No.1 Mk.2 Cupola on Sherman

[Mike Cecil]

Gents,

Thanks for your responses - much appreciated. It was a peripheral aspect of the Centurion story I was not aware of until I recd the image posted in the original post.

The ability to rotate the cupola would appear to be the main impetus for replacing the original fixed Sherman cupola, but it would be interesting to confirm that at some stage.

Another footnote in the Cent story.

Mike

[tankbarrell]

The original Sherman cupola was fully rotating but it was not a vision cupola. I.E, it had no protected all round vision, just a single, albeit rotatable periscope in one hatch.

Its American replacement, designed to be a exchange unit, gave all round vision through glass blocks but did not rotate.

[eddy8men]

sorry tim i assumed you were being creative when you wanted to fit the arv cupola. i was wrong (which is actually not that unuaual)

[Tim Bell]

Originally Posted by eddy8men

sorry tim i assumed you were being creative when you wanted to fit the arv cupola. i was wrong (which is actually not that unuaual)

Rick

Wouldn't have considered it if it was not correct to type.

It is not correct to the Sherman I have - I know that the Sherman I have did not have this mod when on the firing range in Belgium, so is unlikely to have finished the war with one installed (unless the Belgians removed them?).

I don't have the correct standard cupola, but I do have the ARV version with the Sherman adapter ring.

The known photos indicate that Canadian tanks and Fireflies were fitted with them, though from exactly when is not clear - mid 44 is the earliest I believe this would be likely (though perhaps someone knows for sure).

Does anyone know of any Shermans with this fitted anywhere please?

Tim

[tankbarrell]

Where did the adapter come from Tim? That must be a rare part if original!

[Tim Bell]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

Where did the adapter come from Tim? That must be a rare part if original!

Adrian

I understand that the cupola was recovered from a Sherman turret when the Alpine Wall between Italy and the former Yugoslavia was scrapped around 2010. Am told a significant amount of material was cut up rather than being sold into the preservation market, but fortunately this ARV cupola with the spacer ring was rescued.

This article says that many of the bunkers had Firefly turrets, so perhaps it had been on a Firefly, but cannot say for sure. On the right side of the page, under the facebook icon, you can choose to view it in English.

http://zapisnik.fortif.net/859120-no...y-tagliamento/

For future reference in the event the above link stops working... this summary is direct from the site:

"The last Italian defense line, designed to protect Italy against any attack from the east, has been Located at Tagliamento river. It was built During the Cold War, Because The older Fortifications (Alpine Wall) Were lost with the Italian eastern territories, ceded to Yugoslavia. The line consisted of strongpoints with machine gun nests (M4 Sherman rebuilt to be the MG turrets, WWII German Panzernests and large Italian armored cupolas for two MG's) and anti-tank bunkers (M4 Sherman Firefly turrets, M26 Pershing turrets and whole M26 Pershing tanks - with its engines removed). Every strongpoint has its own underground command post with observation cupola. Allmost all the bunkers Were Destroyed During 2010-2012 to the scrap metal parts. The article Describes the preserved parts of the line."

Tim

[Mike Cecil]

In the picture on his site, the label looks like it says 'Episcope No 7', if so, they will not fit that cupola.

I think you'll find that the images on the site are only there as examples, Adrian - the No.5 Mk.1 episcopes and the No.6 Mk.1 extensible episcope will doubtless be in his storage area somewhere.

I'm sure anyone interested will email Tim and ensure he has the right 'scope for their particular application.

Mike