RCDs & M3 75mm GMC?

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi Dave

From the RCD Centennial History book 1983 by Brereton Greenhous, they are mentioned as arriving on 2 Jan 1944 while the Regt was at Altamura Italy, gearing up to go into the theatre of ops for the first time. 8 in total.

However they are described as a White Autocar product "cobbled together" by the US as a Tank Destroyer "version of the M3" in 1941. Basically armoured White trucks with a half-track arrangement and were in fact former US Army property in Tunisia. Said to be armed with French 75mm guns.

According to the History, they were given to the Regt by the British who got them from the Amercicans when their full-tracked TDs appeared. The RCD had no doctrine for them so organized them as Heavy Troops (2 cars per Troop and one Troop to each Sqn). They would do pinpoint shoots in Italy at night and were somewhat renowned for what they could achieve as Black Hats. Mind you their Officer was former Artillery too, Lt LM Sebert
There are photos in the book of A Sqn in Italy Spring 44 and in Holland May 45. I haven't seen the one you reference in your first post yet. Is there a link to see it? I have a disc around here somewhere with a good part of the RCD photo Archive on it. I should look for that too!!

Hope that helps.

And please, stop saying RCDs, it hurts my ears!! RCD is infinately preferable.

regards
Darrell