Sherman Tank, Hatches- Can they be locked from the inside?
Last night I watched the Film "Fury" staring Brad Pit and more importantly, to us, a Sherman Tank. The film seems to suggest that once the crew has climb inside the hull and closed down/secured all the hatches they can't actually be locked shut from the inside and the hatches can still be opened from the outside without having to release anything from the inside first. We are talking about a normal standard, as issued, WW2 Sherman Tank with no special modifications.
Is the film correct; there is/was no method of locking the hatches shut from the inside? I can see the logic in being able to open the hatches from the outside if for example the crew had been seriously injured by an A.P. round hit but I can also see the logic in wanting to lock the hatches from the inside if you wish to keep "undesirables" out.
Information
Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.
Sherman tank hatches could be locked very easily by turning a handle on the inside.
They usually were not. At least one hatch was almost always open to provide air to the interior and to allow the tank commander or driver to see where they were going and/or where the enemy was. Visibility from inside a tank is not good. They would typically button up only when subjected to close infantry attack.
Try this lot F10 goes through allot of real AFV's knows what its about being an Ex British Tank Commander from the Gulf war he is pretty dry and does not mind sticking it to the designers or operational shortcomings of the vehicles.
The N Korean and Chinese Infantry were taught to swamp tanks and destroy the observation optics, aerials etc etc with pencil charges. So locking down was the obvious thing to do. Especially as the other tanks could hose them off with MG fire - or the most feared cannister rounds. Think of a 120mm shotgun...........
There is a hatch crank on most modern AFVs, I have one used for Soviet designs, for example. Simple keyhole and lever pusher design for driver and commander hatches. Used to open a secured vehicle but not in a combat situation, as that would be hazardous to your health.
if for example the crew had been seriously injured by an A.P. round hit
If a tank takes a hit from an AP round, the hatches may or may not be needed...the turret will be lying beside the hull. If that doesn't happen, the hatches will be open...
If a tank takes a hit from an AP round, the hatches may or may not be needed...the turret will be lying beside the hull. If that doesn't happen, the hatches will be open...
Not necessarily, the crew just might be hamburger. Supposedly, the Israelis took knocked out Syrian tanks and started them right up after minor repairs and cleaning. Not a job I would want.
On US tanks of my acquaintance, all the hatches could be secured from the inside. When parking the tank, all the hatches were secured from the inside with the exception of the loader's hatch which was secured with a padlock. It was possible on a tank so secured to gain access by tapping on the drivers IR periscope mount cover. With a bit of patience and luck you could get the periscope lid to unlatch, then you could reach in a just manage to unlock the driver's hatch. In practice, if the crew has locked the hatches from the inside and the dude outside can just rip it open like in the movies, he does not need the grenade. He should be wearing blue tights with a big red "S" on his chest.
Up Up & Away!........................................
Of the WWII doco's I have watched allot of infantry wished they were tankers but in reality when the tankers talked about their lot it was a pretty miserable existence when it was 110F degrees outside it was more inside the vehicle and when it was -10F it was colder still in the tank, then there is the maintaining of the thing with the tracks etc. Whilst in battle with the infantry with no exterior help as in A/T or tank killers you may have felt safe but I could think of nothing more fearful than getting into the battle with very limited view of the whole area just waiting for that 88mm AP round to come crashing through the hull to bounce around inside doing the deed on the flesh. Just like the Lee Grant whose riveted hull was more of a hazard to the crew if hit by anything which did not penetrate then the rivets were likely to break off and themselves do the stuff on the crew.
F10 he has done scads on a heap of AFV's if you think the Sheman Firefly crew was cramped have a look at the one with the Hetzer now that really is fish in a tin..........
PM
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
