There were two ALCO M7 Priests Production Orders:

 P.O. T-3529: 600 units produced April thru September 1942 : Serial Number 3 / USA 3034234 thru SN 602 / USA 3034833

 P.O. T-3882: 2714 units produced September 1942 thru October 1944 : SN 603 / USA 4037519 thru SN 3316 / USA 4040232

As the world situation deteriorated, the US Army scrambled to organize an effective armored force. Production of the M3 Medium Tank commenced in June 1941. The Chief of the Armored Force, General Jacob Devers wanted a fully tracked armored vehicle equipped with a 105mm howitzer to serve in support of the light and medium tanks of his nascent armored divisions. Consequently, in October 1941, the Baldwin Locomotive Works was given a contract for the conversion of two M3 Mediums to "105/mm Howitzer Motor Carriages." These were designated "T32" and were completed in December 1942. Above shows T32 Number 1, USA 6010106 as photographed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland on 23 January 1942. As can be seen, the design was basically a turretless, riveted hull M3 with an M2A1 105mm Howitzer mounted inside an open topped superstructure formed of welded together 3/4-inch armor plates. The M3 Medium's driver actually sat in the center of the vehicle astride the transmission. His position was moved to the left and the gun was mounted slightly off center. An M3 "driver's door" (1) and a single pistol port/protectoscope (2) were provided. A photo in this series explains that the small door (3) in the rear panel of the superstructure was retrofitted at APG "to accommodate gun cleaning and changing of tubes." The side views show how the T32's armored superstructure angled in (4) to the front. The original capacity of the design as shipped from Baldwin was 36 rounds of 105mm ammunition, which APG appears to have increased to 44. At the time, the M3 Medium was powered by the "R-975-EC2" radial engine with its distinctive "pepper pot" exhausts (5). For a little historical context, these photos were taken about 5 weeks before the first production Sherman Medium Tank rolled off the lines at the end of February 1942.

T32 Number 1 was shipped to the Armored Force Board at Fort Knox, Kentucky where it was evaluated in early February 1942. Both the T19 [M3 Half Track conversion] and the T32 were equipped with the M2A1 105mm Howitzer which could "throw a 33-pound shell 12,000 yards [`7 miles]. The AFB found the T32 design to be greatly superior to the T19 and recommended that it be produced as the standard artillery piece of the Armored Field Artillery Battalion. However, the Board did suggest that a number of changes be made before it was placed into production.




Back in the shops at APG, the superstructure of T32 Number 2, USA 6010107 was substantially reconfigured to address the recommendations of the Armored Force Board. First of all, the sides were altered so that they no longer angled in at the front. This resulted in the elimination of the pistol port/protectoscope and provided more room in the fighting compartment where seats were installed for the seven-man crew. The ammunition stowage was increased from 44 to 57 rounds. A small "awning" (1) 3 inches high, was added to the top of the front plate on the left. The sides of the superstructure were stepped down by 11 inches and the rear plate was eliminated. With the lowering of the sides, the number of ladder rungs (2) was reduced to 2 per side. A ring mount (3) for a .50 caliber antiaircraft machine gun was rather crudely installed at the right front corner. The howitzer was repositioned a little further to the right to permit a traverse of 15 degrees left and 30 degrees right. The vehicle retained the M3's riveted upper hull in the rear along with the rubber mud flaps (4), but the straightening of the superstructure's sides forced the removal of the Lee type front fenders along with the headlights and siren. These photos are dated 1 March 1942, and soon thereafter, T32 Number 2 was shipped to the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, New York. At that time, ALCO was building M3 and M3A1 Lee Medium Tanks at an average rate of less than 100 units per month, even though the plant had a monthly capacity of 575 units. Consequently, the firm was given a contract for the production of 600 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriages, standardized as the "M7." T32 Number 2 was provided to ALCO for use as a full-sized working model.


   

Things moved rather quickly, and ALCO engineers refined the design and cranked out the first 38 M7s in April 1942. The first two, Serial Numbers 3 and 4 were shipped to APG for evaluation. The photos above are dated 8 April 1942 and show Serial Number 4, USA 3034235, which is described as the "First Production Vehicle"; presumably SN 3 was considered ALCO's production pilot. As a rule, US Army Registration Numbers beginning with "30" denoted "tanks" but for some reason, the first 600 M7 Howitzer Motor Carriages were assigned tank RNs 3034234 through 3034833. The lines of the vehicle look very much like T32 # 2, but it can be seen that the entire upper hull is now composed of welded armor plate. The armor was reduced from 3/4 inch to 1/2 inch at the request of the Armored Force Board. It is assumed this was to save weight, while still protecting the crew from small arms fire and shrapnel. According to the Technical Manual, the M7 had a fully equipped weight, including 7-man crew, of 52,000 pounds. For comparison, the "fighting weight" of the M3 Lee was recorded as 61,500 pounds, and the M4 and M4A1 Shermans as slightly less than 67,000 pounds. The lower hull was "still" the riveted construct of the M3 Medium with 1 1/2-inch armor on the sides and rear. The ring mount for the .50 caliber antiaircraft machine gun was neatly supported by a semicircular armored housing. The upper rear hull plate appears to cover more of the pepper pot exhaust, so it may have been lowered by a few inches when compared to the T32. Notice that it goes straight across at the bottom. This would be changed somewhat with the introduction of the improved R-975-C1 engine. A trailer towing pintle (1) was installed from the start. About a year later, this same "long" pintle was ordered to be factory installed on the Sherman series. The number of "grip bars...which serve as ladders to the crew compartment" was increased from 2 to 4 per side. The M3 Lee type rear rubber mud flaps were replaced with sheet metal fenders and new fenders were fashioned to fit the lines of the M7's front. Three grouser boxes were attached to the front plate and the siren and head lights were mounted high up on the glacis, perhaps not the ideal position from the driver's standpoint. These items were not protected by guards at the beginning. The inclusion of rear stowage bins was part of the M3 Grant but not the original M3 Lee design. The M7's designers must have recognized their value. At first, the M7's bins were hinged to open to the sides because the tops were installed with fittings intended to hold auxiliary fuel tanks.




The photo above, again dated 8 April 1942, shows SN 4 posed with the "105mm howitzer at maximum right traverse." The M7 Technical Manual has it that the vehicle was equipped with 26 "Grouser[s] to match track furnished." These were stored "In boxes (1) on front of vehicle." From largest to smallest, the boxes held 13, 10 and 3 grousers. Period photos suggest that the grouser boxes remained open from start to finish. We mention that because when grouser boxes were factory installed on the M3 Lee series starting in May 1942, they included lids. Due to the way the armor angled in below the howitzer, engine oil for the Power Train Lubrication System could not be added easily from inside the vehicle, so an extended filler pipe (inset) was attached to the transmission. The filler point was protected by an armored fuel cap (2) and a dipstick was included for checking the oil level. What we called the "awning" (3) added on to T32 #2 was intended to provide a bit of overhead protection for the driver. To our eyes, it appears to have been made a few inches wider on SN 4. The first M7s were outfitted with "Medium M3 Power Train[s]" on which the right side of the 3-piece differential housing was notched in (arrow) to match the odd lines of the M3's hull. Obviously, the "notch" was not necessary on the M7. The "Medium M4 Power Train" in both one and three-piece versions began to enter the production pipeline as the Sherman program got underway in the Spring of 1942, and these "unnotched" models would soon replace the M3 powertrains on the M7. SN 4 appears to be "as shipped" from ALCO in this photo. It was outfitted with 3 fold down crew seats on each side of the fighting compartment, two of which can be seen here. Also visible against the firewall are two 12 round ammunition racks.




This view was taken on 15 April 1942 and shows SN 4 equipped with various items of stowage. Most of these are neatly labeled and self-explanatory. We believe that the 105mm ammunition stowage seen here is the "as built" 57 rounds arrangement. Not labeled are the 25 rounds that were stored in a compartment (1) directly below and to the right of the gun breach. The ammunition under the tread plate floor was covered over with multi-hinged doors (2 & 3). The "poles" affixed to the upper firewall held the two staffs of "Brush, bore, M12" (4) and those attached directly to the metal guard over the Transmission Oil Cooler held "Rammer, cleaning and unloading, M5" (5). The engine deck panels appear to be nearly identical to the M3 Medium's, with the same tool and tow cable stowage, 4 fuel tank shut off valves (one circled) and the air intake (6) protected only by a metal screen. However, 4 new "rails" and straps (7) were added. The Technical Manual states that they held "Net, camouflage, cotton shrimp, 45-ft X 45-ft." The armored fuel filler covers (8) are the M3 type with the "short and straight" locking pins instead of the angle pins used on the Sherman series. The photo provides a good view of the chutes and other fittings for the auxiliary fuel tanks. In one of the 8 April 1942 photos of SN 4 there is a handwritten note, "No Jettison Tank Brackets" suggesting that it had been determined that these wouldn't be used. That may be why the inset is the only photo we have encountered that shows one of the Jettison Tanks installed. Aside from this, if these auxiliary fuel tanks were ever mounted, tested, or shipped with any M7s, we have yet to come across any reports or photos. According to the Technical Manual, the M7 had a cruising range of 168 miles and a fuel capacity of 176 gallons, so it took a bit more than a gallon of gas for the vehicle to go 1 mile. In any case, counting heads suggests that the fittings for the auxiliary fuel tanks were eliminated in September 1942, at which point the M7 was installed with what appear to be the same top opening stowage bins that were introduced in production on the M3 Lee around June 1942.




An overhead view looking to the front shows the attachment points (1) of what are referred to as the "legs" of the 105mm howitzer. The body of the gun sat on two cross beams (2) covered over with tread plate. The gun traveling lock (3) is engaged in this instance. The tread plate "floor" (4) beneath the gun held 33 105mm rounds that were accessed through hinged folding doors. The engineers at APG determined to increase the ammunition stowage from the original 57 rounds to 69 by providing additional racks for 7 rounds along the left side of the fighting compartment and 5 along the right. As a consequence, only the left side fold down seat marked "5" and the machine gunner's seat marked "6" were retained. The driver's seat (7) was mounted close to the side of the lower hull. The instrument panel (8) was the same horizontal type as used in the M3 Medium. At this time, APG was working on providing a "Canvas top on the vehicle to completely enclose the fighting compartment." Items 9 were the forward "uprights" of the support frame.




This view dated 13 May 1942 shows the uprights and top bows of the canvas cover support frame installed. Some footman loops were added to both sides which were used to secure the canvas top. Barely visible here are some light pencil marks that appear to trace the outline of the original T32 superstructure before the rear panel was eliminated and the sides were reduced by 11 inches. Note that there are a pair of diagonal lines that suggest a support for the rear panel. So, it would seem, the engineers at APG were already thinking about reinstating the height of the original superstructure in order to protect the partially exposed rounds and the crew. Of course, when completed, this modification included hinges to permit the panels to fold down.








We have included the above photo dated 11 July 1942 simply because it is the only one we know that identifies "105 mm Motor Carriage, M7, #3". This shows the addition of the fittings for the "bows and uprights" that made up the support frame of the canvas top. From the photo dates it is obvious that APG was seriously working on the canvas top almost from the start of production. The M7 project was given a high priority rating, and the engineers at APG were refining the design on the fly with the understanding that any changes made would not be permitted to interfere with ongoing production. The M7 Technical Manual has it that "A fabric top is provided for the vehicle to shelter the crew in case of bad weather." This gives the impression that the top was supplied with all or at least most M7s. However, it appears to us that it was not factory installed until March 1944, when, after a half a year of downtime, M7 production at ALCO resumed and was switched over to the use of welded lower hulls, M4 type bogies only and other updated features. Before that, we suspect the top may have been provided as a modification kit for M7s already in combat zones or those headed to combat zones. We don't have a copy of it at present, but a "Canvas Top" Field Service Modification Work Order, G128-W15, was released in the Spring of 1944. We can at least observe that the top or its fittings do not show up in overseas photos until 1944. For future reference, note that the M3 bogies' return rollers are in the original configuration (arrow) without the spacer modification that would raise the rollers up by about an inch.




The only photos we have come across that show 105mm HMCs with the pepper pot exhausts are the T32 pilots and M7 Serial Number 4. If any readers have period photos of other examples, we'd be happy to see them. At present, the earliest known surviving (of sorts) M7 is SN 124 seen on a target range in France. It would be interesting to know the history of this vehicle, but it has likely been lost to time. This unit would have been accepted in June 1942, and it can be seen that it does NOT have pepper pot holes. Thus, it could not have been built with an R-975-EC2 engine as original equipment. The profile of the M7's upper rear hull was quite distinctive. Note how the rear hull plate, which went straight across on the T32 pilots and M7 Serial Number 4, was jogged in (arrow) to permit the mounting of the "high" exhaust pipes of the R-975-C1. With the introduction of the improved engine, plates 1 and 2 were added to support the externally mounted air cleaners, and a pair of bumpers (3) were installed to protect the cleaners from being damaged by the engine access doors. These are seen to have been mounted close to the lower door hinges. On the riveted hull, the idler wheel assemblies were also secured with rivets (4). This would have been inconvenient if service was required, but this riveted attachment method appears to have been used on the M7 until the lower hull was changed over to a welded assembly starting in March 1944, at which point the idler wheel fittings were bolted on as on Shermans. As a matter of minutia, we have observed that the rivets seen on the lower hulls of surviving M7s are "round head" rivets as opposed to conical rivets seen on some M3 Mediums, such as those made by Chrysler. Fitting 5 indicates that at some point during its service life, SN 124 was retrofitted with the Barber-Colman Exhaust Deflector, an improvement that was introduced in M4/M4A1 Sherman production in late 1943 and was also provided as a kit for Tank Depot and field modification.








This undated photo shows the M7 assembly hall at ALCO. It is part of a much larger image, but we have zoomed in to examine some details. The number "65" (1) can be seen chalked on the firewall of the chassis on the left front. We take this to indicate that it is the 65th M7 under assembly. Considering the myriad components needed to convert the M3 Medium to a 105mm Motor Carriage, the ALCO people worked expeditiously on this project, and to their great credit, had completed 67 units by the end of May 1942. Thus, we might assume that this photo was taken in April or May. The 2 sets of engine deck panels (2) can be seen in the same configuration as on SN 4 with the added attachment rails for the camouflage net. The visible powertrains are "still" protected with the M3 type "notched" differential housings (3). Note the extended oil filler pipe (4) attached to the transmission. The semicircular armored housing (5) for the .50 caliber antiaircraft machine gun mount has been added to the unit at the right front, but not the one directly behind it. The British thought that this looked like a church pulpit and dubbed the M7 the "Priest" and the name stuck. It seems like a pretty good bet that some of the units in this photo were dispatched to the British in Egypt as part of the "Emergency Shipment" of Shermans in mid-July 1942.




