177-581: The M10 tank destroyer, formally known as 3-inch gun motor carriage M10 or M10 GMC , was an American tank destroyer of World War II . After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force , a suitable vehicle was needed to equip the new battalions. By November 1941, the Army requested a vehicle with a gun in a fully rotating turret after other interim models were criticized for being too poorly designed. The prototype of
354-456: A 3-inch anti-aircraft gun . Although a number were ordered and fifty delivered in 1942, they were not put into service as the immediate threat passed. The design was rejected in favor of developing a 17 pounder armed Cromwell tank variant, ultimately leading to the Comet tank . The Tortoise "heavy assault tank", intended for use in breaking through fixed defensive lines, was well armoured and had
531-577: A 90 mm gun. As Soviet designs became more heavily armoured, the 90 mm gun became ineffective and the Kanonenjagdpanzers were retrofitted for different roles or retired. Some provisions were made for the fitting of a 105 mm cannon, and many of the vehicles were modified to fire HOT or TOW missiles in place of a main gun. These upgraded variants remained in service into the 1990s. With the development of flexible anti-tank missiles , which were capable of installation on almost any vehicle in
708-405: A San Antonio man was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after threatening to commit a mass shooting at Fort Hood in retaliation for Guillén's killing. 14 commanders were subsequently fired or suspended with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy citing "leadership failures". An investigation by Fort Hood Independent Review Committee (FHIRC), a panel McCarthy established, found that there
885-508: A "C" suffix added on to the "M10" designation, called "17pdr M10" or "Achilles Ic". Most of the vehicles converted were the 3in SPM M10 Mk II, as the duck bill counterweight balanced the heavy gun better. The gun mantlet needed modification to accept the barrel. Although the 17-pounder was a similar bore to the 3-inch gun M7, it had a longer barrel and used a larger propellant charge giving far superior armor penetrating capabilities. Using
1062-563: A battle, having been immobilized by one or more hits by high explosive (HE) or armour-piercing (AP) shells to the track or front drive sprocket. The most famous Italian tank destroyer of the Second World War was a self-propelled gun. The Semovente da 75/18 , based on the M13/40 frame, was developed to support front-line infantry, and therefore had fixed armament: a 75 mm gun in casemate. However, thanks to its low height (185 cm) and
1239-433: A comparatively short-barreled high-velocity anti-tank gun, usually with a muzzle brake , enabling it to function as a tank destroyer. The Sturmgeschütz III from its 1938 origin used a new casemate-style superstructure with an integrated design, similar to the later Jagdpanzer vehicle designs' superstructure, to completely enclose the crew. It was employed in infantry support and offensive armoured operations as well as in
1416-484: A concentrated attack, the tank destroyer units were to be held as a reserve behind the battleline (at the corps or army level), and were to move quickly to the site of any massed enemy tank breakthrough. They would maneuver aggressively and using ambush tactics to destroy enemy tanks; charging or chasing enemy tanks was explicitly prohibited. This led to a requirement for very fast, well-armed vehicles. Though equipped with turrets (unlike most self-propelled anti-tank guns of
1593-564: A configuration for the new tank destroyer battalions . The Tank Destroyer board began to examine several hundred Ordnance Department prototype proposals for a tank destroyer mounting a 3-inch gun, initially focusing the most interest on two: Meanwhile, as the final design developments of these two tank destroyers were underway, the Ordnance Department became dissatisfied and in November 1941 issued an additional specification for
1770-545: A contract to sell the SA50 guns and ammunition. The M10s were repaired and entered service in 1955. After the 1956 war , It is believed that Israel may have captured several from Egypt that received the diesel engines of captured Egyptian Sherman tanks. They were withdrawn from service by 1966. The Egyptian Army had a small number of ex-British M10s, 3-inch and 17-pdr versions, and used them in 1948 against Israel. Israel captured some of them. The M10's open-topped turret left
1947-559: A few shots were expected to be fired from any firing position . Strong reconnaissance elements were provided so that TDs could use pre-arranged firing positions to best advantage. Flanking fire by TDs was emphasized, both to penetrate thinner enemy side armour, and to reduce the likelihood of accurate enemy return fire. All American tank destroyers were officially known by exactly the same collective term used for American self-propelled artillery ordnance, "gun motor carriage". The designs were intended to be very mobile and heavily armed. Most of
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#17328023490152124-588: A full 360 degrees. Total M10 losses in the European Theater of Operations to all causes were 539. Despite not adhering strictly to the tank destroyer doctrine, the M10 still achieved impressive scores against enemy tanks. A US Army study of 39 tank destroyer battalions found that each destroyed, on average, 34 tanks, 17 towed guns, and 16 pillboxes. The tank destroyer battalions in the Third Army claimed
2301-552: A gunman, who regarded himself as a mujahid waging "jihad" against the United States, opened fire in the Soldier Readiness Center of Fort Hood and killed 13 people while wounding 32 others. Nidal Malik Hasan , a U.S. Army Major and psychiatrist , was the gunman. He was shot and then arrested by Department of the Army police officers Sergeant Mark Todd and Sergeant Kimberly Munley. Eyewitnesses to
2478-646: A lightly armoured Laffly W15T artillery tractor. Other French tank destroyers were being developed, including the SOMUA SAu-40, ARL V39 and various ad hoc conversions of the Lorraine 37L . In the face of the Warsaw Pact, a general need for extra firepower was identified. In the late 1960s, West Germany developed the Kanonenjagdpanzer , essentially a modernized World War II Jagdpanzer mounting
2655-410: A longer barrel than could be mounted in a turreted tank on the same chassis. The lack of a turret increased the vehicle's internal volume, allowing for increased ammunition stowage and crew comfort. Eliminating the turret let the vehicle carry thicker armour, and also let this armour be concentrated in the hull. Sometimes there was no armoured roof (only a weather cover) to keep the overall weight down to
2832-823: A major focus. The 1st Cavalry became the first division to field the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Humvee , the Multiple Launch Rocket System and Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) tactical communications. In August 1990, the post was alerted for deployments to Southwest Asia as part of the joint forces participating in Operation Desert Shield . The deployment to Saudi Arabia began in September, extending into mid-October. On 21 May 1991, with
3009-399: A much slower process than simply rotating a powered turret. If the vehicle became immobilized due to engine failure or track damage, it could not rotate its gun to counter opposing tanks, making it highly vulnerable to counterfire. This vulnerability was later exploited by opposing tank forces. Even the largest and most powerful of German tank destroyers were found abandoned on the field after
3186-477: A new commissary at Warrior Way have been completed. Many other improvements were made to improve the Power Projection Mission of the post such as improvements to the railhead and the runway at Gray Army Airfield. Training ranges have been upgraded. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Army's modernization was in full swing. Some of these new advances in technology and war fighting included
3363-501: A result of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) reductions, the 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) , then located at Fort Polk Louisiana, was reflagged as the 2nd Armored Division in late 1992. By mid-1993, the division at Fort Hood had completed changes of unit names to those associated with the 5th Division, and began participation in the early stages of the Army's Experimental Force, Force XXI . In 1995,
3540-449: A set of wedge-shaped counterweights weighing 3,700 pounds total was designed by Fisher. The wedge-shaped weights began to be added to new vehicles at Fisher on 25 January 1943. By late December 1942, a second lock was added to the turret and a stirrup-shaped gun cradle was added to the rear deck to secure the gun for travel. Since the track grousers could not be stored on the rear of the turret anymore, grouser racks that could be attached to
3717-716: A single M10 was tested with an Oilgear hydraulic traversing motor that could traverse the turret even without the counterweights, but this modification was not pursued as the production contracts were reaching their end. Production of 4,993 M10s by the Fisher Body division of General Motors at the Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc , Michigan ran from September 1942 through December 1943. Ford Motor Company built 1,038 M10A1s from October 1942 until September 1943. From September to November 1943, Fisher built
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#17328023490153894-721: A somewhat extemporized nature. Mounting the gun on the Valentine tank chassis in a fixed superstructure gave the Archer , looking somewhat like the light-chassis German Marder III in appearance. The 17 pounder was also used to re-equip the US-supplied M10 tank destroyer , replacing the American 3-inch gun to produce the 17pdr SP Achilles . In 1942 the General Staff agreed on investigating self-propelled mountings of
