Operation Infatuate II: Sherman tanks at Westkapelle

[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:
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(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:
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(Source)