This photo was taken on the same day, but from the other end of the assembly hall. The chassis in the foreground can be seen with "89" (1) chalked on the firewall. Again, assuming that is a build sequence number, the 89th M7 would have been accepted in June 1942. A pair of what appear to have been I-beams (2) bridged the lower hull and supported the howitzer. Two fuel tanks were mounted vertically in the forward corners of the engine compartment. Item 3 is the shroud that covered the right-side tank. Horizontal fuels tanks were mounted along the sponsons at positions 4. Note that #89 has pressed metal road wheels (5) installed, which suggests that ALCO received supplies of those as well as the welded spoked wheels practically from the start. Most of these units can be seen with the pepper pot holes (6) required for R-975-EC2 engines. However, that doesn't seem to be the case with #89. Perhaps the hole (circled) was welded up in this instance in anticipation of the installation of the R-975-C1 engine? Unfortunately, the radial engines (7) are covered here, but the collector rings of the EC2 would have had the exhaust outlets in the "low" position for attachment to the pepper pot exhaust, whereas the C1 would have had the exhaust outlets at the top of the engine. An "Action on Revisions" memo dated 18 April 1942, states that those M4A1s built at Lima with R-975-EC2 engines "will be changed at the intermediate depots." There is nothing in the doc about M7s, but it would appear that the 100 or so units built with R-975-EC2 engines were treated like late production M3 Mediums and required the so-called "Quick Fix" modification before issue. This replaced the R-975-EC2's original air cleaners, which were mounted inside the engine compartment, with a pair of new externally mounted air cleaners such as seen on M4 and M4A1 Shermans. In addition, the pepper pot exhaust was removed and replaced with a pair of fishtail exhaust pipes running through the pepperpot holes. This modification also included the provision to "install new carburetor jets" which we think might have enabled the engine to run on 80 octane fuel. M7s with the Quick Fix would not have needed to have their upper rear hull plates jogged in to permit the mounting of the "high" exhaust pipes of the R-975-C1 engine, but they would have needed a pair of door stops and the plates required to attach and support the new air cleaners.




A problem that plagued the M3 Medium program was "Excessive heating of gasoline." This created high pressures in the fuel tanks, and "heating to the extent of melting the solder on gas tank covers." Of course, this was a serious fire hazard. The designers of the M7 and M4/M4A1 Shermans were aware of this and hoped that the introduction of the R-975-C1 engine would lower the temperature inside the engine compartment, particularly in hot weather conditions. In April 1942 just as production was getting underway, Major Paul Tanner at ALCO was asked to make observations and take readings of the conditions of 3 new M7s [SNs 39, 40 and 41] and 4 new M3A1 Lees during their prescribed 50-mile road tests. Before the 50 miles was reached, all of these were noted with excessive fuel tank pressures and melted solder joints. It is assumed that these vehicles were running with R-975-EC2 engines. Major Tanner asked the engineers at APG to advise him "of any changes necessary to prevent the over-heating of gasoline tanks." Aside from the introduction of the improved engine, it was thought that greater air flow within the engine compartment would help to ameliorate the condition. On the M4 and M4A1, the solution was fairly simple - the addition of a pair grouser compartment covers with air inlet grills. The M4A4 also suffered from this issue, so the familiar "air scoops" were added to these as well. The cooling abilities of the engines of the M4A2 and M4A3 Sherman models were such that they did not require air scoops. Because the M7 had stowage bins, air scoops were not really an option, so two rectangular holes (1) 6.5 by 20.5 inches were cut into the rear engine deck as seen in the photo. These are shown on SN 2537, a May 1943 production M7 of the 58th Armored Field Artillery Battalion that was lost at sea on D-Day when its transporting LCT struck a mine. This and a number of other AFVs and D-Day artifacts recovered from the sea are on display at the "Musée des Epaves Sous-Marines du Débarquement" in Port en Bessin, France. The museum was created in the 1970s by a diver and marine salvage professional named Jacques Lemonchois. The 58th AFA Battalion's M7s would have been waterproofed for wading through the surf up to 6 feet, and the line (2) running across the middle of the lower rear hull plate shows where the exhaust pipes and air cleaners would have been sealed in by a sheet metal structure with an exhaust stack similar to that shown in the inset. Because they are so prevalent in period photos, we suspect that the fold down panels (3) affixed to the sides and rear of the superstructure were directed to be installed by modification kit on all US Army M7s in the UK before D-Day.




Here we see the "fuel tank compartment ventilating grilles" (1) on SN 179 (July 1942) on display at the Museo della Motorizzazione Militare della Cecchignola in Rome. It is thought that the framed screens on this example are the originals. Like the air intake grille (2), these would have made the engine compartment vulnerable to shrapnel damage, and a pair of "grille protecting covers" (3) were placed above them. These would also have served to keep the crew from piling things directly on top of the ventilating grilles, thereby blocking the air flow. With the addition of the grilles, the outside rails were removed, and a pair of smaller rails were added on each side of the shovel fitting. The tow cable was coiled through the middle of the smaller rails. The tool storage was rearranged a bit with the axe moved to the upper rear hull plate. Like most surviving M7s, SN 179 was modified and/or rebuilt during the course of its service life. It has an Italian "Revisione Generale" plate affixed to the rear (inset). Counting heads suggests that this M7 would have been built with the side hinged stowage bins with fittings for the auxiliary fuel tanks.




On 21 June 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was at the White House when he got the news of the surrender of Tobruk. President Franklin Roosevelt asked if there was anything he could do to help, and Churchill replied, "Give us as many Sherman tanks as you can spare and ship them to the Middle East as quickly as possible." Churchill does not appear to have asked for any M7s, but soon after, Roosevelt ordered the shipment of 300 Shermans and 100 Priests. This would have been pretty much the entire production of these vehicles up to that point. It is reported that the "5185 Opportunity" convoy sailed on 15 July 1942 with 302 Shermans and 100 Priests. In the US documents, the Shermans break down to 212 M4A1s and 90 M4A2s. The S.S. Fairport with 51 M4A1s and 32 Priests on board was sunk by a U-Boat the next day. The Seatrain Texas sailed unescorted two weeks later with replacements of 52 M4A1s and 25 Priests. Thus, it would seem, 93 M7s made it to Egypt out of a total of 125 shipped. In his 2008 article in Military Modelling Magazine, "Priests at El Alamein," Peter Brown cites the War Diary of No. 5 Base Ordnance Depot at Tel-El-Kebir, where the unit reported that they received a total of 100 Priests from September 5th through the 26th, so we have a discrepancy of 7. The first “regular” Lend Lease shipment of 15 M4A2s “which had been intended to come well ahead...actually only preceded [the emergency shipment] by a few days." Perhaps it included a few Priests? In any case, a US "Report on Shipment 5185-ORD" has it that 100 "Carriage Motor 105 mm how. M7" were ordered from the Chester Tank Depot on Shipping Order 2-G-2541. This was amended to increase the total by 25 when the Fairport went down. It is thought that all of the M7s that were not up to the current standard, that is, R-975-C1 or R-975-EC2 with Quick Fix, plus "ventilating grilles", were brought up to "spec" at CTD. Also, the few available period photos suggest that they were outfitted with US produced sand shields, which appear to be the same type that were original equipment on most Grants. The Tank Depot System in the US was just coming online at this time, and this was CTD's first big "redball" shipping order. The Depot had about 3 weeks to process the 180 M4A1s and 100 Priests of the original order. (The Toledo Tank Depot is reported to have processed the balance of the Shermans, including all 90 of the M4A2s.) When the US first began shipping Lend Lease AFVs, there were complaints that they were arriving at their destinations damaged due to the incomplete sealing against the adverse effects of salt water, high or low interior temperatures and humidity conditions brought about by long sea voyages. One of the prime directives of the new Tank Depots was to ensure that the vehicles arrived "ready for issue." Chester Tank Depot pioneered this effort. A self-propelled gun with a large open area such as the M7 presented a particular challenge, and CTD encased the fighting compartment and the gun in wooden structures. The Imperial War Museum photo above is dated 9 September 1942 and headlined "Latest American Tanks Arrive in Middle East." This photo is part of a series that show the soldiers removing the "crate" from the howitzer. The caption writer interpreted the sequence in reverse with, "Some of the equipment of the new tanks, especially the guns, is very secret and hence is covered up so that it cannot be seen as the tanks proceed up towards the battle front." Likely the next stop for this Priest would actually have been the No. 5 Base Ordnance Depot. Courtesy of Imperial War Museum Photo E16614.




Like the Sherman, the M7 Priest had its combat debut with the British at the Second Battle of El Alamein which began on 24 October 1942. In his article, Peter Brown references the War Diary of the 11 (Honourable Artillery Company) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery which states that they began to receive M7s in mid-September and had 24 on strength at the start of the campaign. The regiment, which was rebuilding after having suffered severe losses in previous battles, appears to have been chosen to "test drive" the Priests, and had only a few weeks to learn the ins and outs of the new machines. The 11th HAC was composed of 3 batteries (A, B and E) with each battery having 2 troops of 4 M7s. During the battle, each of the 3 batteries supported an armoured regiment of the 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division. Peter Brown has it that "'A' Battery worked with The Queen's Bays, 'B' Battery with 10th Royal Hussars and 'E' Battery with 9th Queen's Royal Lancers." The Imperial War Museum photo above is dated 2 November 1942 and is part of a series highlighting an M7 with British War Department Number "S169306." The "triangle" tactical symbol seen painted on the side was typically used to denote A Squadron, or in this case, A Battery. Before issue, it would appear that the Regiment's Priests were repainted, and modified with sunshade fittings, along with a storage bin with lid which replaced the original grouser boxes on the left front. Note the empty fitting retrofitted on the M7's "awning" and another just behind it and to the right. These appear to be antenna brackets. The No. 19 radio required two aerials, but they are not mounted here, which suggests that installation of the radio was considered but perhaps not actually implemented in this case. Also visible here is a sun compass mounted on a fitting next to the pennants. This M7 can be seen with the "notched" M3 Medium type differential housing. Courtesy of Imperial War Museum Photo E18870.




The photo above is dated 6 November 1942 and captioned, "General Priest firing on enemy." (At some point, "the Priest" seems to have been promoted to a General.) This is one of the few images of the "Alamein" M7s that shows the rear of the vehicle, and it can be seen with a "notched" upper rear hull plate which we take to be an indication that it was powered by an R-975-C1 engine with the "high" exhaust pipes. This same scene with the smoking wreck of what is presumed to be an enemy vehicle in the background appears in the 1943 motion picture "Desert Victory." In the movie, this M7 is seen with the pulpit on the left side of the hull. Perhaps the producers reversed the film so that the audience would know that the Eighth Army was attacking west? There is some thought that the Priests were received by the 11th HAC in a single color, which several authors describe as "light stone" or "light mud", and that the unit itself painted on the darker colors before the battle. Speculation is that the darkest color along the lower portion was black and that the upper dark color was brown. The "circle" tactical symbol seen here generally denotes "C", but in this case, it may have been used as the symbol for "E" Battery, which for arcane reasons, was the third Battery of the 11th HAC. Courtesy of Imperial War Museum Photo E19106.




After 2 weeks of intense fighting, the Eighth Army broke through the Axis defenses, sending Panzerarmee Afrika into fullscale retreat. This IWM photo is dated 13 November 1942 and headlined, "More Pictures After the Enemy Retreat." The caption describes the vehicle in an interesting way, "The General Priest tank, a 105 m.m. self-propelling gun mounted on a Grant tank chassis." The War Department Number can be seen as "S169299" and the "triangle" tactical symbol suggests an M7 of A Battery. This Priest is laden with a LOT of gear, but period photos suggests that two 5 gallon Jerry cans with fittings were added to the left rear when the Priests were processed for issue. The round object just above the Jerry can appears to be a cable reel for hardwired telephone communications. We suspect that this was added in the field. Overall, the artillerists of the 11th HAC were pleased with the performance of the M7, although there is the impression that they might have preferred the same vehicle with the British 25 pounder gun, and indeed, that would come later. Courtesy of Imperial War Museum Photo E19482.




This photo is captioned, "This weapon is on display at the American maintenance school, Heliopolis repair depot, Ordnance, 9/42 Egypt." The photographer is listed as "Maj Jarrett." Major George Burling Jarrett was the director of the US Middle East Training Center which had been established in May 1942 to train members of the British armored corps in the maintenance of US tanks and self-propelled guns. Somehow, one of his snapshots "became" part of the Signal Corps collection - SC237536. Of course, Jarrett's school would have needed a few M7s to accomplish its mission. Although the quality is poor, it is the only Alamein era Priest photo we know of at present where one of the "grille protecting covers" (arrow) is visible. In addition, this unit can be seen with a "notched" upper rear hull plate which we take to indicate an R-975-C1 engine. It is thought that the stowage box on the right rear (1) was retrofitted when the Priests were processed for issue since they show up in the few period photos where the rear is visible. Again, it can be noted that the antenna base (2) does not have an aerial installed. This M7 has what looks to be "S169305" painted on in a dark color. The WD Numbers appear to have been applied after the Priests arrived in Egypt. In the realm of "counting heads", we have collected 22 WD Numbers from photos and reports that fall in a range from S169282 through S169388, encompassing about 106 units.




Here we have a Signal Corps photo taken by an actual SC photographer. The caption reads, "Tank crew make "100hr" check on an M1 (sic) "Priest" at Heliopolis Repair Depot, Egypt. Jan. 1943" This is likely to have been one of the training M7s at the US Maintenance School at Heliopolis. Note that there appear to be a bunch of turrets and a Grant tank in the background on the right. The GIs working on the Priest were no doubt stationed at the school. The photo provides a good idea of the appearance of the stowage bin (1) that the Brits substituted for the grouser boxes but note that they did retain the small grouser box (2). The US supplied sand shields were attached to an "L" bracket (3), part of which is visible here. This Priest can be seen with pressed metal road wheels (4). We have shown that these could be original, but at this point, the unit's wheels along with everything else had probably been installed, uninstalled and replaced many times. The few photos show these training Priests in a single color, which several authors describe as "light stone." We believe the vehicles' original factory olive drab was painted over in this light color when the M7s were processed for issue at the No. 5 Base Ordnance Depot. At the same time, the War Department number was painted on in a dark color. Sorry to say we could not quite make out "S-Number" of this unit from the original print at the US Archives. As an open top vehicle, the Priest's interior was factory painted olive drab as opposed to the white used on Sherman interiors. The British might have repainted the interiors, but in this view, the lower hull interior seems to be a darker shade, but perhaps that is just shadows. The photo is credited to " Sgt. W.F. Lovell." Sergeant Warden F. Lovell went on to serve with the 165th Signal Photo Company and landed at Pointe du Hoc with the 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day. He had his camera shot out of his hands (inset). He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on that day.




