second hand Grant tanks

[Owen]

What happened to all the Grants after they were replaced at the end of The Desert War?
I know a few ended up on Military Ranges.
What about the rest?

[von Poop]

Mostly Grant ARV. Very common in pictures from Normandy.
CDL eventually mounted on redundant Grant Chassis.
Grant Scorpion Mine-flail used in Sicily and Italy.
Standard Grant/Lee served on in the Far East, Certainly right up to '45 in Burma.

'Leftover' M3 chassis also used for:
M31 TRV.
M33 Prime mover.
T10 'shop tractor' (American CDL)
T1 Mine exploder.
Yeramba. (Post-war Aussie 25pdr carrier)
Many redundant Chassis used as test vehicles for concepts from flame-throwers to new engines, seen as plentiful, handy, and disposable.

same running gear but not necesarily rebuilds:
Ram. By extension of that, various ARV's & Ram Kangaroo/
Priest.(M7 HMC)
Sexton.
M12 155mm GMC.


Waste not Want not.
Sure I've missed a few.
Take that Squander Bug.

[Owen]

VP.
Tanks for that Grant answer.
Knew you couldn't resist.
Fancy posting some photos?

[Owen]

Old Grant in use on Aussie farm.
Grant Tanks in Western Victoria

[Owen]

One from a ship-wreck.
Nature's reclaimed this one.
Where's Nemo?
Sherman Grant Tank photo - Kim photos at pbase.com

Believe this one to be from the wreck of the Kolkhosnik
Diving Nova Scotia - June 2003 - DIVERNET from Diver Magazine

It is an even clearer and calmer day than before, so Skipper Dave remarks that this would be a good day for "the Russian".
This is the local nickname for the Kolkhosnik, a freighter carrying, among other things, a deck cargo of M3 Grant tanks. It has a mystique among local divers, and at 42m is the deepest wreck that it is sensible to dive on air

[Owen]

Lots of Grant variants here.
Medium tank M3

[Owen]

Grant tanks, including flail variants, embarking onto a landing craft at Tripoli, 3 July 1943.

[kfz]

As VP says, I think after refurbing a the best ones they where sent to the far east.

[Owen]

I see a few used in Italy as ARVs.


A Grant ARV of the New Zealand Division lifts a Daimler scout car which had become bogged down in the mud near Faenza, 7 February 1945.



A Grant ARV (Armoured Recovery Vehicle) Mk I tows a disabled Sherman tank during the assault on the Gustav Line, 16 May 1944.
Edit: sure that's a Lee ARV though.

[Bodston]

What makes you think it's a Lee, Owen?
The only difference between the Lee and the Grant was the turret. ARV's had their own smaller fixed turrets with dummy gun tubes and attachments for boom jibs and the like. So without it's original turret it would be very hard to tell the two tanks apart.

Anyhoo, my favourite ex Grant conversion was the M3 command tank. False superstructure fitted with extra comms equipment and a dummy gun in a large turret to make it mingle in better with the M4 Shermans that were replacing them. The roomier M3's were much liked for the role and commanders were reluctant to give them up.
Pictures from Hunnicutt.