In the book 'Barbara' by Wayne Robinson we follow a Sherman tank,
in 'Duplex-Drive' (DD) disguise, and her crew. The story around the M4 Barbara is fiction, but the events
did happen for real. She landed during the first wave on Omaha Beach. I have in my possession
only the Dutch translation (from 1965) and this has some flaws in it. One of these ‘flaws’
(as I thought) handles on the ‘ventilation shaft’ on the heck of the tank.
I translate the next sentence from the Dutch text back to English.
'In her battalion she was tank no.7, second platoon, B squadron.
That number was high on top of her new ventilation shaft , atop of her screws.
The white stood clear and bright against the dull army green paint she was covert with’.
New ventilation shaft; that was a peculiar sentence. From the words Robinson used
it was obvious that he was talking about the DD version, he mentions the propellers/screws and the canvas
skirt. All the pictures I have (and drawings), not one shows a ventilation shaft.
One may think that it was a writers ‘hick-up’, but read the next sentence;
'Grant hoisted his body on top of the tank that would lead the way,
Battle Lady, and stood on top of the engine compartment, between the exhaust chimney
and the turret, to talk to Cavalry Captain Ross.’
I always thought that Robinson used his imagination and was mistaken the DD version on
this ‘shaft-business’ with the version of M4’s with the wading trunks. These Shermans could
maneuver through shallow water and took air, and blew of exhaust through two huge chimneys (or funnels). But,
that someone who served with the 743th Battalion (the first who dropped there DD-tanks for Omaha in the right sector)
was able to make such a mistake?
Above; as I pictured the DD tank 'Barbara'
Below; as the version
looked with the wading trunks
Enter Robert Capa, the photographer that went with one of the first waves that landed on Omaha
Beach. It is commonly known that the work he shot that day was ruined for a great deal in
a laboratory in England. Only a few survived, and despite there damaged look, or because
of that, they became world famous and are regarded as thé pictures that captured the onslaught
of Omaha Beach at there best. Finally I was able to find one of these pictures in a rather
good state, and what attract my attention,…?
Robert Capa shoots Omaha Beach
The picture above shows some interesting features. This picture is taken during one of the
first waves. Five minutes before H-Hour, and the first wave, the DD-tanks came ashore. At H-Hour, around 06.30, the LCT's
went in with the Shermans that could wade to shore (a minute before the infantry would land). Already can be seen,
on the left, a Sherman with wading trunks, with a large number ‘10’ on the back chimney.
Somewhat to the right of the middle is another wading (or put out of action) ashore. But, if we enlarge the picture,
two other vehicles can be noticed. These are two DD-tanks with the canvas skirt still up at the
back, but lowered on the front. Even the two little screws are visible at the lower back of the
left DD.
Clearly shown are the canvas skirts on the DD-tanks
The picture is taken between EASY-Red and FOX-Green, almost in front of Widerstadnest Wn 62.
The men in the water are from the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, probably
from Easy-Compagnie, the unit Capa was with. If we blow up the picture even more, the dark
colored rectangle shape can be seen that
is protruding out of the canvas skirt on both of the DD-tanks. Are these the chimneys
Robinson is mentioning?
In the circles are the exhaust? shaft to be seen
This is an adoptation as seen in the pictures
These were the only pictures, as far as I knew, of DD-tanks (probably from the 741st Battalion)
where chimneys could be seen. Was this a adaptation only for some tanks that had Omaha Beach as there destination?
Another picture from the same location
here also, are the
two DD-tanks visible
And a search started from 2011,...
On 5 January, 2012 I received a first reaction on this topic from Dave Zollo:
Hi there,
I have recently viewed the thread from 2008 on the ww2 forum whilst looking for reference pictures of deep wading gear
and the question you posed there and on your site about the chimneys on the Omaha DD Shermans. I have a possible
reason or an idea at least as to why, the train of thought started with the comment by 'bodston' that the US DDs
were mainly late large hatch M4A1s.
I have done a lot of research on Shermans recently for a 1/16 rc model build based on one from Band of Brothers
and in part of that I studied a DD recovered a few miles away from me back in the 80s (one of my research pictures
is attached). This DD was lost in exercise Tiger which was a practise for the Normandy landings and would have
been used on the day on Omaha if it had not been lost at sea, it is a late hull M4A1.
These late hulls have a longer cover over the rear area of the tank where the exhaust pipes are (see 1st
attached picture), this happens to line up with the bottom of the skirt fitting (second picture on your
page)). Therefore there would be no route for the exhaust gases to escape other than the pipes sticking
in the water so perhaps they fabricated a funnel similar to the deep wading trunks to run under the lower
lip in the armoured rear of the tank and up through the bottom of the skirt and then up near the top of it.