By April 1943, the joint US/UK Munitions Assignment Board had allocated 299 M7s to Commonwealth Lend Lease. It was reported that 137 were already in the Middle East along with 2 in the United Kingdom. The remaining 160 units were on the way from the US. Of those, 84 were allocated to India. The other 76 were more than likely assigned to the Middle East. As a matter of curiosity, the MAB documents note that there were 10 "Howitzer 105mm T19" in the Middle East in April 1943 as well. The T19 was the expedient design on which a 105mm was mounted on an M3 half-track. This was, of course, rejected as the standard self-propelled 105mm gun mount in favor of the M7. We assume that the T19s were sent for comparison with the M7, but oddly, the "British Empire" is not officially listed as having received any T19s as Lend Lease. The 2 M7s in the U.K. might have been early "preview" models, such as "Michael" the second production Sherman, which was preserved and is currently on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington. If so, like "Michael" one or both may have been shipped with their original R-975-EC2 engines with pepper pot exhaust. However, we have not as yet come across any test reports or other references to those. Despite the small numbers involved in the campaign in North Africa, the performance of the Priest was such that the 11th HAC and a newly converted unit, the 98th Field Regiment (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry Queen Mary's), were assigned to take part in the Sicilian Campaign. This Imperial War Museum photo is dated 11 July 1943, the second day of the invasion, and shows a Priest advancing "to contact the enemy nr. NOTO." This unit does not appear to be camouflage painted, so may have been an M7 of the 98th Field Regiment. An IWM film dated 19 July, shows "The Queens Royal Regiment with Priest guns in Sicily." In the footage, the color of some of the M7s looks closer to olive drab than light stone to our eyes. Of interest in the photo above is that the upper rear hull plate is not "notched" for the "high" exhaust pipes, which would suggest that this M7 was equipped with the R-975-EC2 engine with the "Quick Fix" exhaust and air cleaner modification. The sun can be seen glinting off the exhaust pipe below the air cleaner on the left side. It would appear that a piece of metal or wood had been placed across the "grille protecting covers" to hold a number of 105mm rounds. A few photos such as this, suggest that "flaps" were added in the field to raise the height of the sides and rear of the crew compartment. Note the rubber chevron tracks. This is obviously an early M7 which we suspect was part of the "Emergency shipment." A few modelers have asked about the rear configuration of the "Alamein" Priests. We can't do much more than guess that some were shipped with standard R-975-C1 engines and others with R-975-E2s with the "Quick Fix."  Courtesy of Imperial War Museum Photo NA4309.




The Emergency shipment to the British delayed the distribution of the new M7s to US troops and some units were issued the expedient half-track mounted T19s in the meantime. The photo above is the earliest one we have encountered showing M7s in the hands of US troops. This Priest was photographed as it paraded up Fifth Avenue during the massive "New York at War" Parade held in New York City on 13 June 1942. By mid-June, ALCO would have produced about 100 M7s. From February through August 1942, ALCO also manufactured 300 cast hull M3A1 Lees, and we were especially interested in studying the NYC parade footage for our M3 Lee Page since visible tactical markings show that the 4th Armored Division's 35th and 37th Armored Regiments participated with at least 14 of the relatively rare M3A1s. In any case, we might assume that the "22" painted on the center of the Priest's M3 Lee type differential housing would indicate the 22nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion of the 4th AD. At the time, the 4th AD was stationed at Pine Camp, New York (now Ft. Drum) which was about 150 miles northwest of the ALCO plant in Schenectady, and it seems likely that some brand new M3A1s and perhaps a few M7s were shipped to them in time to show off at the parade.




The photo above is dated 19 September 1942, and the caption heralds "the Army's newest tank destroyer." Somehow, even before the Priest had entered combat, the idea had gotten around that the mount was a "tank killer" and it doesn't seem to have been discouraged by the higher ups. A few M7s were "being tested for desert warfare at Iron Mountains, California" [the Desert Training Center]. Some other photos taken at Iron Mountain on the same day by the same photographer, "Musser", show mostly Lees but some Shermans of the 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division, so it may be that the Priests were assigned to one of the Armored Field Artillery Battalions of the 3rd AD. The number "115" chalked on may or may not be the M7's Serial Number or perhaps a build sequence number. If so, either would indicate June 1942 production and the early appearance of the vehicle does not contradict that. Note that "3 Grousers" is stenciled on the smallest grouser box. The next box held 10 grousers and the largest held 13 for a total of 26. The grouser boxes were changed a bit over time, but these represent the original, factory configuration as installed on 1942/43 production M7s. "Musser" the photographer was likely Technician Fourth Grade Arland B. Musser of the 163rd Signal Photographic Company. Just from the examination of some other Signal Corps photos credited to him, we would guess that he was "embedded" with the 45th Infantry Division during his time overseas. He took some harrowing images of the Dachau Concentration Camp in late April 1945.




Several photos of "Finalist" are notable for being in color. The image above was also provided in black and white as SC163844-B with the caption, "M7-105mm-Howitzer Antitank Artillery Piece at Armored Force, in Fort Knox, Kentucky, 2-1-43 [1 Feb 1943]." The color photos must have lost their original captions by the time they were turned into the Pentagon in the postwar years since they are generic and uninformative, with one having "Place Not Known" and "date not known." Again, we have a reference to "Antitank" in the caption of the b/w photo. While the 105mm gun was certainly capable of killing a tank, that is not the role that Gen. Devers envisioned for the M7. "Finalist" can be seen with the Registration Number USA 3034487 painted on in a dark color, probably black. This would indicate that it was accepted in July 1942. By July, counting heads suggests that ALCO would have been factory installing R-975-C1 engines and "fuel tank compartment ventilating grilles." Note that this unit has pressed metal road wheels. Six of the seven-man crew are visible with the driver assumed to be down in his seat out of view. Oddly, this M7 does not appear to be carrying any onboard 105mm ammunition and we would assume that two of the cannoneers are sitting on the ammunition holders on the right. A few companies are listed so we thought readers might be interested in the APG description of an M7 produced a month later, "Howitzer Motor Carriage #548, USA #3034779, manufactured by the American Locomotive Company, is a self propelled mount for the 105 MM Howitzer M2A1, #4239, manufactured by the United Engineering and Foundry Company. The Howitzer is mounted centrally in a lightly armored upper hull of a Medium Tank M4 [sic] chassis; powered by a Continental R975-C1 engine Serial No. 123761 and containing a Caterpillar one piece transmission Serial No. 2C-286."




This color view of "Finalist" taken from the rear shows the tactical markings that we interpret as "Delta S" (Armored School), "DR" (Demonstration Regiment), "F" (Field Artillery) and "X-2" (Separate Company, Vehicle 2). The rear represents the appearance of an M7 built with the R-975-C1 engine with the high mounted exhaust pipes which are seen here just below the notch of the upper rear hull plate. According to the Technical Manual, a "Net, camouflage, cotton shrimp, 45-ft X 45-ft" was strapped to the rails on the engine deck. On this example, there appears to be a "Paulin, 12-ft X 12-ft" strapped to the rails. When it was introduced or installed as a modification, the "Cover, howitzer motor carriage, M7" is simply listed as "folded on rear deck." An engine crank and axe are seen mounted to the upper rear hull plate. By September 1942, the side opening stowage bins appear to have been replaced with the same top opening bins that were introduced in production on the M3 Lee around June 1942. Some period photos suggest that at that point, the engine crank was moved to the lid of the right-side bin, and an idler adjusting wrench was installed on the left bin. One of the cannoneers can be seen outside the vehicle preparing to hand up the next round. Indeed, photos suggest that the "action post" for one or two of the cannoneers was often outside the fighting compartment either on the ground or on the engine deck preparing the next rounds.




Combat Command B of the 1st Armored Division was assigned to the Center Task Force of Operation Torch, the Allied Invasion of Northwest Africa. The objective of the CTF was the capture of the major port of Oran in Algeria. Units of the 1st Infantry Division began the assault with support from CCB on 8 November 1942. Here is the earliest "combat zone" photo of US Army M7s we know, dated "9 Nov 42", and captioned, "American Medium Tanks [sic] are unloaded at a port in Algeria. 1st Armored Div., Combat Command B, at Arzew." It is thought that they would have belonged to the 27th Armored Field Artillery Battalion which was a part of CCB. Some sources have it that the 27th AFA Bn was equipped entirely with T19 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriages, but this photo suggests that they had at least 2 M7s. The fiberboard ammunitions containers would hint that these Priests were "combat loaded", that is, ready to go into action upon landing.




The same scene showing one of the M7s being offloaded from an L.C.T. [Landing Craft Tank] at Arzew. "K8", perhaps some sort of shipping reference, appears to be chalked on the side at both the rear and the front. CCB histories mention that their light and medium tanks were sealed in the UK for shallow water fording, but there is nothing to indicate that this M7 had been waterproofed in any way. It is another example seen with the "standard" rear hull configuration typical of the R-975-C1 installation. The records of CCB simply refer to "105mm SP" so it is not clear if the M7s engaged in combat on the 9th or 10th of November before the French surrendered. Around mid-December 1942, the officers of CCB were asked to submit recommendations based on their experiences fighting in Algeria and Tunisia up to that point. There is a specific reference, "One 105mm Howitzer on M7 carriage was put out of action by having the forward end of the recoil cylinder punctured by small arms fire. An armor plate shield should be installed to protect the forward end of the recoil cylinder." So, it might be assumed that CCB's combat debut of the M7 occurred at some point before mid-December. Another recommendation concerned the vulnerability of the ammunition stored vertically along the sides of the hull, "The side armor on present models should be raised by welding on a strip of armor plate; in new manufacture, the 10-inch cutaway on the sides should not be made. The sides were originally designed with this piece cut away to facilitate resupply of ammunition over the side. However, this advantage is outweighed by the disadvantages of the increased jeopardy to the howitzer and the crew."




The image above is a screen capture from a United News (U.S. Office of War Information) newsreel highlighting "Rommel's Defeat in Africa" along with "U.S. Troops Enter French African Port of Oran." From the context, it would appear that the Oran scenes were shot from the invasion on 8 November 1942 to no later than the middle of the month. While the 2 M7s unloading in Arzew are seen with one-piece differential housings, this example has the "notched" three-piece diff made for the M3 Medium. So, it would seem, the Center Task Force landed at least 3 M7s. The US flags on the front and side appear to have been paper prints that were pasted on to the AFVs in the vain hope that if the French saw them during the initial stages of the invasion, they would not fire. The Western Task Force of Operation Torch landed on the Atlantic coast of French Morocco with the goal of capturing the major port of Casablanca. The landing at the minor port of Safi [Operation Blackstone] was for the purpose of unloading the medium tanks so that they could proceed to Casablanca 140 miles to the north as quickly as possible. "The Armored Landing Team consisted of elements of CCB, 2nd Armored Division, including the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 67th Armored Regiment (thirty-six light and fifty-four medium tanks), supported by two batteries [12 units] of self-propelled 105-mm. howitzers. The 3rd Bn of the 67th AR was made up of 54 M4A1 Shermans according to some sources. We suspect there may have been a few M4s in the mix. These would have been the first US Army Shermans deployed to a combat theater. Because of their size, all of the Shermans were shipped on the Seatrain Lakehurst. Battery B, 14th Armored Field Artillery Battalion was also listed on the Lakehurst's manifest. The port area of Safi was quickly captured on 8th November by the 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, permitting the Lakehurst to dock and begin unloading the medium tanks at around 2 pm. For what it is worth, in a paper he wrote in February 1947, Major F.M. Muller, the Transport Quartermaster for the Lakehurst, mentions that aside from the 54 medium tanks, "6 Carriage Motor M7's" were allocated for transport. Also, "A History of the Second Armored Division 1940-1946" states that the Seatrain force "included the only medium tanks, the only M-7 105 howitzers, and the only bridging unit in the Western Task Force." So, perhaps some Priests landed at Safi. The unloading of the Lakehurst was hindered by issues with cranes, sniper fire and at least one aircraft attack, but in a May 1950 student research report, "Armor in the Invasion of North Africa (2nd Armored Division)", it is stated that "all of the vehicles of the 2d Armored Division were finally unloaded from the sea train by 1700 hours [5 P.M., 9 November]." On 9 November, D+1, General Ernest Harmon, commander of the 2nd AD and of the Safi operation, ordered CCB to intercept French reinforcements heading towards Safi on the highway from Marrakesh. It is reported that the CCB column was "bombed and strafed" but that "the attack was not too successful...due to dispersion of the vehicles." M5 Stuarts of the 2nd Bn, 67th AR attacked the French force around 5 P.M. while the Shermans of the 3rd Bn were held in reserve. The French retreated to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains some 25 miles east of Safi. On the morning of 10 November, "elements of the 14th and 78th Armored Field Artillery Battalions fired some 306 rounds of 105mm ammunition into the French positions." At this point, Harmon decided to break off contact and move CCB north towards Casablanca the primary objective of the Western Task Force. The column was about 40 miles from Casablanca when a ceasefire was arranged on 11 November 1942. Sorry to say, we have not come across any still photos or motion pictures of these actions. We can't help but think that somewhere in the course of these operations, the Sherman had its combat debut with the US Army. In addition, if any M7s were actually landed at Safi, the Priest likely had its combat debut, at least with the 2nd Armored Division.


   

Documented use of the M7 during the Tunisian Campaign is very sketchy. It is thought that most of the "105mm SPs" referenced in various reports would have been T19s. The rest of the 1st Armored Division shipped down from the U.K. and arrived in theater around Christmas 1942. The 68th and 91st Armored Field Artillery Battalions, along with the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 1st Armored Regiment (Shermans), and the 3rd Battalion of the 13th Armored Regiment (Lees) made their way to the front. The "new" units suffered devastating losses, starting in late January 1942 and culminating with the Axis attack in mid-February around Kasserine Pass. Many of the records of these units were destroyed as they were overrun, so that there is only an impressionistic view of what happened. The After Action Report of the 91st Armored Field Artillery Battalion is a case in point, "This Battalion had previously taken part in a battle at Faid Pass, the records of which were destroyed by enemy action, along with all data up to and including February 15." On 19 February, the 91st AFA Bn. was positioned about 20 miles southeast of the major Allied supply depot at Tebessa. At full strength the 91st AFA would have had about 500 men. They reported 107 officers and enlisted men were missing in action, but gave no account of killed, wounded and vehicle casualties. A few days later, the Axis advance was stopped at Djebel El Hamra and Thala. Recognizing that the offensive could get no further, German-Italian forces withdrew though Kasserine Pass. On 27 February, the 91st AFA Bn. received 61 replacements and specifically reported that they "drew M7's." As was the case with the Armored Regiments, the men and machines were likely supplied from units stationed in Morocco. From then until the Axis surrender on 13 May 1943, it would appear that some M7s served in the 1st AD's Armored Field Artillery Battalions. For instance, on 20 March 91st AFA Bn reported that an M7 was damaged by a strafing attack near Station Sened. In mid-April, "M7s assembled in vicinity Sbietla to be loaded on transporters for movement." The Battalion performed many fire missions, but nowhere do the AARs give the combat efficiency (numbers) or break down the types of the 91st's 105 SPs. Here we have some poor-quality screen captures of some raw Signal Corps footage showing a pair of camouflaged M7s with trailers captioned as "after the battle of Kasserine Pass, 1943."




This Signal Corps photo is dated 5 April 1943 and captioned "Oran, North Africa...Left front view of a 105MM howitzer motor carriage M7, taken at the MBS Ordnance." According to the US Army "Green Book," "The Ordnance Department: On Beachhead and Battlefront," the Mediterranean Base Section at Oran was established in early December 1942. "The first echelon of the Atlantic Base Section at Casablanca was just arriving [in late December]. Eventually there was to be an Eastern Base Section (EBS) at Constantine [Algeria], nearer the front, but it did not come into being until late February 1943." Thus, the supply line to the front in Tunisia "was very long and very weak." By the time our photo was taken in April 1943, the Base Sections were handling enormous amounts of equipment and supplies not just for the front in Tunisia, but for the purpose of equipping the Allied Armies including the French, slated to take part in future operations in Sicily, Italy and beyond. This M7 can be seen with the stencil "For Shipment -9999-" and the date "1/24/43" chalked on just above. We doubt if it had been sitting at Oran for over 2 months, so assume that the January date was chalked on in the US. The "comb device" (1) was typical of the Chester Tank Depot in Pennsylvania where this M7 would have been processed for overseas shipment. The sealing has not yet been removed from the area around the gun. Counting heads suggests that the head light guards (2) were introduced in production in August 1942 and the top hinged, M3 Lee type stowage bin (3) in September.




