How did most new replacement tanks get to the front in modern wars (WWII and up). I noted another post that talked about a Dragon Wagon delivering a new M24 to an M5 crew. Ironically I had always wanted to do a similar dio, where an M5 crew (encamped) is looking over a replacement Chaffee. Of course the Chaffee would be like factory fresh and the M5 highly "lived-in", but I thought the expressions on the crew and them crawling all over the M24 would be cool.

But anyways back to my question. Did tank crews only get replacements in the rears. If tanks were delivered was it like a temporary crew or would a Dragon Wagon always be used? That would seem like we would have needed a heck of a lot DW's.

Thanks,
Jim

The M25 (armored) Dragon Wagon was meant to both deliver and retrieve vehicles from frontlines - under fire if necessary. I did mine with a relatively new replacement Hell Cat being delivered to the frontlines in Germany, early 1945. At that time, the Dragon Wagon could deliver a fresh or replacement vehicle pretty far inland, saving the wear and tear on the vehicle. When the need to deliver / retrieve under fire went away (for the most part) the lighter unarmored M26A1 tractor replaced the armored version.

Gunnie

Normally the entire unit (battalion) would be taken off the front line and then go through a short new equipment familiarization training. The old vehicles would have been turned in prior to drawing new vehicles in a rear area. At this time, any new recruits would be added to the unit and the "old vets" would be spread out among the various tanks. Unlikely to see a single Dragon Wagon pulling up to deliver a new tank and pick up the old one. It just doesn't work that way.

If a unit was so decimated that it would take more replacements than survivors, that unit may be disbanded and its vets sent out to sister units. Replacement of a like tank (to replace a battle damaged one) may just come to the unit.

Rob,
The training on the new equipment makes sense. Glad I didn't make that dio.

Don't know any modelers with pockets deep enough for several Dragon Wagons to make that dio work either - but then again $700 Tigers are disappearing off shelves...

Gunnie

As far as modern is concern, the armored units in the 24th INF DIV got there M1A1 in the rear. Like Sabot said, re-training was down and vets spread out amungst the units. To save wear and fuel, the tracks where transported close to the front or a staging area and the crew road with the HETTS or in other unit vehicles.

Epi - I'm trying to picture that in my mind - it sounds like the staging area could be pretty big. How close to the "front" would a staging area be?

Gunnie

Well, the DIV was spread out over a couple of miles. When we started out the front line units where several miles back from the Saudi/Iraqi border. I was in the support unit so we where even futher back.I didnt see much of the front line units, just a lot of heavy equipment moving forward.

SABOT, can you ched some better light on this subject since you where or are a tanker. I dont want to be giving out any wrong info.