Hey all. Have just finished reading a book called D-day to Berlin, and it contained accounts by servicemen on both sides. One of the British commanders mentioned in an account that he had a couple of '"turner tanks". Now does anyone know if that is Commonwealth parlance for something under another name? Or is it something I know nothing of?
Hmmm...

I'll pose a guess: could it be the Crab Flail tanks used for anti mine clearance?

The were chained flails attached to a drum which rotated mounted to the front of a Sherman tank. Very specialized vehicle used to clear out lanes where mines had been laid.

Does this fit the context of the tankers' accounts?

Ola Honeycut

Does the book tell of which unit it was and what the purpose of those Turner tanks was. I also have the feeling they are talking about Decoys.

Ericadeane the Crab Flail was part of a series called Funnies and were all the children of Hobart. Often there is talked about Hobarts funnies

Hi
I think Derek's right. I havn't heard about such tanks and I've just looked in my Tankers-Bible. No Turner Tanks.

Simon

Hey again all. Well not having the book in front of me, the best I can remember is that they were defending a town taken during Goodwood maybe...He mentioned only 2 of these tanks, but I don't recall any talk of them being decoys... Watch this space... I'll quote the passage

Could this just be as simple as captured German tanks "turned" on their former owners. I know for a fact one British unit (Guards Armoured?) had a Panther marked up with white stars, & I've seen a picture of a Tiger, presumably running, crewed by the Sherwood Rangers (Notts & Derby Yeomanry) in Eric Lefevre's "Les Panzers" (an "After the Battle type book about Normandy). I can't see why an advancing active unit would need blow-up dummy tanks, & I'm pretty sure a Crab or AVRE would be familiar enough to most tank crews to be referred to by name.

can you post this picture?

they are my local tankies (regs amalgamted years ago, but the unit still exists as a TA unit)

now that might persuade me to build one of those big ugly things :-)

regards

joe