Looking for photo of Japanese tank mounted on Sherman tank

[AKE]

Somewhere out there is a WW2 photo from the Pacific of a captured Japanese tank strapped onto the rear of a Sherman tank. Thought I had it saved in my personal reference stash, but apparently not. If anyone has or knows where I can find the photo, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[Jelly]

Just pick it, mate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M4-sherman-killer-kwajalein.gif

RG

 

[spud]

lol that is Tiny

 

[geegad]

its tiny all right but still how did they get it up there???????????



geegad

 

[Jelly]

its tiny all right but still how did they get it up there???????????

geegad

Well, as far as I know that was a Type 94 tankette. It weighed more or less 3 tons or so, not much, really (but it seems to me that 3 tons are not a good diet to a Sherman´s torsion bar / suspension).

Ok, take a look a this photo: also Kwajalein: I think thas this photo was taken BEFORE the Type 94 was put over the Sherman:

http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/newfolder/Namur.jpg

In my opinion the Type 94 without turret that can be see almost covered by the AFV that is seen with the soldier, is the one that is later mounted over the Sherman (thake a look: it seems turretless - "beheaded" ).

I don´t know what kind of loading facilities / equipment (if any) had the Japanese in Kwajalein, but I think that after the US bombardment action and the land combat, surely no equipment survived in good operating condition (if ever was some there before).

Take a look at the ground: sand: bad for moving heavy loads without a very well grounded "base" (although 3 tons are a almost "joke"): My opinion is that it was loaded over the Sherman by some kind of crawler crane belonging to a Seabee Battalion: it could come from the 74th, the 107th, or the 109th (I´m not a historian, and almost surely I´m wrong, but I believe that those batts showed action in Kwajalein at either the time of the battle or shortly after)...

Well, this is just my "armchair theory"... :

Cheers,
RG

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Ok, take a look a this photo: also Kwajalein: I think thas this photo was taken BEFORE the Type 94 was put over the Sherman:

http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/newfolder/Namur.jpg

In my opinion the Type 94 without turret that can be see almost covered by the AFV that is seen with the soldier, is the one that is later mounted over the Sherman (thake a look: it seems turretless - "beheaded" ).

If I understand you correctly, you think that the same tankette is in both photos. Correct?

If you look carefully at the 'nose' of both, you can see they are different variations of type 94's. One has the rounded front end while the other has a very blunt, square front end covered with bolts/rivets and a large square hatch on the glacial plate that the other does not have.

If I misunderstood you, I apologize.



I'm sure they had some sort of cranes, they certainly didn't drive it up there. ;D


Square riveted nose, large hatch

Rounded nose, no hatch

 

[Jelly]

Ok, there are evident differences

In think that the one in the first of your photos is a Type 94... I think that this "beheaded"model is the one over the Sherman (watch the photo ovre the Sherman... the turred is "tied" to the hull in a very kludgy way...)

And I think that the one with the Marine with his feet ove is like the one on your second photo... a Type 97B... like this one, I believe:

http://www.militarymuseum.org/type97b.html

But I assume I can almost surely be wrong... I´m an armchair photo-looker... ;D

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Yeah I don't know exactly what they are, or claim to but I just happen to spot the differences. There were many different types of those Tankettes, to serve different roles

I was just trying to clarify, It's all good.

 

[Jelly]

Yeah I don't know exactly what they are, or claim to but I just happen to spot the differences. There were many different types of those Tankettes, to serve different roles

I was just trying to clarify, It's all good.

Of course, mate !

The only sure about it is that someone in 1944 decided to choose an uncommon, heavy and bulky souvenir... maybe it finally made a good contrast with some 1:4 gnome garden figures in some backyard... ;D ;D ;D

Cheers, Scale,
RG

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

"My granddad brought home a Japanese flag from the war"

"My Granddad brought home a bayonet"


"Oh yeah, well mine brought home a tank"

LOL ;D

 

[AKE]

Thanks! Weird thing is that's not the exact photo I remember. I wonder if it's a different timeframe or if GI's were collecting them like baseball cards.

 

[Jeeves]

I think that same picture is on p. 306 of Armored Thunderbolt by Zaloga...or it may be more set back...not sure!