- For the Steel Division II unit see SD2:Achilles IIc
Achilles IIc is a Polish Anti-tank unit.
Overview[ | ]
The battle of France saw the birth of Blitzkrieg when German tanks were employed in an offensive role en masse for the first time. US tank doctrine envisioned mass enemy armored thrusts piercing through front lines, and to combat this perceived threat they called for a fast, well-armed tank destroyer that could react to such an attack. The M10 was one of the first tank destroyer models introduced into U.S. service after its entry into World War II. It combined a Sherman chassis with the 3-inch M7 anti-aircraft gun mounted on an open-top turret. To be fast, it had to sacrifice armor. The combination of an open top and thin armor made the tank destroyer vulnerable to German anti-tank weaponry, but especially small arms and artillery. Advantages of an open top included ease of communication, a quick way to get out of the tank when hit and great visibility, helping crew members spot tanks from afar.
The destroyer, formally designated 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10, was developed by the Fisher Body division of General Motors and Ford Motor Company in early 1942. It mated a modified M4A2 (M4A3 in M10A1 models) Sherman chassis with the M7 76.2mm gun in a rotating turret. It was a reliable and powerful weapon during its production run from September 1942 to December 1943. Although its main gun was eventually found to be ineffective against heavier German tanks such as the Panther. The kind of battlefield that bare witness to massed armoured attacks as envisioned by US tank doctrine was never fully realised and the tank destroyer often fulfilled the role of direct and indirect fire support. While the M10 TD had its shortcomings, tank destroyer battalions equipped with the Wolverine still caused many German armour losses. It proved to be a potent general support unit pressed into many roles.
The nearly 6,500 M10s produced remained in service until the end of the war. A further 1648 vehicles were supplied to the United Kingdom, which converted 1017 of them into the 17-pdr armed Achilles. Around 200 Wolverines were also supplied to the Free French army.
The Achilles was the British variant, rearmed with a 17 pounder, Self-Propelled, Achilles was a British variant of the American M10 tank destroyer armed with the British Ordnance QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun in place of the standard 3" (76.2 mm) Gun M7. Unlike the American who used their M10 as tank hunters, United Kingdom used theirs as a mobile anti-tank gun.
- Use
In 1. Pancerna Achilles IIc were used in 1st Polish Anti-Tank Regiment with 2 batteries of Achilles and 2 more with Armata 17-pdr.
Strategy[ | ]
- The Achilles IIc is an M10 gun carriage with a British 17-pounder gun AT gun in the turret. The turret traverse is even slower than on a regular M10, making this unit mostly useless at close range.
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