4071-460: A sub-caliber tungsten carbide penetrator encased within a steel jacket and aluminum body and ballistic "windshield". By March 1945, about 18,000 rounds of this special ammunition had been delivered to the European Theater, 58 percent of which were 3-inch projectiles. The M42A1 high explosive shell was used for indirect artillery fire or against fortifications and soft targets like infantry in trenches or antitank guns. The M88 hexachloroethane smoke shell
4248-428: A tank destroyer was used against enemy tanks from a defensive position such as by ambush, the lack of a rotating turret was not particularly critical, while the lower silhouette was highly desirable. The turretless design allowed accommodation of a more powerful gun, typically a dedicated anti-tank gun (in lieu of a regular tank's general-purpose main gun that fired both anti-tank and high explosive ammunition) that had
4425-573: A tank destroyer with a 3-inch gun in a rotating turret. Design work began immediately. The 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35 combined an early-production M4A2 medium tank hull with the 3-inch gun M7 (also derived from the M1918 gun) from the M6 Heavy Tank in a cast, circular, open-topped turret. Using lessons learned from combat reports from the Philippines , the armor on the sides and rear of
4602-548: A three-sided gun shield for crew protection. For instance, 202 obsolete Panzer I light tanks were modified by removing the turret and were rebuilt as the Panzerjäger I self-propelled 4.7 cm PaK(t) . Similarly, Panzer II tanks were used on the eastern front. Captured Soviet 76.2 mm anti-tank guns were mounted on modified Panzer II chassis, producing the Marder II self-propelled anti-tank gun. The most common mounting
4779-635: A very powerful 32-pounder (94 mm) gun, but did not reach service use. By 1944, a number of the Shermans in British use were being converted to Sherman Fireflies by adding the QF 17 pounder gun. Initially this gave each troop (platoon) of Shermans one powerfully armed tank. By war's end—through the production of more Fireflies and the replacement of Shermans by British tanks—about 50% of Shermans in British service were Fireflies. The Sherman Firefly, however,
4956-558: Is a type of armoured fighting vehicle , predominantly intended for anti-tank duties. They are typically armed with a direct fire artillery gun , also known as a self-propelled anti-tank gun , or missile launcher , also called an anti-tank missile carrier . The vehicles are designed specifically to engage and destroy enemy tanks , often with limited operational capacities. While tanks are designed for front-line combat, combining operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities and performing all primary tasks of
5133-620: Is available for export). The PTL02 is built on the 6×6 wheeled chassis of the WZ551 APC. Italy and Spain use the Italian-built B1 Centauro , a wheeled tank destroyer with a 105 mm cannon. Russia, meanwhile, uses the Russian-built 2S25 Sprut-SD , operating as an amphibious light tank/tank destroyer armed with a 125 millimeters (4.9 in) cannon. The Sabrah Pandur II is a wheeled tank destroyer variant of
5310-723: Is displayed at the National Military Museum in Bucharest . Another conversion was the VDC R-35 , Romania's only turreted tank destroyer. Two other proposed tank destroyers existed: the TACAM R-1 and TACAM T-38 . Variants of the Polish TKS and TK-3 tankettes up-armed with 20 mm gun (23–26 vehicles) were operationally deployed in the invasion of Poland . They were used as an anti-tank component of
5487-574: Is not considered a tank destroyer since it could still perform the other duties of the regular M4 Sherman , albeit the Firefly was less capable due to the late development of a HE round for the QF 17 pounder. Until 1942, the Romanian tank force was equipped exclusively with obsolete R-1 , R-2 and R35 tanks. Having faced big problems against Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks on the Eastern Front,
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5664-724: The Place de L'Etoile , at 1,800 m. French M10s also saw action on the French-German border around Strasbourg and in southern Germany; the Free French First Army led by General De Lattre received some when they were a part of the Sixth United States Army Group . French M10s were operated along similar lines as US tank destroyer units, although initially with five vehicles per platoon instead of four. Approximately 52 M10s were supplied to
5841-516: The 1968 Democratic National Convention , were court martialed and jailed by the US Army. Many of the soldiers were decorated and wounded veterans who had completed tours of duty in Vietnam. In October 1969, Killeen Base was designated as West Fort Hood and the airfield's name was designated as Robert Gray Army Airfield. The base was named after a Killeen native who was a pilot of a B-25 bomber on
6018-504: The 2S25 Sprut-SD , armed with a current-issue 125 mm tank gun that is also capable of launching missiles like the 9M119 Svir , and Israeli-modified Pandur IIs , which is to enter service with the Philippine Army by 2022 armed with an Elbit Turret and a 105 mm gun. Many forces' infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) carry anti-tank missiles in every infantry platoon, and attack helicopters have also added anti-tank capability to
6195-678: The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion destroyed 30 German tanks, although 20 M3s and 7 M10s were lost. The M10 did not see much anti-tank action for the rest of the North African campaign, and instead was used as mobile fire support. During tank fighting in the Normandy campaign , the M10's 3-inch gun was proven to be ineffective against the thick frontal armor of the German Panther medium tank. On 6 July 1944, Eisenhower's headquarters requested that all M10 battalions be converted to
6372-566: The 76 mm gun motor carriage M18 (Hellcat) , based on a unique hull and powertrain design, with a slight visual resemblance to what was used for the later M24 Chaffee light tank. The M18 came closest to the US ideal; the vehicle was very fast, small, and mounted a 76 mm gun in a roofless open turret. The M36 Jackson GMC possessed the only American-origin operational gun that could rival the German 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun and its tank mounted variant,
6549-473: The 90 mm M3 gun , and the M36 remained in service well after World War II. The only dedicated American casemate hull design fighting vehicle of any type built during the war, that resembled the German and Soviet tank destroyers in hull and general gun mounting design, was the experimental T28 super-heavy tank , which mounted a 105 mm T5E1 long-barrel cannon. This gun had a maximum firing range of 12 miles (20 km), and
6726-641: The American Civil War , part of a series of new training camps named for notable regional military leaders together with Camps Carson , Campbell and Atterbury . The original facilities provided housing and training sites for nearly 38,000 troops. In January 1943, an additional 16,000 acres (65 km ) in Bell County and 34,943 acres (141.41 km ) in Coryell County near Gatesville, Texas were purchased. The site near Gatesville
6903-943: The BRDM reconnaissance car, the British FV438 Swingfire and FV102 Striker and the German Raketenjagdpanzer series built on the chassis of the HS 30 and Marder IFV. India fielded NAMIS (Nag Missile System) equipped with Nag Missiles . A US Army combined arms battalion has two infantry companies with TOW missile-armed Bradley IFVs and can bring a large concentration of accurate and lethal fire to bear on an attacking enemy unit that uses AFVs. They can be complemented by mobile units of AH-64 Apache helicopters armed with Hellfire antitank missiles. Missile carrying vehicles are often referred to as anti-tank missile carriers instead of tank destroyers. Despite
7080-536: The Deacon (6pdr on an armoured wheeled truck chassis) and Archer (17pdr on tracked chassis) and US-supplied vehicles, were their preserve rather than the Royal Armoured Corps . The self-propelled guns that were built in the "tank destroyer" mould came about through the desire to field the QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun and simultaneous lack of suitable standard tanks to carry it. As a result, they were of
7257-636: The Pacific war , due to the lack of serious Japanese tank opposition, US Army M10s were not used as tank destroyers, but as mobile artillery and infantry support. The M10 proved unpopular in the Pacific due to its open turret, which left it vulnerable to Japanese close-assault antitank tactics. The United States supplied 1,648 M10s to the British Army via the Lend-Lease program. The British gave them
M10 tank destroyer - Misplaced Pages Continue
7434-645: The Philippines Campaign in the last year of World War II . Remaining units were deployed to Okinawa in ones and twos for island defense during the Battle of Okinawa , but were severely outnumbered by American artillery. As with the Germans of 1943, most of the Soviet designs mounted anti-tank guns, with limited traverse in casemate-style turretless hulls, in a general design format looking much like
7611-571: The Royal Artillery . Typically, two batteries had M10s while the other two batteries had the towed 17-pounder gun. One tactical theory was that the two towed batteries would form a gun line, while an M10 battery remained mobile on each flank to drive or lead enemy tanks to the static gun line. In practice, UK batteries were frequently separated in Normandy, M10s being seconded to British tank brigades equipped with Churchill tanks armed with
7788-572: The Sabrah light tank developed by the Elbit Systems of Israel for the Philippine Army 's future combat systems. Fort Hood Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas . The post is named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos , a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Formerly named Fort Hood for Confederate General John Bell Hood ,
7965-579: The Soviet Union through Lend-Lease. They were used to form two self-propelled artillery regiments (SPA). The first was the 1223rd Self-propelled Artillery Regiment of the 29th Tank Corps , part of the 5th Guards Tank Army . This unit served on the 3rd Belorussian Front in 1944, taking part in summer campaigns in Belorussia, the Baltic, and East Prussia. The 1239th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment
