Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 737 "5 Bramble":

• Sherman V Crab, DANDY DINMONT
• Sherman V Crab, Turret No.2
• Sherman V Tank, WOLF OF BADENOCH
• Churchill AVRE
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

The Sherman V Crab wallowing through the mud, making its way ashore is DANDY DINMONT. The Sherman V Crab in the background, about to leave the ramp of LCT 737 "5 BRAMBLE" is Turret No.2. The Churchill AVRE with SBG bridge can be seen still on deck of the LCT. The other Churchill AVRE and Armoured Bulldozer cannot be seen in this photo.

IWM (B 11632).jpg
Caption: A Sherman Crab flail tank coming ashore from an LCT during the invasion of Walcheren Island, 1 November 1944.
© IWM (B 11632)


Of this Sherman V Crab, we only know it had Turret No.2. When zooming in on the photo, another 2 can be discerned, but it is not outlined in white. So this could also be Turret No.22.
It has a unique identifying feature: the bridge classification sign, a black 40 on yellow circle, can be seen on the right hand flail boom. It is unique in the sense that on other Crabs used in Infatuate II it was absent or painted over with temporary markings. Below the bridge classification sign "5 BRAMBLE" is chalked. Like the other Crabs, it was left in the Zuidstraat after they were swamped in during the night of 1-2 November. It is pictured here in the Zuidstraat in 1945:
2a8ce9a8fcb7b02d8a11edc3e3ea9045b5d4f13e5c1ffc480fafd78efeada84a.jpg
(Source)


Next picture is dated ca. 1945 too, but was taken later as more of the rubble has been cleared and a temporary building erected:
34dcb7909d055afb499f730143ab8a99e9a2a29ca3d147f2b828324f105ed3dd.jpg
(Source)

Another ca.1945 photo showing Turret No.2. According to the caption of this photo it is located at the address Markt 92-96 in front of the monumental house "'t Herenhuis". Markt is a section of the road adjacent of the long Zuidstraat, so this caption helps us to pinpoint the location more precise.
1b019593e68e024e4ef9eea93e7c8dfda4308aeb041e023e2b6b209e5ed89ed7.jpg
(Source)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

Sherman V Crab, T-148656, landed from LCT 650 "6 CHERRY" (source). This Crab made it off the beach and into Westkapelle, only to be flooded during the night after the landing rendering them useless. This is the Crab which would later be turned into a monument on the dyke.

It is pictured here in the Zuidstraat, circa 1945:
4ea161ce73cc5437e195430027966ec657580a2bb7381f550698441efdf14112.jpg
(Source)


Circa 1946, still in the same spot and still complete but the WD census number seems to have been painted out. Maybe because it has been struck off census?
Note the road wheel missing from the left rear bogie:
5d394a4d263d801a43308def4e102c2c91b4bc33bc46daa4bfac0a0d9480f4f7.jpg
(Source)


Circa 1947 the Crab was dragged out of the main street by ex-Army trucks: a Ford Canada CMP (left) and GMC CCKW-353 (right).
By that time it was still complete with flail arms:
bb5fbf5b92da31f75a9d3f69d011e1ff020a968c951eaabff3b746d000a02ed5.jpg
(Source)


By 1960 it had lost its flail booms and was left as a memento halfway on the dyke, on the land side:
f0d40e47afaead689a8cb55cba83eedb51c97f7c8e5811c9c026cc2da761079c.jpg
(Source)


Shortly after, T-148656 had all the flail remains removed. It was then moved to a spot on top of the dyke with a memorial plaque in front.
The turret was still trained to the right and the right hand track seems to be broken:
b6c9c5b04f14ace39a049383c80f558d9d4a0c4e8756de1bb351f6f6ada1a178.jpg
(Source)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

Sherman V, T-147976, "COCK O'THE NORTH", Turret No. 11, of "A" Sqn HQ, was the second Sherman gun tank to successfully reach the village. Like WOLF OF BADENOCH, Turret No.10, it played a considerable part in the Commando operations between 2-8 November. After the Operation, it was driven back to the other tanks left in Westkapelle, and abandoned.

Pictures taken on 31 July 1946:
b8e7fa9927b77d83d1d4421ad9a57e726db3fa75f1e2a799cc01afdedf28cbdd.jpg
(Source)


It's name "COCK O'THE NORTH" proudly displayed on the applique armour plate on the right hand sponson:
36a8a5c3ce0d0ebbfd5e7b9095ed56f41c0cfcea9486127b10a69dc2491e9ba9.jpg
(Source)


The WD census number T-147976 and Turret Number 11 are clearly visible:
0160fdb4ee7bdc94832c1ec1a80ba89dae804a31760602d271318d8bea1de9f3.jpg
(Source)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

LCT 650 "6 Cherry":

• Sherman V Crab
• Sherman V Crab, T-148656
• Sherman V Tank, COCK O'THE NORTH
• Churchill AVRE SBG
• Churchill AVRE
• D7 Armoured Bulldozer

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
606495c6-1ea0-22e2-86c6-4b4ce10ea1d4.jpg
(Source)

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

The second Sherman V Crab on LCT "Cherry" remains unidentified.
Judging by the marking "CHERRY 6" on the right-hand front of the flail, it must be this Crab pictured in an unknown street in Westkapelle in November 1944:
Attachment 97957
(Source)

This is actually yet another photo of the 'Memorial' Crab T148656:

Crab T148656.jpg
Crab T148656
Source

Just the three Crabs made it out of the beach, only to get flooded during the night of 1 Nov when stationed in Zuidstraat in Westkapelle town.

