No.1 Mk.2 Cupola on Sherman

[Mike Cecil]

The attached image is of a Sherman turret fitted with what appears to be a British No.1 Mk.2 vision cupola - the crew commander's vision cupola fitted to the Centurion Mk.1 and the later Centurion ARV Mk.2.

Does anyone on the forum have any solid information on when and why the Brits would have fitted this cupola to the Sherman tank turret? Does anyone know of any examples still in existence?

Thanks

Mike

www.michaelkcecil.com

[tankbarrell]

Mike, I think it was one of many mods that Shermans might have had applied but other events removed the need.
The US vision cupola, fitted to new build Shermans from mid to late 1944 was not a direct comparison as it did not rotate.
There was an intention to retrofit earlier Shermans with loaders hatches, it's mentioned as a future mod in the August 1944 Vehicle Pamphlet.
I suspect the British vision cupola was a rare sight in Sherman.

[Tim Bell]

Dont know who or when... a pic I found online...

ShermanVcupola-BRITISH-2.jpg

I have a Sherman ARV Cupola with the spacer ring which will go onto my Firefly when it is restored.

Whilst not original to the vehicle, the original cupola "disappearing" somewhere between recovery from the firing range and my acquisition, clearly from the attached pic, Fireflies were fitted with them, so it will have to do.

I have some other pics, will dig them up and post.

I also have some documentation on this from National Archive, (edit) have now looked at that and unfortunately it does not reference the M4 Sherman, so wont post any extracts

Tim

[Tim Bell]

This time identified... Loreto Parade - 15th August 1945, Loreto, Italy.

ShermanVcupola-BRITISH-3.jpg

Tim

[Tim Bell]

Canadian Sherman in Germany 1945

ShermanVcupola-Canadian.jpg

Edit - have just realised this pic is posted elsewhere here on MLU...

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...?t=3573&page=4

With note from Bill Miller to say:

The PA number listed for the photo you posted is the old original negative number . It has a new PA number and description:

REFERENCE NUMBERS:
_ ACCESSION:_ _ 1967-052
_ REPRODUCTION:_ _ PA-159252 (copy negative number);

Sherman tanks lined up along the route await the order to proceed with the infantry - 4th Canadian Armed Division chasing German paratroopers out of town
1945 / Wertle, Germany — 1 item — 2 1/4 sq. in.

Then with further comment from Mark Tonner to say...

Some more details regarding this photo. If indeed it was taken at Wertle, the Kangaroos would be those of "B" Sqn, 1 CACR and the tanks would be those of the 21 Cdn Armd Regt (GGFG).

....


As my Sherman is ex-21st Cdn Armd Regt, it would be interesting to know when the ARV Cupolas were fitted.

Tim

[Tim Bell]

Last image I trawled up from the web a while ago...

Sherman somewhere...

ShermanVcupola-British-1.jpg

If anyone can identify the who, when etc of this and the other pics, that would be excellent.

Tim

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's a survivor. This Sherman was used as a range control vehicle in Germany. It was apparently cobbled together from an M4A3(105) HVSS hull with a Firefly turret. The British cupola on that turret may have come from another British tank, it may also have been orginal to the turret.

10466967_10153404895623792_2671340012579305706_o.jpg

[Mike Cecil]

Episcopes for the No1 Mk2 cupola (Cent Mk1 and ARV Mk2) are available from Tim Vibert at http://www.timvibert.com.au/

Mike

[tankbarrell]

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