Tank Chats #56 Sherman DD | The Funnies | The Tank Museum

Tank Chats playlist • Tank Chats from The Ta... Another episode in the Tank Chats Funnies Specials, with David Fletcher looking at the weird and wonderful vehicles of 79th Armoured Division led by Major General Percy Hobart, known as 'Hobart's Funnies'.
The Sherman DD, or Duplex Drive, was a term applied to Sherman tanks modified for amphibious operations. DD tanks were used by American, British and Canadian forces in WW2 on D-Day, 6 June 1944; by the Americans again in the south of France and by the Americans and British during the Rhine crossing.
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[@thetankmuseum]

If you need more David Fletcher in your life, you can now buy David Fletcher t-shirts and mugs from The Tank Museum Online shop. We ship worldwide! tankmuseumshop.org/collections/clothing/products/david-fletchers-tank-chat-t-shirt tankmuseumshop.org/collections/mugs/products/david-fletchers-tank-chats-mug

[@DaGleese]

David Fletcher has such a great charisma in his depictions, the little asides where he throws in his own opinion are just classic!

[@firefox5926]

5:14 what ive never understood is why they didn't just use a whole lot of caulking to seal everything up and then with a snorkel type thing for air intake and exhaust just drive them along the sea bed .. i mean its practically a submarine anyways and that way you are well protected from enemy fire by the water as well i mean i don't mean like drop them off in the middle of the channel but you know 30 to 60 ft of water should be manage able and that's pretty far out on a sloping beach

[@firefox5926]

actually my pet idea has always been why didn't they just take an old battle ship with say 14 inch guns take the read turrets off leave to front superfireing turrets it and remove most of the engines till it can just trundle along at say 10 knots and strip out all the..well everything else really and then with all the 1000s of tons that would free up just up Armour the front section and the citadels till you have some ridiculous impenetrable level like 20 inches all over and then with say and then on de day just run it aground (very carefully) on each of the beaches and then use those 12 inch guns to clear out the beaches for the landing craft

[@firefox5926]

7:57 soo the tracks are basically acting like bicycle chains ... nioce :)

[@John2E0GTU]

When is D F going to be knighted?

[@ronaldderooij1774]

"They used it for D-Day and that kind of stuff" Priceless.

[@bumblebeebob]

I've always liked The Funnies. What ingenious work arounds to get the job done. Thank you Mr. Fletcher for this up close look at the Sherman DD.

[@LordInter]

he promised he could talk for days about them 😭

[@Davivd2]

Ian from Forgotten Weapons is Gun Jesus and David Fletcher is Tank Santa. Please Tank Santa, bring me a Panther for Christmas.

[@tisFrancesfault]

He already did, but it broke down and then burst out into flames.

[@Metal_Tao]

@@tisFrancesfault wouldn't have it any other way

[@breakafreak]

Davivd2 would Chieftan be Tank jesus?

[@chrisjones6002]

Nope, there can be only one.

[@drogomuircastle7175]

Tank Einstein.

[@Ralph-yn3gr]

"Hans, why is there a giant laundry hamper coming towards us through the surf?" "Fritz, I haven't the foggie-OH JEEZ OH GOD OH CHRIST IT'S A TANK RUN!!!"

[@Feiora]

"Hans, warum kommt ein riesiger Wäschekorb durch die Brandung auf uns zu?" "Fritz, ich habe keinen Nebel - OH GOTT, ES IST EIN PANZER, LAUF!!!"

[@dillonpierce7599]

Run? From a sherman? What am I a panzer 2? 😳😅👍

[@davemacnicol8404]

Oh wait its sinking nvm

[@kierenkeith6446]

“I can tell you it’s bloody uncomfortable inside” oh Mr Fletcher. 😂😂😂

[@RockyRailroadProductions_B0SS]

Another David Fletcher video! Excellent! A very odd machine this time, but that makes it more interesting, I suspect. "They suddenly become a tank and start shooting."

[@trycoldman2358]

Also known by us Germans as *Hans, why are there clothes baskets coming right at us?*

[@HistoryGameV]

Well, according to Mr. Fletcher the right sentence would be HANS, GET THE FLAMMENWERFER!

