Porpoise ammunition sledges
The Porpoise was a British-designed ammunition sledge that was
conceived in order for the assaulting tanks to carry extra ammunition
during the D-Day landings. The fear was that the
assaulting tanks ran out of ammunition before the supplies made it to
the landing beaches. The larger version of the sledge (No.2 Mk. I), designed to be used with Sherman tanks, could carry as
much ammunition for the main gun and machineguns as what was stowed in
the tank. The Porpoise sledge was designed to carry M7
Priest ammunitions too.
Some
original Porpoise Mk II parts have been found in rather good condition in
farms near the British landing beaches in Normandy. This discovery led to the
restoration of one No.2 Mk. I sledge in 2011-2012. It
is currently displayed in Ver-sur-Mer, near the Sexton self-propelled
gun.
The Porpoises were designed to fit exactly under a Sherman tank. They
were loaded in Landing Craft Tanks (LCTs) with a 15 ft. chain, and were
towed by the next tank onboard during the landings, using two towbars fitted with an explosive quick-release mechanism.
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