Grants with radial engine made by Baldwin. In that month, they switched over to making diesel engined Grants both M3A5 riveted hull, & M3A3 welded hull models. According to my calculations, their 211th Grant would have been assigned T23714. Darren wrote "There is a T number on the side but as yet can only read the first three numbers." So when he chalked it with T23711, was he guessing about the last two digits? I'm certainly open to the possibility that I have miscalculated, but maybe Darren could recheck the last digit on both sides of the tank? There might be another way to confirm the T Number. On the Grants, the T Number was the US Ordnance Serial Number. If he's lucky, it may still have the dataplates inside. I'm pretty sure the plates were made of brass, so they hold up to the elements pretty well. If you sit in the driver's position & look on the wall to your right, if they are still there, the larger plate should have the serial number & the year 1942 stamped into it. The smaller plate just names the manufacturer.

Just out of historical curiousity, I would also suggest he check the tow lugs of the differential housing. If the diff is original to that Grant, T211 should be stamped on the lugs. If there is another number with a T prefix, that would indicate it came from another Baldwin Grant. Of course, Australia also received Grants made by Pullman & Pressed Steel Car. Just like with their Shermans, & to my regret as a researcher, those companies don't seem to have stamped anything on the tow lugs of their Grants. Australia also received some M3 Lees, so if there was a regular number stamped on there, say about 4 digits long, he might have a bit of a Lee.
Do you know if he got a Grant turret with the purchase?

Joe

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here´s my restoration suggestion for anyone who ends up with it. The British converted redundant Grant and Lee tanks to the Grant ARV I by removing the turret and main hull gun and fitting various tools, including a small jib crane that could be fitted to the front of the vehicle. The British converted other tanks (Sherman, Ram, Churchill, Centaur) into ARV Mark I´s along the same lines. This conversion should not be that hard to replicate.

See more pics of the Grant Armoured Recovery Vehicle Mark I at Jedsite.

H.

[Darren Witty]

Thanks for all the info!

A closer look and the number is T23714. I was trying to outline the last number and thought it may have been a 1 but it is a 4. I have had a look at both sides of the towing lugs on the transmission and there aren't any numbers at all.

Is there any information about in regards to T23714?


Thanks again
Darren