[@lucahindelang5237]

SASCHA

[@BartJBols]

Unloading a machinegun on this could surely sink this? if not by pipes deflating, by the holes letting salt water pour in? one or 2 bullet holes is all fine, but 30 or so bullets would mean 60 holes and lets say 4 or 5 inflated struts compromised.

[@HistoryGameV]

Yeah, but apparently the Germans did not really consider these things dangerous until it was too late.

[@Phos9]

Bart Bols water stops bullets pretty quickly, there’s a pretty narrow gap where the hole would be below the waterline but high enough for the bullet to not be stopped by water.

[@SEscarlett]

My maternal grandfather was a DD tank commander at Omaha. His tank barely made it 100 yards from the LST on D-Day, when it began taking water. The tank was abandoned to sink, and the crew swam back to the LST. Grandpa was not impressed.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

That's the water's fault, not the tank's. ;)

[@mako88sb]

Well, it was actually the 741st battalion commander's fault as he had the final say on whether to launch at sea or land directly on the beach. The other battalion commander for the 743rd also assigned to Omaha beach didn't make the same mistake and had his DD-Sherman's land directly on the beach. The battalion commander for the 70th assigned to Utah beach also assessed the situation properly and judged the conditions good enough to launch at sea and only one of his battalions DD's sank on the way in. Can't blame anybody who's tank sank on them for not being impressed but the design and intent of how they were to be used had many benefits for an operation like this so I can see why they implemented it. Of the 8 battalions or battalion equivalents assigned to Operation Neptune, only 2 others launched at sea with 3 DD's sinking at Sword and 5 sinking at Juno.

[@tobiasflohr4849]

@@fuzzydunlop7928 Must have been!

[@markcoluzzi5754]

@@mako88sb how many sunk at Omaha? I heard something like 27 of 29 went down? I've also heard that the 743rd landed feet dry because they landed sometime after the 741st and by then the beach was somewhat secured? Many versions of this event are given. My father was a tanker in the 741st........... thankfully in Korea!

[@mako88sb]

@@markcoluzzi5754 Yes, that is correct. 29 launched for the 741st and 27 sank. The other 3 for the 741st were landed conventionally. As for the 743rd, yes all 32 were landed conventionally but not that much later then the 741st as they had a very difficult time advancing beyond the landing areas due to well positioned bunkers with anti-tank guns that had excellent flanking fire along most of Omaha beach. Many tanks were knocked out while trying to move ahead and some were disabled simply from the rising tide flooding the engine compartments.

[@goodsous]

Oh bugger, the Sherman DD is sinking...

[@MrFleem]

A variation on Chieftain's "OMG, the tank is on fire" exercise?

[@1337flite]

Fleem Q Swipes "significant emotional event"

[@generalripper1964]

First heard about that in Army ROTC back in the day. ;-)

[@nor0845]

That'll be why the crew sat on top of the tank, don't blame them ;-) Having said that very few of the British or Canadian DDs sank and I'll bet the infantry were glad to have them!

[@LEXXIUS]

Took me a while to get!

[@PUBHEAD1]

It's a British national secret that David's mum actually gave birth to him in a burnt out Matilda tank. For his first formative years he believed a two pound shell was his twin brother. A Marvelous Man and a national treasure to be sure.

[@Feiora]

Someone watched, "The Big Red One" afew too many times...

[@Karelwolfpup]

"try to ignore the window in the side, it was put in there so the curious could gawp in..." David Fletcher you gem of a man XD just bloody brilliant !

[@TheBobes]

Oh this one is a diesel Sherman? So it's basically a *M4A2 TDi DD* :D

[@TheBrainSpecialist]

Sadly no turbo :(

[@2boredfortv]

It does have twin blowers on it

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

Talking to an actual vet in my family that escaped his sinking dd on Juno beach that fateful day. He said that everything was fine until the seas got too rough.

[@mkms685]

Belch: "that sounds a bit disgusting but don't mind..." I laughed hard on that part. 😂

[@panzerfaulst12345]

David Fletcher is such a goofy wacky academic.... The best kind!

[@Tuning3434]

+panzerfaulst12345 And only having a tramconductor license to show for. Diploma's do not equal knowledge.

[@panzerfaulst12345]

You don't need a diploma to be an academic.