8142-618: The Soviet Union . Post-war, the M10 was given as military surplus to several countries, such as Belgium , Denmark , and the Netherlands , through the Mutual Defense Assistance Act or acquired through other means by countries like Israel and the Republic of China . The M10 is often referred to by the nickname "Wolverine", an unofficial name that sometimes appeared in wartime Chrysler advertising, but that
8319-705: The StuG III G , against which it competed. Those facts suggest that the Mareșal would have been an effective tank destroyer, had it been deployed into combat. There were, however, also critics of the vehicle, especially among high-ranking Romanian officials. It never saw action because the invading Soviet army had stopped its production. Other Romanian tank destroyers include the TACAM R-2 and TACAM T-60 , which were converted from R-2 and T-60 light tanks respectively. Both of them saw action. One TACAM R-2 survives today and
8496-624: The general purpose 75 mm gun just as were British 17 pounder conversions. The Free French received at least 227 M10s, 155 of them through Lend-Lease. They served first in Italy, then in France and Germany. During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, a single M10 of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division named "Siroco" disabled a Panther in the Place de la Concorde from under the Arc de Triomphe on
8673-411: The gun turret with a Type 90 75 mm field gun mounted in an open casemate with frontal and side armour only. They entered service in 1942 and were first deployed in combat at the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines in 1945. Some were used in static entrenched positions. A variant, known as the Type 1 Ho-Ni II mounted a Type 91 105 mm howitzer and had a slightly changed superstructure as far as
8850-435: The murder of George Floyd . Fort Hood was one such base at the center of the controversy. 39 soldiers stationed at the base died or went missing in 2020. The murder of Vanessa Guillén at Fort Hood in April 2020 brought national attention to the base and the broader culture of sexual harassment in the military . Hundreds of people protested at the gates of Fort Hood in June demanding justice for Guillén. In August,
9027-413: The 105/25 was used by German forces. A further development was the Semovente da 75/46 , which had a longer gun than the 75/18 and inclined armour 100 mm thick, making it similar to Sturmgeschütz III . Only 11 of these were manufactured. Before the Semovente da 75/18, the L40 , built on an L6/40 light tank chassis, saw action in Africa and in Russia, but with disappointing results. The Type 1 Ho-Ni I
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#17328023490159204-521: The 1960s, the concept of the tank destroyer has morphed into light vehicles with missiles. With the weight of main battle tanks growing to the forty to seventy-tonne range, airborne forces were unable to deploy reasonable anti-tank forces. The result was a number of attempts to make a light vehicle, including the conventional ASU-85 , M56 Scorpion , the recoilless rifle-armed Ontos , and missile-armed Humber Hornet armoured truck and Sheridan light assault vehicle. The recent entries into that category are
9381-504: The 20th was soon inactivated, leaving less than 5,000 at the post. The 2nd Armored would remain at the post until its inactivation at the end of the Cold War. Camp Hood was retained postwar as an armored training center and on 15 April 1950 was officially renamed Fort Hood as a result of its permanent status. In mid-1954, III Corps moved from California to the post. The Corps supervised the training of combat units at Fort Hood and other Fourth Army stations from 1954 to 1959 when III Corps
9558-445: The 2nd Armored Division was reflagged as the U.S. 4th Infantry Division . Twenty-five years after making its home in Colorado, the 4th Infantry Division was again restationed to meet the Army's requirements but this move would be quite different from others. It became a split-based organization with six brigades and three separate battalions stationed at the post and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team remaining at Fort Carson . By December 1995,
9735-484: The 3-inch Gun M7 could fire five types of ammunition: The M79 AP shot could penetrate 92 mm of homogeneous armor angled at 30 degrees from the vertical at 1,000 yards. The M62 APCBC/HE-T shell was capable of penetrating 88 mm of homogeneous armor under the same conditions The T4 (later M93) HVAP shot was rare and was used in small numbers beginning in September 1944. It could penetrate 135 mm of homogeneous armor at 30 degrees and 1,000 yards. This shot featured
9912-400: The 3-inch gun M7 in the M5 mount. The gunner stood or sat on the left side of the gun, and aimed it using the M51 or M70G telescope. An M12A4 panoramic telescope was also provided on the right side of the turret for indirect fire use. The M10 carried 54 rounds of 3-inch ammunition, 48 of which were stowed in four racks in the sponsons, and 6 rounds in the upper rear of the turret. For combat use,
10089-510: The 3-inch gun M7 was too heavy, to the point where it prevented traverse of the turret on a slope of more than four degrees. As an attempt to improve the figure to fifteen degrees, the Army ordered that the track grousers and antiaircraft machine gun be stored on the rear of the turret. This did not solve the balance problem, and on 21 December 1942, triangular "quick fix" turret counterweights made of lead, mild steel, or cast iron were authorized. The mild steel parts weighed 2,400 pounds. Meanwhile,
10266-402: The 37 mm gun was ineffective against most enemy tanks by the time it entered service. By far the most common US design, and the first that was fully tracked and turreted (which became the American hallmark of World War II "tank destroyer" design) was the 3-inch gun motor carriage M10 , later supplemented by the 90 mm gun motor carriage M36 —both based on the M4 Sherman hull and powertrain—and
10443-563: The 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry was designated as the 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry; 1st Battalion, 67th Armor to 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry , and 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery to 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery . On 16 December 1992, 1st Cavalry Division units designated to accomplish realignments for historical purposes and included the 1st Battalion, 32nd Armor reflagged as 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry; 3rd Battalion, 32nd Armor to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry; and Battery A, 333rd Field Artillery to Battery B, 26th Field Artillery . During
10620-460: The 4th Armored Division. From 23 December 1972, to 19 January 1973, elements of the 13th Support Brigade deployed to the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake to assist in disaster relief serving at Camp Christine, Managua, Nicaragua. Since the early 1970s, the post has played a major role in the training, testing, and introduction of new equipment, tactics, and organizations. The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command's Test and Experimentation Command (now
10797-412: The 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) assumed responsibility as the Army's Experimental Force (Force XXI), and on 15 December 1995, its colors were unfurled for the first time over central Texas and the post. Since the 1990s, post units have supported Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia and Herzegovina . In October 1998, The 1st Cavalry Division was the first United States division to assume authority of
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#173280234901510974-403: The 57 mm Ordnance QF 6 pounder when that became available. There was extra impetus given to the development of anti-tank weaponry, which culminated in the 76mm Ordnance QF 17 pounder , widely considered one of the best anti-tank guns of the war. Towed anti-tank guns were the domain of the Royal Artillery and vehicles adapted to mount artillery, including anti-tank self-propelled guns such as
11151-402: The 6-pounder, 17-pounder, 3-inch 20cwt guns and the 25-pounder field gun/howitzer on the Matilda II , Valentine , Crusader and Cavalier (Cruiser Mark VII) tank chassis. In October 1942 it was decided to progress using the Valentine chassis with a 17-pdr (which would become Archer) and 25-pdr (which entered service as Bishop ). While there was a general move to a general purpose gun that
11328-454: The 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. Fort Cavazos also includes Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and the Medical And Dental Activities as tenant units. As of October 2015 , Killeen, Texas , started a land-use study to "identify and mitigate compatibility and encroachment issues that may impact training, operations". In 2020, a debate around renaming US military bases named after Confederate generals emerged during protests sparked from
11505-423: The APDS round, the gun performance was increased by about 50%. The 17pdr SP was used by the British, Canadian and Polish armies in Italy and northwest Europe. As well as service with British forces in Northwest Europe, they were retained post-war. Those not upgunned were stripped of their turrets and used as artillery tractors. In British service, as self-propelled anti-tank guns, the M10 was operated by regiments of
11682-529: The Air Force and Navy for Special Agents will be instituted. FORSCOM now requires the selection of investigating officers from outside an installation's brigade-sized element, which is processing a complaint. More than 100 night vision goggles (NVGs) from an arms room were gradually stolen from March until May 2021. Several dozen were subsequently offered for sale on the internet from a reseller in Corpus Christi, Texas as of 9 July 2021; some devices had already been sold and shipped. CID and Homeland security believe
