WW2 M31 Recovery Vehicle footage

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■ Information obtained from several sites.
■ Wikipedia
■ tanks-encyclopedia
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers
■ preservedtanks
■ pantser.net
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France
■ Some music is from the KZbin Audio Library.
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Cloister of Redemption by Jens Kiilstofte
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[@PanzerInsight]

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[@RicardoGarcia-of2mf]

This is what my old buddy Pete Zurcher, did in ww2, landed in southern france, an went to germany, hose out an clean body parts out an repair. He gone now like a lot of the ww2 vets. Never forget them!!!

[@jimwind7589]

I never knew about these guys till I had a patient tell me he was in a tank recovery outfit during the war. That surprised me, I figure we had plenty of AFVs to spare. The one thing he told me that stuck w me was "you can put 5 coats of paint inside a knocked out Sherman but you still couldnt get the smell of death out of it." Tank crews would bitch to him about it.I should have asked him more about this- I thought I knew about the war but always learn something new. Funny thing I had a Korean war vet tell me he was in a tank recovery unit in Korea and an airman tell me he was in an aircraft recovery unit. BTW I had an uncle or great uncle who served in the Navy Pacific theater tell the family when a truck/jeep had a flat tire or wouldnt start they just drop it over the side. They had plenty to spare. Great Video. Sad to see that one burning, must have gotten to close to the front.

[@PanzerInsight]

You don't even want to see the rest of that burning Sherman scene, it's pretty much what these veterans described on video.

[@timwhitten9918]

I couldn’t imagine the hell these men went through, having to try and clean all of the death and carnage out of them and put new crews in them. 😢

[@GlamorganManor]

My dad's explanation of what he did in WWII was that he drove a tank retriever,.and it was sort of like a tow truck. This Veterans Day was the first time i thought to look up tank retriever on you tube. Very sad now at age 60 to think of horrors my dad went through...injured and dead people being carried all around and being part of the crew that cleaned up the remains also. Always a stoic guy, he died before PTSD was something in the public awareness 💔

[@maxasaurus3008]

Hero, plain and simple. God Bless America.

[@PanzerInsight]

M31 T2 recovery tank was based on a modified M3 chassis called the T2. It was fitted with two dummy guns and a crane was fitted to the turret and also a towing apparatus with a 27 ton winch was installed. Other variants were the M31B1 and M31B2.

[@andrewphillips8341]

Weird choice of music but thanks for the upload.

[@swampwillow]

Dummy guns?

[@midwestfarmerleduc9256]

Thank you for putting these videos up. That brings back memories of my dad telling stories of this time he served in world war II. My dad was drafted about 4 months after Pearl harbor. And was sent to Aberdeen Maryland proving grounds "A"291d O.R.7.C. my dad worked on the grant tanks and was in the land lease to and the East Africa campaign. He wore British uniform at one time. My dad would not drink iced tea aided the British officers.my dad told the story of him welding up towards on the grant tank cuz they had holes shot through them. The damn British would stop the tank to shoot the gun and the Germans would hit them. And also told me the story found a shoe in the tank and there was a foot in.

[@PanzerInsight]

Heroes like your dad had one of the worst jobs, cleaning and repairing those tanks was terrible, I don't even want to known what he would find in those wrecked tanks. Thank you for the story.

[@midwestfarmerleduc9256]

@@PanzerInsight thank you my dad told incredible stories. My dad worked on the tanks in England far The invasion he said he had two Mps that took him out in a boat to a ship that was loaded with tanks and soldiers. The MPS was there to keep security nobody could talk to each other.one day didn't have to go to the boat and then later on he found out about the invasion. My dad landed on Normandy Beach 3 days later. He was the first person off the ship. Because he drove the bulldozer off ship on to the beach to pull the ship ashore. My dad couldn't swim and the bulldozer dropped in to hole could barely hold on. That bulldozer scared him two times. The other time is when he had to drive that bulldozer over train trestle. He said he worked on that for a while to make it idle as slow as it would go. Steel pads on a bulldozer and steel track is hard to drive on. And you couldn't jump off the bulldozer if he was being scarf by German plane. My dad was t5 Milton leduc 360 54859. He received the commendation from you the ordinance office SOS headquarters XXIX DISTNOMT APO 516,US ARMY. This came from ordnance officer lieutenant colonel E.H. cannot read his last name.

[@PanzerInsight]

@@midwestfarmerleduc9256 that's a great story, I have seen those armoured bulldozers before they don't look easy to drive.