The second Crab in '6 CHERRY' could not land because it was pinned down by the fallen SBG bridge which had been shot off the AVRE behind it on the LCT.

Michel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by MicS

This is actually yet another photo of the 'Memorial' Crab T148656:

Attachment 97981
Crab T148656
Source

Thanks Michel! I had not seen that photo before. It indeed clearly shows the "CHERRY 6" marking identifying the same Sherman on both pictures.

This picture must have been made during the operation as it shows two soldiers sitting on top. It came from the "collection Hillsman, John A.B." - does that name ring a bell with you?
606495c6-1ea0-22e2-86c6-4b4ce10ea1d4.jpg
(Source)

The first picture confused me as all other pictures show it in a different location. This is the well known spot where it stayed until ca. 1947 or a few years until it was dragged away to be placed on the dyke.
Not having seen the 'CHERRY 6" marking on the right hand flail boom before, I drew the incorrect conclusion this was another Sherman V Crab.

Was this picture the source for your remark on WW2Talk forum?

Incidentally, the Crab used as a monument did not even land from '5 BRAMBLE', but from '6 CHERRY' (LCT 650)...(source)

39368203345_9806b7c36e_o.jpg
(Source)

As luck would have it, when I was typing this message a new photo came in! Courtesy of Marcel van Hoepen from Westkapelle, it shows T-148656 in front of his grandmothers house.
The marking "CHERRY 6" can be clearly seen:
28056261_547548988963450_3614043899182297204_n.jpg

I will correct my postings above, same for Turret No.22.

Thanks,
Hanno

[David Herbert]

I expect Marcel will be happy to see another view of his grandmother's house. Bet she wasn't too happy to have the Sherman parked outside for so long !

David

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

(...)
Of this Sherman V Crab, we only know it had Turret No.2. When zooming in on the photo, another 2 can be discerned, but it is not outlined in white. So this could also be Turret No.22.

The turret number is indeed 22. There was no Crab numbered just '2'. The lack of a visible outline on the first '2' on the right side of the turret is because it has faded.

On this photo, we can see that the outline on the lower part of the first '2' on the left side of the turret has begun to fade as well:

No.22 Crab - gahetna 487087_002.jpg
No.22 Crab - gahetna 487087_002
Source

Same happens to RHODERICK DHU's turret number (see the first photo in your second post above).

Michel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks for the interest and for all the useful input!

Will get back on this subject later. Meanwhile, I leave you with an interesting documentary "Commandos strike at Walcheren", showing a great synopsis of Infatuate II - including the tanks in action.

Thanks,
Hanno

[Colin Alford]

Hanno,

While searching through Canadian War Diaries on a completely unrelated topic I stumbled across "Op INFATUATE - 4 SS Bde Outline Plan No. 3 - 18 Oct 44" which can be found at this link:

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...69/488?r=0&s=5

Once you finish reading that document, you will get to "Op INFATUATE - 4 SS Bde Provisional Outline Plan No. 4 - 21 Oct 1944" at image 494.

These documents won't give you the level of detail about the Shermans that you are after but at image 489 there is a list of the Armoured units in support of the Operation. (also attached as an image)

I conducted a quick internet search for the 4 SS Bde War Diary but couldn't find anything.

I don't know the types of vehicles held by "27 Aslt Sqn RE", or "One Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" but I presume that the Shermans came from "'A' Sqn 1 Lothians"

My inclination would be to obtain a copy of the 1st Lothians War Diary as it may provide the level of detail that you desire.

Link to request the 1944 1st Lothians War Diary:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ils/r/C4440967

Colin

[MicS]

Originally Posted by Colin Alford

(...)
I don't know the types of vehicles held by "27 Aslt Sqn RE", or "One Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" but I presume that the Shermans came from "'A' Sqn 1 Lothians"

"27 Aslt Sqn RE" does not exist. It's a typo for "87 Aslt Sqn RE", who provided the AVsRE.

The "Amphibious Aslt Regt RE/RAC" provided the LVsT (actually 5 Aslt Regt RE plus 82 Aslt Sqn RE and a number of LVsT from 11 RTR attached, hence the "/RAC" part).

And as you rightly presumed, 'A' Sqn 1 LOTHIANS provided the Sherman gun and flail tanks.

Michel