MLU FORUM  

Go Back   MLU FORUM > MILITARY VEHICLES > The Armour Forum

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 17-02-19, 21:20
jdmcm's Avatar
jdmcm jdmcm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Surrey, BC, CDN
Posts: 672
Default Back in Action 77 years later...

Thought I would share a couple pictures of our M4A3 we rescued from the Utah desert back in 2011...Will get around to a bit more of an in-depth thread on the tank later...but for now she is back in action and still fighting the Nazi's all these years later

Attachment 105600 Attachment 105601

Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_20190131_142307.jpg
Views:	6
Size:	106.4 KB
ID:	105602 Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_1503.jpg
Views:	9
Size:	162.2 KB
ID:	105603
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 18-02-19, 00:11
Jesse Browning Jesse Browning is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Waterloo
Posts: 366
Default

That’s awesome! Good job!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 18-02-19, 00:13
Jesse Browning Jesse Browning is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Waterloo
Posts: 366
Default

Good to see the Canadian trademark extra track. Now you need a section or two of Matilda track, or maybe even some Tiger track.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 18-02-19, 02:59
jdmcm's Avatar
jdmcm jdmcm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Surrey, BC, CDN
Posts: 672
Default

This is how we found her, she spent 30 some odd years on a US Army firing range

Click image for larger version

Name:	texas stuff 415.jpg
Views:	5
Size:	612.0 KB
ID:	105609 Click image for larger version

Name:	texas stuff 413.jpg
Views:	5
Size:	519.4 KB
ID:	105610 Click image for larger version

Name:	texas stuff 417.jpg
Views:	5
Size:	591.8 KB
ID:	105611 Click image for larger version

Name:	texas stuff 414.jpg
Views:	3
Size:	742.0 KB
ID:	105612
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 18-02-19, 03:12
jdmcm's Avatar
jdmcm jdmcm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Surrey, BC, CDN
Posts: 672
Default

Jesse we have been pretty lucky with spare track but alas no Tiger or Matilda, I was working off one of my favorite pictures which I have included here, and to be clear this is not my photo, it is from the internet and I have no idea who to credit it with.

John

Click image for larger version

Name:	a9f49034c4e0a9e994151b047198c476.jpg
Views:	2
Size:	134.2 KB
ID:	105613
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 18-02-19, 17:40
AndrewSchaefer AndrewSchaefer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 19
Default

Incredible save!! Awesome
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 18-02-19, 23:09
Jesse Browning Jesse Browning is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Waterloo
Posts: 366
Default

The museum in Huntsville Alabama had a bunch of Sherman steel chevron track that had been burned. Th last time I was there.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 19-02-19, 03:25
Stew Robertson Stew Robertson is offline
Staghound
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Rockwood, ON, Canada
Posts: 268
Default

Nice set of boogies John
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 19-02-19, 04:14
Bob Carriere Bob Carriere is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hammond, Ontario
Posts: 5,191
Default What a restoration......

....I can just imagine the number of welding rods expended to fill all those holes.....

FANTASTIC.
__________________
Bob Carriere....B.T.B
C15a Cab 11
Hammond, Ontario
Canada
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 19-02-19, 17:01
Hanno Spoelstra's Avatar
Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
MLU Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 14,400
Default

John,

From a range wreck to a fully operational Sherman - I amazed by the transformation.
Well done on saving this piece of history!

Regards,
Hanno
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 19-02-19, 19:19
Wayne Hingley's Avatar
Wayne Hingley Wayne Hingley is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Water Valley, Alberta
Posts: 733
Default

Great job John! Nice to see another successful project.
__________________
1953 M37 CDN
1953 M38A1 CDN
1967 M38A1 CDN2
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 20-02-19, 07:04
Luke R Luke R is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Gippsland, Vic
Posts: 289
Default Sherman

Awesome job John!
I don't suppose you happen to have any photos of the restoration process you are willing to post?
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 20-02-19, 14:00
rob love rob love is offline
carrier mech
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
Posts: 7,517
Default

To simply show a before and after photo in no way does justice to the amount of effort that must have gone into a project like this. Congratulations.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 20-02-19, 14:36
James P James P is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Canada
Posts: 386
Default

Bravo for the work done turning a range wreak/target back to a fine example of a M4
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 20-02-19, 18:31
jdmcm's Avatar
jdmcm jdmcm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Surrey, BC, CDN
Posts: 672
Default

Thanks for all the accolades guys, but we certainly haven't transformed it into a museum quality show piece, we replaced the sections of hull that were completely destroyed or caved in beyond repair..which was a lot of it, plus the turret roof had something substantial hit it. We got the tank along with the Sherman Jumbo and we stripped all the interior fittings and brackets and linkage for use on the Jumbo Sherman, which is intended to be a proper nut and bolt restoration. The fellow we bought it from said once we stripped what we need we should scrap it...but that wasn't going to happen! We have left a lot of the damage as is, but in the interest of full disclosure none of it is actual battle damage, the tank was a training tank and never left the USA during the war, post war it was sent to the national guard and then finally to the range...see the photos below provided by Leife Hulbert via Joe Demarco and eventually Pierre-Olivier Baun showing the tank in active service with the national guard in the USA. Joe was able to match the USA registration number to our serial number, not a Pacific or ETO picture but still pretty cool to see it "before"

Click image for larger version

Name:	M4A3_75_Dry_3054591_#4-2_CONUS_PostWar_58.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	419.1 KB
ID:	105642

Click image for larger version

Name:	M4A3_75_Dry_CONUS_#2-1_56a.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	420.4 KB
ID:	105643

Click image for larger version

Name:	M4A3_75_Dry_CONUS_59.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	221.9 KB
ID:	105644
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Photos WS 48 in action wendel daniel The Wireless Forum 2 03-03-18 12:52
AIF action Mike Kelly WW2 Military History & Equipment 2 11-03-17 00:20
German 88 Still in Action David Dunlop The Gun Park 0 29-07-15 20:03
BB2 After Action Report Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) Military Shows & Events 48 03-09-07 13:38
uc mk ii and T16 in action alleramilitaria The Carrier Forum 0 29-05-05 01:32


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 17:33.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © Maple Leaf Up, 2003-2016