[@dondouglass6415]

What an absolutely fantastic bit of archive. I know this becomes a cliché but I did a similar type of job in the 80's serving in the British Army... Not a lot changes. Any forces recce mech or mechanic would recognise today. Huzzah!!!

[@Emtbtoday]

Just bought a model kit of this, finally found one! Never noticed the supports for the jib before wondered how it supported it would have been alit on that small turret!

[@johntripp5159]

My father served in RCEME doing just that sort of work and finished up on the Rhine maintaining the rocket barrage equipment.

[@PanzerInsight]

Your dad kept the tanks rolling, a job most people seem to forget, also a terrible job cleaning out the dead crew men.

[@johntripp5159]

@@PanzerInsight He died of PTSD in 1948. They live forever.

[@jakobc.2558]

​@@johntripp5159 that sound horrible. It is so sad that here in germany nazi ideas are spreading once again and the nazi party AFD is getting more and more votes. We need to under all circumstances make shure that his work and sacrifice was worth it and that world war 2 stays the last european conflict in history. Dont get your news from the internet. Read news papers and government funded free news which dont depend on ads and clickbait. Try getting information directly from the source. The internet may be a wonderfull thing but it has corrupted our societys all around the world. Right groups are spreading because of the internet. Because on the internet it does not matter to people if a article has sources or not.

[@panzerivausfg4062]

@@jakobc.2558 Beautiful words

[@retiredguyadventures6211]

My dad served with the 903 Ordnance Heavy Automotive Maintenance (HAM) Company during WW2. He operated the M31 Recovery Vehicle a lot having to go out ahead of the front lines into "no mans land" to pickup and drop off tanks. He told me many stories before he passed away.

[@williamgibb5557]

Because of soldiers like him, we have our FREEDOM today! May he RIP forevever! Thank you

[@jameskolminskey6602]

That's good shit manard, dig recovery stuff

[@rickjohnson4956]

Thanks for the recovery vehicle video. i always look for that content when I look at military videos, do not often see any though. 1/68 Armor 66-68 Germany

[@Peiper76]

Great work!

[@cavamanara]

Excelent video. Tks for research and produce it.

[@robertlong7033]

Decades from now historians will still be talking about the sheer power of that damned German 88 millimeter gun.

[@Ralphieboy]

The 75mm L/70 in a Panther or Jagdpanzer IV was just as effective.

[@GabrielGuedes-qw2et]

hi i'm brazilian and fan of your channel

[@scalewarmachines]

Glad you didn’t show the rest of what came out of that brewed up Sherman at 07:33. I still have nightmares when I think about what’s in that film reel. Just horrible.

[@PanzerInsight]

That's indeed a horrible piece of film and KZbin would probably pull the video down after a while

[@scalewarmachines]

“War” films and Hollywood movies never show the reality of war. That reel shows the dangers tank crews faced when hit. Truly disturbing. Great collection of shots though. Nicely accumulated M31 references.

[@rjansen6874]

@@PanzerInsight Its on youtube i have seen it to, sad stuff :(

[@wcresponder]

Al Quiring and Jaimie Davis were there.

[@granskare]

Our favorite uncle was an MP at a big hospital in England.

[@RandysFiftySevenChevy]

The motor pool was the worst job in the field and these guys fought through it.. Between the sticky claylike mud to the freezing rain recovery still had a job to do. I was a Wheel Vehicle Wrecker Driver in Germany in the 70s and more than one Reforger was done in the snow and it sucked but I still did it. . ("Lurch" B co 34th Sig BN, Krabbenlock Kasern 71-74 Short)

[@PanzerInsight]

Thank you for the comment, and indeed this is a terrible job, the cold, mud and rain, was terrible but I wouldn't even want to know how it was to clean out the dead bodies and dealing with the smell, because the smell of death is the worst smell ever.

[@granskare]

the Lee/Grand tank had great success against the Japanese in WW2

[@offdeck8588]

Perfect height to pick snipers out of trees

[@richpontone1]

After North Africa, the Allies could have just used The Jackson Tank destroyers in Ambush positions, the British adapted Firefly Sherman tanks and Airborne dropped Napalm on German Tiger, and Panther tanks and saved a lot of Allied soldiers and tank crews lives. The Pershings came in November, 1944 and did not factor largely in tank battles.

[@emintey]

At 5:20 we see them pulling what appears to be an old French tank, probably put back into service by the Germans. Again at 6:33. I think this is the model. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOMUA_S35

[@PanzerInsight]

Indeed, it's a S35 Somua.