[@gastonbell108]

Mr. Fletcher is neither a veteran nor a traditionally lettered academic. Far from it, he's a "bootstrap expert" of the purest sort. I'm fairly certain he was a lorry driver with a great deal of self-provided knowledge about tanks and armored vehicles who loafed around at Bovington as a self-volunteered docent of some kind. In the most obvious kind of Darwinism, he was recognized as the most knowledgeable chap in the house and offered a job shortly thereafter. Given that Rudyard Kipling was (quite truly) the first fellow to recommend the place be built, there is SOME speculation David was his protege, but modern science has cast doubt on this notion, as it would make him roughly 200 years old (easily 50% older than his actual age). Unfortunately, negotiations with/regarding the mustache persisted for some time, and he was fairly intransigent on the matter, being as it was the (postulated) source of David's powers. I believe the mustache receives a nominal Crown stipend for maintenance. Damn welfare society.

[@fw1421]

panzerfaulst12345. when I went to A&P school we had an instructor just like him. WWII veteran used to work on B-17’s and loved to tell stories about the war. God Bless Tom Potter! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@tamlandipper29]

@@gastonbell108 His moustache also holds the keys to Budleigh Salterton. Possibly by accident

[@jerry2357]

One reason for the greater number of layers of canvas lower down in the screens (near the hull attachment) is that the pressure of water is proportional to the depth below the water surface. Thus the lower parts of the screens need to withstand a higher pressure of water, and three layers will withstand the water pressure better than one or two layers.

[@kevinjogoo8730]

I could listen to this gentleman speak for days on end

[@jerbear3915]

I took a break from work just for this and it's worth it

[@taofledermaus]

It surprises me this ever made it into production.

[@WhatIsYourMalfunction]

Unlike some strange shotgun rounds though, it worked!

[@SaltwaterServr]

You shoulda seen what it did to those ballistics gel gummy bears back in the day.

[@bencejuhasz6459]

Nicholas Straussler already designed Valentine DD Tanks,which were experimented on, so it was a tried-out,but not flawless system. And because of his experiments in Hungary in the 30s(with the V3 and V4 prototype tanks), he already knew that attaching solid floating devices are not good if you want to continue the fighting inland with the same vehicle.Especially for a 30-something ton medium tank.

[@AdamSmith-kq6ys]

@Period 6 - this one would at least present a danger to those cars on the highway...

[@Bird_Dog00]

+Taofledermaus Why? It's a clever sollution to a problem they saw when planing the landings. And to me it sound like a far more pragmatic and cost-effective sollution than the overcomplicated dive-capable tanks the germans made...

[@oban6051]

Y’all are doing this right. I really wish every museum had a KZbin channel where they just had an expert explain and talk about thing in their collection. This is a great way to get information out to the public. Keep up the good work. If I ever end up in the UK I’ll make sure I stop by.

[@thetankmuseum]

Thank you! We hope you'll be able to visit soon.

[@patrickbureau1402]

“Eureka!” - the TANK floatz !🇨🇦

[@tbwpiper189]

DD Tanks, while not perfect, were an imaginative feat of engineering.

[@peterbourne5926]

I’ve followed your work for many years David and love it. I love your presentation style and learn new facts every time I watch you. Bravo. Pete. 🇬🇧

[@gusty9053]

Stop gawping you museum visitors :)). I'm just kidding of course but i found it funny the way he explained the cutout. Great video as usual. Wow i don't remember anyone else mentioning that the tracks were used to get the power to the propellers. Neat idea.

[@bavtie1]

''Eh, this one doesn't look so dangerous, barely has any men in it'' *screen drops* ''It was in that moment, Hans knew he messed up''

[@rciscon]

Thank you Mr. Fletcher, your Tank Chats are always as enjoyable as they are informative.

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

"Adequate for D-Day and that sort of thing."some people just got the gift.

[@AltamaLFG]

Incredible they got those things to float and use a propeller, regardless of its result.

[@robertfoote3255]

Thank you Mr Fletcher ...another great "chat" 😊

[@canegang]

Moustache attack We surrender to such a fine specimen.

[@garyneilson1833]

Excellent video, really enjoying "The Funnies" series

[@Skorpychan]

Ingenious design, really.

[@CharlesvanDijk-ir6bl]

If you were careful you could do it and you save more tanks that way. The man just puts it brilliantly.

