Armour in Canada (6) Québec
Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Québec
The data and photos found on this page has been compiled by the author, unless otherwise credited. Any additions, corrections or amendments to the lists of Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Canada found on these pages would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.
Une traduction au français pour l'information technique présentée serait grandement appréciée. Vos corrections, changements et suggestions sont les bienvenus, et peuvent être envoyés au hskaarup@rogers.com.
Gatineau
(Author Photos)
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank (Serial No. 69215), built by Fisher, Reg. No. 30129694, “Chateauguay”, Régiment de Hull, de Salaberry Armoury, 188 Alexandre Taché Boulevard.
In 1946 the first of 294 M4A2 (76-mm) Wet Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS) Sherman tanks arrived at Camp Borden and at the Long Pointe Ordnance Depot in Montreal. The Canadians referred to this tank as the M4A2E8. 96 Stuart tanks were also delivered at the same time. The new Shermans were manufactured by the Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, Michigan between May 1944 and May 1945. M24 Chaffee light tanks were also purchased at this time. Compared with the Shermans used by Canadians in the Second World War, the ammunition storage in the new tanks was improved by surrounding the racks with water and etheylene glycol-filled jackets to reduce the probability of explosion in the event of penetration of the armour by enemy fire. The tanks equipped with this protection system were designated "Wet". The M4A2E8 was powered by a pair of side-by-side mounted General Motors 6046 diesel engines producing 375 hp mounted in the rear of the hull. The tank could sustain a speed of 48 kmh (30 mph). Its main armament was a 76-mm M1A2 long-barreled, high-velocity gun fitted with a muzzle brake. Its secondary armament included one Browning .30-calibre M1919A4 machine-gun mounted co-axially with the main gun, a bow machine-gun in the front of the hull, and a Browning .50-calibre machine-gun mounted on a post between the loader's and commander's hatches for AA protection. The HVSS system used four wheels per bogie instead of two, which allowed tracks that were wider (165-mm) to be installed, and which made for better performance on soft ground and allowed for a smoother ride. The M4A2E8 had a five-man crew. The driver and co-driver sat in the front of the hull with the driver on the left and co-driver on the right. The crew commander, loader and gunner sat in the turret. The crew commander's position was on the right side of the turret, the loader sat on his left and the gunner sat in front of the commander. After the first batch of the new tanks went to the RCD at Camp Borden 1946, another 30 went to the LdSH at Camp Wainwright, Alberta in March 1947. Training on the tanks by the LdSH was also conducted at Camp Sarcee in Alberta, and at Camp Petawawa when the RCD moved there in the spring of 1948.
(Author Photos)
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank (Serial No. 69224), built by Fisher, Reg. No. 30129703, “Kiska”, Régiment de Hull, de Salaberry Armoury.
(Author Photos)
Centurion Main Battle Tank Mk. 5, L7 105-mm main gun, CFR 52-81061, "Afghanistan", formerly at St-Hubert, FMC HQ.
(Author Photos)
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown), "Wrightville", Régiment de Hull, de Salaberry Armoury.
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets. This AFV has been moved, location TBC.
