USMC OOB13 (v.7) - flame tanks and misc.

[Pibwl]

Hello,

I've jest read "US flamethrower tanks of World War 2" by Steven Zaloga (Osprey) and decided to write down some comments on USMC OOB, for eventual future use (or for mod makers ). I used also Zaloga's "US Marine Corps tanks of World War 2".

04 M4A1 - it has radio=92, while according to Zaloga, the only time, that the USMC used M4A1 tanks in combat was battle of Cape Gloucester (12/43-4/44), and they "were not a normal type in Marine arsenal".

05 M4A3 (75) - according to Zaloga, Marine tank battalions began a shift from M4A2 to M4A3 in 1945 (now 6/44).

06, 200 M4A2 - it could have radio 92 (now 90), being the most typical tank of the USMC

Flame tanks:

07 A-H1B Satan - name was just M3A1 Satan (Zaloga doesn't mention any other designation).

I think, that it should have more shots, especially in comparison with other flame tanks. It had a capacity 170 gal and firing time 110 sec, which was the longest firing time of US flame tanks, save POA CWS H1(for comparison: BMG-mounted M3-4-3 flamethrower: 50 gal and 50 sec, E7: 118 gal and 50 sec (higher discharge rate), Mk I Ronson: 220 gal and 90 sec (higher discharge rate), POA CWS H1: 290 gal and 150 sec)

Maybe ranges of vehicle flamethrowers should be corrected? Now all use weapon 108, with range of 3, but Satan (unit 007) and POA CWS H1/H5 (008,203,204) had a range 80 yds, and M4 3-4-3 Flame (205,208) 70 yds. Only Mk I (206) had 115 yds, and E7 - 135 yds.

There could be added a new unit: M3A1 Flame. First USMC flamethrower tanks were created in late 1943 and appeared in action in 2/44 on New Britain - they were improvised mountings of portable short range FT instead of BMG in M3A1 tanks (in smaller number on M5A1 and possibly LVT(A)1). From 7/44 improvised mountings were prohibited. There is no information on its range, but surely it was no more, than 50 yds.
(BTW: the same machines could be added to US Army, used in action from 1/44)

08 POA-CWS 75-H5 - picture shows a tank with auxiliary FT instead of BMG, while it should be a two-barrel turret (however, photos of variant with 75mm gun are rarer, than of 105mm).
Name was POA-CWS-H5 - maybe POA-CWS-H5(75) would be better? Maybe it should have radio 91? (they didn't arrive in time to see action)

078 E7 Flame Tank - this unit is based upon LVT, but in fact, E7 flamethrower saw action mounted in M5A1 light tank only. According to Zaloga, ten E7-LVT(A)1 were built for trials, but never saw combat. If it's kept, it maybe should have an experimental status or radio x3. Besides, it's available too early - first was mounted experimentally in 6/44.

Four M5A1 E7-7 were built and used on Luzon from 4/45 (but apparently used by the Army - 13th Armoured Group of I Corps)

203 M4A1 POA-CWS-H1 according to Zaloga, the ones used in action with the Marines, were mounted on M4A3 tanks

204 POA-CWS-105-H5 - maybe POA-CWS-H5(105) name would be better?
Maybe it should have radio 91 (they didn't see action, and apparently 105mm flamethrower tank was accepted as a standard only between WW2 and Korean war - but I have no precise info)

205, 208 M4 3-4-3 Flame - in fact, for most of its active service it was known as M4 E4-5 Flame - only from 4/45 a derivate of an auxiliary flamethrower E4-5 (full name: E4R4-5R4-5R1 ) was standardized as M3-4-4.
If the latter name is chosen, maybe it should be just M3-4-3 Flame or M4/M3-4-3 Flame?

206 Mk I Ronson - Zaloga doesn't mention Ronson name for it, and its Mark I flamethrower (aka Quickie or Q-gun) didn't come from Ronson. I suggest name "LVT4 Mk I Flame"

210 LVT(A)-4 Ronson - I couldn't find such vehicle in the mentioned book, nor In Action or Concord books on LVTs. Maybe it's confused with E7-LVT(A)1 (see unit 78 above)

There is in fact mentioned a single LVT(A)-1 Ronson converted and used on Leyte from 10/44 (but apparently used by the Army - XXIV Corps)

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Rest of the OOB in order:

10 M4 Dozer - precisely, M4A2 Dozer (Zaloga)

17 LVT(A) 2 - according to "Amtracs in action", LVT (A) 2 was a special armoured variant, manufactured for the Army only. However, from 3/44 all LVT-2 were manufactured with cab armour, without a designation change. Apparently it only concerned cabs and front part - though there were also kits of side armour, that could be welded. Rear was apparently unarmoured.

19 LVT 4 - apparently rear was not armoured - they weren't made of armour steel, there were only kits for armouring, known as "LVT-4 (armored cab)". Ordinary LVT-4 weren't armoured.


201,202,292,293 M4 (Early/late) - Zaloga doesn't mention M4 variant in his book on USMC armour at all; if it was, it must have been not used in combat. They were used by the Army units in that theatre instead.

212 USMC Rifle Sqd - there's a photo of a sniper

264 M-H CTL-3 - crew was 2 (3), and size could be 2 (3) - they were just overgrown tankettes
http://www.marmon-herrington.webs.com/tank.html#ctl-3 ,
http://www.marmon-herrington.webs.com/usmc.html

According to these pages, it had armour 6mm (1/4 in) - now it has 2 in front. There were also CTL-6 tanks used, with armour 11 mm, and CTM-3TBD with a turret and .50 MG - but all were relegated to guarding of Samoa.

266 M3A1 - a picture is in fact M3 (with a commander's turret)

299 LVT 1 (AC) - they could carry one .50 AAMG (there is even a photo with two .50s and one .30).

380,385 75mm M1897 FG - photo is a modernized French 75mm

410 USMC Raider LMG - maybe a better picture is 2485, of Johnston LMG?

There could be added M6 tank destroyer - provided to the USMC in "very small numbers", used eg. at Bougainville in 1944 (Concord "US Tank Destroyers in combat 1941-45")

That's all

Regards
Michal