M10 17pdr

It has been a great and busy few months; family, wedding, honeymoon.  However as life starts to settle down again, I have been able to pick up a brush again.

This time last year I attempted to paint two M10 with the 17pdr gun for my Flames of War Canadians.  Frustratingly I was not able to get the green to match my Sherman tanks.  I tried several times with no success.  What made it even worse was that I had writen down what colours I used and in which order for my shermans.  Still no luck. 

So the tanks sat at the back of my painting desk for the next year.  I decided to take another crack at them.  I took another look at my painting notes from the shermans...and almost instantly realized my mistake. I was using the wrong shade of green for my highlights.  After that the tanks painting up pretty quickly.

As World War two progressed the allies needed a response to the thick armour plating of German tanks.  The US developed the M10  tank destoryer.  Britain ordered over 1500.  By May 1944 the British replaced the original 3 inch gun with the larger 17 pounder gun.  This greatly increased the penitrating power. 

Within the department of tank design the 17pdr M10 was nicknamed the "Achilles" (this was not used by the troops in the field).  

The M10 remained in service for the remainder of the war by the British, Polish and Canadian armies in Italy and northwest Europe. 

Interestinly, Canadians only painted the 5 pointed star on the top of thier tanks.  They also often  painted the star on an angle to differentiate from their American alies.