La production du transport de troupes M113 commença en 1960 à l'usine de la firme FMC à San José. Les nombreux composants de ce véhicule permettaient déjà de fabriquer un grand nombre de versions différentes. On constata qu'ils pouvaient aussi être utilisés pour la conception d'autres engins blindés. A cette époque, l'armée américaine avait déjà choisi le M114 comme véhicule de commandement et de reconnaissance, mais cet engin ne fit guère preuve de grandes qualités et ne fut pas exportés. FMC conçut alors un véhicule utilisant le groupe motopropulseur du M113A1 à moteur Diesel. Ce véhicule fut adopté ensuite par le Canada qui en commanda cent soixante quatorze exemplaires sous le nom de Lynx, et par les Pays-Bas qui en reçurent deux cent cinquante dans le courant de l'année 1968. Cet engin blindé est souvent appelé le M133 et demi. Comparé au M113, le Lynx se distingue par une silhouette plus basse, le déplacement du moteur à l'arrière et quatre galets de roulement au lieu de 5. La caisse en aluminium résiste aux projectiles de petit calibre et aux éclats d'obus. Le chef d'engin est en arrière, à la droite du pilote. L'observateur-radio est à gauche du chef de char. Le compartiment est situé à l'arrière droit de la caisse. On y accède par des plaques de visite placées sur le toit et sur la face arrière. La suspension est assurée par barres de torsion. Le barbotin est à l'avant et il n'y a pas de galets support. Le Lynx est amphibie. Dans l'eau, il se propulse à 5,6 Km/h grâce à ses chenilles. Avant la mise à l'eau , le brise-lame placé à l'avant est relevé, les pompes de cales électriques mise en route et des manchons rectangulaires montés sur la prise d'air tout comme sur l'échappement, pour éviter que l'eau ne pénètre dans le compartiment moteur. Leur ligne de flottaison étant très haute, des véhicules comme le M-113 et le Lynx ne peuvent traverser que des cours d'eau lents ou des lacs. S'ils étaient mis à l'eau en pleine mer, ces engins finiraient probablement par être submergés. Le chef d'engin dispose d'un tourelleau à commande manuelle M26, d'épiscopes permettant d'observer sur 360°, d'une mitrailleuse de 12,7 mm montée sur un support extérieur et de 1.155 cartouches. L'obsevateur-radio sert une mitrailleuse de 7,62 mm montée sur un pivot et pourvues de 2.000 cartouches. Trois tubes lance-grenades fumigènes à mise à feu électrique sont disposés à l'avant de chaque côté du véhicule et orienté vers l'avant. Les véhicules hollandais sont un peu plus légers et leur aménagement intérieur est légèrement différent. Les derniers véhicules ont été équipés d'une tourelle Suisse monoplace Oerlikon-Buhrle GBD-AOA armée d'un canon de 25 mm KBA-B qui peut tirer soit coup par coup, soit à 175 cps/min, soit à 570 cps/min. La dotation est de 200 obus, dont 120 explosifs et 80 antichars. Le Lynx hollandais bénéficie d'un avantage supplémentaire: il tire les même munitions que le véhicule de combat d'infanterie développé par FMC pour les Pays-Bas (dont le canon est monté sur une tourelle monoplace à commandes assistées).
La Tuque
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, at the cenotaph, Rue Saint Joseph and Rue Saint Eugene.
Laval
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown), Laval Armoury, 2100 Boulevard le Carrefour. (SCALAIRE Photos)
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets.
Lévis
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Levis Armoury, 10 Arsenal Street. (Author Photo)
Maniwaki
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 187, 136 Rue du Souvenir.
Montréal, Côte-des-Neiges Armoury
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown), Côte-des-Neiges Armoury, 4185 De la Côte-des-Neiges Ch. (Author Photo)
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets.
AVGP Cougar, Côte-des-Neiges Armoury, 4185 De la Côte-des-Neiges Ch.
Montréal, CFB Montréal, Longue Point Garrison, Royal Canadian Ordnance Museum, 6560 Hochelaga Street.
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank (Serial No. 69229), built by Fisher, Reg. No. 30129708. (Author Photos)
Centurion Main Battle Tank Mk. 5, 20-pounder main gun. (Author Photo)
The Canadian Army took delivery of 274 Centurion Mk. 3 tanks between 1952 and 1953. The Centurion had well-sloped armour, superior mobility andexcellent gun and fire control systems compared with its then existing contemporaries. The first 21 Centurions were delivered to the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Germany in March 1952, where they served with the Canadian contingent of the NATO forces based there. The Centurions were used for training in Canada in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Mk. 3 tanks were modified to Mk. 5 standard with the replacement of the co-axial Besa MG with a .30-calibre Browning MG. Most of the Centurions in Canada retained 20-pounder main guns, while the Centurions in Europe were upgunned to the Mk. 6 standard with the L7 105-mm main gun and additional armour in 1962. The Centurions in service with 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4 CMBG) in Germany were brought up to Mk. 11 standard in 1965 by fitting a .50-calibre Browning HMG aligned alongside the .30-calibre Browning MG, the fitting of a 100-gallon fuel tank on the rear hull plance, and the installation of infrared night-fighting gear. Nine Centurion Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARV) were purchased by Canada in 1954, and four armoured bridge-layers (ABL) in 1966. Centurions ended their service in Germany on 2 June 1977, and in Canada as late as 1979 when Leopard tanks began to replace them.
