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Flames of War Unboxing: M10 Tank Destroyer Platoon
September 30, 2016 by lancorz
John and Justin are back with some more historical Flames of War goodness.
The M10 Tank Destroyer soldiered on from the North African campaign to the end of the war. During that time crews made some field modifications to improve some of the vehicle’s major weaknesses, such as the open fighting compartment and the thin frontal armour, with overhead protection and improvised armour using sandbags.
The M10s typically served infantry divisions, offering their guns to blast German pillboxes when not otherwise engaged with enemy tanks.
How would you play the M10 Tank Destroyer?
Nice. Only problem is you guys left this one “in the tin” for so long BF have already released an all-plastic set for the M10/M36.
And on the history of the unit, the M10 first appeared in 1943, and was rushed into use as one of the first allied vehicles with a gun capable of harming the German Tiger. In the European theater is was used mostly in the tank destroyer battalions. According to original US army doctrine, tanks were to be used as cavalry. They would exploit gaps in the enemy line and cause havoc in rear areas. Thus the design of a sherman, which was relatively fast, reliable, and with an armament more focused on using the HE rather than the AT capabilities of its gun. Tanks were not to engage tanks.
Tank Destroyers, like the M10, which were lighter and faster, but with bigger guns, were to engage enemy tanks. They were typically combined with recon elements, armored cars and such, which located enemy tanks, then the tank destroyers would ambush them. It all worked much better in theory than practice, thus the gun-upgrades seen in the sherman later in the war. The Shermans couldn’t retreat and wait for Tank Destroyers every time they encountered an enemy tank.
However, as John mentioned, in several theaters, primarily the Italian theater and the pacific, were enemy tanks were far less common, and fortifications far more common, the TDs were pressed into service as assault guns. In Italy, there were even instances of troops building ramps, and driving the M10s onto the ramps to provide elevation, allowing the gun to be used as makeshift artillery. While it didn’t have a huge explosive charge, its high velocity gave it excellent range.
It was often in these other theaters, where close-quarters action against enemy infantry was far more likely, that the M10 would have one of those makeshift roofs installed to prevent enemy infantry from tossing grenades into the crew compartment. The roofs weren’t as common in Western Europe, as direct contact with infantry was less common. Additionally, while the open top was far more vulnerable, it gave the crew excellent visibility, and more often than not, the key deciding factor in any tank engagement is who sees who first.
great vid nice looking tank.