Here we have a view of an M7 processed, sealed and ready to go at the Chester Tank Depot. No date is provided but the Registration Number can be seen as "USA 4038163" indicating November 1942 acceptance. Note how the fighting compartment is covered with a wood frame which is held down by straps attached to the step rungs. The suspension components have been sprayed with a rust preventative compound known as Par-Al-Ketone. Right under the CTD "comb device" are the instructions "Unhook Cable Before Towing." The "comb" or "pawl" was part of a system engineered as a way to lock or unlock the brakes during shipping without damaging the vehicle's waterproofing sealant. Note the roller (1) attached to the middle of the differential housing bolt strip. It is thought that 5/32-inch cables were threaded through the roller and into the fighting compartment by means of a hole made when the middle bolt was removed from the center section of the bolt strip. The drawing in the inset was provided by the Chief Ordnance Officer of the Longue Point Ordnance Depot [Montreal] and shows how the cables were attached to the steering levers in order to lock the vehicle down during shipping. For the purpose of "counting heads" we would note that this November 1942 M7 "still" has the original "shallow" pulpit (2).




Aside from the Armored Field Artillery Battalions of the 1st and 2nd Armored Divisions, the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group was organized in Morocco on 25 January 1943. The Group which would serve as a US II Corps asset, consisted of the 58th, 62nd and 65th Armored Field Artillery Battalions. "The battalions...received their training on towed 75’s and 105’s and on the half-tracked T.19. The full-tracked M7 was a new piece of equipment." The 58th AFA Bn is reported to have received 18 "brand new" M7s while stationed at Camp A.P. Hill, Virginia in September and October 1942, but it is not reported if they brought them along when they deployed to northwest Africa. The Battalions of the 5th Artillery Group had their combat debuts in late March 1943 in the area of Maknassy in support of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Armored Division. We can't confirm if the battalions were entirely equipped with M7s at the time, but the 58th AFA Bn reported the loss of 2 M7s to counterbattery fire on 25 March. Additionally, a member of the 65th AFA Bn stated that the M7 proved "itself an excellent weapon for...the roving gun technique." In any case, it can be documented that the battalions of the 5th AFA Group had "some" M7s as they supported various US units to the end of the campaign in Tunisia. In August 1942, each infantry regiment was ordered to be provided with a battery of organic artillery known as a "Cannon Company." The company's mission was "to provide close and continuous fire support to the regiment." During the Tunisian Campaign, some companies appear to have been composed of 2 T19s or 2 M7s (as they became available) and 4 half-track based T30 75mm Howitzer Motor Carriages. Starting in July 1943, the organization was changed and "The Cannon Company was equipped with a total of 6 M3 105mm towed howitzers with 118 men total strength.​" However, period photos and unit reports show that some M7s continued to serve in Cannon Companies during the Italian Campaign. It is thought that the parade scene above was filmed on Bastille Day, 14 July 1943 in Rabat, Morocco, and shows 2 of the platoons of a Regimental Cannon Company with the T30s (1) trailing. The M7s can be seen with a cable reel (2) for telephone communications. The unit in the background has what appears to be an antenna (3) suggesting it is equipped with a radio. The Priests have headlight guards and the later stowage bins. Note that each M7 has an engine crank on the lid of the right-side bin. Illustrating the seemingly random nature of the components, the unit in the foreground is equipped with a one-piece differential along with "M3" bogies with welded, spoked road wheels, while the other has a three-piece diff and "M4" bogies with pressed metal road wheels. The Priest in the foreground carries the name "The Texas Special" (4).




Skipping ahead 6 months, here we see "The Texas Special" in action in the "Rapido River area, Italy" on 22 January 1944. The camouflage scheme seen in the Rabat photo has toned down quite a bit. The star can be seen to have been surrounded in this instance by a crudely painted circle. Some elements fighting in Tunisia thought that the star by itself had on occasion been mistaken for the German cross and had led to friendly fire incidents. Consequently, a circle was ordered to be painted around the star beginning with the Sicilian campaign. In any case, the crew has attempted to make the star a little less conspicuous with fingerpainted mud. A strip of armor plate has been neatly welded to the side as suggested by earlier M7 users both British and US. The veteran crew have painted on a scoreboard that appears to show 2 tanks, 3 trucks, a "Scout Car" and a "Volkswagen". A knock against the Priest during WW II and the Korea War was its limited elevation. Here the crew has placed it on a ramp to increase its angle of fire. The Signal Corps photo caption identifies "The Texas Special" as with "Third Platoon, Cannon Company of the 143rd Infantry Regiment." The 36th Infantry Division arrived in Oran in April 1943. It was composed of the 141st, 142nd and 143rd Infantry Regiments, each of which would have included a Cannon Company. According to "A Pictorial History of the 36th "Texas" Infantry Division", the 141st and 143rd Regiments spent "a leisurely summer in the cork forests near Rabat and Casablanca." The Division had its baptism of fire when it made an assault landing at Salerno Bay in Italy on 9 September 1943. The After Action Report for that day mentions that one of the "75mm Self-Propelled mounts" of the Cannon Company, 143rd IR, played a part in repelling a tank attack against the Division Command Post. The photo above is dated 22 January 1944. In the previous 48 hours, the 141st and 143rd Infantry Regiments had sustained 1,681 casualties, including 143 killed, 663 wounded, and 875 missing in a disastrous series of attacks across the Rapido River that became the subject of a Congressional investigation in 1946.




Returning to the historical chronology, although the Allied victory in Tunisia in May 1943 came months later than had been hoped, it was quite impressive, nonetheless. Hitler's "no retreat" obsession, coupled with the growing strength of Allied Naval and Air power in the Mediterranean set the stage for one of those rare occasions in warfare where the entire enemy force was destroyed. A quarter of a million Axis troops were captured, which rivaled in scope the Soviet victory at Stalingrad a few months earlier. The "higher ups" had decided that the next objective would be Sicily. The newly created US Seventh Army invaded the island alongside the veteran British Eighth Army on 10 July 1943. The Seventh Army Order of Battle included the 3 Armored Field Artillery Battalions (58th, 62nd and 65th) of the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group along with the 14th, 78th and 92nd AFA Battalions of the 2nd Armored Division. It is thought that, at this point, the majority of the self-propelled howitzers in these units would have been M7s. Perhaps the first US Army Priests to come ashore on D-Day were those of the 10th Field Artillery Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. As part of "Joss Force" the western most Task Force in the US assault, they landed at 0630, 10 July on Red Beach near Licata, "Unloading quickly, utilizing the full-tracked mobility of its M 7's, the artillery unit established firing positions 500 to 1,000 yards inland and began firing in support of the infantry units." The 3rd ID's Field Artillery Battalions (9th, 10th and 39th) would have been equipped with towed howitzers, but a footnote in the US Army "Green Book", "Sicily and the Surrender of Italy" explains an unusual trade, "Before embarking them in North Africa, General Truscott had his organic artillery battalions exchange their towed 105-mm. howitzers for the full-tracked M7s of the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group, a swap to last during the assault phase only. Once ashore, the units exchanged pieces again." We can only assume that General Lucian Truscott, commander of Joss Force, thought that self-propelled guns would offer an advantage during the assault landings. We don't know of any photos of the M7s of the 10th FA Battalion on the first day, so offer the above Signal Corps photo dated 11 July 1943 and simply captioned, "U.S. armored troops moving through Palma, Sicily." This scene likely shows elements of Combat Command A, 2nd Armored Division as they made their way through Palma di Montechiaro to Naro, 10 miles to the north. Aside from the 3rd Infantry Division, Truscott's Joss Force included CCA which, on that day, "consisted of the 66th Armored Regiment; the 41st Armored Infantry Regiment, minus the 1st Battalion; the 14th Armored Field Artillery Battalion; the 62d Armored Field Artillery Battalion (which, at this time, had only one battery ashore); reconnaissance, engineer, and service units." The tactical (?) markings on the pulpit are partially obscured, except for "-14." We might assume that the M7s shown above were serving with either the 2nd AD's 14th AFA Bn. or the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group's 62nd AFA Bn. which was then attached to CCA. While not the best photo, it can be seen that a camouflage net (1), possibly the "Net, camouflage, cotton shrimp, 45-ft X 45-ft" supplied with the M7, is stowed on the right front. The poles (2) running across the front are probably the supports for the net. Note that this unit does not appear to be towing an ammunition trailer.


   

After the beachheads were secure, the US Seventh Army was tasked with "the passive mission" of guarding the British Eighth Army's rear as it fought its way up eastern Sicily with the port of Messina as its goal. General George Patton managed to convince the rather reluctant Fifteenth Army Commander, General Harold Alexander, that the best way to do that was to secure all of western Sicily. To that end, on 15 July, Patton formed a Provisional Corps made up of the 3rd Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division and elements of the 9th Infantry Division. The 2nd Armored Division was held in army reserve, "prepared to exploit any offensive operation toward the north coast." Starting on 19 July, the Provisional Corps conducted a "power drive" across the island and captured the Sicilian capital of Palermo on 22 July 1943.  A series of photos and some raw movie footage was shot showing a pair of M7s proceeding up a hill on Highway 115 near the town of Sciacca on the southwest coast. The Task Force of the 82nd Airborne entered Sciacca on 20 July. Some markings can be seen on the pulpit of the Priest in the left photo. We read these as "something like" "S-348-7" (inset). We haven't been able to interpret this, so it may be "encrypted" tactical marking code. In any case, according to an 82nd AB history, "Batteries of the 376th [Parachute Field Artillery Bn.] 34th [Field Artillery Bn., 9th Infantry Div.] and 62d [Armored] Field Artillery had been called into action briefly on enemy batteries, pillboxes, and personnel east of Sciacca." Our guess is that the Priests were of the 62nd AFA Bn. of the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group. Again, we see the camouflage net and poles. Both M7s have head light guards and the unit in the right-side photo can be seen with a side hinged stowage bin. Both are towing ammunition trailers. The vertically stowed 105mm rounds are just visible on both M7s indicating that neither was retrofitted with additional armor plate protection.




The Signal Corps film footage shows at least 3 M7s proceeding past the columned edifice of the Palazzo Arone di Bertolino, located at 160 Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Sciacca (per Google Steet View). The Priest shown above and at least one of the others in the scene are noted to have been retrofitted with additional armor plates welded on to protect the vertically stowed 105mm rounds.




By the end of the Sicilian Campaign, the M7 had proven itself to be a valuable weapon in the Allied arsenal. At that point, ALCO had produced about 2800 units, and more were on order. Two 4-gun batteries of the 58th AFA Bn., 5th Armored Field Artillery Group took part in a pair of unusual missions involving "end run" amphibious landings on the northeast coast of Sicily. The "invasion force" was made up of about 650 men led by Lt. Col. Lyle Bernard commander of the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. Barnard's battalion was supported by 5 Shermans of the 756th Tank Battalion, elements of the 10th Engineer Combat Bn. and the 540th Amphibious Engineer Regiment with DUKWs, plus Batteries A and B of the 58th AFA Bn. While the first landing which came ashore near Sant'Agata on 8 August 1943 caught the enemy off guard, most of the Axis troops managed to retreat past the 2nd Battalion's blocking positions before the 3rd ID's main force linked up with them. However, "the 3d Infantry Division's combined land and sea offensive bagged over 1,000 prisoners." The next end run, which became known as the battle at Brolo, took place 11-12 August 1943 and used the same small but proven task force as the first. This time the Germans recognized the real possibility that their retreat route might be cut off and attacked the 2nd Battalion with all of the tanks, infantry and artillery that they could muster. After a day long fight, the Germans managed to escape the trap, but it was a near run thing. The 1st Battalion coming overland linked up with the 2nd on the morning of 12 August. The action cost the 2nd Battalion 177 men killed, wounded and missing. Batteries A and B of the 58th AFA Bn. had 9 men killed, 25 wounded and 14 missing. In addition, 7 of the unit's M7s were destroyed, including 4 by friendly air attack. It is thought that the photo above shows a 58th AFA Bn. M7 in action during the first landing. Note that the M7 has been retrofitted with steel T49 "cast track with interrupted parallel tread." There is some mention in the files that rubber tracks wore out quickly on Sicily and steel tracks were preferred. The inset shows Col. Bernard during the battle. The Sicilian Campaign ended a few days later on 17 August, but there was no repeat of the mass surrender of "Tunisgrad". For reasons that are still debated, the significant Allied naval and air forces in the area failed to block the Strait of Messina permitting 40,000 German and 70,000 Italian troops to escape into Italy. After Sicily, the 5th Armored Field Artillery Group redeployed to Great Britain along with the 1st Infantry and the 2nd Armored Divisions in anticipation of the Normandy Invasion.




The British Eighth Army landed the first Allied troops back on the continent of Europe (to stay) on 3 September 1943 as part of Operation Baytown. The caption of the IWM photo above simply reads, "(Armoured cars, tanks and artillery coming ashore nr. Reggio.) Taken by Sgt. Loughlin 3.9.43 [3 September 1943]". The Unit Serial Number of the Priest appears to be "338" which would indicate the 98th (Sussex and Surrey Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, a veteran unit first equipped with M7s for the Sicilian Campaign, directly under 8th Army control. The [British] 5th Division and the 3rd Canadian Brigade made the initial assault across the Strait of Messina to the Calabrian Peninsula (the "toe" of Italy) landing near the town of Reggio. The assault was unopposed and by the end of the day, a perimeter 5 miles deep had been established with the port of Reggio along with the airfield captured largely intact. The Priest can be seen with a side hinged stowage bin and without headlight guards. It was likely one of the "emergency shipment" M7s modified in British workshops in Egypt. It had also been retrofitted with the ammunition protector side plates as seen in the photo of the Priest advancing "to contact the enemy nr. NOTO [Sicily]" shown earlier. The tracks look to be well worn. IWM NA 6205.


   

Readers will recall the photos of a pair of M7s landing at Arzew on 9 November 1942. We speculated that these were serving with the 27th Armored Field Artillery Battalion since it is listed as a component of CCB, 1st Armored Division which landed as part of the Center Task Force of Operation Torch. The 27th AFA Bn. was one of the first units of the 1st AD to get a combat assignment after the drubbing the Division had taken during the Tunisia Campaign. The battalion was attached to the US Fifth Army invasion force that made assault landings near the port of Salerno on 9 September 1943. According to a unit history, "The 27th first went into action on the night of September 11, a few hours after their 105-millimeter howitzers were unloaded. "B" and "C" Batteries went into direct fire positions covering a vital stream crossing and the following day pulled back to join the third battery in indirect fire positions supporting the 45th Infantry Division. The battalion's guns helped repel the strongest German counterattack of the beachhead on the fourth night after the landing." We haven't come across any photos or films, but in this action on 13 July, there is a specific mention of 27th AFA M7s firing in support of the 189th and 158th Field Artillery Battalions as they were attacked by elements of the German XIV Panzer Corps, "seven M-7's of Battery B, 27th Armored Field Artillery, came up in time to add another 300 rounds. This devastating fire pulverized the roads and fields in the tip of the [Sele-Calore] corridor and combined with the dogged resistance of the artillerymen at the ford, hurled back every enemy attack. At sunset, the enemy admitted failure and pulled back his tanks. The artillery had stopped the most serious break-through attempted during the whole Salerno beachhead fight." The German plan to crush the Fifth Army at Salerno was nearly successful; however, in the end, they could not overcome the combined weight of Allied infantry, artillery, naval and air power, and were forced to withdraw to the Volturno River. The major port of Naples was the ultimate goal of the Salerno campaign and it was entered by units of the British 7th Armoured Division on 1 October 1943. Here we have some screen captures showing a pair of early production Priests, again likely from the "emergency shipment", on the Reggia e Piazza San Ciro. The Unit Serial Number painted on the pulpits appears to be "332" which would indicate the 24th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Both are seen with the ammunition protector side plates retrofitted, although the plate of the M7 on the left appears to be welded on flush with the armor, while the one on the right looks to be hinged and mounted proud of the side armor.




