Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by David Herbert

Well done Jakko,
It is good to have new eyes looking at this in such a thorough manner. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks

Originally Posted by David Herbert

On the question of the two armoured dozers, I can see why you formed the opinion that you have but the winch is bolted to the rear of the actual tractor not to the armour so it is very unlikely that it would have been removed and left when the rest of the machine was salvaged.

There’s at least one picture in which you can tell that the cab and probably the winch have been left behind, but the rest of the dozer is gone:

't Gat - Tanks 8.jpeg
(sorry, no source as I didn’t record where I found this)

On the very right of the photo, there’s obviously the cab on its side and what to me looks like the winch behind it.

I’m greatly puzzled by the pronged thing on the edge of the water, by the way. I first thought it was a bulldozer chassis or the arms of the dozer blade, but on inspection of the parts in the Resicast armoured dozer kit, I found it to be the wrong shape for either.