[@williamwallace9427]

Best narrator on KZbin!!

[@stevebessant8102]

The first bit of period film is taken off the South Devon coast at Slapton sands, which was a US training area. Someone recovered a sunk DD a few years ago and it's displayed at Torcross as a memorial to the Operation Tiger tragedy.

[@benjaminbenson8714]

Excellent as usual. I think the short clip of them swimming is slapton sands, start bay the location for the I'll fated operation tiger. Blackpool sands later when the canvas drops.

[@firingallcylinders2949]

No DD tanks have made it ashore, I repeat we have no DD tanks on the beach. Dog 1 is not open!

[@masondyer1625]

“Where a lot of them sank. But anyways” Nice to see those lost in training are receiving the recognition for their heroism that they deserve

[@Thinguns]

The man never puts his arms down. Jolly good show.

[@keenanmcbreen7073]

looks like some sort of primitive soft boat, is a tank, pretty cool. Can definitely see the strength of having tanks able to cover open water between landing craft and the beach.

[@colbeausabre8842]

I'm an old tanker (active duty 74-99) and back in my day we had the M-551 Sheridan to back up the firepower of the recon vehicles (originally m114's then M113ACAV's) in the Cavalry (even Air Cavalry Squadrons had an Armored Cavalry Troop) Anyway, the Sheridan used the same system as the DD ("Donald Duck:" to US troops) M4's. wwwcdn.militarytrader.com/wp-content/uploads/ampFigure-7a.jpgwww.tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/US/photos/M551_Amphibious_training.jpgThe skirts were built into the vehicle. You would erect the swim board located on the glacis plate, flip a switch to start the air pump and once the sides were up, kick in the bilge pump and go for a swim. It should be pointed out that the M551, M114 and M113 were SWIMABLE - not amphibious like the LVT. The were to be used to cross inland water ways like rivers or lakes and not expected to survive in surf. In any case, no one quite trusted the thing and in most photos you'll see the turret crew sitting on top. Eventually the skirts got damaged through use and misuse and they fell into disuse and were either not used or removed. See this for any entertaining look at the M551's development and the question of floatingwww.eaglehorse.org/home_station/hidden_stories/70s/M551/sheridan_m551.htm#Part_2:_The_Blank_Sheet__._._._but_does_it_floatIf you read the whole site, you'll get a wonderful look at the "glamorous" lives of tankers and cavalrymen.BTW, the British Ferret light armored car and CVRT series (Scorpion, Scimitar, Sabre light tanks) also used the systemwww.milweb.net/webvert_images/76475/b.jpgTo talk about the DD's again, the DD's at Utah beach were carried to be beach when the naval officer commanding that group of LCT's decided the seas were too rough. OTOH, it was a different story at Omaha with 741;st Tank Battalion" The Company A tanks, along with a platoon of bulldozer-blade equipped Shermans, (neither DD's) were brought ashore by LCTs, while the DD tanks were launched from about 6,000 yards offshore, which was considerably further out than originally planned, and in rougher seas than those in which the unit had trained, resulting in the loss of 27 of the 32 DD tanks before they reached shore.[12] Only two of the launched DD tanks reached the beach; another three were carried ashore when their LCT was unable to lower its ramp at sea"Sadly, the Army knew of the existence of the LVT - there were even armored LVT's mounting the turret and gun of the M5 tank and M8 SP howitzer - and had formed both Amphibious Tractor (LVT) and Amphibious Tank (LVT(A)) battalions, but for some reason the ETO refused them for OVERLORD."According to Wikipedia the US Army had 23 LVT battalions in WWII to the Marine Corps' 11! On the Wikipedia LVT page I found a link to the 788th Amphibian Tractor Battalion. The 788th converted to a LVT (armored) battalion in APRIL 1944! The 788th was sent to the pacific and its 103 LVTs carried troops ashore in the invasion of Leyte. The 788th was one of five tank battalions that converted to LVTs. "So the infantry at Omaha could have armored protection all the way to the bluffs and armored support for that assault.Someone had blood on their hands

[@deanstuart8012]

The two DD tanks that sank off Studland in Dorset during training in April 1944 were not Shermans. Those two tanks were actually DD Valentines. The is at least one DD Valentine still in existence (I saw it displayed at the War and Peace Revival in Kent in July) although it is in private hands.

