M10c Achilles MkI 17pdr Tank Destroyer

The M10 Achilles TD exhibit at the Tank Museum Bovington came from the Belgian Army and is painted to represent a vehicle in British 11th Armoured Division in the winter of 1944.

Surviving British WW2 M10 Achilles 17pdr Tank Destroyers can be found at the Tank Munster Bovington Dorset England

M10c Achilles MkI 17pdr Tank Destroyer

Location

This M10c Achilles MkII 17pdr Tank Destroyer is on show at the Tank Museum, Linsay Road, Bovington, Dorset. The nearest train station is Wool Railway Station. You can walk the 2 miles to the Museum but it is along a country road and if you are travelling with children it can be dangerous. It takes 45 minutes by foot. There is an irregular bus service from Wool Station that will get you to the museum but they only come once an hour in the morning starting after 9.30am. The last bus back to the station from the Tank Museum is just after 13.45 which is really silly. There is no Sunday bus service. The easiest way to get to the museum from the train station is by taxi. They can be pre booked with Garrison Cars to meet you when your train arrives and pick you up for the return trip from outside the museum. Their phone number is 01929 463395

Specifications

The M10C Achilles was based on the M4 Sherman tank Chassis. It was powered by a General Motors 6046 conjoined twin 6-71s diesel engine that produced 375 hp. It has a top road speed of 32 mph (52 km/h) with an operational range of around 186 miles (300 km). It had a five man crew: commander, driver, gunner, loader and loaders assistant. Its armour was thin but sloped. It ranged from 9mm to 57.2mm in thickness.

Its main gun was the powerful British Ordnance Quick Firing OQF 17 pounder Anti Tank gun that could penetrate the frontal armour of Tiger and Panther tanks. A machine gun was fitted externally to the open turret. This was a .50cal Browning M2HBB AA machine gun or a Bern Light Machine Gun.

Bovinton's Achillies 17pdr Tank Destroyer

For some odd reason that we cannot explain the sight aperture has been plated over and the only visible sight is the so-called Alidale sight on the commander's side. This is fine for acquiring the target but useless for hitting it.

The M10 never carried a co-axial machine-gun, a .50 calibre Browning was fitted at the rear of the turret and a .30 calibre gun, with tripod, was stowed on the vehicle for dismounted use.

A note on names; some sources claim that in British service the M10 was called the Wolverine but there is no official evidence for this and on the face of it this seems unlikely. After the war the name Achilles I is said to have been adopted for the M10 17 pdr and Achilles II for the M10A1 17 pdr, and this seems to be in keeping with the British practice of christening self-propelled anti-tank guns with a name starting with A; Archer, Avenger and so on but again surviving evidence is scanty.

Where can I find other preserved M10c Achillies Tank Destroyers?

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