Facebook: Friends of the Tank Museum

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Seamen sorting out waste paper on board a battleship.
This is part of attempts to salvage every scrap of paper, metal, bone and food for pigs. September 1942.
Creator: Tomlin, H W (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer.
Source: © IWM A 11416


Bet that's a great job. Do you think it was a great chat up line? "Oh yes, I'm in the Warspite, it's a dangerous job. Got a really deep paper cut yesterday."
I love these photos, make those big ships seem more human. 

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A Chieftain AVRE (CHAVRE) towing two 'Giant Viper' trailers.
The rear trailer is launching the Viper rocket. The Viper system was developed in the 1950's for minefield clearance, rockets launched a 250m hose filled with plastic explosive, the hose was then detonated leaving a clear lane through the minefield.
The CHAVRE is also carrying 3 'maxi' pipe fascines.
Credit: Haynes Publishing

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NIGHT ATTACK ON ENEMY CONVOY; NAVAL ACTION PICTURES. 12 JANUARY 1945, ON BOARD THE CRUISER HMS NORFOLK DURING THE SUCCESSFUL ATTACK BY SHIPS OF THE HOME FLEET AGAINST AN ENEMY CONVOY CARRYING VITAL WAR SUPPLIES OFF THE COAST OF NORWAY.
Nearing home the tired guns crews of the NORFOLK curl up at the warm base of a funnel to enjoy a well-earned sleep. Empty shell cases are seen in the foreground.
Creator: Coote, R G G (Lt).
Source: © IWM A 27032


How tired they must be to sleep like that

[Steve J]

I've fallen asleep sat on a stool working on a model after pulling an all nighter. When the boss found me he sent me home, but how I rode my motorbike safely I'm not sure...

[Orcs]

I've fallen asleep sat on a stool working on a model after pulling an all nighter. When the boss found me he sent me home, but how I rode my motorbike safely I'm not sure...

I have lost count of the mornings I have driven home with all the windows open just to stay awake.

They say that driving home after a night shift is the equivalent of being 2 x over the legal drink limit.

Saw a program a year or so ago about night workers and they interviewed a cleaner who worked 20:00 to 0400 as a cleaner , then drove an HGV al day!

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An M4A3E8 Sherman in Korea. Although the more modern M26 & M46 tanks were widely used during the Korean War (1950-53), the Sherman also gave sterling service in both American and Canadian hands. In fact during the later phases of the war the Sherman was often preferred.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Shermans were prefered due to the state of the Korean roads and lack of armoured opposition.

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The only known photograph of the Comet Crocodile.
This was an attempt to fit the Crocodile flamethrower to a faster and more modern tank than the Churchill it had been used with during the Second World War. Ultimately, "while crossing half-timbered trench against 26" step" at a speed of 8 miles per hour the trailer was torn away from the Comet. This damaged its tyres and broke the axle. The trials went no further.


I think this proves that just because you can doesn't mean you should.   "We have a nippy, not greatly armoured tank. Let's attach a big heavy weight on it and give it a short range weapon." 

[fsn]

One of the M4A1 (76) Shermans carried aboard the wartime cargo ship SS Empire Heritage, sunk by a U-boat 15 miles off Malin Head, Donegal, in late 1944.  The Empire Heritage was originally built as the Tafelberg in 1930 in Newcastle, and registered in South Africa.  She had been sunk by a mine in 1941, but was refloated and repaired by the Ministry of War Transport by February 1943.  In September 1944 she was en route from New York to Liverpool as part of convoy HXF 305 with a cargo of vehicles – half-tracks, tanks and trucks – when she was hit by two torpedoes from U-482, going to the bottom with her cargo and 113 of her crew and passengers.   Her wreck is in 70m of water, with some of the vehicles from her cargo scattered around her


Thinking about it, some of my early paint jobs look at bit like that. I say early ...

[Steve J]

Wow, that's a lot of tanks in one space! Great photo too .

[Orcs]

In fact during the later phases of the war the Sherman was often preferred.

That must hurt Nobby. 

[paulr]

Although the more modern M26 & M46 tanks were widely used ... In fact during the later phases of the war the Sherman was often preferred.

A certain British vehicle was not included in the comparison

[Orcs]

No response from Nobby, He is probably sobbing in a darkened  room 

[Raider4]

An M4A3E8 Sherman in Korea. Although the more modern M26 & M46 tanks were widely used during the Korean War (1950-53) . . . during the later phases of the war the Sherman was often preferred.

A certain British vehicle was not included in the comparison

Presumably the original quote is about the Americans? I gather they were mightily impressed by the Centurion, but I doubt they'd have been allowed to borrow a few.

[Raider4]

Nice camouflage. Almost BAOR-like.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

The dark bits are very dark green. It was used by 2nd Armoured Division in Europe, but it's very hard to see on black and white film.

[Techno II]

Tell a complete numpty....

Are there two machine guns on the turret ?

From my pitiful 'knowledge ' the bigger one looks like a 50 cal GPMG.
What's the smaller one that's closer to the camera ?
......and why are there two ?

Cheers - Phil

[Steve J]

The smaller one looks like a 0.3" cal mg and is free standing, so probably added firepower for the position they were in.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Yes - the 50 cal on the Cupola, and a scrounge 30 cal on it's bipod straped to the turret for the loader? to use, as John says.

[T13A]

Yep

As above, both Browning's; had one of the big ones as a ranging gun on Chieftain when I first joined up and just before lasers took over. A real pig to clean, had the smaller one (which I think is actually on a tripod mount) on my Ferret A/C in NI and on Ferret's in C Squadron (the Sharpshooters), the Royal Yeomanry when I was in the TA.

Cheers Paul