Russian T-72M Main Battle Tank. This T-72 was acquired by 4 Intelligence Company on 2 February 1996 for full-scale identification training. The tank was originally used for testing and evaluation at CFB Valcartier before it was delivered to the military tank park and museum at Long Point, Montreal. (Author Photos)
M548 Cargo Carrier. (Author Photo)
M578 ARV. (Author Photos)
M113 ARV. (Maxwell Toms Photo 1, Author Photo 2)
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown). (Author Photos)
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets.
North Hatley
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 242, 95 Rue Jackson Heights.
Philipsburg
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Royal Canadian Legion, Montgomery St and Hwy 133.
Québec City, La Citadelle
(Christophe Finot Photo)
(Goodfon Photo)
(Wargaming Miscellany Photos)
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank, la Citadelle, The Royal 22e Museum.
Universal Carrier, la Citadelle, The Royal 22e Museum. (Photo courtesy of Jean Gagnon)
Quyon
M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier, in a park at Clarendon St and Ferry St.
Rivière-à-Claude
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(Julie Montmarquet Photos)
VBL LAV III, Afghanistan Memorial, Parc de la Paix.
Riviere-du-Loup
M113 C & R Lynx, at Armand-Theriault Blvd and Frontenac St.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR)
M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank, facing the parade square from the NW side.
Centurion Main Battle Tank Mk. 5 with 20-pounder main gun, facing the parade square from the NW side. (Author Photos)
Leopard A2 Main Battle Tank with 105-mm Gun, NW corner of the College. (Terry Honour Photos)
155-mm M109A2 155-mm SP Howitzer, CFR 85-77232 painted as CFR 85-34825, located at CMR St Jean. It is located in the north West corner of the college (visible from the road). (Terry Honour Photo)
M113 APC facing the parade square from the river side. (Author Photo)
AVGP Grizzly, facing the parade square from the river side. (Author Photos)
Le Musée du Fort Saint-Jean, 15, rue Jacques-Cartier Nord.
Sherbrooke
M4A2 (75) Sherman III tank, (Serial No. 8007), built by Fisher, 3063256, Build No. 898, WD No. T-152656, "Bomb", Sherbrooke Fusiliers, Zutphen, Netherlands, 8 June 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3397558)
"Bomb", is a Sherman III tank (British Commonwealth designation of the M4A2 Sherman), War Department registration T152656, serial number 8007, built by Fisher build number 898. This tank survived from D-Day to VE-Day without being knocked out; an improbable achievement because of the high casualty rate amongst front line combat equipment. Bomb's crewmembers, originally Troopers A.W. Rudolph, "Red" Fletcher, Trooper J.W. (Tiny) Hall, Lance-Corporal R. (Rudy) Moreault and Sergeant Harold Frutter, crew commander, kept the tank in service, despite firing over 6,000 rounds and surviving at least one enemy shell impact. Frutter was wounded in July 1944 and one other man were replaced in Normandy by Lieutenant Paul Ayriss and Trooper Ken Jeroux. Lieutenant J.W. Neill replaced Ayriss in August 1944, and was later awarded the Military Cross. Two more officers to command Bomb were Lieutenant Walter White who was wounded in April 1945 and Lieutenant Earnest Mingo who replaced him until war's end. The tank and crewmembers Rudolph, Moreault and Hall were the subject of a Canadian Army Film and Photographic Unit production entitled, "Green Fields Beyond" (number 2090) in 1945. The tank was on display at the Champs de Mars park, Queen Boulevard North, Sherbrooke, Quebec and in Sept 2011 was relocated to the front lawns of the William Street Armoury, 315 William Street, Sherbrooke, Quebec.
