M4 Duplex Drive question

[Warhero]

Ok thanks about info Andy. I didn't knew that DD's were so "sensitive" to sink at all. So, allied had not any else fire support for LCA's than air/naval guns?

[Cross]

I seem to recall that - according to RN witnesses - one of the reasons the US had so much trouble on one of their beaches was because they let their DD tanks off the ships way way out to sea, much further than planned.

The seas were even rougher further out, and one after another the tanks went straight to the bottom.

One or two of those tanks could have made all the difference on the beach.


When you look at the science/technology involved in a DD tank, it's a wonder they worked at all. But they did, when not used in rough seas, and the closer to shore the better.



cheers,
Cross

[gila]

Swimming Sherman's?
In the English Channel?
One of the lamest idea's of the war.

[Mobryan]

Originally Posted by Warhero

Ok thanks about info Andy. I didn't knew that DD's were so "sensitive" to sink at all. So, allied had not any else fire support for LCA's than air/naval guns?

Pretty much,but it was a huge variety of naval guns. Pretty much anything that could float and had deck space for something was conscripted.

On the DD's sinking like rocks, thats one of the things that went well in my PBEM game, the German 88's and 75 Langs pretty much had thier way with the swimming Shermans.

Matt

[cbo]

Originally Posted by Warhero

Ok thanks about info Andy. I didn't knew that DD's were so "sensitive" to sink at all. So, allied had not any else fire support for LCA's than air/naval guns?

They had landing craft with tanks on the upper deck providing fire support. The British used Centaur tanks armed with 95mm guns but IIRC landing forces also used Sherman tanks and 25pdr and 105mm SP Guns for this purpose.
There were also armed landing craft like LCT(R) armed with hundreds of rocket projectors and LCGs armed with guns.

cbo