Through a series of well planned and executed maneuvers, the 3rd Infantry Division was able to jump the Volturno River before the German defenses could be set, forcing them back 20 miles to their next position, the "Barbara Line." The photo above is undated and captioned, "Tank Destroyer [sic] moves on pontoon bridge across Volturno." We've examined a number of photos and motion pictures and have been able to determine that this is the "VI Corps Bridge" at the Triflisco Gap. This 30-ton capacity treadway bridge was reportedly erected in 6 hours on 14 October by Company B of the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion, another unit of the 1st Armored Division that was returned to action earlier than the rest of the Division. The well-known photo in the inset shows an M5A1 light tank with the distinctive unit marking (black "Y" in a yellow square) of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion. The 601st TD Bn. was attached to the 3rd ID at the time and for most of the war. Note that a sign nailed to the tree labels it the "Huskie Bridge." In the main photo, just the turret of a submerged M10 Tank Destroyer can be seen in the river. The US Army Green Book "Salerno to Cassino" mentions that a tank destroyer "fell off the bridge...drowning four men" on the night of the 14th. Various motion pictures show both US and British units pouring across the Huskie Bridge the next day. The M7 can be seen as another early production model with side hinged stowage bins. It even appears to have an unnotched upper rear hull plate. (Either that or a notched plate was altered to accommodate a wading kit.)  Welded on side armor is evident. We are not able to determine at present if the regimental cannon companies of the 3rd ID were equipped with any M7s in mid-October 1943. If not, our best guess is that the Priest on the bridge was with the 69th Armored Field Artillery Battalion of the 6th Armored Field Artillery Group.




After the capture of Naples and the Foggia Airfield Complex, Allied planners projected a phase line 30 miles north of Rome before the end of 1943, but any hopes for such progress were dashed as further advance was halted in the Fall at the nearly impregnable position known as the Gustav Line. On the Adriatic Coast, the Eighth Army hoped to take the town of Ortona without a fight, but the Germans chose to mount a defense and the bloody, close quarter combat in the rubble strewn streets took on almost epic proportions and became known as the "Italian Stalingrad." This screen capture from a Canadian Army Newsreel entitled "Battle of Ortona" shows M7s executing a fire mission in support of elements of the 1st Canadian Division and the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade as they attempted to break through the German defensive positions protecting the town. Of course, no date is provided in the film's narrative, but the official Canadian history describes an action on 15 December 1943, "Early in the afternoon enemy shelling slackened as a force of 200 paratroopers with tank support launched a determined counter-attack. The weakened battalion [the Royal 22e Régiment] contracted to withstand the shock and to allow a margin of safety for our artillery fire. Speedy and efficient action by the self-propelled 105-millimetre guns of the 98th Army Field Regiment R.A., which in fifteen minutes hit the enemy with 1400 rounds, crippled the German thrust, and sent the discomfited paratroopers reeling back with heavy losses." On the 18th of December, the Canadians launched Operation ""Morning Glory"...designed to drive a deep salient into the German defence line south-west of Ortona, from which an attack might be mounted against the town itself." The attack was "supported by all the artillery of the 5th Corps, consisting of three medium and nine field regiments and a heavy anti-aircraft battery." In a list of the supporting artillery units, only the 98th FA is labeled as "SP" [self propelled]. As best we can tell, the 98th with the Eighth Army and the 24th Field Regiment with Fifth Army were the only British/Commonwealth M7 equipped units in Italy in 1943. It is thought that the "F4" marking would indicate the 4th Gun of F Troop in the 3rd Battery of the Regiment. Again, we see the early production side opening storage bins. In this case, the retrofitted side armor was obviously hinged and is seen in the "down" position.




In late 1943, the strength of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division and 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade fighting in Italy was augmented when the 5th Canadian Armoured Division was shipped down from Great Britain. The units formed the 1st Canadian Corps under the command of Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar. As part of the move, the 8th Canadian Field Regiment arrived in Naples on 1 December 1943. A few days later they took over the 25 pounders, Quad Gun Tractors and "6 tanks" from the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery. Their War Diary mentions that the equipment was "in poor shape and still has the sand of Africa in gas tanks, etc. Fuel lines are continually clogging." The Regiment spent December performing organization, maintenance and training tasks. They were assigned to be part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division and allotted a new unit serial number - 76, which they painted on their vehicles and equipment. As part of an armoured division, their guns were wanted to be self-propelled, so in January 1944 the unit took over 25 M7s and other vehicles and equipment from the British 98th Field Regiment (SP), the unit shown in the photo of the previous caption. (Reading between the lines, we believe that the 98th received new M7s at this time.) Again, the 8th mentioned that the vehicles were in poor shape, and it is likely that the Priests they received were from the original "emergency shipment." The regiment, now the "8th Canadian Field Regiment (SP)", conducted its first fire missions in February 1944 "on the Adriatic front near Ortona." In April, in anticipation of the Allied Spring Offensive, the Regiment "received 20 new Priests to replace the old practically worn out SPs." The Regiment supported elements of the 5th Cnd. Armoured Div. during the Fourth Battle of Cassino, "through the Hitler Line and up the Liri Valley" and in a number of assaults on the Gothic Line until 9 February 1945 when they were "ordered to turn in all guns today...The majority of the SPs were received in April and May and have given wonderful service in the Liri Valley and through the Gothic Line. We are all very sorry to see our guns go and hope that the guns received to replace them will be PRIESTS." The Regiment left Italy on 23 February and redeployed to Belgium and the Netherlands along with the entire 1st Canadian Corps. This move was ordered so that the entire Canadian Army Overseas would fight the rest of World War II together in Northwest Europe under the banner of the First Canadian Army. By 8 March 1945, the Regiment had been issued 24 new Sextons which brought them up to full strength. Their War Diary comments, "The new equipment is to be a SEXTON, which is a 25 pr gun on a RAM chassis. It was hoped that the regiment would be re-equipped with 105mm PRIESTS but they are not available and ammunition for them is in short supply in the Canadian and British Armies." Of course, at that point, the M7 was no longer available because it had long since been replaced by the Sexton as the Commonwealth's standard Self-Propelled Gun. The Regiment first went into action with their new mounts in mid-April "on the southern outskirts of Nijmegen." The uncaptioned photo above shows what we take to be a battery of 8 Commonwealth Priests in Italy. The Unit Serial Number "76" is visible on two of the pulpits. We are told that this just signifies the second senior regiment of any armoured division's artillery brigade (at this time), but as mentioned, it was the USN assigned to the 8th Canadian Field Regiment (SP) when they became part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division. The M7s appear to be lined up for some sort of review. The 8th's War Diary mentions that "R Battery went to Gen Collingwood's inspection" on 31 July 1944. "Gen Collingwood" was the alias of King George VI who had served on the HMS Collingwood during the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The King was doing a weeks long tour of "his" forces in Italy, but he is not in the photo, so we suspect it may have been taken before or after his departure or on the previous day when "R Battery practiced for Gen Collingwood's inspection (Exercise Trigger)." In the arcane unit identification system used by Commonwealth gunners, "R Battery" would have been the third battery of a Field Regiment, composed of Troops E and F, and "F3" can be seen on the second M7 in. Note that at least two of the Priests have so called "deep pulpits." "F3" can be seen to have a field retrofitted side armor extension plate.




To break the stalemate at the Gustav Line and open the way to the Italian capital of Rome, the Allies attempted a flanking maneuver with an amphibious landing at Anzio in January 1944. However, the Germans managed to hold both the Gustav Line and the Anzio perimeter until the Spring of 1944. The photo above is dated 6 March 1944 and captioned, "M7, self propelled 105 mm howitzers of the 191st Tank Bn., firing on enemy positions. 45th Div. area, Anzio Beachhead." The "Table of Organization and Equipment 17-25", dated 1 March 1942 authorized 54 generic "medium tanks" to a "Tank Battalion (Medium)." (At the time, TBs were composed of light tanks only or medium tanks only.) The Tank Battalion (M) Headquarters was authorized 3 mediums and 17 were authorized for each of three tank companies. The Battalion HQ was also authorized 3 generic "self-propelled assault guns." Of course the mediums would have been Lees and later, Shermans, but the identification of the 3 "self-propelled assault guns" is a bit sketchy, since according to the June 1942 "Assault Gun Section and Platoon" Field Manual, "a standard type has not yet been determined." Some sources have it that they were halftrack based T30 75mm HMCs at first. It is thought that the 191st "Tank Battalion (M)" was in the March 1942 configuration when they took part in the assault landings at Salerno on 9 September 1943. The unit records are vague as to type, but the Assault Gun Platoon did take part in the assault landing, although it doesn't appear that the 191st had any M7s at the time. In the records, Lt. Wesoloski is listed as commander of the Assault Gun Platoon, and it is reported that his "half-tracks experienced considerable difficulty in the marshy terrain...just east of Yellow Beach." So we have the suggestion that the Assault Guns were half-track based. In the same month of September 1943, TO&E 17-25 was changed. The most significant modification was the addition of a fourth line company of 17 light tanks, to what had been the "Tank Battalion (M)" but now simply became a "Tank Battalion." The assault guns in the updated configuration are identified more specifically as "medium tank with 105mm howitzer." The first 105mm Shermans were not produced until February 1944 so this appears to have been an anticipatory authorization. In the meantime, it appears that, when the tank battalions in Italy reorganized to conform to the September 1943 configuration, the M7 was substituted as the 105mm "assault gun" but with only a 5 man crew authorized. Unit records indicate that the 191st TB reorganized under the new TO&E when they were in Corps Reserve at the end of 1943. The M7s were initially allocated in accordance with the revised configuration with 3 in Headquarters Company and 1 each in the 3 medium tank companies. However, the lightly armored M7 was not really an "assault gun" and most Tank Battalion commanders took it upon themselves to remove them from the line companies and place them in the Headquarters Company so that they had a fairly potent six gun artillery platoon. In the photo, four M7s are visible, but we suspect that there are two more hidden in the background. Of interest is that the Priest in the middle of the photo can be seen with a "deep" pulpit (1), a feature that, by our reckoning, was introduced in production at ALCO in January 1943. Around that time, ALCO also transitioned to the use of the "plain" drive sprocket (2) on both its M4 Shermans and M7 Priests. The "plain" can be compared with the M3 Medium type sprocket (3) used by ALCO before that. The "deep" pulpit M7 can just be seen with the support frames (4) for the canvas cover installed, while the "shallow" pulpit unit on the left appears to have the fittings (5) that held the support frames. At Anzio, the Germans held the high ground and could zero in on any sector within the perimeter. These Priests are under camouflage nets and an attempt had been made to conceal the "Salerno" stars. Allied forces were contained within the beachhead for 4 long and bitter months. The Germans bragged that Anzio was "the largest self sustaining prison camp in Europe." In a sense, the Italian Campaign imprisoned both sides as the overall strategy devolved into a goal of tying down as many enemy forces as possible so that they could not be used elsewhere. The Germans had a tremendous defensive advantage due to the terrain and weather of Italy, but for most of the campaign, about 400,000 Allied troops tied down about 400,000 Germans and vice versa.




Part of the series of SC photos of the M7 "assault guns" of the 191st TB features a touching story that we wanted to share. The caption to the photo above: "6 March 1944. Father and Son Farewell. Pvt. William R. Loop, Binghamton, N.Y., says goodbye to his Dad, Cpl. Roderick R. Loop, Binghamton, N.Y., age 48, who is leaving Italy for a tour of duty in the United States. Father and son are in the same outfit, a Tank Battalion that figured prominently in knocking out several German Tanks in a recent attack on the 45th Division, February 11, 1944. Father and son enlisted together, took Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, together, and came overseas together. Dad served in the First World War with the 124th Infantry [Regiment], 31st Div., the famous 'Dixie Division.'" Both men survived and were reunited. William went on to serve with distinction during the Korean War.




Returning to the ALCO plant in Schenectady, here we have a photo showing a few Shermans and Priests nearing completion. The M7s do not yet have their guns installed. Our scan of this Office of War Information photograph was undated and uncaptioned, but based on a few similar, captioned ALCO images, we suspect it was taken in January 1943 by photographer Howard R. Hollem. ALCO manufactured 150 M4A2s from September 1942 through April 1943. The company was ordered to switch Sherman production over to the M4 model and began to manufacture those in February 1943. The second Sherman in line can be seen with "150" chalked on, leading us to speculate that this may have been their last M4A2 which would have been accepted in April. (We wish it had been possible to read the sheets taped to the sides of 2 of the Shermans.) In any case, both Priests are seen with deep pulpits, plain sprockets and support frames installed. From this we might infer that the canvas cover was introduced at about the same time as the deep pulpit. M7s with deep pulpits are characterized by an angled plate (1) welded into the top front, whereas the side armor of shallow pulpit units is all one piece. The track skid (2) of the M4 bogie can be seen to be in the second, asymmetrical configuration, and the return roller (3) is in the original configuration without the spacer modification that would raise the rollers up by about an inch.




The people of Schenectady had a parade celebrating "M-7 Day" on 10 April 1943. "Col. Alan G. Cole brought the thanks of the British armed forces, Maj. Gen. Russell L. Maxwell, U.S. commander in the Middle East reported briefly on the effectiveness of the tank killers, and the afternoon was climaxed by the first U.S. showing of the British documentary film, "Desert Victory." ALCO really latched on to the idea that the M7 was a tank killer more than what it actually was - an effective self-propelled artillery piece. The pamphlet (inset) that marked the occasion is entitled "To the 500 subcontractors and suppliers that helped build the M-7 TANK KILLER." The main photo is in the pamphlet and since we know that the date was 10 April, we get an idea of the appearance of recently produced ALCO M7s and M4s. For the Priests, deep pulpits, plain sprockets, original type grouser boxes and canvas cover support frames are evident. Again, we have the use of both M3 and M4 bogies. Each of the Priests can be seen with an engine crank installed on the lid of the right stowage bin and a track wrench mounted on the left bin. Oddly, while the official anti-aircraft weapon of both the Priest and Sherman was the "Caliber .50 Machine Gun M2", the units seen are armed with .30 caliber Brownings. In the upper left of the photo one can see, "Workers of ALCO entering theater to see premiere of "Desert Victory."" For a little historical context, this scene was filmed about a month before the end of the Tunisian Campaign.




Here we have an APG photo dated 2 February 1943 showing Serial Number 2039, a January 1943 production M7. With the exception of the bogies, we would judge that this unit pretty much reflects the appearance of M7s built from January to August 1943 when production was suspended until March 1944. Again, the M4 bogies seen here have the asymmetrical track skids and lack the spacer modification. The bogie arms are in the early configuration without the "wrench holes." We don't have enough data for a good head count, but we can observe that "deep" pulpit M7s produced in 1943 are consistently seen with 3-piece differential housings. And we might speculate that the use of M4 bogies may have become more commonplace in 1943, possibly because the supply of M3 bogies was drying up. Counting heads suggests that at some point in late 1942 or early 1943, a little support piece or gusset (circled and inset) was added to the superstructure below the gun. This does not appear to have been part of the original design, although it is seen on a few of the surviving 1942 production M7s. However, in those cases, we would guess that it was retrofitted during rebuild.




