Roads that lead into the centre of Bastogne in the Belgium Ardennes have WW2 Sherman Tank turrets positioned at the frontline positions held between the US and German forces in the Battle of the Bulge.

Tank Turret No.1

Tank Turret No.1 -This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(76) Sherman tank Turret can be found in the Rue de Neufchateau N85 Bastogne Belgium. This M4(76) Sherman tank turret is a memorial to the first Allied soldier killed at Bastogne, G.I. Lieutenant Ernest Glessener. He was killed near this spot just after he had destroyed a German tank on September 10, 1944. It is a T23 turret with a 76mm gun and can be identified by the lack of a thread on the barrel and by the presence of the gun mantlet. There is still the remains of the 10th Armoured Divisional patch on the right side of the turret near the hedge. The following numbers can be seen on the turret: D82081 and C192.

Tank Turret No.2

Tank Turret No.2 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(76) Sherman tank Turret is in the village of Champs along the N854 north west of Bastogne. This turret was initially positioned by the road to Marche, but was later relocated to its present position in Champs. This Sherman Tank turret has the numbers D82081 and C377.

Tank Turret No.3 and 4

Tank Turret No.3 and 4 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(75) Sherman tank D78461 high bustle turret is in Rue de La Roche N834 outside the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium. Initially there were two Sherman Tank turrets positioned at this location: one on each side of the road. Now there is just one. The turret itself has a serial number 6510.

Tank Turret No.5

Tank Turret No.5 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(76) Sherman tank turret is in the village car park of Mageret, Rue de Clervaux N874 north east of Bastogne in Belgium. Like turret No.2 this Sherman tank turret has also moved from its original position by the N30 to its present location in Mageret. The turret shows the numbers D82081 and C367.

Tank Turret No.6

Tank Turret No.6 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(76) Sherman tank Turret is on Rue Gustave Delperdange N874 in Bastogne Belgium and can be seen on the left of the road as you drive out of Bastogne towards the Mardasson War Memorial and Bastogne War Museum. It has the patch of the 10th Armored Division patch on its right hand side. On its left hand side in the right hand bottom corner below the American star there is a hole from a direct hit. There is a thread on the barrel for its counterweight, the ‘gun mantlet’ is still in its position and the serial number LO-447S278 is on the turret.

Tank Turret No.7

Tank Turret No.7 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(75)Sherman tank is in the village of Marvie along the Rue de La Californie south east of Bastogne in Belgium. If you look at the front view you see to the left of the gun a hole fro, a direct hit. To the right of the gun there is another hole in the turret armour from another direct hit. The tank turret carries the number 6352.

Tank Turret No.9

Tank Turret No.9 - This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(75) Sherman tank turret can be found in the Rue de Wiltz N84, east of Bastogne, Belgium. This turret with serial number 6605 has no direct hit damage. It is positioned, coming from Bastogne, on the left hand side of the road.

This preserved Bastogne Battle of the Bulge M4(76) Sherman tank Turret can be found in the Rue de la Chappelle N30 Bastogne Belgium. It is missing its muzzle breach but you can still see the screw thread at the end of the gun barrel.

This preserved Battle of the Bulge Sherman Firefly 17pdr tank Turret is by the side of the Musee en Piconfue, Place Saint-Pierre, Rue Pierre Thomas, in Bastogne in Belgium.

This preserved Battle of the Bulge Sherman Firefly 17pdr tank Turret is along the N807 Hotton to Erezee road in Belgium.

During the Battle of the Bulge, This was the sector of the British XXX Corps which stopped the German advance around these parts of Belgium. Units of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division and supporting tanks managed to stop the Germans before they could cross the bridges across the river Maas, near Hotton. To commemorate these events a monument in the shape of a turret from a Sherman Firefly can be found next to the road N 807 (Hotton/Erezée). This road marks also a boundary how far the German advance was during the Battle of the Bulge (one exception was the ‘long finger’ from Marche-en-Famenne to Celles). The plaque on the memorial reads, 'In tribute to the gallant soldiers of the 53rd Welsh Infantry Division and their attached armoured regiments who liberated out towns and villages in January 1945 during the Ardennes Offensive.'

Read more in these two tank books