11859-619: The Caribbean Basin, Central America and Southwest Asia, in support of Operations Vigilant Warrior and Sea Signal V, as well as other contingency operations. 13th Corps Support Command Commander Brig. Gen. Billy K. Solomon deployed along with a portion of the headquarters in December 1992 to Mogadishu to serve as the nucleus of Joint Task Force Support Command . Their major units included the 593rd Support Group ( Fort Lewis ), 36th Engineer Group ( Fort Benning ), 7th Transportation Group ( Fort Eustis ), and 62d Medical Group (Fort Lewis). The command headquarters returned to Fort Hood in May 1993. As
12036-423: The European Theater fired approximately 11 high-explosive (HE) rounds for every round of armor-piercing (AP) ammunition, an indication of their use in general support duties in addition to the intended mission of anti-tank defense. Background: British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II , Tanks in the British Army Tank destroyer A tank destroyer , tank hunter or tank killer
12213-419: The FHIRC report. The majority of CID investigators are then detailed to protective services for senior Pentagon officials, thereby moving straight to middle management CID positions without the requisite experience in criminal investigation. After Private Carlton L. Chee was the 28th death of 2020 in September, Congress launched an investigation of Fort Hood, citing the deaths and other felonies that occurred on
12390-429: The Germans' own Jagdpanzer vehicles. The results were smaller, lighter, and simpler to build weapons that could carry larger guns than any contemporary tank, including the King Tiger. The Soviets produced high numbers of the 85 mm SU-85 and 100 mm SU-100 self-propelled guns based on the same chassis as the T-34 medium tank; the heavier-duty powertrain and hull of the IS-2 heavy tank were instead used to produce
12567-456: The Ho-Ni series were 111 units. Most of the Ho-Ni units were retained within the Japanese home islands to form part of the defenses against the projected American invasion , and did not see combat before the surrender of Japan . The Type 2 Ho-I Gun tank used the Type 1 Chi-He medium tank chassis. It was designed as a self-propelled howitzer , mounting a short barreled Type 99 75 mm gun to provide close-in fire support. For deployment,
12744-594: The Homeland Defense effort. Many Fort Hood units were deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom , and to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom . In December 2003, the 4th Infantry Division captured Saddam Hussein . In the spring of 2004, the 1st Cavalry Division followed the 4th Infantry Division deploying to Iraq. Task Force ODIN was created at the post. In September 2005, 13th COSCOM and key enablers were called to support Joint Task Force Katrina / Rita hurricane relief and went on to serve as
12921-560: The ISU-152. The ISU-152 built as a heavy assault gun, relied on the weight of the shell fired from its M-1937/43 howitzer to defeat tanks. In 1943, the Soviets also shifted all production of light tanks like the T-70 to much simpler and better-armed SU-76 self-propelled guns, which used the same drive train. The SU-76 was originally designed as an anti-tank vehicle, but was soon relegated to
13098-619: The Idea to up-gun the M10 with the modern SA50 gun which was considered an improvement. The first batch arrived in 1951, being in very bad shape. Some years later, as the M10's guns were worn out, Israel decided to install QF 17-pounder These were called the M50 Achillies. Israel requested the assistance of France to develop the new tank in 1953. After building the prototype, France taught Israel how to do it themselves and provided their technical knowledge related to this development along with
13275-686: The M10 by the end of the war. The plans to retain any towed battalions at all were canceled after their generally poor performance and high losses in 1944, especially during the Battle of the Bulge . In the Italian campaign, as in northern Europe, the M10s were normally attached to infantry or armored units as infantry support or mobile artillery, more so the latter because of the general lack of German armor in that theater. Many US divisional commanders asked for their M10s to be replaced with fully armored tanks. In
13452-577: The M10 was conceived in early 1942 and delivered in April that year. After appropriate changes to the hull and turret were made, the modified version was selected for production in June 1942 as the "3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10". It mounted the 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun M7 in a rotating turret on a modified M4 Sherman tank chassis. It was built in two variants. The M10 GMC used the M4A2 Sherman chassis and
13629-601: The M10. Even though it produced only slightly less torque, the M10A1's engine was far lighter, and used a common fuel like the rest of the Army's vehicles (gasoline). By the time the test results were released in February 1944, the Army was committed to using the M10 overseas. As a result, the M10A1 was kept in the United States for training. The M10 and M10A1 had a crew of five; commander, gunner, loader, driver, and assistant driver. The driver and assistant driver (who also operated
13806-504: The M10A1 used the M4A3 chassis. Production of the two models ran from September 1942 to December 1943 and October 1942 to November 1943, respectively. The M10 was numerically the most important U.S. tank destroyer of World War II. It combined thin but sloped armor with the M4's reliable drivetrain and a reasonably potent anti-tank gun mounted in an open-topped turret. Despite its obsolescence in
13983-474: The M4A3 medium tank chassis, was also authorized for production. American tank destroyer doctrine emphasized speed and gun power over armor. As a result, the M10's armor was thin, which made it vulnerable to most German anti-tank weapons. The thickness of the M10's armor ranged from 3 ⁄ 8 to 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in (10 to 57 mm). The lower hull, being modified from that of a standard M4A2 or M4A3 Sherman tank, had 1-inch-thick (25 mm) armor on
14160-691: The Multinational Division (North) area of operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The mission was to conduct operations to enforce the military provisions set forth by the Dayton Peace Accords. In 1998, the Ironhorse Division was designated to be the Army's first Multi-Component unit. The main objective being to enhance Total Force integration, optimize the unique capabilities of each component, and improve
14337-528: The Romanian Army leadership sought for ways to improve its anti-tank capabilities. The initial plan was the creation of a tank comparable in characteristics to the T-34 ; instead, Romania went for a number of tank destroyers, since they were more adequate for its industry. The Mareșal is probably the best known Romanian AFV from the war; historians Steven Zaloga and Mark Axworthy state that it inspired
14514-482: The Second World War as combatants developed effective armoured vehicles and tactics. Some were little more than stopgap solutions, mounting an anti-tank gun on a tracked vehicle to give mobility, while others were more sophisticated designs. An example of the development of tank destroyer technology throughout the war are the Marder III and Jagdpanzer 38 vehicle, that were very different in spite of being based on
14691-615: The U.S. Army Operational Test Command), located at West Fort Hood has been a primary player. Fort Hood fielded the M1 Abrams tank, M2/3 Bradley Infantry/Cavalry Fighting Vehicle , the Multiple Launch rocket System (MLRS), and the AH-64 Apache helicopter. In January 1975, the 1st Cavalry Division was reorganized, as the Army's newest armored division. Since fielding the M-1 Abrams in 1980, force modernization has continued as
14868-544: The United States ended its role in the conflict, thousands of returning soldiers completed their active duty with one of the divisions. During this time, the post was modernized. On 13 September 1965, Darnall Hospital opened. In 1970, construction began on Palmer Theater and Venable Village was dedicated. Modern barracks were springing up around post. The wood buildings of the post were replaced with brick structures. In August 1968, forty-three African American GIs , who objected to being sent to Chicago for riot-control duty during
15045-447: The actual events said: "...Major Hasan wheeled on Sergeant Munley as she rounded the corner of a building and shot her, putting her on the ground. Then Major Hasan turned his back on her and started putting another magazine into his semiautomatic pistol. It was at that moment that Senior Sgt. Mark Todd, a veteran police officer, rounded another corner of the building, found Major Hasan fumbling with his weapon and shot him." In 2013, Hasan
15222-509: The advance of friendly units, and setting up an antitank defense once the objective was secured. The combat debut of the M10 came on 23 March 1943, during the Battle of El Guettar , in the Tunisian campaign part of the larger North African campaign . The M10 was initially successful as its M7 3-inch gun could destroy most German tanks then in service. During the battle, M10s of the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion and M3 Gun Motor Carriages of
15399-407: The advantage of a reduced silhouette, allowing the crew to more frequently fire from defilade ambush positions. Such designs were also easier and faster to manufacture and offered good crew protection from artillery fire and shell splinters. However, the lack of a rotating turret limited the gun's traverse to a few degrees. This meant that the driver normally had to turn the entire tank onto its target,
15576-448: The appliqué armor bosses on the hull were added to vehicles beginning in early April 1943. The M10 initially lacked any provision for indirect fire. In May 1943, an azimuth indicator and gunner's quadrant were added to the M10. The grouser racks and indirect fire equipment were often retrofitted to earlier vehicles. By late June 1943, it was realized that Fisher's initial counterweights were too heavy. Two newly designed counterweights reduced
