DC Comics has released two showcase volumes of the The Haunted Tank comic books.
Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank Volume 1
Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank Volume 1 Written by Robert Kanigher; Art by Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, Irv Novick, Jerry Grandenetti, Jack Abel. The Haunted Tank gets the showcase treatment in this volume collecting stories from G.I. COMBAT #87-119, BRAVE AND THE BOLD #52 and OUR ARMY AT WAR #155. Includes the Haunted Tank teaming up with Sgt. Rock and Lt. Johnny Cloud. (560 pages, B&W, Softcover, $16.99 MSRP, ISBN 1401207898)
Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank Volume 2
Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank Volume 2 Written by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert; Art by Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, Irv Novick, Mike Sekowsky; Cover Are by Joe Kubert. 500 pages of classic war stories, from the pages of G.I. COMBAT #120-157 from 1966-1973. (560 pages, B&W, Softcover, $16.99 MSRP, ISBN 9781401217938)
While some U.S. tank men already are fighting in North Africa others go through maneuvers in California to toughen them against the enemy. Men wear coveralls and dust masks as they survey the bleak wasteland.
When the Allied forces first encountered the Tiger II in Normandy in the summer of 1944, the panzer was briefly referred to as the “Pantiger”. The Associated Press picked up the name “Pantiger” in their article on August 19th:
Germans have thrown a huge new, heavily armored tank into action on both the Russian and northern French fronts in an effort to stem the Allied advances, but first reports denied it was a “super weapon.”
One of the new monsters weighing over 65 tons and with six inch armor plate—an inch and a half thicker than anything the enemy yet has put into action—was taken by the British on the Orne river front. The tank was a victim of a mechanical breakdown and never had fired a shot in battle.
Christened the “Pantiger” by its captors, the tank combines the best features of the Nazi Tiger and Panther tanks, which weigh 45 tons each. It is 23 feet long and over 11 feet wide, has an extra wheel on each side of its tracks and a huge, clumsy looking turret.
A new 67-ton German heavy tank—referred to variously as Pantiger and Tiger II—has been employed against the Allies this summer in France. Actually a redesigned Tiger (Pz. Kpfw. VI), it mounts the 8.8-cm Kw. K. 43 gun. On the basis of a preliminary report, the general appearance of the new tank is that of a scaled-up Pz. Kpfw. V (Panther) on the wide Tiger tracks. It conforms to normal German tank practice insofar as the design, lay-out, welding, and interlocking of the main plates are concerned. All sides are sloping. The gun is larger than the Panther gun, and longer than the ordinary Tiger gun. Armor is also thicker than that on either the Panther or the Tiger. The turret is of new design, with bent side plates. In all respects the new tank is larger than the standard Tiger.
A simple trick for improving the 76mm ready racks in the M4 Sherman from Army Motors, February 1945:
Releasing 76mm Shells for Active Duty
UPSIDE-DOWNING YOUR TANK’S READY RACK AND SNAPPING OFF THOSE CLIPS IS WHAT DOES IT
If the 76mm, six-round ready rack or four-round ready rack on your medium tank (in the turret near the gunner’s seat) looks like the one shown in Fig. 1, here’s a simple fix to loosen the ammo.
The end clips (arrow in Fig. 1) hold the shells in the rack good and tight—too tight for fast unloading. So, loosen the top screw and remove the ammo container from the box (Fig. 2). Snap off the clips by bending them back and forth with a pair of pliers or cut the rivets with a sharp chisel. Then turn the box upside down, so the shell holes that were on top are now on the bottom, and slide it back into the rack (Fig. 3).
This is the important thing because inside the shell container there’s a spring that presses down on the shell, holding it firmly. That’s what makes the shell so hard to get out. When the box is turned over, the shell presses on the spring—the pressure’s gone and you can unload lots faster.
There’re several types of six-round ready racks (76mm), so be sure you work this only on the type rack that’s pictured.
