The other day Adam Tweeted about the grim appearance of US tank crews in NWE and it got me back onto something I've been looking into on and off.
Quick thread re tank warfare in Normandy and the impact on a small village /1

#WW2 #Normandy44 #ThenAndNow https://twitter.com/Agrbez/status/1352031579661594624?s=20
This is S/Sgt Arthur L Stolan, E Co, 32nd Armd Rgt, 3rd Armd Div. Obviously a posed photo, it was taken in a rest area near St Jean de Daye in July '44. At first glance he looks quite clean but a closer look shows his jacket to be filthy with accumulated grime. /2
The other day I posted a Then/Now from Juvigny-le-Tertre, not too far from Mortain, with a knocked out M4. It's numbered E-4 and should be the 1st Platoon's 2nd Section Leader's tank, a role for which Stolan holds the appropriate rank...
/3 https://twitter.com/seanboy_50/status/1348303053343117317?s=20
... so (atm) I'm assuming E-4 is his tank. The other M4 lost in the village I mentioned in the earlier Tweet was E-1, which should have been the Platoon Leader's tank. Date is 2/8/44
This latter M4 was knocked out at the entrance to the village, just across from a StuG III... /4
... so (atm) I'm assuming E-4 is his tank. The other M4 lost in the village I mentioned in the earlier Tweet was E-1, which should have been the Platoon Leader's tank. Date is 2/8/44This latter M4 was knocked out at the entrance to the village, just across from a StuG III... /4
... so (atm) I'm assuming E-4 is his tank. The other M4 lost in the village I mentioned in the earlier Tweet was E-1, which should have been the Platoon Leader's tank. Date is 2/8/44This latter M4 was knocked out at the entrance to the village, just across from a StuG III... /4
... from (most likely) 1./StuG-Brig. 341. Also in the area were elements of 275.Inf-Div and 5.Fj-Div, it was all a little bit messy post Cobra. The latter are clearly marked covering the approaches to the town. I've added the direction of the US column in red (German map....) /5
On the 2nd of August, a column set out from south-east of Brécey, heading for high ground near St Barthelemy. Here are a couple of Google Earth screen shots for orientation. US route in red (for continuity this time), straight along the D5 road /6
On the 2nd of August, a column set out from south-east of Brécey, heading for high ground near St Barthelemy. Here are a couple of Google Earth screen shots for orientation. US route in red (for continuity this time), straight along the D5 road /6
On the 2nd of August, a column set out from south-east of Brécey, heading for high ground near St Barthelemy. Here are a couple of Google Earth screen shots for orientation. US route in red (for continuity this time), straight along the D5 road /6
Somehow tanks E-1 and E-4 got seperated from the rest of the column as they approached Juvigny.
With Stolan in his M4 were:
Julius Webb (D)
Lawrence G Hansen (G)
Clarence N Bush (L)
William C Byer (BG).../7
Their M4 was subjected to small arms fire and several rounds from a "bazooka", one of which hit the turret near the loader's position. This caused the tank to explode and for the bottom to be blown out (note the wheel to the side of the wreck). The tank burned out completely. /8
The town centre remained in German hands and suffered quite badly.
All the buildings on the left in the Google Earth photo are post war. Understandably. /9
The town centre remained in German hands and suffered quite badly. All the buildings on the left in the Google Earth photo are post war. Understandably. /9
The town centre remained in German hands and suffered quite badly. All the buildings on the left in the Google Earth photo are post war. Understandably. /9
This aerial photo from 1947 shows the neatly stacked piles of rubble which were former homes. /10
The two M4s had been written off and remained there until at least then, as did the StuG III. The two vehicles at the entrance to the village just nudged a bit to cleear the way, with E-4 dumped into the rubble of a former house /11
The two M4s had been written off and remained there until at least then, as did the StuG III. The two vehicles at the entrance to the village just nudged a bit to cleear the way, with E-4 dumped into the rubble of a former house /11
The two M4s had been written off and remained there until at least then, as did the StuG III. The two vehicles at the entrance to the village just nudged a bit to cleear the way, with E-4 dumped into the rubble of a former house /11
The two M4s had been written off and remained there until at least then, as did the StuG III. The two vehicles at the entrance to the village just nudged a bit to cleear the way, with E-4 dumped into the rubble of a former house /11
The two M4s had been written off and remained there until at least then, as did the StuG III. The two vehicles at the entrance to the village just nudged a bit to cleear the way, with E-4 dumped into the rubble of a former house /11
Here they became part of the landscape, something for the local children to climb on. /12
Here they became part of the landscape, something for the local children to climb on. /12
Here they became part of the landscape, something for the local children to climb on. /12
Of Stolan's crew, all bar the loader Clarence Bush managed to get out. Bow gunner William Byer was taken PoW and ended up in Stalag IIIC near what was Küstrin, now Kostrzyn (Pl).
Lawrence Hansen survived but died of wounds from a later action. Julius Webb survived the war. /13
Bush is still officially missing, listed on the Wall of the Missing at the Brittany American Cemetery.
Eyewitnesses agree he never got out:
"I know that he didn't get out and no-one could live in the fire that destroyed the tank"
/14
(Grim):
"I saw the tank burn. Later I saw parts of human flesh ... of the men in the tank"
"There was a charred mass that was a body in the turret"

Whilst remains were later recovered from both tanks they were deemed unidentifiable.

/15
Arthur Stolan, the 30-year old tank commander, managed to bail out but died of his wounds the following day.
He was repatriated after the war and is now buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota. /End

Photo of grave from Find-a-Grave, other bits from various IDPFs
Arthur Stolan, the 30-year old tank commander, managed to bail out but died of his wounds the following day. He was repatriated after the war and is now buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota. /EndPhoto of grave from Find-a-Grave, other bits from various IDPFs
Arthur Stolan, the 30-year old tank commander, managed to bail out but died of his wounds the following day. He was repatriated after the war and is now buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota. /EndPhoto of grave from Find-a-Grave, other bits from various IDPFs
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