Saw this over at Missing Lynx.

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675063851_3rd-Marine-Division_Iwo-Jima-operation_tanks-emerge-out-of-landing-ship_tanks-line-up

Looks like a late M4A2 coming out of an LST. Also what appears to be a late M4A2 flail tank. Is this correct? They are listed as 3rd Marine TB. Scroll through the videos. There is a lot of very interesting footage.

3rd Tank Battalion were the only armor unit on Iwo Jima using the M4A2.
4th and 5th Tank Battalions were using M4A3's. That said, all the photos I've seen if 3rd TB were early A2's.
I cannot access the video's at work, so until this evening the one dead giveaway was that 3rd TB had little or no mods to the tanks. They were solid green, no camo, and did not have wood armor, screens or whatnot over the hatches.

4th TB had screens on the hatches, wood plank side armor over concrete, and some bizzare camo. Lots of improvised add ons, such as track links welded all over.

5th TB as a rule had 10 penny nails welded to the hatches, wood planks over concrete on the sponson sides, and wood planks over the suspension. They had a variety of camo, and some possessed sharp sheet metal "teeth" around the wood armor to prevent someone from climbing up the sides as well as track link armor.

G

Ok the first tank off the LST is definately an M4A2 early sporting all the features commonly seen on a 3rd Tank Battalion Shermy. Also it is marked in the fashion adopted by 3rd Tanks.

The film then cuts to "Aileen" apparently towing a jeep out of the LST. Aileen definately has the 57 degree hull of a late A2 or A3. Without a shot of the engine deck or rear end, it's hard to tell. It doesn't have markings consistent with 3rd Tanks. The name "Aileen" would indicate "A" Company of what ever Battalion. I wish I knew a way to process Aileens serial number, that'd tell us.

The lineup shooting at something appears to have sponson armor? That would mean 4th or 5th Tank Battalions, yet I didnt see any sign of a screen or nails on the commander's hatches. I couldn't enlarge the screen so it's hard to tell.

Love that old stuff!

G

Aileen is a large hatch, welded hull with applique armor, ergo an M4A2(75) D (for lack of a better designator).

KL

Is that applique armor on the turret as well, or just a shadow? . Hard to see clearly. Open spoke road wheels. Maybe a black shadow line or border around "Aileen".

I'd say cheek armor on the turret, and the name Aileen does have a thin black border around the letters.

My two centavos!

G