You wouldn't see this funnel on the other model DDs because they didn't need it, and remember a lot of the
American DDs were lost in the channel due to the error in departing them from the ships etc so fewer examples
survived if any.
The rear of the Slapton DD tank M4A1 Sherman (Dave Zollo)
I apologise for my rambling, I had an idea and needed to write it, I hope this in some ways answers your question,
I know it was asked several years ago but perhaps a late answer is better than none.
Thanks for your site and your work on the subject,
Dave
A DD tank at the Musée de Epaves sous-marines de Débarquement
Hi Dave,
Yes it is an old question, but it stil stands. You could have given me the right answer there. It's a pitty that
not a shred of evidence in pictures are to be found or have come to light so far. I can't believe that there has
never been a photo taken of the construction or that a drawing excists of it. I run an artikel (sorry in Dutch)
on the DD tank: http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/tanks/sherman/m4a1(76)w/actie3.htm
(belonging to this: http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/tanks/sherman/m4a1(76)w/home.htm) and not a picture shows
pieces of these 'funnel' (and there is a fine one of a M4A1).
If you don't mind, I will post your answer under the artikel with the pictures of Capa. And maybe someday a
picture will emerge.
Enclosed is a picture of an M4A1 DD tank at the Musée de Epaves sous-marines de Débarquement, near Bayeux.
But also here, no trace of funnel 'debries' (but I spoke too soon,... see below).
Thanks Dave for your reaction.
With kind regards,
Pieter
A close up of the rear of the DD tank
at the Musée de Epaves sous-marines de Débarquement
(below the 'cargo-tray' and it's position on the M4A1 at Vielsalm, Belgium)
A couple of weeks later, after closer inspection of another picture it has the bottom of a funnel on
the back of the Sherman.
My first impression was that the 'plank' on the back was the 'cargo-tray'. But this tray was placed higher
on the back of the tank. So, the M4A1 at the Musée de Epaves sous-marines de Débarquement has a piece left of the exhaust
on the outside, at the back, of the Sherman. The first part of the puzzle has an outcome.
21 january 2012
New up-date: In Belgium, from the firm Resicast, a 1/35 model of an M4A1 DD Sherman tank has come out!
In this model are great details to be found on the exhaustsystem to the connection of the 'chimeny'.
With these findings the search for the clues is almost coming to an end, we only need to find a picture
of the 'real-thing'. Below I use some pictures from modebuilder Emilien Pépin of
'EL DIABLO MODEL'. 27 january 2012
Slowly answers on detail etc. dropped in my mailbox. From Harald Melis I received this link to
a French site which had a lot on the DD tanks.
Especially on the American M4A1 version. During training in Italy it seems the ‘funnel’ was not used,
but an extra canvas sheet behind the turret was used to lead the fumes away from the crew
In this picture the extra sheet of canvas can be seen behind the turret.
Picture taken in the South of France during Operation Dragoon.
Thru various channels, a picture was sent to me with two DD tanks riding on Omaha Beach. I compared
these with ones Robert Capa took, but these were on another stretch of beach, probably more towards
Vierville-sur-Mer. The picture was taken from an LCI which came a bit later than the first waves in
LCVP’s, so these are probably put ashore by LCT’s, and belong to the 743th Tank Battalion. But it
is the details on this picture, the lowered canvas and the funnel.
Two DD tanks move into the battle for Omaha Beach,
(Notice the canvassheet in down position, and the high funnels)
A DD tank put out of action, with a funnel almost intact
The DD in Saumur
In July 2014 I visited the Tankmuseum in Saumur, French again. I knew now that they had a DD in
their inventory. It is a curious thing, and that is maybe why it still waits for restoration. It sits
in a yard with other tanks and vehicles.
The DD tank from Saumur stand forlorn between other vehicles
With some caution a moved through the rusty tanks and vehicles (it was an of-limit terrain)
to look for the DD tank. I had read somewhere that the DD had te wrong turret, a 76mm version.
This tanks was delivered after the war to France for testing and training. During this period, it
lost it’s turret, and when it arrived at Saumur, here they gave it the current turret.
The two points where the propellers were attached, and above,…
a part of the exhaust, a simple sheet of metal
There were voices who thought this tank was used in the movie 'The Longest Day', as the tank who Kieffer fetches
to attack the Casino of ‘Ouistreham’. But these tanks differ, and the one in the movie is obvious a ‘prop’.
A detail of the system where the funnel was located
The 'boatform' at the front with the apparatus for the canvassheet
Detail of the rear
The tank crews were ordered to remove the DD equipment after the landing. This was mostly done
by enemy fire, but they were always recognizable because of the items that could not be removed (see below).
Notice the ‘light trace’ where the funnel once rested on this DD
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