Hobby Master HG3401 | M-10 Tank Destroyer 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion with the 1st Infantry Division Aachen Germany, October 1944

General Background:

The M10 made its first appearance in North Africa where it was quite successful being able to penetrate the armor of most German tanks in the field at that time. As WWII progressed it was realized that the M10 didn’t have the speed required to make up for its lack of armor. As well the crew was left open to the elements and enemy gun fire. In Normandy the M10 was coming up against the newer German Panthers and Tigers that had thicker armor than the previous tanks. This made the M10 ineffective against the
German armor and by late 1944 the newer M36 was beginning to replace the M10. By the end of production there were over 6,000 M10s manufactured.

The Tank:

On December 16, 1941 the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion was formed. On June 30 1944 the Battalion landed on Utah Beach with "A" and "B" Companies supporting the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red 1) and "C" Company supporting the 4th Infantry Division. The 634th played a major role in the Allied breakout at St. Lo to begin the drive eastward to the Siegfried Line and beyond. After many hard fought encounters with German forces
the 634th took part in the capture of the high ground at Mortain resulting in the famous
“Falaise Pocket”.

Moving east at 20 miles a day they crossed the first river, the Seine and then the Marne.
Fighting their way through Belgium in support of the 1st Infantry Division the next major
task was to breach the Siegfried Line (a defensive line of bunkers, tunnels and tank
traps) at Aachen, Germany. This was the first major city in Germany to come under attack
from the Allies. Since Aachen was a very historically significant German city Hitler ordered
it defended at all cost.  After the German Garrison Commander refused to surrender an
attack by air bombardment and fire from the M-10s and other artillery began on October
11 1944. "A" Company of the 634th supported the infantry when they entered the city the
next day while "B" and "C" Companies along with infantry encircled the city and prevented
several attempts by the enemy to re-supply and re-enforce the troops fighting within the
city. October 21 1944 after devastating the city with their 3-inch guns the fighting ended
with the surrender of the remaining German troops.

They continued pushing east and in early December the 634th along with the 1st Infantry
Division were relieved and sent back to Belgium for a well- deserved rest. The rest didn’t
last long because on December 16 1994 the Germans attacked in the Ardennes to begin
the well-known Battle of the Bulge. The 634th and the 1st ID were rushed to defend the
northern flank of the Bulge and were called upon several times to counter enemy attacks.

After the Ardennes the 634th and the 1st returned east to continue the war. On May 7,
1945 VE Day they found themselves halfway across Czechoslovakia. Three hundred and
six days after landing in Normandy the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 1st
Infantry Division had been in actual combat conditions except for 7 days. They managed
3 days of rest in August and another 4 days in December.

During the 299 days of combat, the Battalion destroyed 55 enemy tanks, 12 self-propelled
guns, 18 armored cars, 76 general-purpose vehicles, and 25 anti-tank guns. Forty-nine
pillboxes, 80 machine gun nests and 189 strong points were neutralized. Over 3,000
prisoners were taken and 45 enemy vehicles and 5 anti-aircraft guns were captured
intact. The known enemy killed runs well over 6000. During combat the Battalion fired a
staggering 17,855 rounds of three-inch ammunition.

Because of their actions the 634th TDB were awarded 55 Silver Stars 4 with clusters,
157 Bronze Stars 9 with clusters and 2 members received the Croix de Guerres. Seven
enlisted men received battlefield appointments to second Lieutenant.

Specifications M10 Tank Destroyer

Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver)

Weight
Combat weight: 32.6 tons   (29,574.22 kg)
Power-to-weight ratio: 12.6 hpfT

Dimensions
Overall length: 22.3 ft.   (6.83 m)
Width: 10ft.   (3.05 m)
Height: 9.5 ft.   (2.90 m)
Ground clearance: 17 inches   (43.18 cm)

Power
Engine: Two General Motors 6046 12 cylinder, 2 cycle diesel with 850 cubic inch
displacement; 410hp
Transmission: Syncromesh transmission with 5 forward, one reverse gear
Fuel capacity: 165 gallons   (624.59 l)

Performance
Max. speed (road): 30mph   (48.2 km/h)
Max. speed '(cross-country): 20mph    (32.18 km/h)
Max. range: 200 miles  (322 km)
Fuel consumption: 1.2 miles per gallon   (0.5 km/l)


Armament
1 X 3-inch main gun M7 in Mount M5, 54 rounds 3-inch;
M62 APC projectile: muzzle velocity 2,600 ft/sec -
penetration of 93mm at 500 yards at 30 degrees
M93 HVAP projectile: muzzle velocity 3,400 ft/sec -
penetration of 93mm at 500 yards at 30 degrees

Maximum effective range: 16,100 yards   (14,721 m)
Gun depression/elevation: -10 to +30 degrees

1 X .50 cal. M2 HB machine gun 1,000 rounds

Armor
2.24 in   (57mm) gun mantlet
0.98 in   (25mm) turret sides
1.5 in   (38mm) upper hull front
1.97 in   (50mm) lower hull front
0.75 in   (19mm) upper hull side
0.98 in   (25mm) lower hull sid