THREE U.S. COLUMNS ENVELOPING SHURI, STRONG POINT IN SOUTH OKINAWA LINE (5/21/45)

Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 5/21/45 | George E. Jones, W.H. Lawrence, Warren Moscow, Tillman Durdin, Richard J.H. Johnston, more

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Hebrews 11:6]

Good agents don’t work for free. I want a percentage of what Homer pays you.

[henkster]

Check’s in the mail.

[Hebrews 11:6]

A good agent drums up more business for his client. After you take a week off beginning Sept. 3, we’ll need Homer to start reporting on a different war. Would you prefer Civil or Revolutionary? They had newspapers back then, ya know.

[henkster]

I was thinking of a daily thread on the Punic Wars from 264 BC to 146 BC. I’ve always been fascinated by the Punic Wars, and have already drafted a very nice essay on the Roman development and use of the Corvus in ship-to-ship fighting.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Let’s see now: 118 years @ 4%...

[henkster]

It would put your great-great grandchildren through college, but for the fact that 4% of zero is still zero.

[Hebrews 11:6]

henkster demands a 10% raise.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I was thinking of a daily thread on the Punic Wars from 264 BC to 146 BC.

Intriguing idea. I will check with Monterey Public Library on the availability of microfilm of the Roma Gazette for years circa 200 B.C. As for the 10% increase - Done. I already put the paperwork through and you will see the raise on your next check. I will continue to process payments through the Clinton Global Initiative.

[alfa6]

Regards the short article on page 5 on improvised armor for Sherman tanks.

The Marines had been adding 2 x 12 oak planks to the side of their Sherman’s since the Mariannas campaigns. The planks were attached to angle iron that had been welded to the side of the tank. The oak planks served to defeat the Japanese magnetic anti tanks and by being attached to the angle iron a dead space was created to help defeat any satchel type charges that might be placed or held against the planks.

Some of M4s had large spikes or cages welded around the driver hatches to help defeat anti armor charges that might be thrown up onto the Sherman. The armor around the hatches tended to be thinner than normal and these countermeasures served to help defeat the anti armor charges.

Of course sections of track, bogie wheels, oak planks and anything else that could be scrounged were often welded or attached to the front of the Sherman to help protect against Jap anti-tank fire.

One other comment on Okinawa the Marine had mostly M4A3 Shermans (gasoline) with the sloped glacis plate along with a few of the M4A2(diesel) version. The Army tank battalions were equipped with the cast composite hulls. The Marine tanks would usually shrug off the Japanese anti tank rounds. The Army tanks on the other hand were consistently penetrated by the Jap anti tank guns.

http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman.php scroll down about half way to find illustrations of Marine tanks King Kong and Jungle Jim with the oak planks.

I have an interesting book entitled “Marine Tank Battles of World War II. Who knew,eh? Short version of the book the Marines used the tanks as mobile pillboxes in the infantry support role mainly. There were a few encounters with Japanese armor and the Japanese always fared very badly when taking on Shermans. The best of the Jap tanks was roughly equivalent to early versions of the M3 Stuart.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Rebelbase]

Korea and Vietnam would be good sequels.

[Hebrews 11:6]

I note that Patton forbade such augmentation because engines were inadequate. But he was rampaging across-country, whereas the Marines were using them, as you put it, as mobile pillboxes. Was that why they were successful in the Pacific?

[Frank_2001]

“San Francisco Outlook (by Hanson W. Baldwin) – 11”

You look at the text and want to scream, “Don’t do it! PLEASE! DON’T DO IT!!!!!” ;)

[alfa6]

I think so, the Sherman was originally designed as an infantry support tank not a tank fighter. That is why it had the “medium” powered 75mm gun. The Army Ordnance Board wanted a cannon with a life span of 1,000 rounds IIRC.

The Marines in WW-II were engaged in island warfare for the most part. Not a place where you were likely to have pitched tank vs tank battles.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}