Help for unity identification - Italy

Discussions on WW2 in Africa & the Mediterranean. Hosted by Andy H
Post Reply
User avatar
Oasis
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: 29 Jun 2006, 18:42
Location: Central Italy

Help for unity identification - Italy

#1

Post by Oasis » 22 Sep 2019, 16:03

Please I need help to identificate the tank of the attached (bad!!) picture, who is crossing the town of Anzola (Bologna-Italy) on 20 april 1945. Anzola territory was crossed by divisions 85, 88 and 10 Mountain.
AFAIK 86 rgt tanks (10 Mount) were the first to enter Anzola that day, as reported by eyewitness still alive some years ago.
thanks
Toni
Attachments
Tank Anzola foto 20aprile1945_2.jpg

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#2

Post by Urmel » 22 Sep 2019, 16:52

Marker on the left makes me think this is British, and British tanks operated in the area. H/T Gareth Davies on Twitter.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42


User avatar
Oasis
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: 29 Jun 2006, 18:42
Location: Central Italy

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#3

Post by Oasis » 22 Sep 2019, 21:19

Thanks Urmel, but British never reached that western part of Bologna province: maybe some tanks attached to US units (but I have no results of this) ? Even Southafricans passed some 10 miles north... Anzola is where I actually live...
ciao

Volyn
Member
Posts: 455
Joined: 04 Jul 2018, 05:53
Location: USA

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#4

Post by Volyn » 22 Sep 2019, 21:24

Oasis wrote:
22 Sep 2019, 21:19
Thanks Urmel, but British never reached that western part of Bologna province: maybe some tanks attached to US units (but I have no results of this)?
Look at the uniforms that the soldiers are wearing, they appear to be British not American; can anyone else confirm this?

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#5

Post by Urmel » 22 Sep 2019, 23:10

The view of folks o Twitter who I trust is that this was an OP tank, probably 4/22 Battery, 6 South African Armoured Division. Looking up Black Beret Vol. II - are you sure about the date? On the 20th Anzola seems to be between the 86th at Ponte Samoggia and the South Africans at Casalecchio. The next day the South African Axis is NW from Casalecchio to San Giovanni, so it's quite possible that artillery of 4/22 was in Anzola?

All the best

Andreas
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

Volyn
Member
Posts: 455
Joined: 04 Jul 2018, 05:53
Location: USA

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#6

Post by Volyn » 23 Sep 2019, 00:04

Urmel wrote:
22 Sep 2019, 23:10
this was an OP tank, probably 4/22 Battery, 6 South African Armoured Division.
That explains the uniforms of the tank crew.

User avatar
Oasis
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: 29 Jun 2006, 18:42
Location: Central Italy

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#7

Post by Oasis » 23 Sep 2019, 00:53

The date is given with the photo, and I cannot be sure. It seems real because the tanks are in the direction of Bologna (East), as they came from SE and soon patrolled the town together with partisans, that is in all directions.
The night before the first tank to reach Anzola was of I/86 Regt.
I attach another photo of the same day: may the two photoes portray Tank Destroyers?
Attachments
foto 20aprile1945_1.jpg

User avatar
Urmel
Member
Posts: 4896
Joined: 25 Aug 2008, 10:34
Location: The late JBond

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#8

Post by Urmel » 23 Sep 2019, 08:39

They’re Sherman’s. The vehicle in front in the second photo is a US Greyhound armoured car. Coming from SE indicates South African, since they came from Casalecchio whole the US forces came from the west. I’m going with OP tank from 4/22 Regiment. See here: https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=4469
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

User avatar
Oasis
Member
Posts: 611
Joined: 29 Jun 2006, 18:42
Location: Central Italy

Re: Help for unity identification - Italy

#9

Post by Oasis » 23 Sep 2019, 15:21

I post a quick drawing of the situation in Anzola and surroundings days 20-21 april 1945.
The tanks of my two former photoes are portrayed in Anzola on the SS.9 pointing Bologna, their back to Ponte Samoggia.
It is reported also the presence of 328 F.A. of 85.Div, but I do not know if they had tanks.
You correctly point to the markers: the triangle on the right and the number on the left (maybe 73?) could correspond with what reported in the site flamesofwar for 6 AD/SA ? (I am not very knowledgeable about markers and tanks...)
Sorry for the rotated image...
Attachments
fronte anzola-min.JPG

Post Reply

Return to “WW2 in Africa & the Mediterranean”