|
 |
| THE
RAM KANGAROO |
| by
Hanno Spoelstra |
After
the Priest Kangaroo had proven itself, a replacement vehicle had to be
found since there were no further supplies forthcoming and the initial
batch needed replacement soon.
Canadian armoured units
had been training on the Ram Cruiser Tank in Great Britain, and were converted
to Sherman tanks before D-Day. This left a sizeable number of Ram tanks
available for conversion into Kangaroos. During the latter part of September
1944 the Ram Kangaroos arrived near Rouen, France.
The Ram Kangaroo was converted
from the late Ram II. After removal of the turret, the interior was rearranged.
Work entailed the removal of 6-pdr. ammunition stowage boxes and associated
equipment. The No.19 wireless set was relocated from the rear of the turret
into the left-hand sponson. Eight to eleven infantry could be carried in
the open topped compartment. (Contrary to popular belief, the Ram Kangaroo
was not fitted with bench seats in the interior nor with hand and foot
grips welded to the hull sides).
Often fitted with a British
type towing hook (on a vertical bar over the rear hull engine doors), the
Ram Kangaroo could alternatively be used as a gun tower.
The crew consisted of the
driver on the right and a vehicle commander on the left, operating both
the radio and the Browning M1919A4 .30 cal. machine-gun. Extra machine-guns
were often fitted in the bolt holes of the turret ring.
No weather equipment was
fitted, but crews often improvised with tarpaulins to keep out the worst
of the weather when not in action.
Apart from being used by
the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment, the Ram Kangaroo was used by
the 49 Royal Tank Regiment. On paper, each Regiment consisted of 2 squadrons
of four troops each totalling 106 Ram Kangaroos and thus capable of "lifting"
2 battalions of infantry. Both units were part of the specialized armour
of the 79th Armoured Division.
|
(For
Further Details Click to
Enlarge
Any Photo Below)
|
Ram Cruiser tank
|
|
Ram Kangaroo interior
|
|
Ram Kangaroo stowage
sketch
|
|
Ram Kangaroo rushing
forward
|
|
late Ram Kangaroo interior
|
|
Tpr Schultz inside his
Kangaroo
|
|
late Ram Kangaroo interior
|
|
late Ram Kangaroo ready
to move out
|
|
late Ram Kangaroo in
Belgium
|
|
late Ram Kangaroos advancing
to Groningen, Holland
|
|
late Ram Kangaroos in
Germany
|
|
Continental R975 radial
engine
|
Sources and recommended
reading:
Fletcher, David. 'Ram Tank Variants.
Command/OP, ARV, Kangaroo and other versions.' Wheels & Tracks,
no.52, July 1995, p.14-21.
Hunnicut, R.P. Sherman: A
History of the American Medium Tank. Second edition. Novato: Presidio
Press, 1978.
Ramsden, Kenneth R. The Canadian
Kangaroos in World War II. Cavan: Ramsden-Cavan Publishing, 1997. ISBN
0-96996-97.
Storey, Ed. 'The 1st Canadian
Armoured Carrier Regiment, 1944-1945'. Militaria Magazine, No.20,
October 1995, p.36-41.
|
|