In general, we have found the Ordnance type photos to be reasonably accurate and "trustworthy" for counting heads. However, this APG photo kind of threw us a bit. It shows what is described as Serial Number 2770 indicating that it would have been one of the last 68 M7s built in August 1943 before the "break." However, the photo has an earlier date "7-1-43", which, in the US, is taken to mean "month/day/year" or July 1, 1943. But contradicting that is that the background reflects a winter appearance in the state of Maryland. We wondered about all of that since this M7 does not have the support frames for the canvas cover installed. It seems likely that there is a typo or two here; that is, we doubt if this photo was taken in July 1943, and we doubt if the M7 was SN 2770.




We don't have a copy of it, but "M7 Field Service Modification Work Order G128-W15 Canvas Top" is listed in the "This Month's Directives" section of the April 1944 issue of "Army Motors." We suspect that this modification was applied months earlier than that to M7s headed overseas, particularly to those shipped to the UK before D-Day. The Signal Corps photo above is dated September 1943 and captioned, "His identity almost hidden by his welder's helmet, Ray Heckman, who went into war work immediately after Pearl Harbor, does a modification job on an M-7 tank destroyer." (Again, with the "tank destroyer" nonsense.) "C.T.D. Prepared For Export Shipment Date ?-19-43" (inset) can be seen stenciled on the middle section of the 3-piece differential housing, which would suggest that Mr. Heckman was working at the Chester Tank Depot. Judging by the scorch marks (circled) around the footman loops, we believe Ray was adding these as part of the "Canvas Top" modification. On this example, the comb device (1) is mounted, and there is a "zinc tag" affixed just above upon which was stamped instructions on how to use the comb. In the event that handlers did not see or read the zinc tag, "UNHOOK CABLE BEFORE TOWING" was prominently stenciled on as well.


   





Jim visited another M7 that is in the "grouser box mod 3" configuration at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio, Luzon. Jim recorded SN 958 from the left rear towing lug which would indicate that this M7 was produced in November 1942. Note how the notched grouser box has no holes, just the footman loops. This is one of the few surviving Priests that is installed with extended end connectors. It can be seen that some of the EECs have broken off (1), which is frequently observed in period photos. As with SN 196 in Azul, this unit has had its original bogies replaced with the M4 type with the "final" version track skids. Also, like the Azul, the original differential housing and transmission was replaced. Jim found "5662" (inset) stamped on the right front towing lug. That SN would correspond to an October 1942 production M4A4. Note that the diff sections do not have the protective "lips" in front of the bolts running across the top. From our counting heads study of M4A4s, we have determined that the lips were added to the castings made for Chrysler starting in December 1942. In addition, some early M4A4s have been noted with an alternate Part Number D50993 (circled) on the left diff section as opposed to the usual E1231 PN. There is no evidence that any M4A4s served in the Philippines, which would lead us to think that the differential housing was added as a replacement during an informal rebuild program in the US in 1944. As mentioned, the "grouser box mod 3" configuration has been noted in a few overseas photos of M7s taken in 1945 in the Pacific Theater. Although this M7 does not show evidence of having been installed with wading trunks, we would not be surprised to learn that it had served with US forces in the PTO.




Returning to the Italian Theater, as a result of skillful planning including effective deception measures, the Allied Spring Offensive of May 1944 caught the Germans off guard. In the south, both the Gustav Line and the fallback position at the Hitler Line were breached. This success enabled the reinforced VI Corps at Anzio to break out of the perimeter after 5 months of stalemate. Rome fell on 4th June. By August, the Germans were forced back to their "final" prepared position, the Gothic Line, which ran roughly from just north of Pisa on the west coast to Pesaro on the east coast. On 9 May 1944, a few weeks before the Anzio breakout offensive, Gen. John O'Daniel, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, put on a demonstration of his "battle sled" invention, which was basically half of a torpedo shell capable of holding an individual soldier lying prone. Twelve of the sleds were combined to be pulled into combat by a medium tank, or in the case demonstrated above, an M7. The 3 Infantry Regiments of the 3rd ID each organized and trained "battle sled teams" of 60 men. Several platoons of Shermans of the 751st Tank Battalion were equipped to tow the battle sled devices. The 7th Infantry Regiment abandoned their sleds, apparently because the towing tanks encountered an uncharted mine field right at the start line. The sleds of the 30th IR fared no better as they had to be unhitched after traveling a short distance when the towing tanks encountered a mine field on the Ponte Rotto-Cisterna Road. "The tanks were later sent on another mission and did not use the battle sleds thereafter." The 60-man battle sled team of the 15th IR was towed to within 300 yards of their objective where the tanks were stopped by an impassable drainage ditch. A number of casualties were suffered by the infantry when the enemy laid down an intense mortar barrage. Two houses (the objective) were destroyed by the tanks permitting the infantry to advance and take their objective. "Thus ended the first and, as it turned out, sole test of the division commander's proud innovation." The 751st TB report simply states "Our experience with the use of the Battle Sled was not very satisfactory. A tank moving cross country must of necessity be free to maneuver. Various obstacles are generally encountered requiring the tanks to back up or make sharp turns which is not possible it they are towing Battle Sleds." In the photo, the M7 can be seen with the tactical markings "3-30-I...CN 32" (inset) which we take to mean Cannon Company, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ID. The July 1943 TO & E authorized 6 towed M3 105mm howitzers to the Regimental Cannon Company, but it is obvious from photos such as this that some companies were equipped with at least some M7 Priests. This example sports an antenna, suggesting it was installed with a radio. Another photo shows this Priest with a shallow pulpit but note the support frames for the canvas cover. We suspect this might have been retrofitted as a field modification.




The entire US 1st Armored Division was eventually deployed to Anzio and played a key role in the breakout offensive. The photo above is dated 16 September 1944 and shows a pair of M7s near Lucca, Italy conducting a fire mission on a Gothic Line target to the north. The Priest can be seen with the name "Mable" but is otherwise unidentified. However, the soldier talking on the phone, presumed to be the M7's "Chief of Section", can be seen with the 1st AD shoulder patch. The USA Registration Number is visible as 3034648 (inset) indicating August 1942 acceptance. This appears to be a case where the RN was "welded on" so that the vehicle could be identified even if it burned, and the painted-on RN was obliterated. The 1st AD appears to have done this on their tactical vehicles and AFVs whenever they were serviced or repaired. Mable's RN is listed in the records of the 123rd Ordnance Maintenance Battalion on 3 January 1945 as requiring an engine replacement. The "Unit" that turned it in is noted as the "91st F.A." Readers might recall that the Armored Field Artillery Battalions of the 1st AD were the 27th, 68th and 91st, each of which would have been equipped with 18 M7s at full strength. Reading between the lines of the 123rd Ord's records, it would appear that the 3 Tank Battalions of the 1st AD, the 1st, 4th and 13th TBs, were equipped with M7s as "assault guns" but that they were replaced with M4A3(105) Shermans in early 1945. For what it is worth, of the 96 or so M7 Registration Numbers recorded by the 123rd Ord., all but 3 are for units produced in 1942.




This Signal Corps photo is dated 6 February 1945 and was taken in the "Leghorn [Livorno] Area". "All types of tanks and half tracks are in various stages of repair in the Tank Repair Section of the PBS [Peninsular Base Section] Base Ordnance Shop. Two of these vehicles are turned out every day for renewed action at the front." The M7 in the foreground can be seen with an interesting modification - a side door hinged at the bottom. We must assume that this was added for easier loading of 105mm ammunition and may have been inspired by the small side door that was part of the design of the Sexton 25 Pounder Self-Propelled Gun. It appears that the Priest had had armor plates welded to the sides and rear, and that part of the left side plate was cut out along with the original side armor to form the door. There is another example of the retrofitted side door (circled) partially visible in the middle of the photo and possibly another way in the back behind the turretless M10. We don't know if this was done while the M7s were at the Base Shop or earlier. It doesn't seem to have been a widespread field modification, but we have seen similar retrofitted doors in a few photos of M7s in the European Theater of Operations. At present we are not aware of any surviving examples with this modification.




The Gothic Line bent but did not break until the Allied Spring Offensive in April 1945. The photo above is captioned "29 April 45. Fifth Army, Lake Garda Area, Italy. An M-7 of 'A' Battery, 1125th F.A. Bn., fires at a road across Lake Garda, where German convoys have been moving north." The German Army in Italy surrendered on 2 May, so this scene likely depicts one of the last M7 fire missions in the MTO. The 1125th Armored Field Artillery Battalion was a 5th Army asset made up of "several inactivated antiaircraft artillery units...[re-equipped] with self-propelled 105-mm. howitzers." Battery A was attached to the newly arrived US 10th Mountain Division starting with their combat debut in late February 1945 at the battle for Mount Belvedere. Mountain trained units were highly valued by both sides during the Italian Campaign. Indeed, the Allies' only such unit for the Spring 1944 Offensive, the Corps Expéditionnaire Français, is acknowledged to have played the pivotal role in breaking the Gustav Line. Albert Kesselring, overall commander of German forces in Italy, had this to say of the 10th, “To my surprise—in deep snow—the remarkably good American 10th Mountain Division launched an attack against the left flank of [the German defensive line], which speedily led to the loss of the dominating heights of Monte Belvedere.” As seen here, some M7 crews created a raised "shelf" (1) over the engine deck to hold their gear. The open end of this construct (2) presumably permitted sufficient air to flow through the "grille protecting covers." Readers might recall an earlier caption about M7 SN 2537 on display at the "Musée des Epaves Sous-Marines du Débarquement" in Port en Bessin. The M7 in the foreground can be seen with brackets (circled) similar to those on SN 2537, suggesting that it had once been installed with a wading trunk.


British use in NW Europe




For the D-Day landings, the British and Canadians had determined that all of the artillery of the initial assault would be self-propelled. One report has it that aside from the SP's mobility, "the ability to fire from landing craft and to land with the gun pointing at the enemy was considered important." For reasons of supply and maintenance, the British Army wanted to standardize on the Sexton 25 pounder Self Propelled Gun and we can only assume that M7s were used on D-Day simply because sufficient supplies of Sexton IIs were not yet available. To that end, the Canadians deployed four Field Regiments which were temporarily equipped with M7 Priests for the assault landings at Juno Beach. The 12th, 13th and 14th were organic to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, while the 19th was a First Canadian Army asset that was attached so that both of the infantry brigades in the initial assault could be supported by two self-propelled Field Regiments. The photo shows a trio of M7s of F Troop, 14th Cdn FR preparing to load onto their LCT [Landing Craft, Tank] in Southampton on or about 1 June 1944. "Rosie The Rivetter" can be seen as S-215845 (1). These Priests have been installed with the many fittings that made up the British "Long Immersion" wading kit specifically tailored to the M7. The removable panel (2) at the bottom of the wading trunk is not present. This was one of the last items installed to complete the waterproofing, since the opening permitted the engine exhaust to flow down and out right up until the last minute. The M7s are piled high with "gear" (3). According to an account by Sgt. Wesley Alkenbrack entitled "A First Deployment of the 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery", "On the rear decks over the motor compartments were lashed canvas-covered cases four feet high containing mortar bombs and land mines for the use of other arms. It is frighteningly obvious that our SPs were highly lethal bombs if we encountered enemy fire before we could rid ourselves of these impediments." The large chains (4) secured a "Porpoise Ammunition Sledge" to each M7. Sgt. Alkenbrack describes it..."Slung between our tracks and secured by clevises to the front corners of the chassis was a wide steel “stone boat” about sixteen inches high, containing .303 rifle ammunition for the use of the infantry. While this grotesque device gave no great difficulty as long as the vehicle was moving straight ahead, backing up could be difficult and a sharp turn of the vehicle was virtually impossible." We have circled retrofitted items that do not seem to have been part of the "Long Immersion" kit but are seen in a few photos of Canadian M7s in the UK before D-Day and on a few Commonwealth Priests in the ETO. We had noticed these in some period photos of M3 Grants in the China-Burma-India Theater as well as on a pair of surviving examples (inset). In our Grant piece, we speculated that these fittings were retrofitted to a small number of M3 Mediums and served as rear lifting rings, since, unlike the Sherman, the M3 was not built with hull lifting rings. We speculated further that the towing lugs on the differential housing would have been used as front lifting rings. Since the M7 was not built with lifting rings, we would guess that they might have served the same purpose. While the fittings are seen welded into the corners on the Grants, they are noted to be mounted on a forward angle and secured with bolts on the M7s.




Canadian Field Regiments were organized along the lines of the British War Establishment, and consisted of three Batteries, with each Battery composed of two Troops of four guns, for a total of 24 M7s. On D-Day, these were reportedly embarked by Troop (four guns) on 6 LCTs. The War Diary of the 14th FR mentions that their craft load serials were "1523 - [15]29, which consisted of 1 Regt HQ craft and six tp [troop] craft loads." The photo above shows M7 "C4", backing on to LCT 530 in preparation for the D-Day assault. Combining this with another photo in the series, we take the M7's War Department Number to have been S 230613 (inset). We have recorded 43 listings of M7s in a range running from S 230472 through S 230649, so encompassing about 177 units at present. This is the highest range of "S Numbers" we have observed on M7s. Note that "1525/LCT" is visible in the inset, and that "1525" can also be seen on the LCT's bridge. According to the very detailed Juno Beach Landing Table published on "D-Day: Etat Des Lieux", Serial 1525 was LCT MkIV 530 carrying a Troop of 48 men of the 14th Canadian Field Regiment manning four M7s, two Sherman OPs [Observation Posts], one Carrier OP and one M14 Halftrack. Additionally, Serial 1525 reportedly transported 4 men of Le Régiment de la Chaudière in a mortar carrier, 9 men of the Queens Own Rifles of Canada in three Carriers, 3 men of the Canadian Press Relations Service, and 2 men of the Royal Navy Command in an Amphibious Jeep. The chained item below the differential housing is the aforementioned "Porpoise Ammunition Sledge". Courtesy Library and Archives Canada: Negative No. 33587.




This photo shows "Evelyn-5!" loaded aboard an LCT at Southampton on 4 June 1944. The "1524/LCT" (1) seen chalked or painted on would indicate that this was a Priest of the 14th Field Regiment that was transported on LCT Load Serial 1524, which according to the Landing Tables was LCT Mk IV 885. The "F2" (2) signifies the second gun of F Troop, and the shaded quadrant it sits on indicates the 81st Field Battery (the third battery of the 14th FR). It can be noted that the left side "splash plate", Part No. US323A in the "Long Immersion" wading kit, was supported by stakes (3). The M7 can be seen carrying far more 105mm ammunition than normal, with rounds on the boat's deck as well, since it was planned that each M7 would fire "120 rpg" [rounds per gun] on the way in. Of interest is that the gun's recuperator housing is wound with hemp rope (4). This is frequently seen on Commonwealth Priests and was first done by the Brits in North Africa, because it was felt that the housing was vulnerable to shrapnel damage. "F2" is one of the few M7s in this series noted with a shallow pulpit. The Priest loaded on the LCT in the background can be seen with "1525/LCT" (5) which, from the previous caption, we take to mean that it is loaded aboard LCT 530. The Sherman tank just behind it has Unit Serial Number "44" (6) painted on the bow gunner's hood. This can also be seen on "C4" in the photo of the previous caption, and we take it to be the USN of the 14th Canadian Field Regiment. Courtesy of Canadian Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada / PA-191019.




