Vehicle Identity Requests: Allied & Neutral States

IrregularMedic · Post by **IrregularMedic** » 17 Sep 2007 09:09

Anyone know what this is?

kgvm · Post by **kgvm** » 17 Sep 2007 09:47

Bill, sorry, no expert for land vehicles, but the ship looks very much like an Italian motorvessel of the "Pietro Orseolo" class.
A harbour with no cranes at all, may be taken in Tunis?

Michael Emrys · Post by **Michael Emrys** » 17 Sep 2007 11:17

IrregularMedic wrote:Anyone know what this is?

Since I don't have my usual sources available yet, I can't give you a precise answer, but it looks to me to be a tracked artillery tractor based on the Cromwell chassis.

Michael

peeved · Post by **peeved** » 17 Sep 2007 18:39

IrregularMedic wrote:Anyone know what this is?

Maybe a Crusader Gun Tractor for 17-Pdr. AT guns. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Crus ... _axb01.jpg
Markus

Michael Emrys · Post by **Michael Emrys** » 17 Sep 2007 19:05

Maybe, but I'm not totally sold yet. There are detail differences. For instance, notice how the front edge of the crew compartment is built up higher and the sides taper down as you go back? Maybe that's just the difference of a later improved model, and it makes more sense that they would use a Crusader chassis.

Michael

peeved · Post by **peeved** » 17 Sep 2007 19:51

"Crusader Gun Tractors were used in the North West Europe campaign from D-Day (where for deep wading they had the sides of the crew compartment heightened with extra plates welded on) onwards" [B.T.White: British Tanks and Fighting Vehicles 1914-1945]
Markus

Michael Emrys · Post by **Michael Emrys** » 18 Sep 2007 04:22

Okay, I'm 98% sold now.

Thanks for that citation. The thing that bugs me is that I am sure that sometime during the last couple of years I saw the exact same picture that IrregularMedic is using and I can't remember where or what was said about it.

Michael

C.GILLONO · Post by **C.GILLONO** » 18 Sep 2007 19:19

Peeved is right, a Crusader Gun Tractor modified for deep wading - D Day days
You can just see the 17 Pdr in tow
Also note the 2 on the red/blue backgorund with a Corps (or Army, I just can't remember) white bar over it, that points to Corps (or Army) AT Regiment
HTH

Michael Emrys · Post by **Michael Emrys** » 19 Sep 2007 08:14

Okay. I yield to the majority opinion.

Michael

iffig · Post by **iffig** » 19 Sep 2007 08:47

According to the (very interesting) site

http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html

markings are for Corps troops (the white bar is under the blue-red markings for Army troops)

kgvm · Post by **kgvm** » 26 Sep 2007 18:48

Bill, my identification of the ship as Italian "Pietro Orseolo"-class was reassured by Italian experts. And if I look at the soldiers, the seem to be Germans. Why do you think the vehicles are French??

Bill Murray · Post by **Bill Murray** » 26 Sep 2007 19:44

kgvm:
Thank you for the good detective work!!
The only one I was somewhat sure of was the vehicle on the upper right of the photo wiich looks a bit French. The photo is not all that good.

In any case, I will look into my Italian books when I get home from the shop in a few hours and see what I can find.
Bill

IrregularMedic · Post by **IrregularMedic** » 12 Oct 2007 04:09

Thanks everyone for the information!

I had never seen that prime mover before.

IrregularMedic · Post by **IrregularMedic** » 13 Oct 2007 08:28

I know my soft-skin ID skills are weak, but this vehicle seems a little different:

from:
http://www.com-central.net/index.php?na ... c&start=15

Bill Murray · Post by **Bill Murray** » 13 Oct 2007 10:51

Your vehicle is a Dodge T202 VC3 1/2 ton 4X4.
The predecessor of the much more famous 3/4 ton versions used in WWII.
Bill