First Hussars Memorial (M4A2(76)W Sherman Tank "Holy Roller")

This memorial commemorates the 6th Armoured Regiment "First Hussars". Some of its soldiers fell victim of a widespread murder spree by Waffen-SS soldiers in June, 1944.

This tank, called Holy Roller by its crew, is the only tank of the regiment to endure the campaign from D-Day to VE-Day in one piece.

Holy Roller landed on Juno Beach in the second wave of attacks and took part in battles in France, Belgium, the Netherlands as far as Germany.

The tank was fully restored a few years ago and fitted with the historically correct emblems.

M4A2(76)W:
The M4A2(76)W was a late-war variant of the American M4 Sherman medium tank, produced between May 1944 and May 1945 with a total of about 2,915 units built. It was powered by a twin General Motors 6046 diesel engine, making it distinct from the more common gasoline-powered Sherman models.

The designation “76W” refers to its 76 mm M1 gun (a significant upgrade over the earlier 75 mm gun) and “wet stowage” ammunition racks, which reduced the risk of catastrophic fires when the tank was hit. The tank mounted the T23 turret, designed to house the larger gun, and was fitted with both .30 caliber machine guns (coaxial and bow-mounted) and a .50 caliber M2 Browning for anti-aircraft defense.

In terms of protection, the M4A2(76)W had improved frontal armor compared to earlier Shermans, though it still struggled against heavy German tanks like the Panther and Tiger. Its mobility was solid, with a top road speed of around 30 mph (48 km/h) and a range of about 150 miles (240 km).

The M4A2(76)W was not widely used by U.S. forces, as the U.S. Army preferred gasoline-powered models. Instead, most were supplied to Allied nations under Lend-Lease, particularly the Soviet Union, where they were well received and saw extensive combat on the Eastern Front. Some also served with the Free French and other Allied armies.

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Source

• Text: Gary Cambridge
• Photos: Gary Cambridge