Kevin (Kglack43) took these (asked me to post as he's having Issues with his Mac)

Good stuff!

It looks like this Sherman was caught in an artillery barrage or something - the whole back end is a wreck!

Or maybe it was a test range target or something(?)

Thanks for sharing!
Chris

Gotta be a former range target. There are plenty of Army posts in and around Alabama where it could have been salvaged from.

Seems to me, if this were a range target, it would not have survived. The tanks I have seen at Fort Rucker have been completely destroyed and left as a pile of rusting metal. This tank, to me anyways, must have been involved in an actual fight during the war and returned to the US for some reason.

kevin

I believe this was a vehicle on some target range but probably not an artillery range. Could have been a range for helicopters to test their guns on. In Michael Green's book "M4 Sherman" he has a couple of photos of Shermans that were pulled off target ranges.
Eric

The scar on the transmission housing looks to be inflicted from a high angle...

I suspect they've been strafed with 20mm cannon fire from aircraft, IIRC the M4 Hybrid in Michael Green's book had suffered the same thing.

I agree. Most tanks used for fire practice look a whole lot worse. Todays' AP rounds easily penetrate the Sherman :-)

Martin

It turns out a close friend of mine in on the Battle Commission and I asked if he could use his connections with the park historians and get the scoop on the Sherman...any day now and I will post their reply.

Kglack

I'll wager it's a range baby, recovered to become a museum molly.

Dangit...you guys are right...Quote from the battleship Commission's email reads as follows:

"It came from the firing range at Eglin AFB in about 93 or 94, and was in pieces. They put most of it back together, but kept the gun and attachment to use on a Sherman they have on display there. We have been unable to locate one ever since to complete our tank."

Any ideas on where they might locate a missing barrel and attachments?

Kglack

what a bunch of knowledgeable guys i've found to surround meself wiff.

update on the battleship park...though some would like to see the katrina damage photos...via link

http://www.ussalabama.com/html/photos/index.php

Issues with a Mac, no way you'er kidding aren't you? Let me know if I can help! That all I ever have used...

By the way thanks for the pic's on the USS Alabama, my uncle served on the ol' girl. He was on it the day the of the surrender...