(Jaylimo84 Photos)
(Author Photos)
(Terry Warner Photos)
M4A2 (75) Sherman III tank, (Serial No. 8007), built by Fisher, R/N 3063256, Build No. 898, WD No. T-152656, “Bomb”, Sherbrooke Hussars Regiment, 315 Rue William. This tank is one of four surviving original Shermans that fought in Europe, returned to Canada in 1945. "Holy Roller", in London, Ontario, "Cathy" at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and "Forceful II" in the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario are the other survivors.
(Terry Warner Photo)
M4A2 (75) Sherman III tank, (Serial No. 8007), built by Fisher, R/N 3063256, Build No. 898, WD No. T-152656, “Bomb”, Sherbrooke Hussars Regiment, 315 Rue William. The tank is shown here being moved to a location nearby on the grass.
Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment changing tracks on an M4A2 (75) Sherman III tank in England, May 1944. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 454721)
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. unknown), Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke Regimental Museum, 64 Belvédère Street South. (Author Photo)
Information on the correct CFR number for this vehicle would be most welcome. The hull number on the Lynx is on the upper right corner of the glacis plate (vehicle's right) in a rectangle deliberately left bare of grip tread paint, also on the rear door about 3" above the handle pivot and on the observer's hatch between the 2 hinge arm brackets.
Sorel-Tracy
(Réjean Montmarquet Photos)
M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 117, 117 Rue de Souvenir.
Stanstead
(Ours Curieux Photo)
(nobellium Photo)
M4A2 (76)W HVSS Sherman "Easy 8" tank (Serial No. 65029), built by Fisher, Reg. No. 30123008.
Trois-Rivières, Jean Victor Allard Armoury, 574 St Francis Xavier.
(Author Photos, 4 Apr 2012)
(Author Photos, 4 Oct 2019)
M4A4 Sherman Firefly VC 17-pounder Monument 12e RBC. This M4A4 is reported to have served with the Three Rivers Regiment in Sicily, Italy, and in the Netherlands during the Second World War. It was returned to Canada as a "War Trophy," and is on display as a monument in Trois Riviers, Quebec. Its original 75-mm gun has been replaced with a 17-pounder anti-tank gun. The tank's original Serial Number is 5235, indicating it was accepted in Sep 1942. The bullet splash plates on this tank are welded onto the air intake grill. CFR No. WD CT150503, “Cathy”.
Sherman Vc Firefly tank, South Alberta Light Horse, Calcar, Germany, Feb 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, PA113675)
M4A2 Sherman and Sherman Firefly Vc tanks, LdSH, 5th Canadian Armoured Division, Elde, Netherlands, May 1945. (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4167256)
M113 C & R Lynx (Serial No. CR2-163). (Author Photo)
AVGP Cougar. (Author Photo)
Major Hal Skaarup has woven together an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored armoured fighting vehicles on display in Canada. He highlights the importance of these upon key turning points in history when these AFVs were in use as tools of war at home and overseas. We often associate the evolution of military prowess with the advancement of sophisticated technology. Major Skaarup's descriptions of Canadian armour as it evolved to the level it has today reveals that military planners have had to be continuously creative in adapting to the changes in modern combat. They had to devise many intricate techniques, tactics and procedures to overcome the insurgents and opposition forces faced in Afghanistan and future overseas missions where Canadian armour will be brought into play. This guide book will show the interested reader where to find examples of the historical armour preserved in Canada, and perhaps serve as a window on how Canada's military contribution to safety and security in the world has evolved.
Lieutenant-General Steven S. Bowes
You may order the book "Ironsides" on line at these websites:
Order Book: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000479183/Ironsides.aspx.
Order E-book: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000479183/Ironsides.aspx.
Order book in Canada: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Ironsides-Canadian-Armoured-Fighting-Vehicle-Harold-A-Skaarup/9781462034642-item.html?ikwid=harold+skaarup&ikwsec=Books