[@thetreblerebel]

The craziest freaking idea ever devised on DDay..a floating Sherman

[@MrTumbleweed22]

Several were sunk off slapton sands in Devon during exercises for D day. One tank was salvaged and is now a memorial to the soldiers who lost their lives whilst in training.

[@DC9622]

God they were clever, who thought up the funnies. Looking forward to when he does the AVRE, what that could do was mind blowing. His book with Steven Zaloga British Battle Tanks, American Made, goes into fascinating detail on the Sherman DD, it’s development and combat history. Superb book. There success, depended, on the actions of the various Senior Naval Officers in charge, to take them in shore as close as possible along with the DD’s crews courage. Very courageous individuals, first taking on the sea, before staring fighting.

[@markfryer9880]

When I was at school in the late 70's, early 80's, there was a rather large and heavy solid cover book on D-DAY in the library. Thinking about it, that book must have been costly to buy. Anyway, I would often spend lunch times reading through that book and I found D-DAY to be fascinating, particularly the photos mostly of Omaha with LSTs lined up unloading, DUKW duck trucks swimming around and photos of DD tanks and the Mulberry harbour. Amazing that all that stuff had been designed and developed and built in just a few years.

[@mikem.6765]

He's very informative and the technology for the time was ingenious!

[@revhead5420]

David Fletcher and David Willey are the best presenters , mature and rational calm and far from childish ...

[@roguegen5536]

"Once was enough" Because you'd never convince anyone to do it a second time.

[@mgbrv8]

Mr. Fletcher is an absolute treasure

[@budnrobots2968]

Thank you guys epic video

[@AR-jx6wr]

Part tank, part narrow boat.

[@stephens7136]

Using the tracks as a belt drive for the propellers. That is ingenious.

[@leeenfield4900]

Percy Hobart was an Engineer by profession, afterall. basically developed a dozen variations of specialize armour, trained hundreds of personnel, and deployed said tanks to dozens of units. All in less than two years.

[@christiankarl3496]

Seeing a new Tank Chats Video coming up = Instant Like :)

[@Corristo89]

Imagine you're a German soldier manning an MG-42 machine gun nest with two or three other soldiers. You're easily handling the advancing Allied soldiers, pinning them down with an insane rate of fire... when a tank suddenly comes out of the water, it's 75mm gun pointing straight at you and its machine guns already firing away. Any soldier with a healthy survival instinct would get out of there. And the amphibious tanks could also provide cover for their own soldiers, since bullets usually don't phase a tank in the slightest.

[@vulpesinculta3238]

If you were a halfway decent soldier, you'd call in artillery support to hit the tanks before they could get off the beach instead of running away (air support would have worked as well if Germany had half an air force left at that point, but it didn't). Of course, half of the problem at D-Day was that the German soldiers there were far from the best. The men on the initial line of defenses along the beach were pretty much invalids, conscripts from Eastern Europe, and older men.

[@bencejuhasz6459]

You'll call for AS if you have connection to you artillery units-which the Germans didn't have after the initial bombardment-and if your artillery has permission to fire and has enough ammo to support your request. Also,the equipment used by the defenders weren't exactly top notch-I understand a French artillery piece in France,but Czech,even some Soviet guns?

[@vulpesinculta3238]

You make do with what you have, and the best of what the Germans had in 1944 was required on the Eastern Front, where they had been firmly on the back foot for almost a year by June 1944.

[@bencejuhasz6459]

Indeed,but...a Soviet gun on the Western Front?Where all the ammunition had to be transported for said gun.While if it was kept on the Eastern Front, the chances obtaining some of the ammo are higher.

[@vulpesinculta3238]

It's a matter of transport optimization. A supply train to the front line has to make a return trip, so it might as well return with a bunch of captured soldiers and equipment to justify the expense. Besides, on the front lines, chances are one piece of artillery will not last very long - either because it'll be damaged by repeated firing (which is a problem even with modern artillery), or because its position will be overrun before it can be moved. So if you just give a front line cannon a few dozen shells, that's probably more than it'll ever fire. It's the same reason why a lot of German and Italian prisoners of war ended up in the United States, actually. The supply ships that went to Britain, North Africa, Sicily and Normandy would be going home empty, so the American government decided to use those empty ships to ship some German prisoners of war and captured German weapons and vehicles for testing back. Italian soldiers even ended up in places as diverse as Orkney and Australia, working as farmhands and craftsmen!