15753-515: The armoured troops, the tank destroyer is specifically designed to take on enemy tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles. Many are based on a tracked tank chassis , while others are wheeled. Since World War II , gun-armed powerful tank destroyers have fallen out of favor as armies have favored multirole main battle tanks . However, lightly armoured anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) carriers are commonly used for supplementary long-range anti-tank work. The resurgence of expeditionary warfare in
15930-832: The body of Lawrence George Sprader, Jr was found at about 8:30 p.m. in a brushy area located within the Central Texas Army post's training ground. He had gone missing for days while conducting an exercise for testing basic map-reading and navigation skills. A massive search had been conducted, with over 3,000 parties scouring the countryside. According to autopsy records, he had died from hyperthermia and dehydration. According to an Army investigatory report, there were "a multitude of procedural violations, judgment errors and alleged acts of misconduct by Army trainers that not only contributed to Sprader's death but put some 300 other soldiers in danger that day, including about two dozen who required medical attention." On 5 November 2009
16107-508: The breakthrough to rush into the enemy's vulnerable rear areas. U.S. tanks were expected to fight any hostile tanks they encountered in their attack, but the mission of destroying massed enemy armored thrusts was assigned to a new branch, the Tank Destroyer Force developed in 1941. Tank destroyer units were meant to counter German blitzkrieg tactics. Rather than rely on a "thin cordon" of anti-tank guns which would be defeated by
16284-419: The brigade, and the 91st Engineer Battalion was activated to complete the brigade. In November 1992, the unit designations for the battalions remaining from the former "Tiger" Brigade of the 2nd Armored Division were returned prior to the activation of the division at the post on 2 December 1992. This action was done to realign the historical designations of units to their parent divisions. On 29 November 1992,
16461-518: The caliber of its gun the 75/18 also had good results in anti-tank combat, fighting against British and American (but not Soviet) units. After the Armistice of 1943 , the 75/18 remained in use by German forces. Built on the same frame, the Semovente da 105/25 was equipped with a 105 mm gun and known as " bassotto " (Italian for dachshund ) due to its lower height. As manufacturing began in 1943,
16638-463: The chassis, hulls, and drive systems of ninety-one Porsche VK4501 (P) heavy tanks, mounting a long-barreled 88 mm cannon in an added casemate, more like the earlier Panzerjägers had with their added-on armour shielding for the gun crew, but in the Ferdinand completely enclosing the gun and firing crew in the added casemate, as the later purpose-built Jagdpanzers would. However, the Ferdinand
16815-624: The community is the mountain from which it took its name, located in the Fort Cavazos area. To lessen the burden of moving, the Army agreed to allow land to be used for grazing for a nominal grazing fee. This grazing arrangement still continues today. In mid-August, the camp was occupied and the official opening took place on 18 September 1942. Camp Hood was named in February for the Confederate General John Bell Hood , who commanded Hood's Texas Brigade during
16992-403: The crew to run the main engines in order to recharge the vehicle's batteries. The engine noise and smoke could attract enemy fire, especially in close quarters, where the M10 was vulnerable due to its thin armor and open-topped turret. The lack of an auxiliary generator was rectified with the introduction of the M36 tank destroyer. Soon after reaching production, it was realized that the barrel of
17169-500: The crew vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire and fragments. The 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion took many casualties from artillery fire and tree bursts and lost 16 of 24 M10s during the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest . The crew was also exposed to sniper fire and infantry close assault, such as grenades thrown through the open turret, or attacks from upper story-windows, especially in urban warfare and wooded areas. However,
17346-485: The crew, having thinly armoured open-topped superstructures. The "open-topped" design format of the Panzerjäger vehicles was succeeded by the Jagdpanzer ("hunting tanks"), which mounted the gun in true casemate-style superstructures, completely enclosing the crew compartment in armor that was usually integral to the hull. The first of these Jagdpanzer s was the 70-ton Ferdinand (later renamed Elefant ), based on
17523-484: The day), the typical American design was more heavily gunned, but more lightly armored, and thus more maneuverable, than a contemporary tank. The idea was to use speed and agility as a defense, rather than thick armor, to bring a powerful self-propelled gun into action against enemy tanks. Or more precisely, to use speed to deploy ahead of the attacking enemy, take up camouflaged and protected firing positions on their flanks if possible, and then open fire. If unable to destroy
17700-534: The decision that the main anti-tank units—the Tank Destroyer (TD) battalions —should be concentrated and very mobile. In practice, such German attacks rarely happened. Throughout the war, only one battalion ever fought in an engagement like that originally envisaged (the 601st , at the Battle of El Guettar ). The Tank Destroyer Command eventually numbered over 100,000 men and 80 battalions each equipped with 36 self-propelled tank destroyers or towed guns. Only
17877-456: The defensive anti-tank role. The StuG III assault gun was Germany's most-produced fully tracked armoured fighting vehicle during World War II, and second-most produced German armoured combat vehicle of any type after the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track . Although the early German Panzerjäger carried more effective weapons than the tanks on which they were based, they were generally lacking in protection for
18054-530: The deployment of the M56 Scorpion and M50 Ontos . The concept later led to the M551 Sheridan light tank of the mid-1960s. British tanks in the early years of the war, both infantry tanks and cruiser tanks , were (with the exception of the pre-war Matilda I design) equipped with a gun capable of use against contemporary enemy tanks—the 40 mm Ordnance QF 2 pounder . This was replaced with
18231-434: The design of the later German Hetzer . Standing at only around 1.5 m tall, which would have made it very difficult to hit for its enemies, the Mareșal was a lightly armored, but highly mobile vehicle. It was armed with the Romanian 75 mm Reșița M1943 anti-tank gun, which proved to be among the best of its class during World War II, according to Mark Axworthy. During tests, the Mareșal proved to be superior in many aspects to
18408-649: The designation 3inch Self-propelled Mount M10 (3-in SPM M10). The M10 with the "wedge" counterweight was known as the "3in SPM M10 Mk I" and the M10 with the "duck bill" counterweight was the "3in SPM M10 Mk II". 1,017 of the vehicles were up-gunned with the powerful 17-pounder (76.2mm) gun from May 1944 to April 1945. Within the Department of Tank Design both the 3-inch and 17-pounder versions were known as "Achilles". The 17-pounder conversions were designated with
18585-627: The destruction of 686 tanks and 238 self-propelled guns. The highest-scoring tank destroyer battalion in the European Theater, the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, claimed to have destroyed 113 panzers, including 27 Panthers and 18 Tigers, using towed guns and M10s. The 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion also claimed to have destroyed 113 panzers, with the 702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion claiming 103. The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, which fought in North Africa, Italy, and Europe, claimed to have knocked out 155 tanks and self-propelled guns. Tank destroyers in
18762-531: The enemy force or to force them to retreat, then mobility would be used to avoid enemy fire until the TDs could withdraw, preferably to move up and deploy for another ambush. Direct combat in the open against tanks was to be avoided whenever possible. After the formation of the Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center at Camp Hood , Texas in November 1941, the Army began testing to standardize on
18939-452: The engine compartment. The manually rotated turret of the M10 was a pentagonal shape. The sides were sloped 15 degrees inward from the vertical and were 1 inch (25 mm) thick. The rear of the turret was also 1 inch thick. The partial roof on the front third of the turret opening was 3 ⁄ 4 inch (19 mm) thick. The triangular cast gun shield sported the thickest armor on the vehicle, 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (57 mm). It
19116-529: The face of newer German tanks like the Panther medium tank and the introduction of more powerful and better-designed types as replacements, the M10 remained in service until the end of the war. During World War II, the primary user of the M10 tank destroyer was the United States, but many supplied under Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom , Canada and Free French forces. Several dozen were also sent to
19293-555: The famous Doolittle Raid in Tokyo in 1942. He was killed later in World War II flying combat missions. With the redesignation came a change in mission at West Fort Hood. Nuclear weapons were removed; they had been secretly kept there since 1947. In 1971, the colors of the 1st Cavalry Division came to the post from Vietnam, resulting in the reflagging of the 1st Armored Division , the colors of which were sent to Germany to reflag
19470-938: The fielding of the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the M2A2 Operation Desert Storm (ODS) Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the M109A6 Paladin howitzer , the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior , the AH-64D Apache Longbow Helicopter , and the M6 Bradley Linebacker . Fort Hood was the first installation selected to privatize post housing under the residential communities initiative. Under this initiative, new housing units, remodeled housing and community improvements will be added to
