M10 Wolverine

The Hunter of tank M10 Wolverine (the American official name of M10 was " mounting automoteur") American armored vehicle is a used during the Second world war.

To compensate for the weakness anti-tank device of the Sherman, the Americans equipped their units with a vehicle specialized in the fight anti-tank device.

M10 Wolverine was mechanically very close to Sherman and its train of bearing was common. Its superstructure and its turret were on the other hand original.

The gun of 76,2 mm was worth largely that of the Panzer IV, but appeared too weak against the shieldings of the heavier German tanks. Delivered to the British and adapted by them, M10 took the name of Achilles. The vehicle is sometimes called Wolverine or Slugger.

Identification

It was characterized primarily by its gun of 76,2 mm assembled in a turret discovered special, on frame of tank " Sherman". The presence of this mobile turret distinguishes this tank destroyer from its German contemporaries. The shielding was strongly tilted on the sides, which compensated for partially the insufficiency its thickness.

Wolverine had two alternatives (M10 and the M10A1) which differed only by their engine without external difference.

The shape of the counterweight to the back of the turret evolved/moved at the same time on the two versions of the vehicle.

Its perforating projectiles could bore to 900 m 100 mm of steel with shielding.

M10 Achilles

The British version, M10 Achilles, is easy to distinguish thanks to the brake from mouth from the gun from 17 pounds.

As for the Sherman Firefly, the genesis of Achilles goes back to the law Lend-Lease thanks to which English accepted a big number of Tank Destroyers M10 (hunter of tanks M10 Wolverine).

And as for Firefly, he quickly noticed the limited power of the gun of 76.2 mm American. Indeed, this gun was only far from higher than the gun of a panzer IV, derived from PaK 40 and consequently was not enough powerful to counter the German tanks heaviest whose best examples were the Tiger and the Panther.

English thus drew from their stock the famous gun of 17 pounds whose reputation is not any more to make, especially associated with special ammunition APDS. Certain historians affirm that this gun is most frightening of the battle field, even compared with terrible the Canon of 88 mm.

However, this gun was slightly modified, one had to shorten the cylinder head in order to gain place in the turret.

The turret was it also modified in order to accommodate the new gun which was heavier but as finer as the 76.2 American mm.

With the combat, Achilles were shown quickly wild against the panzer but became, like the firefly priority targets. The losses were some times replaced by ordinary TD M10, to the great displeasure of the crews!

It will be noted that name Achilles IC or IIC comes from the M10 frame or M10A1.

Bond interns

• Ordnance QF 17 pounder