The assaulting SP units had trained beforehand and actually did provide "naval support" on the way in. As mentioned, in the case of the Canadians, each of the 96 M7s was provided with an extra 120 rounds to fire from their LCTs. In a post war study, it was found that the fire from the landing craft was not as effective as had been hoped..."the main weight of shells fell slightly inland of the strongpoints." Per the 14th Canadian Field Regiment, "The concentration was NOT as tight as had been obtained in some training exercises due to the running sea." The M7s of the 14th FR began landing on Juno Beach in support of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Cdn Inf. Div. at 0930 hours near Bernières-sur-Mer. According to their War Diary, by 1130 hours, they had set up their first gun positions "scattered in fields on right of Bernieres sur Mer 200 yards off beach." Of the 24 M7s that landed, 3 were hit and burned out by "a supposed 88mm", 3 were stuck in a traffic jam trying to exit the beach and 18 were in action. Assigned to the same sector, the 19th Army Field Regiment (SP) reported the loss of three M7s which had not yet disembarked from their LCT when one received a direct mortar hit which set it on fire and "the fire spread to two more S.P.s and a carrier." This may have had to do with the cases of "mortar bombs and land mines" loaded on the rear decks according to Sgt. Alkenbrack. In the event, D-Day losses had actually been expected to be much higher. For the landings at Sword Beach, the organic Field Regiments of the British 3rd Infantry Division, the 7th, 33rd and 76th, were each equipped with 24 M7s. So, it would seem, a total of 168 M7s were deployed by the Commonwealth on 6th June. Some Sextons did take part in the assault on Gold Beach in support of the British 50th Infantry Division and the 86th, 90th and 147th Field Regiments (SP) were reported to have been equipped with 24 Sextons each. The photo above is credited to Lt. Frank L. Dubervill of the Canadian Army Film and Photo Unit and is dated 6 June 1944 with the header "First Beach Landings in Normandy." Lt. Dubervill appears to have taken this shot while aboard an LCT headed for shore on D-Day. There are two Priests in the front row with two Shermans behind them and possibly a smaller vehicle in between the Shermans. From the Landing Tables, it would seem that a typical load of an LCT carrying a Troop of a Canadian Field Regiment on D-Day consisted of 4 M7s, 2 Sherman OPs, 1 Carrier OP, an M14 Halftrack, and 5 or 6 more Carriers or Jeeps belonging to other units. Thus, we think that there are two other Priests out of shot on the tank deck directly behind the Shermans. Some reports mention that the SPs in the back row fired over the heads of the vehicles in front of them. Although there may be some smoke in the air, we suspect that the Priests had not yet begun firing when this photo was taken. On the other hand, the gunners appear to be busy doing...something. Courtesy of Canadian Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada / Photo 33772.




In "Reflections of an Artillery Officer", Captain Tony Turnbull of the 76th Highland Field Regiment, describes his experiences at Sword Beach on D-Day. He confirms that his unit was equipped with "American 105 mm mounted on Sherman tank chassis" and that, as with the Canadians, "Two of the guns were at the front of the craft on a well deck and two were at the rear of the well deck with two Sherman tanks between each pair." The 72 guns of the 7th, 33rd and 76th Field Regiments "started firing from their LCTs at 06.50 hours and continued for the next 35 minutes." H-Hour at Sword Beach was 0730 and the 76th was the first of the 3 Field Regiments to touch down at between 0835 and 0845 hours. The landings were made under fire, and Batteries 302 and 303 each lost 3 M7s while Battery 454 was able to deploy all eight of its guns intact. Capt. Turnbull relates, "We spent about five hours firing from the beach, which was becoming narrower as the tide came in, but we were the only guns that could support the British 6th Airborne Division at Pegasus Bridge at that time." We might mention here that the range of the M7 was about 7 miles and Pegasus Bridge was about 6 miles from Sword Beach. All of the beach exits could not be cleared immediately, so that supporting armor, etc. piled up in a few bottlenecks. Turnbull writes, "We did eventually leave the beach in the afternoon when sufficient paths had been cleared through the minefields." The Imperial War Museum photo above is one of the few that shows a British M7 on D-Day. The caption reads, "105 m.m. self-propelled guns in action by the side of a field. Location said to be Lion-sur-Mer." Based on the Unit Serial Number "43" seen on the fender of the vehicle in the photo's bottom right corner, the Priests were most likely of the 33rd Field Regiment. In addition, a close examination of the markings on the M7 shows "LCT 281." According to an official Landing Table, LCT serials 278 through 283 were assigned to transport the 33rd FR. In his book, "D-Day Gunners", author and Normandy tour guide Frank Baldwin has a stop on his tour just outside of Hermanville-sur-Mer, which he writes "is probably the location of a widely published photograph of 33rd Field Regiment Priest SP Guns on D-Day." If accurate, the photo would have been taken in the afternoon of 6 June after the unit had managed to squeeze through a beach exit. The "Long Immersion" manual advised the removal of the wading trunk and air intake sealants as soon as possible upon landing to avoid overheating which could lead to engine damage or fire. It is thought that the Field Regiments did not have time for this on D-Day. In this case, the kit's "canvas apron for howitzer aperture" has been unsealed so that the gun can elevate and traverse, but it has not been fully removed. Also evident is that the kit's left hand side panels or "splash plates" are still in place, but the front and rear plates appear to have been removed. Again, we see the rope wound around the gun's recuperator housing. Imperial War Museum Photo B5032.




We thought we would show some illustrations from the January 1944 "Long Immersion" Manual since all of the British/Canadian M7s that landed on D-Day would have been so modified in order to permit them to wade "to a depth of 6 feet." In general, Allied invasion planners in all theaters provided for some form of "De-Waterproofing" station that would be set up as soon as possible after landing. The stations would be manned by trained personnel who could supervise the removal of wading components from both tactical and armored vehicles. This was primarily to prevent the engines from being damaged by overheating. In addition, the fittings were "supposed to be" collected up and saved for later use. The files of the Royal Canadian Artillery HQ, attached to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division discuss the establishment of "transit areas" by H plus 5 hours. "In vehicle transit areas, phase "B" waterproofing will be removed (vehs can then run a maximum of 200 miles). Vehs will then be ordered to move to unit assembly areas." In their assembly areas, "Phase "A" waterproofing material will be removed as opportunity offers...Units will make every effort to salvage hardware." We can only assume that the removal of phase "B" waterproofing would have entailed anything that interfered with the free flow of air to and from the engine and anything that would interfere with the fighting capabilities of the vehicle. In any case, the four Canadian self-propelled Field Regiments were part of the assaulting waves at Juno and are reported to have conducted fire support missions right from the beach. They remained in continuous use for nearly 2 months and were likely not able to avail themselves of any "De-Waterproofing" services, except what their own crews could accomplish. Indeed, one crew report comments that the "de-waterproofing" process was just as arduous and time consuming as the waterproofing process. Period photos of Commonwealth Priests suggest that the kit's side panels or "splash plates" (1), were purposefully left on the vehicle and served as protection for the crew and the 105 mm rounds exposed in the fighting compartment. In many instances, these same plates are still seen on the M7s even after they were converted to Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carriers. In fact, in a description of the APC conversion, it is noted that "Prior to this modification armour side plate had been installed up to the height of the cupola to afford added protection to personnel from enemy fire." The illustration in the upper right shows that in lieu of a forward wading trunk, air intake (2) was ducted through an opening in the rear splash panel of the fighting compartment. The "air outlet grilles" (3) were blanked off by kit provided steel plates. Note that the illustration does not show the M7's raised "grille protecting covers" nor does the manual mention them. Item 4 was removable and is referred to as the "rear cover panel." Items 5 sealed in the air cleaners and can be seen with a round bulge to them. Note the shape of the top section of the wading trunk (6). For some reason, this is frequently seen in period photos to have been cut in half along the line in blue.




Here we have another IWM photo dated 6 June 1944. Like the previous image, this one is credited to "Sgt. Mapham." Sgt. James "Jimmy" Mapham served with the Number 5 Unit of the British Army's Film & Photographic Unit. He appears to have been one of the first still photographers to land on Sword Beach on D-Day, reportedly embedded with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars. Mapham took a photo of Tommies struggling ashore near Lion-sur-Mer on D-Day that the "American press" considered to be "the finest taken during the war." In "D-Day Gunners", there is another stop near Hermanville-sur-Mer that the author states is the location of the photo above. He identifies the Priest as one of "the guns of the 7th Field Regiment." It is thought that the aircraft in the photo would have been part of "Operation Mallard" the third and final Commonwealth airborne operation of D-Day. Around 2100 hours, [9 p.m.] the 6th Airlanding Brigade in 256 gliders overflew the landing beaches on the way to reinforce their brothers of the 6th Airborne Division fighting on the leftmost flank of the Allied beachhead. The "shallow pulpit" M7 is "still" installed with a wading trunk. The dark area seen at the bottom of the trunk suggests that the crew had taken off the removable panel to permit the engine exhaust to flow down and out. Note that the trunk is installed on an angle which is different from the vertical orientation seen in the few photos of Canadian M7s and shown in the "Long Immersion" Manual instructions. The side splash plates of the "Long Immersion" kit are still installed but the rear plate appears to have been removed. The history of the 33rd Field Regiment mentions that their Priests had been loaded "with that last minute hybrid the PORPOISE" but doesn't mention "canvas-covered cases four feet high containing mortar bombs and land mines" carried on the engine deck. In any case, there are two Porpoise sledges visible on the ground, so we might assume that some of the Priests managed to drag or otherwise transport them through a beach exit to this point. Their purpose appears to have been to provide ammunition resupply to the accompanying infantry, since a Royal Canadian Artillery file has it that each Porpoise would carry "15,000 rds .303 Bandolier." In the only effective counterattack on D-Day, elements of the 21st Panzer Division managed to penetrate the undefended seam between the British and Canadian sectors, and a few units made it all the way to the coast at Lion-sur-Mer. However, when the Division's commander saw the "Operation Mallard" aircraft fly over, he feared that their purpose was to cut off his forces from the rear and ordered a withdrawal back to the area north of the city of Caen. Thus, it seems, we have an example of unintended but successful Psychological Warfare. Imperial War Museum Photo B5046.




On D-Day, the planners had given the 3rd British Infantry Division the mission of securing the beachhead and then advancing to capture the city of Caen. While all of the Allied beaches were more or less secured by last light on 6 June, the 3rd ID was halted 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) short of Caen. In subsequent days and weeks, the Germans, who considered Caen to be the key to their defense, fiercely resisted the Allied attacks and committed most of their mobile divisions in the area. The photo above is dated 8 July 1944, and captioned, "Priest self propelled guns took part in the terrific artillery barrage which opened the attack on Caen. One is seen here dashing along the road to Caen after the attack had opened." Operation Charnwood was an offensive that took place on 8th and 9th July in which Anglo-Canadian forces were only able to capture that section of the devastated city north of the Orne River. The Germans still held fast to the southern half of Caen when the attack was suspended. We identify the M7 as with the 7th Field Regiment by the Unit Serial Number "42." The wading trunk can be seen to have been completely removed, although the support frames are still in place. Other photos from this series show M7s with the lowest section of the wading trunk still installed more than a month after D-Day. The half round fittings that sealed in the oil bath air cleaners are still present as well. It strikes us that leaving these on would make servicing the air cleaners difficult if not impossible. On the other hand, they might have provided a measure of shrapnel protection for the cleaners. The large right side splash plate from the "Long Immersion" kit is still installed, while the angled plate that sat on top has been removed as has the rear splash plate. This is the configuration most frequently seen on Commonwealth M7s in Normandy as well as the Kangaroo conversions. Given its ubiquity, we can't help but think that retention of the side splash panels was authorized. Imperial War Museum Photo B6655.


   

The screen captures above are from Canadian Army Newsreel, No. 35 and appear under the heading "Objective - Carpiquet." The newsreel is undated, but the scenes appear to have been shot on the 4th and 5th of July 1944 during "Operation Windsor" when elements of the 3rd Cdn Infantry Division and the 2nd Cdn Armoured Brigade were tasked with taking the town and airfield at Carpiquet. Like Caen, these were "only" 8 miles from the coast and had been D-Day objectives. The town of Carpiquet was cleared early on 4 July, but the operation failed to capture the airport. The newsreel features quite a bit of footage of artillery support provided by M7s, including a "ramped up" "S-215877" as seen on the left. The inset shows a "5" (circled) painted on the left-side half round wading fitting that sealed in the air cleaner. We suspect that this may be part of the "45" Unit Serial Number of the 19th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery. One of the disadvantages of the ammo protecting side plates, including leaving on the wading kit splash plates, was that they made it difficult to hand up rounds. In this case, the shells are being loaded from the rear. The screen capture on the right shows some of the same gunners handling rounds to be fired by S-215877. The man on the Priest can be seen with his right leg resting on a large crate. The crate looks to be secured to a metal rod framework, and to our eyes, what appears to be the M7 gun travel lock (1) can be seen attached to the top of the framework. This is not the only photo we have seen showing the travel lock stowed on the vehicle. For the first 6 weeks of the campaign, the M7s fired numerous missions but did not move very much, and when they did, it was for a short reposition to avoid counter-battery fire. "Technical Manual 9-731E 105-mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7" advised that when the traveling lock bracket was not in use, it could be disengaged by lifting it out from the floor of the crew compartment and stowing it." Thus, we suspect that some crews removed the bracket to get it out of the way. The "eye" fitting (circled) shows very clearly here. The strategically important Carpiquet Airport was finally taken on 9 July during Operation Charnwood.