Allied evaluation of the Japanese Type 95 light tank showing its strengths and weaknesses — ends with a drag race between the Type 95 and a Stuart light tank. (Source: U.S. Combat Bulletin No. 5.)
M4 Sherman Tank modification and upgrades from Army Motors, Maintenance Branch, Office of Chief of Ordnance, Vol. 5, No. 1, April 1944:
If it’s a Tank, Medium, M4—here are the visible changes that should have been made by now. Check your score—and chase whatever’s missing.
Sorry our list couldn’t quite Tell All. For details on the above additions, subtractions, and modifications, you’ll have to consult the TB’s and FSMWO’s themselves. There are plenty of other TB’s you should have seen, too—full of fascinating facts on M4 operation, identification, lubrication, adjustments, cautions, and assorted SOP’s.
You’ll find all these cataloged in the latest edition of OFSB 1-1, under “pertinent publications” for the Tank, Medium, M4. Anything else is impertinent, including that remark you just made about having so much to read.
Left, top to bottom: New towing shackle-pins FSMWO-G1-W7; New style combat safety lights. FSMWO G1-W9; Disc type track idler wheel. TB 1700-31; Idler brackets. TB 17538-4; Fuel tank filler necks, FSMWO G104-W63; Crowbar bracket relocation, TB 700-48; Mono-gyro control, FSMWO C56-W1; Turret traversing control cam, FSMWO G104-W55; Turret armor plate, FSMWO G104-W57; Azimuth indicator, FSMWO G104-W74; Ammunition rack protector plate, FSMWO G104-W81; Improved turret master switch, FSMWO G104-W82; Gunner’s periscope sight, FSMWO G104-W91; Combination spot and signal fight, FSMWO G104-W92; Smoke bomb thrower, FSMWO G104-W93; Tank commander’s vane sight, FSMWO G104-W94; Impulse firing solenoid, FSMWO G104-W97; Hydraulic hand turret traverse, TB 1731F-1; Lift hooks on gun shield, TB 1758-2; Propeller shaft U-joint tube. TB ORD 12; Track support roller spacer, FSMWO G1-W2; Bogie lift modification, FSMWO G27-W1; Bogie spring bottom seat, TB 700-32; Cast track support roller, TB 700-46**; Bogie wheel bearings and seats, TB 700-72**; Steel track replacement, TB 700-106; Bogie wheel tire sidewalls, TB 1700-36; Bogie and idler wheels (outside U.S. only) TB ORD 22; Hub sprocket capscrew, TB 700-70**; Latest type blackout driving light, FSMWO G1-W6.
Right, top to bottom: Fuel relief valve, FSMWO G104-W65; New type cam assembly, TB 700-52**; Magneto timing change, TB 700-53**; Oil filter replacement elemerts, TB 700-76; Fire detector system, TB 700-98; Interchanging master clutch, TB 731A-6*; Engine oil tank level gage, TB 731 A-7*; Fuel line and accelerator ccntrol rod, TB 731A-11*; Carburetor dust guard, TB 1700-18; Excessive clutch release pressure, TB 1700-35; Bendix-Stromberg carburetor, TB 1725-16; Carburetor economizer seats, TB 1730-1; Valve and magneto timing, TB 1750D-2; Valve and magneto timing, TB 1750D-3; Carburetcr air horn drain plug screens, TB 1751-1; Piston ring change, TB 1751-11; Sealing of engine shroud, TB 1751-12; Valve rocker arm clamp screw, TB 1751-13; Front main Dearing support, T3 1751-17; Autolite generator regulators, TB 731A-10*; Decontaminating apparatus, TB 700-58; Steering lever parking brake, FSMWO G1-W5; Driver’s and ass’t driver’s door lock, FSMWO G104-W75; Hatch guards, FSMWO G104-W83; Clutch pedal interference, TB 700-49; Instrument panel voltmeter, TB 700-68**; Transmission synchronizer assembly, TB 1700-19; Transmission pinion gear shim, TB 1700-22; Transmission clutch gears, TB 1700-23; Differential compensating pinion, TB 1750-4; Transmission oil pump, TB 1750-5.