19647-470: The first two decades of the 21st century has seen the emergence of gun-armed wheeled vehicles, sometimes called "protected gun systems", which may bear a superficial resemblance to tank destroyers, but are employed as direct fire support units typically providing support in low-intensity operations , as was done in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . Dedicated anti-tank vehicles made their first major appearance in
19824-608: The fort between 2014-2019. Commanders at the FORSCOM, III Corps, and Fort Hood levels now have specific actions to complete upon a sexual assault review board complaint. The Army CID is being restructured: a civilian director reporting directly to the Secretary of the Army will oversee criminal probes. The Provost Marshal and the Military Police will no longer undertake criminal investigations. A new branch like those in
20001-482: The gun tank was intended to be used in a fire support company for each of the tank regiments. No Type 2 Ho-I gun tanks are known to have engaged in combat prior to Japan's surrender. The prototype was built in 1942 and 31 units were produced in 1944. The Type 4 Ho-Ro self-propelled artillery used a modified Type 97 chassis. On to this platform, a Type 38 150 mm howitzer was mounted. The main gun could fire Type 88 APHE rounds and HEAT rounds. Given its breech loader,
20178-607: The heavier-hitting 122 mm -armed ISU-122 and 152 mm -armed ISU-152 , both of which had impressive anti-tank capabilities earning each of them the Russian nickname Zveroboy ("beast killer") for their ability to destroy German Tigers , Panthers and Elefants . The predecessor of the ISU 152 was the SU-152 , built on the KV-1s chassis and shared many similarities (including its gun) with
20355-512: The home for the III Corps, and in February 1962, III Corps was assigned as part of the U.S. Army Strategic Army Corps (STRAC). At the same time, the basing of the 1st Armored Division there made it a two-division post. On 15 June 1963 Killeen Base was turned over to the Army. During the late 1960s, Fort Hood trained and deployed a number of units and individuals for duty in Vietnam . As
20532-406: The infantry-support role. U.S. Army and counterpart British designs were very different in conception. U.S. doctrine was based, in light of the fall of France , on the perceived need to defeat German blitzkrieg tactics, and U.S. units expected to face large numbers of German tanks, attacking on relatively narrow fronts. These were expected to break through a thin screen of anti-tank guns, hence
20709-456: The land, facilities, and development of utilities. The date of completion was set for 15 August 1942. About 300 families had to move from their homes to make room for the camp area and the communities of Clear Creek , Elijah , and Antelope were demolished to facilitate construction of the base. The old Sugar Loaf community, historically called the "Cradle of Killeen," provided the city with many of its first citizens in 1882. All that remains of
20886-525: The left front vehicle subfloor. Storage boxes in the turret held five Mk 2 grenade , five M18 smoke grenade , and two thermite grenades . The M10's heavy chassis did not conform to the quickly evolving tank destroyer doctrine of employing very light high-speed vehicles, and starting in the summer of 1944 it began to be supplemented by the fast M18 Hellcat . American tank destroyer doctrine called for tank destroyers to be kept in reserve and rushed forward to counter massed enemy armored attacks. In reality, this
21063-505: The limit that the chassis could bear. The absence of a turret meant that tank destroyers could be manufactured significantly cheaper, faster, and more easily than the tanks on which they were based, and they found particular favor when production resources were lacking. The first German tank destroyers were the Panzerjäger ("Tank Hunters"), which mounted an existing anti-tank gun on a convenient chassis for mobility, usually with just
21240-454: The location in January 1942, and the initial completion was set for that August. As originally constructed, Fort Cavazos had an area of 158,706 acres (64,226 ha), with billeting for 6,007 officers and 82,610 enlisted personnel. The main cantonment of Fort Cavazos had a total population of 53,416 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Fort Cavazos was the most populous U.S. military installation in
21417-454: The maximum rate of fire was only 5 rounds per minute. The gun's elevation was restricted to 30 degrees by the construction of the chassis. Other design issues included the fact that although the gun crew was protected by a gun shield with armour thickness of 25 mm at the front, the shield only extended a very short distance on the sides; leaving the rest of the sides and back exposed. They were rushed into service, deployed and saw combat during
21594-492: The modern battlefield. But there are still dedicated anti-tank vehicles with very heavy long-range missiles, and ones intended for airborne use. There have also been dedicated anti-tank vehicles built on ordinary armoured personnel carrier or armored car chassis. Examples include the U.S. M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) and the Norwegian NM142 , both on an M113 chassis, several Soviet ATGM launchers based on
21771-593: The more successful German tank destroyers was designed as a self-propelled artillery gun, the Sturmgeschütz III . Based on the Panzer III tank chassis, the Sturmgeschütz III was originally fitted with a short barreled low-velocity howitzer-like gun, and was assigned to the artillery arm for infantry fire support as an assault gun . Later, after encountering Soviet tanks, it was refitted with
21948-514: The new M36 as soon as possible. On 10 July 1944, the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion blunted a German counterattack by the Panzer Lehr Division near Le Dézert and destroyed 12 Panthers, one Panzer IV , and one Sturmgeschütz III assault gun in a fierce two-day battle, most of it taking place at ranges of less than 200 m (220 yd). Due to the initial shock of encountering heavy German tanks, further changes were made in
22125-496: The number of German tanks encountered by American forces steadily decreased throughout the war, most battalions were split up and assigned to infantry units as supporting arms, fighting as assault guns or being used essentially as tanks. In this sense they were an alternative to the Independent tank battalions that were attached to various Infantry Divisions. The expectation that German tanks would be engaged in mass formation
22302-656: The number of tank destroyer battalions in training at the post declined rapidly. Field artillery battalions and the Infantry Replacement Training Center replaced them in March 1944. By September, the Infantry Center was the largest activity on post with 31,545 troops. The total camp population on the last day of 1944 was 50,228. During the last year of World War II the post's mission shifted and its population drastically decreased. As
22479-453: The open-topped turret gave excellent visibility, which was valuable for a vehicle that was tasked with finding enemy armored vehicles and other targets. The open top also made escape easier when the vehicle was hit and improved communications with accompanying infantry. The M10 had a very slow turret rotation speed, as the turret traverse was unpowered and the crew used a hand crank to rotate the turret. It took approximately 80 seconds to rotate
22656-486: The output and run independently. If one of the engines was damaged or destroyed, it could be disconnected and the other engine used to move the vehicle. The engine of the M10A1 was the Ford GAA , an 8-cylinder derivative of an ill-fated V-12 aircraft engine project. It produced 450 horsepower (340 kW) at 2,600 rpm. When tested side by side in September 1943, the M10A1 was judged to have superior automotive performance to
22833-571: The overall readiness of the Army. The program was developed to leverage the strengths of the Army's three components (active, reserve and National Guard). As such, 515 positions within the division have been designated as reserve component. These positions include individuals, a unit from the Wyoming National Guard and dual-mission units from the Texas Army National Guard . In addition to peacekeeping efforts,
23010-432: The post is located halfway between Austin and Waco , about 60 mi (97 km) from each, within the U.S. state of Texas . The post is the headquarters of III Armored Corps and First Army Division West and is home to the 1st Cavalry Division and 3rd Cavalry Regiment , among others. Its origin was the need for wide-open space to test and train with World War II tank destroyers . The War Department announced
23187-607: The post war periods called Operation Desert Calm and Operation Provide Comfort , post units continued to serve in the Persian Gulf area. From December 1992 to May 1993, post soldiers deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope to command and control the Joint Task Force Support Command. In the fall of 1994, the post's units participated in the largest deployment since Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm executed split base operations in
23364-536: The post's units routinely participate in national and international disaster relief efforts. Hours after the 1985 Mexico City earthquake , III Corps units were ready to move out to provide assistance. Fort Hood units also aided Managua , Nicaragua , after an earthquake ravaged the city. During the 1990s, the post continued an extensive building program to modernize. This modernization continues today , with emphasis on quality of life, force projection and training. The Robertson Blood Center, Soldier Development Center, and