[@nor0845]

Just on the amphibious topic as it were, for D-Day Bren Gun carriers were also modified with wading splash screens for landing (not fully amphibious). These were supposed to be removed once ashore but many crews left them in place for extra protection (made from metal??). The Bren carrier which my father (aged 12) managed to start and promptly drove into the duck pond would have benefited from said screens ;-). The Army who were on exercise and billeted at the farm were good sports and more impressed that he managed to start and drive it than angry. My Grandfather hauled it out with the tractor and my dad had to clean it :-).

[@HomeworldChanal]

I had the automated subtitles on (1:32): "on a German like this at the lowest level you´ve got three layers of canvas..."

[@TheLastPhoen1x]

"Setting fire the sea" This guy is the best.

[@rvail136]

As always, brilliantly presented and executed.

[@madzen112]

Must have been astonishing to have heard the stories of these vehicles from their original crews. 'Hello Dave, can't you come over and tell me a bit about those Shermans you chaps used to swim around in in Germany. For the museum of course.'

[@jabbafo]

Apparently a whole group of these sunk on D-Day. They we're launched in high waves which sunk em.

[@Romanov117]

_ That's only at Omaha Beach, the British and Canadian Commonwealth successfully bring these Tank on shore from a ship by not distancing itself from the Beaches.

[@PolakInHolland]

Good to see David back!

[@Wallyworld30]

I can understand the tankers wanting to ride topside while this thing was floating in the water. I'd hate to be buttoned up in the tank if this thing went down.

[@Tsumami__]

Marty Moose terrifying for sure, it would definitely have me paranoid about getting trapped

[@dmw1262]

We swam 113 personnel carriers and ITVs in Germany. It's rather disconcerting when they tie an empty water can to your vehicle with a 15 foot rope so they can find you if you sink!

[@Boric78]

God bless you David - someone preserve this guy, somehow. We will not get another..........

[@wojciechgrzybek4122]

Kibicuję temu projektowi od samego początku. Jak tylko ogłosiłeś, że odchodzisz z poprzedniego projektu. Trzymam kciuki za powodzenie i jestem niemal pewny, że będzie dobrze. Pozdrawiam całą ekipę, zarówno wyjadaczy jak i całki 😉

[@1337flite]

Im not sure which would be more terrifying. Being the crew commanders standing on the turret behind canvas with a 100 angry germans shooting at you, or being the driver having to escape from the driver's hole in a lifejacket and tanksuit.

[@SAM-zt2uy]

Good to see some of the training photos which I believe was somewhere on the River Trent, the slipway had iron rungs cemented in so the tracks could grip and apparently it’s still there

[@bigstickpilot]

My uncle came ashore commanding one in the Canadian sector

[@homelessEh]

..there should be a talking battle between david fletcher vs david David Attenborough both must explain paint drying who ever has the most people still awake at the end of the 60 minute paint drying chat challenge wins.. id rather fletcher personally :) who are these mysterious 4 haters anyway or perhaps its the 4 people in the world who were trolled when little to think the thumbs down is good?

[@theotv5522]

Hanz that clothes basket is here again. Where you put that Pak40?

[@tobiasflohr4849]

Thank You so much for sharing Your astonishing knowledge to the world, Sir! Appreciate it a lot, especially when such special models are the topic. Greetings Form Germany.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

I have seen one in Normandy, on the beach. Sadly they were floated much too far out and many actually sunk because of that!

[@davidDA1988]

These tank chats are awesome, keep them coming

[@devonopdendries7722]

Wow.. I never noticed the power sprocket at the back. I always thought they just ran a power shaft to them from the front or something.

[@basichistory]

What an informative video this is. Please post more like it I really enjoyed it.

[@Camcolito]

Now that is a handsome tank.

[@jtoddjb]

9 people disliked this. Really? if you're one of those 9 you need to soak your head

[@Feiora]

Its those damn Sherman purists again, look! theres more them now!