*Superseded by TM 9-731A (23 Dec. 43) **Included in TM 9-731A (23 Dec. 43)
The following U.S. intelligence report on the Japanese Type 97 medium tank Shinhoto Chi-Ha with improved 47-mm gun was published in Enemy on Luzon: An Intelligence Summary:
TYPE 97 IMPROVED MEDIUM TANK WITH 47-MM GUN
A number of modified Japanese medium tanks were encountered on Luzon. They were basically an improvement on the Type 97 Medium Tank. The tank studied was manufactured at the Tokyo Army Arsenal in 1944.
The tank was 18 feet 2 inches long, 7 feet 6 inches wide, and 7 feet high. It was equipped with a V-12, air-cooled, valve-in-head, diesel engine with Bosch fuel pumps. The transmission provided four speeds forward and one speed in reverse. Dual steering was employed, utilizing both clutch-brake and epicyclic gear steering systems. The turret had been changed from a circular type to a semi-rectangular over-hanging type that gave a long, low appearance. Racks were mounted on the turret sides for use with the Type 94 self-projecting smoke candles. Except for a portion of the turret, all armor was riveted. The track was the conventional Japanese center-guide all steel type, 13 inches in width.
The tank mounted two Type 97 (1937) 7.7-mm tank machine guns and one Type 1 (1941) 47-mm tank gun. One machine gun was mounted in the rear of the turret, the other forward in the hull. The ammunition racks hold 120 rounds of 47-mm and 2,500 rounds of 7.7-mm ammunition, the former being both APHE and HE. The Type 1, 47-mm tank gun was almost identical to the 47-mm anti-tank gun. It was 9 feet 7 inches long, allowing 15 degrees total traverse and an elevation from plus 10 to minus 10 degrees. The turret could be traversed 360 degrees.
Combat Lessons, No. 3 described the fighting on Sicily between U.S. Sherman tanks, Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs of the Herman Goring Panzer Division, and Tigers of sPzAbt. 504. The Herman Goring Panzer Division lost heavily in the fighting around the Sicily beachheads in July, and sPzAbt. 504 suffered the disastrous loss of 14 of its 17 Tigers.
Tank Operations, Remarks by a Senior American Officer, Sicily: “On the morning of 12 July, at least a company of German tanks with numerous Mark VIs (Tigers) attached, attacked down the Niscemi Road. There was an observation post for our artillery just south of this road from which fire was placed on the tanks with great accuracy by an infantry battalion commander who was the only observer present. At the time he brought the fire down on the tanks they were within 300 yards of his position.
“While this was going on, a company of our Sherman tanks encountered enemy tanks and infantry moving west on the Gela-Ragusa Road and a sharp fight ensued. The Germans lost two Mark VIs, while we lost four Mark IVs (Shermans). The German tanks attacked ahead of the infantry, and without using smoke or reconnaissance. They were stopped by fire from our tanks and artillery.
“In both attacks the Germans followed the roads and were less successful than on the preceding day when they had been deployed and operated cross-country.
“On the Miscemi Road I saw four German Mark IV tanks and a number of Mark VIs and Mark IIIs which had been knocked out. Three of the Mark VIs had been stopped initially by a hit on a track. Another Mark VI had been ditched under conditions that indicated very poor driving and then put out of action by artillery shell fire while immobilized.”
Penalty of Carelessness: “The American tanks lost deserved their fate because they deliberately violated long-standing instructions. They had apparently moved down the valley until they reached a road and then successively moved out on the road to get a view. As soon as they got on the road they came under fire from German 88s at 1500 yards range.
“Had these tanks halted under cover on either side of the road and reconnoitered on foot, they would certainly have discovered the German guns which were and still are in plain view.“
Sgt. Rock, Vol. 2
Sgt. Rock, Vol. 3
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