Located in ‘Place Patton’, there’s no doubting who this M4A4T Sherman in the centre of Avranches pays tribute to.
The break out of the bocage to the south of Saint Lo and the capture of Avranches allowed General Patton’s armour to open up Brittany to Allied assault at the end of July, and this vehicle is painted to match one of the tanks which helped liberate the town at the end of July 1944.
The original ‘Thunderbolt V’ tank was commanded by US Lt Col Creighton Abrams during the liberation of Avranches on July 30, 1944.
This tank was bult in Detroit at the Chrysler factory and has the serial number 3022475. It featured a 75mm gun plus two .30 calibre and one .50 calibre machine guns.
Originally, it was powered by the company’s A57 multibank petrol engine although this was replaced by Wright Continental R975 radial engine when the tank was transferred to the French Army following the end of the war.
The tank became a ‘T’ or ‘transforme’ version under French ownership and saw additional modifications made to it. This vehicle was retired from service in the mid 1950’s and put on display.
Today it also has a ‘Rhino’ hedge cutter blade attached to the front, a device which the original vehicle is believed to have possessed for several months during Operation Cobra.
It remains one of the best-kept tanks on outdoor display in France today.