What tanks are these?

[tankbarrell]

I suspect they are a box cover fitted before shipping across the Atlantic. The turret, being open topped, is more difficult to seal than a gun tank. The dark lines around the edges and the front hole looks like sealant. I assume the hole is to allow access without having to remove the entire box. The turret stows gun to the rear on the M10.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

I suspect they are a box cover fitted before shipping across the Atlantic. The turret, being open topped, is more difficult to seal than a gun tank. The dark lines around the edges and the front hole looks like sealant. I assume the hole is to allow access without having to remove the entire box. The turret stows gun to the rear on the M10.

Agree, that's what I think too.

[tankbarrell]

Apparently, that's Postern Hill, Marlborough in Wiltshire.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

The dark lines around the edges and the front hole looks like sealant.

Almost certainly. Once you know how vehicles were waterproofed for shipping overseas, that black par-al-ketone sprayed along any seam that might leak is very obvious.

[david moore]

Correct Adrian - on the road to Amesbury then Salisbury. Where would this work have been done - not in this small Wiltshire town!

[tankbarrell]

The waterproofing covers would have been fitted in the USA. The front openings removed after unloading from the ships.

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Here’s a web site with scans of a booklet published by General Motors, that includes some details of how Shermans were prepared for shipping overseas:

https://usautoindustryworldwartwo.co...orsservice.htm

And a model I built a few years ago to show how a Sherman would have been waterproofed:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/miss...9888&p=1656069

The M10s would have had much the same work done, except instead of taping up the turret they seem to have had a big box structure built over the open turret.

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Jakko Westerbeke

Here’s a web site with scans of a booklet published by General Motors, that includes some details of how Shermans were prepared for shipping overseas:

https://usautoindustryworldwartwo.co...orsservice.htm

And a model I built a few years ago to show how a Sherman would have been waterproofed:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/miss...9888&p=1656069

The M10s would have had much the same work done, except instead of taping up the turret they seem to have had a big box structure built over the open turret.

Is this conversation going to deteriorate to asking about "the comb"? (winky face)

[david moore]

One puzzle Adrian. These vehicles are headed south - towards Southampton presumably - and then on to France? So, if they arrived like this from the USA - how come they got to north Wiltshire en route? Maybe delivered to Liverpool or even Avonmouth - too dangerous to ship direct to Southampton perhaps - U-Boats and all? Then a long cross-country drive behind Diamond T's ? Ferocious use of gas - or diesel? Why not take the waterproofing stuff off on arrival to save some weight - or maybe want to keep it on for the cross-channel piece?
Note how one diamond T has uncoupled from it's trailer to double-head on the steepest bit - 10% grade there. Leaving a loaded trailer on a steep hill? Wow!

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Is this conversation going to deteriorate to asking about "the comb"? (winky face)

Why, what do you want to know about it?