Battle of the Hedgerows...

[generator_g1]

Can someone give me some info on this? I'm planning to do a 1/72 scale diorama and I want to know what tanks were used..etc. Calling HAB

[MKSheppard]

Can someone give me some info on this? I'm planning to do a 1/72 scale diorama and I want to know that tanks were used..etc. Calling HAB

US M-4 Shermans were used, with scrap metal from
german beach fortifications welded to their hulls to
slice through the hedgerows.

Typical german tank of the day was the Mark IVH panzer,
with a sprinkling of Panthers and King Tigers (not in large
numbers, though)

[generator_g1]

Thanks Shep BTW Do you know any sites that might have pics of said tanks? I'm interested to see those modifications to those Shermans.

[MKSheppard]

Thanks Shep BTW Do you know any sites that might have pics of said tanks? I'm interested to see those modifications to those Shermans.

Panzer IVH


Panther


King Tiger (Tiger II)


M-4 Sherman


Modified British M-4 Sherman (firefly with 17 pdr)


I'll try and find a pic of the Cullins device

[MKSheppard]

THE CULIN HEDGEROW CUTTER

Shortly after the Normandy landings in 1944, Allied armored
units encountered hedgerows in the countryside that had developed
over several centuries. The farmers would uncover stones in their
fields and would pile them up along property lines. This evolved into
a stone mound with thick hedges growing along this natural fence line.

When Allied tanks attempted to cross the hedgerows in pursuit of
the Wehrmacht, the vulnerable belly armor was exposed and
several vehicles were knocked out. A U.S. Army soldier came
up with a solution that bears his name, the Culin hedgerow cutter.
Steel in the form of sharp spikes was fitted to the front of armored
vehicles as shown in the above photo. This would allow the tanks to
plow through the hedgerows, being protected by the frontal armor.



Troops would then follow through the openings in the hedgerows
to support the armor. It should be noted that the material used to
make the Culin hedgerow cutter was obtained from the German
beach obstacles at Normandy.

Shown below is a steel fabrication of the cutter design shown in
the U.S. Army photo. The assembly bolts into the front clevice
fitting of the M5A light tank, as shown in the bottom photo.

[Dalton]

Hmm, I remember seeing a bit about those on Mail Call. Rather ingenious and somewhat ironic I thought.

[MKSheppard]

Hmm, I remember seeing a bit about those on Mail Call. Rather ingenious and somewhat ironic I thought.

Did you see the part where they drove around the Cadillac M-5 light
tank?

First tank in the world with an automatic transmission!

(the first tank with a semi-automatic transmission was the Tiger I)

[generator_g1]

I see... I remember seeing a model with a setup like that (hedgerow cutter) but it was a British tank, Churchill or Cromwell I don't remember the name clearly but were British tanks involved the hedgerow battle?

[Rubberanvil]

Did you see the part where they drove around the Cadillac M-5 light
tank?

I read those tanks were rather useful in recon and troop support roles?

[MKSheppard]

I don't remember the name clearly but were British tanks involved the hedgerow battle?

Funny you should say that.



The British 7th Armoured was involved in Normandy too, and at villers-bocage,
Michael Wittmann, and his Tiger destroyed a shitload of British tanks