[@tomcomber3723]

I love this series as I'm fascinated about the funnies I have done my own series on it.

[@Cafferssss]

On D-Day where they managed to get the DD ashore it made a huge difference. The issue was the weather, the sea was too rough for the most part, which swamped the skirts and sank them.

[@CetoFreakingKaiba]

I see you have used some flex seal for that canvas

[@russwoodward8251]

That David Fletcher had nothing bad to say about the Cromwell must mean he liked it. He is indeed a national treasure.

[@gluttonousslave]

Thank you tank santa

[@andrewsunderman259]

honorable mention to the Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine that can be seen powering the air compressor

[@dalebelseth3058]

Well done. Great History lesson

[@DarxusC]

How have I never heard of this? Might be the most interesting tank thing I've seen.

[@sbaddison]

My Dad was in a Crab on D Day. He referred to these as Donald Ducks.

[@auditedpatriot6376]

Wouldn't it have been easier just to put tracks on a submarine?

[@cgaccount3669]

I wonder how many made it ashore on D day.

[@JohnyG29]

Lots.

[@chancepaladin]

It sounds bad between the crabs and shermans, but apparently quite a few made it and massively helped. Some day it'd be neat to see the percentages though of land craft, tanks, and soldiers to see the breakdown.

[@JohnyG29]

@f58b97d6b2b13 That's because they launched those 29 too far out. Of the 290 DD tanks used on dday in total 42 sank. That still leaves 248 that made it.

[@tssteelx]

One at juno beach.

[@JohnyG29]

@@tssteelx No, many DD tanks were used in the Juno areas. However, because of rough seas many were landed directly on or close to shore rather than swimming in.

[@445cat]

I love this man...

[@donunlisted9367]

The BIG question is how many made it ashore, and put firepower on the German bunkers!? Two, five? Ten? Twenty? Are there any reports that survived from either side that can give some specifics of what they were able to blast away at? What were they able to do, to give cover fire, and or blast out the German bunkers..... What we want to know is some specific stories. You would think a tank on D Day would be worth it's right in gold to infantry being slaughtered by Germans.

[@suryia6706]

fascinating piece of tank trivia

[@sophrapsune]

Great description, thanks.

[@cobalt2361]

*Hans, vhere is zhe list of American zerstörers?* _Right here Herr Admiral, vould you like me to read out all zhe DDs?_ *Ja bitte* _Ok letz see... DD Fletcher, DD Clemson, DD Gleaves, DD Somers, DD Sherman-_ *Wait VHAT!? Sherman? Do zhese Americans name everyzhing "Sherman"?* _Pfft, how original, ja?_

[@danielkonrad1444]

Surprisingly every germans name is hans. Amazing.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Ironically, I don't think "Sherman" made it into popular-parlance until after the war's end. I think most people just called it the Medium.

[@828enigma6]

Looks like snorkels with an extended tube for the commander.

[@hoogmonster]

Forget the tank, I'm here for the moustache...

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Also amphibious. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@jacobeberhardt1649]

So do you mean to tell me that these WORKED and were USED? Because that's insane.

[@JohnyG29]

They did.

[@gusty9053]

And they did quite well on all the beaches except for Omaha. To see how successful they were just look at the difference in infantry loses between Omaha beach were they couldn't land but a few DD 's and all the other beaches were they landed a bunch of DD's in the first waves.

[@Mugdorna]

Someone doesn’t read enough WWII history

[@barthoving2053]

It's simply the law of archimedes. Same reason massive steel battleships float. Although I would admit some risk was involved. But that's the insanity in war. What in peacetime would be to high a risk, could be an acceptable risk in war.

[@leeenfield4900]

PATRICK DELAFORCE (2006). CHURCHILL'S SECRET WEAPONS: The story of Hobart's Funnies.

[@mu99ins]

What percentage of these aquatic tracked vehicles ( ATV-ShermanDDs ) were lost at sea? That is to say, how many of them sank?

[@josephburke7224]

I saw a Sherman with props in Bosnia back in 97. They had already cut off the barrel. It was scheduled for scrapping. If they only knew what they had.

[@PPC4]

What a truly ingenious set up to drive the propellers. Do the prop's uncouple when raised to prevent them being driven when on land? Certainly looks like it.