M10 TD up-armored

[Tobi]

Following Beeksters intriguing Desert Rat M10 build, I came across another picture in my library.

Bad quality, unfortunately, I was wondering if any of you could shed more light or have any better pics?

My assumption is, like on the well documented up-armored Pershing, troops did utilize scraped German armor plates for these.
I would like to understand the design better. The other fascinating point is, there are actually two (or even more) tanks like this!?

My only information is, the picture is dated spring 1945.

[JCON]

Not seen that photo before!!!

[Beekster]

New to me, too! OK, so the helmet and uniform say this is a US unit, probably around March given the way the dude is bundled up. The lead M10 is a mid-production vehicle with wedge counterweights, followed by a later one with duckbill counterweights. It looks like there are two plates layered on the glacis of the lead TD. Whatever the detritus on there is, it isn't bolts holding the armor on using the armor bosses fitted at the factory. The plates are rectangular and butt up against the lightguards, which would leave the upper outside armor bosses outside the covered area. Theory: The lower plate, which appears thinner, is fabricated to sit flush on the glacis around the central armor bosses and thick enough to sit just above them (probably with bolts removed). The second, thicker plate is affixed on top. The lower plate is welded to the glacis and the upper plate welded to the lower one. The lower plate also has rectangular extensions which are angled down do cover the final drive bulges on the transmission cover. The second vehicle has the same armor scheme fitted; the lower plates are more visible because of how the lighting hits them. The lead unit has the standard canvas cover over the turret opening, supported by the tarp supports. Every kit gives you those, but always for the stowed flat position. Lead unit also wears T54E1 steel tracks with duckbills. The fronts of the fenders are both cut away (lower angled portion gone) and crumpled.

Third Army had a regular program of up-armoring tanks using plates cut from knocked-out Shermans, so this could be a variation on that theme.

[Tobi]

Very interesting input.

Are the final drive houses completely boxed in, or is it just front plates? The look on the outer side near the track suggests a closed design to me.
What is the origin of the rails on the upper glacis plate? Some sort of grouser storage?

[Beekster]

I don't think it is boxed in on the transmission cover, Tobi. What you're seeing is the shadow caused by the sharp contour curving back and down to the junction with the bottom plate. Looking at it again, it seems that there is a smaller angled plate which is welded to the plate on the final drive bulge. It's shorter than the final drive plate, which would make sense since clearance has to be left for access to the tow lugs down there. M10s had a crew step welded to the front of the transmission cover at the factory, and it appears that it may have been relocated to the edge of the applique armor. But it doesn't look to me as if the whole center section of that lower face of the transmission cover is covered with an applique plate. Shots that hit down that low had a good chance of a ricochet anyway due to the sharp angle of impact.

The rails could be part of another grouser storage rack. The standard one is visible on the left side of the hull, partially obscured by a tarp draped down over it. The latter covers a big pile of stuff stowed on the back deck. I'm not entirely convinced that it is a grouser rack, but the resolution is too poor to be certain. That said, I don't see evidence of the crossbars that the grousers would be stored on. On the rack on the side, the bottoms of those can just be made out as darker smudges just below the tarp. So I'm just not sure. Might also just be angle iron welded there to help corral stowage which isn't there at the time of the photo.