[@CokaRolla]

What was the purpose of the dummy guns? I think a recovery vehicle with some means of protection would be desirable.

[@obsidianjane4413]

Just general deception. To keep the enemy guessing what unit they were looking at. A recovery unit's job is to recover, not fight. If you need a 75mm you are doing it wrong.

[@Coka-Rolla]

@@obsidianjane4413 good point

[@jordanulery524]

A little narrative about the vehicle would be nice; engine, range, service life, builders etc.

[@PanzerInsight]

That's not the point of this channel, this channel is a footage archive.

[@nicholaswhitmer5012]

Do you know if the sandbags were used for extra protection, counterweights or both?

[@PanzerInsight]

I think the bags you see on these are more like bags with stuff in them then really sand bags.

[@emintey]

Sandbags were often put on Shermans as extra frontal protection, it is doubtful that they actually worked.

[@mk11ultimate57]

I feel like the M3 Lee is the only tank I have seen that looks like the mix up between a light tank and a medium tank. (Just my opinion, you don't have to agree with me)

[@ishouldgetalif3]

million dollar question, i can understand keeping a fake barrel in the turret but, why the sponson?

[@PanzerInsight]

Sponson gun was the biggest danger for other tanks and keeping the gun, keeps the silhouette of the vehicle intact.

[@markgouthro7375]

The sponson is integral to the hull, and the hull is cast. So you would have to build a whole new mold for just a few vehicles. These vehicles are modified from existing vehicles.

[@randymagnum143]

Weight on a prime mover is advantageous and necessary.

[@mohammadsaida4603]

These kids of tanks were not participating attacks in the north Africa wars between Britain,USA in one side, Germany, Italian in other side

[@BDOutdoorsCanada]

Why was the recovery vehicles tracks burning while trying to pull out the sherman, were they attacked?

[@PanzerInsight]

It looks like it. Not really said what happened.

[@CB65810]

Did i miss it or do we know what knocked out the burning recovery tank?

[@PanzerInsight]

You didn't miss anything, it's not known what knocked it out.

[@ytwos1]

Curious too. Did it perhaps overheat or is that a ridiculous idea? There is also a wounded man, could be a crew member. They did seem to be quite close to the front line troops, so perhaps it really was taken out by enemy. Most likely. In any case, fascinating images.

[@beachside1]

Just think about the poor guys that never made it out of those show up tanks

[@gui4deus414]

Que Deus guarde todo que lutaram por nossa liberdade! Brazilian

[@GabrielGuedes-qw2et]

isso prova q tem br interessado em conteudo de qualidade e naos so em nutella na banheira

[@johntripp5159]

Brazilian P47's did their bit in Italy.

[@bool8705]

Tow Tank.

[@leoburke8466]

CARNAGE.

[@plumbum48]

Creepy music

[@Hubbahubba480]

Stuglife on the back !!!!!

[@PanzerInsight]

I will have a look at what I can make, I can do one with the Panzerpicture logo on the front and Stug Life on the back. and one with StuG on the front and StuG Life on the back.

[@Hubbahubba480]

@@PanzerInsight Awesome I will Buy them as they become available, Thanks So Much !!!!

[@Hubbahubba480]

Tiger 1 on back would be great also late tiger 1 camo

[@jordanulery524]

Why dummy guns? Those just made it a primary target instead of secondary.

[@markgouthro7375]

You have that backwards, a repair vehicle will be a primary target. A recovery vehicle is more valuable than a combat vehicle. There are lots of combat vehicles and only a few recovery. And, a recovery vehicle means half the tanks you destroy will be back to fight again.

[@PanzerInsight]

@Mark Gouthro Indeed, and a recovery vehicle that looks like it has a gun can also look like it can defend itself.

[@jordanulery524]

Mark Gouthro however, recovery should be a follow-on procedure, not a front line job one the routine.’ The M2 would seem to be more valuable than a short 75.

[@TheLastSterling1304]

@@jordanulery524 That is not a garantee. It's the same reason why even SPGs like the Hummel or Priest thave MG mounts incase of them being attacked. You never know if the enemy will counterattack or manages to infiltrate the lines. The key point is uniformity. If the enemy sees a tank that looks different from all the rest in the unit, they will instinctually know it is important.

[@Cragified]

@@TheLastSterling1304 Correct, this is why command tanks carried dummy guns. The enemy doesn't even have to know what it is. All they have to know is that it is different, and since it is different the inclination is to focus more attention on it.