23541-521: The post. In 2001, the War on Terror became a prime focus. The post transitioned from an open to a closed post with the help of military police from reserve units. The 1st Cavalry sent additional troops to Kuwait to protect against possible aggressive actions from Iraq. The 4003rd Garrison Support Reserve unit fills vacancies left by deploying units on post. Fort Cavazos has a key role as a training base for mobilizing Reserve and National Guard units to support
23718-504: The proliferation of ATGMs, some gun-armed tank destroyers remain in use. China has developed the tracked PTZ89 and the wheeled PTL02 tank destroyers. The PTZ89 is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon while the PTL02, developed by NORINCO for the PLA's new light (rapid reaction) mechanized infantry divisions, carries a 100 millimeters (3.9 in) one (a version armed with a 105 mm rifled gun
23895-580: The reactivation of its 3rd Brigade ("Greywolf") the 1st Cavalry Division became the largest division in the Army upon its return to the United States. In October 1992, the Engineer Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division was reactivated. Through the Engineer Restructuring Initiative, the nucleus of the brigade was formed around the 8th Engineer Battalion . The 20th Engineer Battalion was brought from Fort Campbell, KY, to join
24072-424: The reconnaissance units. There were also 37 mm armed TKS-D (2 experimental vehicles) and 47 mm armed TKD (4 experimental vehicles). It is not certain whether they were used operationally at all. Due to the quick defeat of France, few French vehicles were built. The Laffly W15 TCC ( Chasseur de chars ) was an attempt to quickly build a light tank destroyer by mounting a 47 mm SA37 anti-tank gun onto
24249-582: The remaining 375 M10A1s. Fisher also completed a further 300 M10A1 hulls without turrets in January 1944 for direct conversion to M36 tank destroyers . From January to June 1944, 209 M10A1 vehicles were subsequently converted to M35 Prime Movers by removing the turret and adding the necessary equipment for them to tow the 8-inch Gun M1 and 240 mm Howitzer M1 1,413 M10A1s, including the 300 hulls manufactured in January 1944, and 724 M10s were eventually converted into M36 tank destroyers . The M10 tank destroyer had an open-topped manually traversed turret mounting
24426-409: The right rear. The gunner, on the left side of the gun, normally stood to operate it, but he was also provided with a folding seat. The loader normally stood in the area behind the gun. A third folding seat was provided in the turret for the assistant driver in case he needed to assist the loader for any reason. Unlike the M4 tanks it was based upon, the M10 lacked an auxiliary generator , which forced
24603-583: The same chassis: Marder was straightforwardly an anti-tank gun on tracks whereas the Jagdpanzer 38 traded some firepower (its 7.5 cm Pak 39 , designed to operate within the confines of a fully armoured fighting compartment, fires the same projectiles from a reduced propellant charge compared to Marder's 7.5 cm Pak 40 ) for better armour protection and ease of concealment on the battlefield. Except for most American designs, all tank destroyers were turretless vehicles with fixed or casemate superstructures. When
24780-663: The senior joint logistical support command for JTF Katrina. 13th COSCOM eventually provided one hundred million rations, collected human remains with dignity, executed emergency engineering operations, transported, distributed and stored over one billion dollars in humanitarian relief from both non-governmental and federal sources from across the nation. In 2009, Fort Carson, Colorado 's First Army Division West re-stationed to Fort Hood in order to consolidate its mission to conduct reserve component mobilization training and validation for deployment, switching places with 4th Infantry Division, which relocated to Fort Carson. On 12 June 2007,
24957-501: The side armor with re-positioned observation visors. Production began in 1943, with only 54 completed. The other variant produced was the Type 3 Ho-Ni III , which mounted a Type 3 75 mm tank gun in a completely enclosed armored casemate to address the issue of crew protection in close combat. The welded superstructure had sloped armour and the gun mount had additional stamped armour plate. The total number produced of all three types in
25134-447: The sides and rear, and a 1 ⁄ 2 -inch-thick (13 mm) floor. The rounded, cast transmission cover was 2 inches (51 mm) thick. In a departure from its M4 Sherman parent, the M10 lacked the extra 1 ⁄ 2 -inch floor plate under the driver's and assistant driver's stations that provided them additional protection from mines. The glacis plate was 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (38 mm) thick, sloped at 55 degrees from
25311-546: The tank destroyer force in late September 1944. American officials requested that of the 52 battalions then committed to the European theater, 20 be converted to the M36, 20 retain the M10 or M18 at the discretion of their commanders, and the 12 towed battalions be re-equipped with the (then-prototype) T5 90 mm towed gun. By October 1944, the improved 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 began to arrive in Europe, and mostly replaced
25488-416: The tank-hull based designs used special open-topped turrets of a differing design from the original tank it was based on, which was meant to both save weight and to accommodate a larger gun. The earliest expedient design was mounting a 75 mm M1897 field gun in a limited-traverse mount on an M3 half-track , which was designated 75 mm gun motor carriage M3 . Another, considerably less successful, early design
25665-443: The total weight to 2,500 pounds and better distributed the weight of the gun. They resembled an upside-down "duck bill" shape when viewed from the side. To accommodate the new weights, the design of the upper rear of the turret was changed from sloped inwards to nearly vertical. In July 1943, the appliqué armor bosses on the hull sides and turret were dropped from production. The bosses on the glacis were retained. In late September 1943,
25842-564: The unwieldy Elefant , now fitted to the chassis of the medium Panther tank , providing greatly improved armour-penetrating capability in a medium-weight vehicle. Facing an increasingly defensive war, the German Army turned to larger and more powerfully armed Jagdpanzer designs, and in July 1944 the first Jagdtiger rolled off the production line; it was the heaviest German armoured fighting vehicle to go into active service. The Jagdtiger
26019-478: The upper hull featured angled extensions or covers over the upper run of track. These extensions often got in the way of fitting "duckbill" extended end connectors, used to reduce ground pressure on soft ground, and were often removed, along with the front fenders, by maintenance units. The hull roof plate ranged from 3 ⁄ 4 inch (19 mm) thick over the driver's and assistant driver's stations and turret ring, to 3 ⁄ 8 inch (9.5 mm) thick over
26196-477: The upper hull was changed from flat to sloped plates. This new test vehicle was designated the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35E1 . Prototypes of these two vehicles were delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in April 1942, and the Army selected the T35E1 for further development on 2 May 1942. The side and rear upper hull armor of the T35E1 was reduced from 1 inch (25 mm) to 0.75 inches (19 mm) in order to reduce
26373-405: The vehicle was originally designed as a very heavily armoured self-propelled assault gun to breach Germany's Siegfried Line defenses. Of these tank destroyers, only the 90 mm gun of the M36 proved effective against the frontal armour of Germans' larger armored vehicles at long range. The open top and light armour made these tank destroyers vulnerable to anything greater than small-arms fire. As
26550-401: The vehicle's radio) were seated in the front hull and provided with periscopes. The unique design of the hull hatches to clear the gun mantlet meant that the driver's view directly to the left side was obstructed. He was provided with a second periscope at the edge of the hull for this purpose. The commander, gunner, and loader were all located in the turret. The commander sat on a folding seat at
26727-424: The vertical. The sides and rear of the upper hull were 3 ⁄ 4 inch (19 mm) thick, sloped at 38 degrees from the vertical. The rear upper hull plate was used for storage of the vehicle's pioneer and maintenance tools: a 5-pound (2.3 kg) axe, a 5-foot (1.5 m) crowbar, a mattock handle and head, a double-sided 10-pound (4.5 kg) sledgehammer, and a track tensioning wrench. The sides and rear of
26904-455: The war came to an end, troop training slowed and equipment reclamation and demobilization were prioritized. A separation center was established in September 1945, and as the year ended, post strength had fallen to 1,807 prisoners and about 11,000 troops. The Infantry Replacement Training Center was officially shut down on 7 January 1946. The 2nd and 20th Armored Divisions were sent to Camp Hood after returning from Europe in January 1946, but
27081-405: The weight of the vehicle. The staff at Aberdeen Proving Ground was worried that the armor of the T35E1 was too thin, and so bosses for appliqué armor panels were added to the hull sides, glacis , and turret sides. As the cast turret was found to be difficult to manufacture, the design of the turret was changed to a sloped pentagonal shape made of welded armor plate. In June 1942, the modified T35E1
27258-532: The world. The main business area is in Bell County , with the training countryside area of the post in Coryell County . In April 2014, the base's website listed 45,414 assigned soldiers and 8,900 civilian employees covering an area of 214,000 acres (87,000 ha). During World War II , tank destroyers were developed to counter German mobile armored units. These were mobile anti- tank guns on armored halftracks or specially developed tanks. Wide-open space
27435-513: Was a "permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment at Fort Hood." Army regulation AR-600-20 (24 July 2020) now requires the filing of commander's critical information reports (CCIRs) 8 days after a SHARP ( sexual harassment/assault response & prevention ) complaint by a victim. Fort Hood CID investigators assigned to their cases are hampered by a checklist mentality from their beginnings as junior investigators straight out of initial training from Fort Leonard Wood, according to
