Hi everybody,

Apologies for yet another question,but I've searched and have not found a definitive answer for this...

Please could I ask if the U.S.M4/M4A1 Shermans and British Sherman Fireflies in Normandy all had towing cables fitted as standard equipment? Or were only a few tanks per company given towing cables?

It's not always easy to see from contemporary photos and museum vehicles are not an accurate gauge of whether all Sherman tanks carried them.

Also,were the towing cables on British Fireflies the same as those on U.S. Shermans or were they a different design?

Thanks so much as always!

Mike

Shermans were issued a standard 20 foot cable just like they were issued with a shovel, stove, extra head lamps. It's on the list of standard equipment. British Shermans wouldn't have been different.

Mike: a sort of simple area you can research is by downloading some free/published PDF versions of the tanks' Tech Manuals. Each TM will have a list and location of all the standard equipment for the vehicle.

Thank you. That will definitely be very useful!

They all should have a cable, as this was vital recovery gear. But photos of tanks in Normandy show them piled with all sorts of non-standard stowage that might hide a cable - especially if that cable is coiled up on the rear instead of being fixed in the factory-fitted brackets. And occasionally a tank might lose a cable, so it might not appear in photos. The trouble with combat is the way it interferes with routine inspections!