Commonwealth M7 "Kangaroos"




The British and Canadian M7s had been in continuous service since D-Day, but as mentioned previously, their use was a temporary measure. During the first week of August, the 12th, 13th and 14th Field Regiments of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division reluctantly exchanged their Priests for towed 25 pounders. The Canadian 19th Field Regiment exchanged its M7s for Sextons on 24 August 1944. The British 33rd Field Regiment is reported to have exchanged its M7s for towed 25 pounders starting around 15 August. They also expressed regret at having to do so, and on top of that, their history mentions that their experienced Priest drivers were reassigned to other units that were desparately in need of qualified tank and SP gun drivers. We believe that the other Field Regiments of the 3rd British Infantry Division exchanged their M7s for towed 25 pounders at about the same time but can't document it at present. Because they were the earliest to be handed in, it would appear that most or all of the M7s of the 12th, 13th and 14th [Canadian] Field Regiments continued to serve in a new capacity as Armoured Personnel Carriers. For "Operation Totalize", Lt. General Guy Simonds, commander of the 2nd Canadian Corps ordered that "stripped Priests' chassis" be made available so "that infantry shall be carried in bullet and splinter-proof vehicles to their actual objectives.” To that end, an Advanced Workshop Detachment code-named "Kangaroo" was set up near Bayeux to convert 72 Priests to APCs. An entry in the War Diary of the Rear HQ, First Canadian Army describes the process. The pilot model was completed on Thursday 3rd August and sent to General Simonds for inspection and presumably met with his approval. Remarkably, by Sunday 6th August, 76 conversions had been completed. Each conversion required about 100-man hours. Of course, the gun was removed, but the trail was left in place. "Armour plate was then welded over the opening left when gun and mantlet were removed." The supply of armour plate was insufficient for all of the conversions so that some had "two sheets of mild steel (over 1/2" thick) ...welded into position about 1 1/2" to 2" apart and the intervening space was filled with sand." The seats and ammunition bins were removed but "The cupola with the .50 machine gun remained on the veh." "Operation Totalize" kicked off on the night of 7/8 August 1944, so this was a "hurry up" order. Even so, the project, which involved 250 men working 15 hours per day reportedly gave each vehicle "a complete overhaul" including transmission and brake service where needed. Sixteen engines required replacement and "Balance all had 100 hrs overhaul which involved removing engines." The photo above is dated 7 August 1944 and headlined "Preparing for the Attack South of Caen." The soldiers are identified in the caption as "1st Bn Black Watch, 51st Highland Division." In his fine article, "The ‘Priest’ Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carrier, in Canadian Service, 7 August to 30 September 1944", Mark W. Tonner provides an alternate identification of the unit based on the markings chalked on the Kangaroo's gun blank off. He notes that "HD" the formation sign for "Highland Division" "is barely visible beside the number ‘69’." He describes "69" as the Arm-of-Service serial used by the 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of the 154th Infantry Brigade within 51st Highland Division. Other sources have it that the AoS serial of the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch would have been "67." In any case, the 51st Highland Division was assigned to the 2nd Canadian Corps at the time. The 154th Infantry Brigade of the 51st HD and the 4th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division were chosen to lead the initial assault, and each brigade was provided with 36 Kangaroo APCs. Casualties in the "mounted" battalions were lighter than those suffered by units that went into the battle "marching", enough so that a new formation, the 1st Cdn. Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron, was formed at the end of August. The M7 based Kangaroo APC was capable of carrying up to 15 fully equipped soldiers. We count 12 men in the photo, not including the driver. A number of the Kangaroo drivers employed were veterans of the Canadian Field Regiments that had exchanged their Priests for towed 25 pounders. Note how the large left side splash plate from the "Long Immersion" kit is still in place. Imperial War Museum Photo B8806.




This photo is captioned "Infantry riding into battle in Priest Tanks, 4th [Cdn.] Infantry BDE (Brigade) - 2 Cdn. Div., France 7/8/44 [7 August 1944]." Kangaroos 1, 2 and 3 can be seen with what appears to be the front splash plate that was provided in the Long Immersion kit. Like the side and rear splash plates, this was designed for relatively easy removal so "that immediately on landing this plate can be discarded to allow normal forward vision." The front plate is not present on Kangaroo 4 nor on the two lead units of the previous photo. Thus, we might assume that it was not an element of the Kangaroo conversion process, despite the fact that it would have provided a bit of additional protection to the infantry riders. There is a bit of photographic evidence such as the example in the inset showing that some of the original M7 crews opted not to remove the front splash plate. Quite a few aerials are visible in the photo and a number of documents mention that about 60% of the APCs were installed with radios. A few universal carriers (5) can be seen, and it is noted that these and any available halftracks were used to supplement the carrying capacity of the Kangaroos. Note the turret counterweights of some M10 Tank Destroyers (6). The M10s may have been part of an anti-tank detail assigned to accompany the mounted infantry. Oddly, these units don't have the powerful .50 caliber machine gun mounted in the pulpit such as can be seen in the previous photo. At this time, the Priest Kangaroo had a crew of one, the driver. It was intended that one of the riders would man the machine gun. The first phase of Operation Totalize (the part that involved the Kangaroos) broke though the enemy defensive positions south of Caen. However, the armored units that followed up suffered great losses and were stopped by fierce German resistance 12 miles north of the operation's goal, Falaise, when the offensive was called off on 11 August. In the meantime, the US XV Corps was attacking north in anticipation of meeting the Canadians somewhere in the vicinity of Argentan. At that point, the German forces in Normandy would be completely encircled. Courtesy of Canadian Department of National Defence / National Archives of Canada / PA-129172.


   

Operation Tractable (14 to 21 August 1944) was basically the second attempt to close the infamous Argentan-Falaise gap. It resulted in a decisive but controversial victory that, by some estimates, entrapped 150,000 German soldiers inside the "Falaise Pocket." The "Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War, Vol. III", identifies the 8th and 9th Canadian Infantry Brigades of the 3rd Cdn Infantry Division as the formations "using the armoured carriers" during the operation. On 14 August, the mounted brigades "again showed themselves extremely valuable" as they took their objectives on the Laison River on schedule, thus clearing the way for the armored forces to pass through. The 4th Cdn. Armoured Division was one of the units that passed through, and one of its components was the 10th Cdn Infantry Brigade. On 16 August, one of the 10th's Battalions, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada reported that "B Company was loaded on Priest Tanks." It is thought that the Argylls along with elements of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment took over some of the Kangaroos of the 8th Cdn Infantry Brigade and in conjunction with the 4th Cdn. Armoured Brigade and the 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (South Alberta Regiment) were involved in a number of the final battles which brought an end to the Normandy Campaign. The SAR War Diary for 19 August comments, "The help of the attd [attached] SP troop and their .50 calibre Brownings was invaluable" [at the Falaise Pocket]. As mentioned, the Priest Kangaroo had its combat debut on the night of 7/8 August 1944. Before that, a press conference was held on the morning of 7 August where walk around photos of the "Armd Inf Carrier" were shown. The image on the left was one of the photos presented and is of interest since it provides a view of the engine deck unfettered with the usual crew stowage. This M7 can be seen with the "deep pulpit" so it most certainly would have been built with the "grille protecting covers" raised about a foot over the "fuel tank compartment ventilating grilles." The "Long Immersion" instructions don't mention removing the covers, but that appears to have been done at least on these two examples. We can only guess that when these units were de-waterproofed, the kit supplied steel plates that sealed the ventilating grilles were removed and reinstalled spaced about 2 inches or so above the grilles (1). Either that or this was done during the APC conversion process. A good deal of the wading trunk frame is still in place on "F3", and we can't help but think that leaving on the lower section (2) would have made it difficult to open the engine access doors. As noted previously, during the conversion process, 16 engines were reported to have been replaced with the rest having a "100 hrs overhaul which involved removing engines." Again, we see that the "cans" (3) that sealed in the air cleaners were left in place. "F3" can also be seen to be one of the examples where the front splash plate (4) was left installed. The image on the right is a screen capture from Canadian Army Newsreel, No. 39 under the heading "Falaise Falls to the 1st Canadian Army." This Kangaroo can be seen as "F4" with the same Unit Serial Number "42" as "F3" suggesting that both M7s had previously served with F Troop of the 12th Cdn Field Regiment. The red arrow points to the fitting that we theorize was a retrofitted hoisting eye. We think that these are also present on "F3."




We like to record War Department Numbers for the purpose of "counting heads," and the 19 August 1944 "Daily Balance Sheet" for E Sqn, 25 Cdn Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regt) notes the S-Numbers of 36 "Tp Carrying SP...Received from Battle Front." On the 21st, an additional 15 were received from the "3rd Div RCASC" [Royal Canadian Army Service Corps] along with one from the 8 Cdn Infantry Brigade RCASC. Finally, on the 22nd, 5 "Tp Carrying SP" were received from the 10th Cdn Infantry Brigade. Thus, we have a total of 57 M7 APC conversions turned in by units that had apparently used them during Operation Tractable. Keep in mind that 76 M7s were reported to have been converted to Kangaroos, but it is unclear at present what became of the remainder. On 21 August, the War Diary of HQ, 25 CADR mentions "a new attachment of personnel who will work as a taxi service for infantry following up the tanks in action." The Kangaroos had proven their worth and were rounded up so that an entirely new unit, the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron could be organized. It was formed officially on 28 August 1944. The War Establishment was for 100 APCs in four troops each with 25 carriers. Captain Stanley Corbeau, a D-Day veteran of the 2nd Cdn Armoured Brigade, was appointed Officer Commanding. At full strength the Kangaroo Squadron would include four troop officers and 100 drivers, along with a Light Aid Detachment of about 30 men, organized especially to service the Kangaroos. In his "Priests at El Alamein," Peter Brown provides a list of the War Department Numbers assigned to M7s according to the official "Chilwell Schedules"...






   

One would think that 30 September 1944 would have marked the end of Commonwealth use of the M7 in any form in Northwest Europe. However, there are a few photos showing M7 Kangaroos in service later on with elements of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division. On 29 August 1944, the Daily Balance Sheet for “E” Squadron, 25th Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment has it that "Tp Carrier SP" S214613 was issued to "10 Inf Bde." Recall from a document shown two captions earlier that the 10th had turned in 5 M7 Kangaroos on 22 August. Additionally, S230568, S215851, S215892, S215762 and S230602 were issued to "5 Armoured Bde" on the 29th. We think this might have been a typo, and the writer meant "4th Armoured Bde" since the 5th Canadian Armoured Brigade was in Italy at that time. The A & Q Branch, HQ, 4th Cdn Armd Div War Diary states that 5 "Priests" each were used by the 4th Cdn Armd Bde and the 10 Cdn Inf Bde during the final stages of the Falaise Pocket battle. The Kangaroos were used to bring supplies to the beleaguered Poles and to evacuate the wounded. On 21 August, Lt.Col. John Proctor opined that "In fluid fighting of this type Priests are vital to the maintenance of an Armd Bde." Thus, we believe that as they crossed the Seine in late August, the 4th Cdn Armoured Division may have specifically requested a few Priest Kangaroos even though they were not part of the Division's War Establishment. In any case, the photo on the left shows one of the APCs that was issued on 29 August, S214613, as it appeared two months later in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands, 29 October 1944. Note that the usual "S" WD Number prefix has been replaced by the "T" for "Tank" prefix for some reason. In this case the additional side panel does not appear to be the splash plate from the wading kit although it does seem to have been cut to the same pattern. On the right, we have a photo by Captain A.M Stirton taken on 4 April 1945, about a month before VE-Day. The caption simply reads, "Entry of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division into Delden." The actual location can be pinpointed in Google Street View as 68 Langestraat in Delden, The Netherlands. This APC appears to have been modified for maximum supply carrying capacity, and there looks to be a similar unit right behind it.

   
   





It is thought that the Kangaroos of the 4th Hussars were organized into two squadrons each with approximately 50 units, with C Squadron having Sherman based APCs and A Squadron having M7 based. A War Diary entry leads us to think that there may have been an additional "6 Priests" in the Regimental Headquarters. B Squadron reportedly provided an armoured protection detail consisting of 17 Sherman gun tanks. This Imperial War Museum photo is part of a series dated 13 April 1945. The caption reads "Carrier-borne infantry and tanks plough their way through vineyards and orchards in pursuit of the enemy near the village of Conselice...9th Lancers & 38 (I) Bde, 78th Div." The M7 APC can be seen as "S215643", and the name "ALE" is chalked(?) on the side. The Kangaroos of the 4th Hussars appear to have had tactical markings painted on. The triangle would indicate A Squadron, and we "interpolate" that the Roman numeral "III" inside the triangle denotes "Third Troop", with the "7" indicating that it was the seventh vehicle of the Third Troop. On a number of occasions, the 4th Hussars' War Diary refers to Troops 1 through 4 and no higher leading us to think that the Squadrons may have been composed of 4 Troops, each with about 12 APCs. We count 11 men in the photo, although a description of the conversion states that "it will be found possible to accommodate 15 infantrymen in battle order, with their rifles, in addition to the driver/W.T. operator." The description from Mediterranean Area AFV Technical Report 27 also states that "Collapsible sides fixed to the top of the existing side armour were thought to be necessary but if this arrangement was not readily available, the armour plate should be welded into the same position." We interpret "collapsible sides" to mean the hinged armor plates that could be folded down and were intended to add protection to the M7's partially exposed vertically stored rounds. In the photo, the added plate appears to be one of those provided in the US produced Modification Work Order kit, but the misalignment of the hinges suggests that it is welded into place, so not "collapsible." Based on the caption's date, we believe that the passengers shown here were with the 2nd Battalion, London Irish Rifles of the 38th (Irish) Brigade, 78th Infantry Division. For the final offensive in Italy, they formed part of the "Kangaroo Army" made up of over 100 AFVs, including gun tanks, flails, bridge layers, flamethrowers and bulldozers. "Each company, [of the 2/LIR] together with its allotment of eight Priest ‘Kangaroos’, lived and worked with its own squadron of the 9th Lancers. The ‘Kangaroos’ were stocked with reserve ammunition and forty-eight hours’ rations, thus making the force completely independent for a substantial period, if necessary." IWM NA 24043.




For the final offensive in Italy, A Squadron of the 14th/20th Hussars was converted to M7 Kangaroos at the beginning of April 1945 and was placed under command of the 43rd Gurkha Lorried Infantry Brigade, with its 2nd Battalion, 6th Gurkha Rifles receiving brief training with the APCs. One source has it that A Squadron was equipped with 40 Kangaroos, with the rest of the 14th/20th Hussars remaining armored and consisting of 28 Sherman gun tanks divided among B and C Squadrons and the Regimental HQ. This photo is dated 17 Apr 1945, and the caption reads, "In the town of Medicina, a Sherman dozer prepares the way for two New Zealand tanks [Priest Kangaroo APC] to pass, carrying military personnel." The reference to "New Zealand tanks" [plural] might be explained by the fact that the 43rd Gurkhas were attached to the 2 New Zealand Division at this time. Also, the caption writer might have mistaken what appears to be a knocked-out Panther in front of the Priest APC for another Kangaroo. In any case, the Gurkhas' history notes that "at least one tank (reported as a Mark V Tiger, it was probably an enhanced Mark IV)" was destroyed in the course of the action. The Battle of Medicina (16/17 April 1945) was a close quarter street fight in a small town. "Fighting from building to building, dismounted from their Kangaroos, the Gurkhas fought their way into the town, ably supported by the 14/20 KH tanks which could blow holes in walls with their 75mm guns to allow the infantry to get in." Allied troops reportedly suffered "slight" casualties of 7 men, but perhaps illustrating the intensity of the fighting, those casualties included "a GOR [Gurkha Other Rank] run over by a Kangaroo, and another killed in a Kangaroo that turned over." The photo is thought to have been taken after the battle as the Gurkhas cleared the town and continued their advance to the Po River. The M7 APC can be seen as S230524, which is on a list found by author Roderick De Normann that includes the WD Numbers of 40 M7 based Kangaroos issued to 14/20 Kings Hussars from 276 ADS [Armoured Delivery Squadron], Italy, 1 April 1945. We cite that because the Gurkha history has it that "their Kangaroos were converted Shermans", but as far as we can tell, A Squadron 14th/20th Hussars was only issued M7 Kangaroos. As mentioned earlier, a pair of handles and steps were retrofitted to the rear of the vehicle with the intention that the troops would "bus" and "debus" from the rear. However, in this case, there is quite a bit of gear secured to the engine deck. A pair of L brackets can be seen affixed to the middle and rear bogies which may have been added to provide assistance in bussing/debussing from the sides. The few available photos show that some of the Priest Kangaroos were equipped with extended end connectors to improve floatation as seen here and in the previous image. Photo DA-09220-F courtesy of the Alexander Turnbull Library.


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