27612-576: Was a German 75 mm anti-tank gun on the Czech Panzer 38(t) chassis as the Marder III . The Panzer 38(t) chassis was also used to make the Jagdpanzer 38 casemate style tank destroyer. The Panzerjäger series continued up to the 88 mm equipped Nashorn . German tank destroyers based on the Panzer III medium tank and later German tanks had more armour than their tank counterparts. One of
27789-450: Was a failed assumption. In reality, German attacks effectively used combined arms on the ground, fighting cohesively. American tank destroyer battalions comprised three tank destroyer companies supported by nine security sections. The single-purpose tactics of the tank destroyer battalion failed to account for non-tank threats. In the 1950s the goal of providing airborne forces with a parachute-capable self-propelled anti-tank weapon led to
27966-468: Was based on the Tiger II heavy tank featured a very large 128 mm PaK 44 cannon and heavy armour protection. Only 88 Jagdtiger vehicles were produced, barely matching the total number of the earlier Ferdinand / Elefant vehicles. They were first deployed to combat units in September 1944. The decision of German armoured vehicle designers to use a casemate-style superstructure for all tank destroyers had
28143-494: Was convicted of thirteen counts of premeditated murder and thirty-two counts of attempted premeditated murder for the thirty soldiers and two civilian police officers injured in the shooting. On 23 August 2013, Hasan was found guilty on all charges and was sentenced to death. A memorial site in Killeen, featuring 13 granite columns inscribed with the names and likenesses of the victims, was dedicated in March 2016. The memorial
28320-403: Was delayed until post war before entering service. A cut-down 17 pdr, the 77mmHV was used to equip the Comet tank in the last year of the war. The closest the British came to developing an armoured tank destroyer in the vein of the German Jagdpanzers or Soviet ISU series was the Churchill 3-inch gun carrier—a Churchill tank chassis with a boxy superstructure in place of the turret and mounting
28497-486: Was dishonorably discharged in March 2015, having been convicted of organizing a prostitution ring . Currently, Fort Cavazos has nearly 65,000 soldiers and family members and serves as a home for the following units: Headquarters III Corps; First Army Division West; the 1st Cavalry Division; 13th Sustainment Command (formerly 13th Corps Support Command); 89th Military Police Brigade ; 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade; 85th Civil Affairs Brigade; 1st Medical Brigade; and
28674-422: Was financed by donations and built by volunteers. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo , an AWOL private, was arrested near Fort Hood, and in a statement by the police chief of Killeen, Texas, the man told investigators that he wanted to attack fellow soldiers at the military post. At his trial in August 2012, Abdo stated, through a cloth mask, "I will continue until the day the dead are called to account for their deeds." Abdo
28851-462: Was inactivated. Probably the most famous trainee to come through the post was Elvis Presley , arriving on 28 March 1958. Other than receiving record amounts of mail (3–4 bags per day), he was treated like all other trainees. On 19 September, Presley shipped out for Germany. During this period, the 4th Armored Division was reactivated and deployed to Germany as part of the " Gyroscope " concept of unit movement. In September 1961, Fort Hood again became
29028-434: Was known as the sub-camp and later as North Camp Hood . During the war years, North Camp Hood housed nearly 40,000 troops and 4,000 prisoners of war, and was the site for the southern branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks . At the end of 1942, there were about 45,000 troops living and training at Camp Hood and in late June 1943 it peaked at almost 95,000 troops, which was maintained until early 1944. In 1944,
29205-427: Was mechanically unreliable and difficult to maneuver, and once all ninety-one unturreted "Porsche Tiger" hulls/drive systems were converted, no more were built. The German Army had more success with the Jagdpanther . Introduced in mid-1944, the Jagdpanther, of which some 415 examples were produced, was considered the best of the casemate-design Jagdpanzer designs. It featured the same powerful PaK 43 88 mm cannon used on
29382-426: Was needed for the tank destroyer testing and training, which Texas had in abundance. Andrew Davis (A.D.) Bruce was assigned to organize a new Tank Destroyer Tactical and Firing Center, and he chose Killeen, Texas for the new camp. The War Department announced the selection on 15 January 1942. An initial acquisition of 180,000 acres (730 km ) was made, and it was estimated that the camp would cost $ 22.8 million for
29559-427: Was not the case and M10 battalions were attached, often semi-permanently, to infantry and armored divisions to provide additional direct and indirect fire support. Typical missions included providing indirect artillery fire by augmenting divisional artillery units, following and supporting the lead elements of an infantry assault, attacking obstacles such as fortifications and enemy vehicles (including tanks) that hampered
29736-554: Was not used by U.S. troops; the M10 was never officially assigned a nickname or referred to with one when used by American soldiers, who simply called it a "TD" (a nickname for any tank destroyer in general) beyond its formal designation. U.S. combined arms doctrine on the eve of World War II held that tanks should be designed to fulfill the role of forcing a breakthrough into enemy rear areas. Separate GHQ (General Headquarters) tank battalions would support infantry in destroying fixed enemy defenses, and armored divisions would then exploit
29913-549: Was part of the 16th Tank Corps , 2nd Tank Army. It fought in Belorussia and Poland in 1944. In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge , Operation Greif was a plan developed by the Nazis to infiltrate behind the Allies lines. They made various modifications to make approximately ten Panther tanks look as similar as possible to the American M10, known as the "Panther M10" or the " Ersatz M10" ( Ersatz meaning 'replacement' or 'substitute' in German). Israel bought M10s from scrapyards and dumping grounds in Europe after 1948. They came
30090-405: Was sentenced to life in prison for the plot. On 2 April 2014, a shooting spree occurred at several locations on the base, leaving three people dead and fourteen others wounded. The gunman then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was later identified as 34-year-old Ivan Lopez, an Iraq War veteran. A sexual assault prevention officer on the base, Sergeant First Class Gregory McQueen,
30267-428: Was sloped at 45 degrees from the vertical and horizontal. The M10 and M10A1 were mechanically identical except for their power plants. The M10 used the General Motors 6046 , a twin engine formed from two Detroit Diesel 6-71 inline engines mated to a single output. The tandem engine produced 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 2,100 rpm. One advantage of the GM 6046 was that the engines could be disconnected at will from
30444-441: Was standardized as the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 . By fall 1943, with its M5 and M9 competitors being eliminated from the design competition and their production contracts cancelled, the M10 was to become the United States' primary tank destroyer of the early war period. As there were fears that the production of M4A2 chassis would be inadequate for M10 production, an alternate design, the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10A1 based on
30621-409: Was stowed on brackets in the right rear of the turret for use by the vehicle commander. The other four crew members were armed with M1 carbines , each carrying as much ammunition on their person as they saw fit. An M1903 Springfield rifle with 60 rounds of ammunition was stowed next to the assistant driver, and an adapter for the rifle and ten M9 rifle grenades for use against tanks were stowed under
30798-407: Was the M6 gun motor carriage which mounted the US 37 mm anti-tank gun facing to the rear on the bed of a Dodge 3/4-ton light truck. The M3 was first used against the Japanese in the Philippines and then in the Tunisian campaign of the war in North Africa. Some were supplied to British units who used them within armoured car reconnaissance regiments for fire support. The M6 GMC was unarmoured and
30975-404: Was the first self-propelled gun design of the Imperial Japanese Army . They were meant to be self-propelled artillery and tank destroyers for armoured divisions . The plan was for the Type 1 Ho-Ni I gun tank to form part of a fire support company in each of the tank regiments. The Type 1 Ho-Ni I was developed by using the existing Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank chassis and engine, and replacing
31152-420: Was usable against both tanks and in supporting infantry, there was a need to put the 17 pdr into a tank for use against the enemy's heavy tanks. The Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger was a project to bring a 17 pdr tank into use to support the Cromwell cruiser tank . Delays led to it being outnumbered in use by the Sherman Firefly —but a derivative of Challenger was the more or less open-topped variant Avenger , which
31329-465: Was used to create smoke screens, or to flush enemy infantry out of buildings or fortified positions. A .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB heavy machine gun could be mounted on the top rear of the turret for use against enemy infantry and for anti-aircraft use. The ammuntion (300 rounds in 50-round boxes) was stowed under the vehicle subfloor. The crew had personal weapons for self-defense. A Thompson submachine gun with 460 rounds of ammunition
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