1115 RARE WW2 652ND TANK DESTROYER BATTALION FLAG.

SOLD
Sign In To View Winning Bid
This item SOLD at 2023 Dec 03 @ 11:12UTC-5 : EST/CDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 100.00 USD
Estimated at 200.00 - 400.00 USD
3' x 4' double applique machine and hand embroidery on black field, Philadelphia depot label dated June 20, 1944. The 652nd Tank Destroyer Battalion was formed in March 1943 at Camp Bowie, Texas. The concept of tank destroyer units differed from Army doctrine of tank units before and into World War Two. Tanks were considered the break-through elements of the Army, designed to punch holes in enemy lines and exploit the rear areas causing havoc with logistics, reinforcements and more. The German Army also developed its own tank destroyer doctrine and weapons systems including towed guns (37MM to 88MM) and then motorized armored vehicles (a number of types). Tank destroyer units were designed to take on enemy tanks that had broken through friendly lines. In the U.S. Army this was done initially with towed 37MM and 75 MM anti-tank guns and later with motorized M-10 (75MM gun), M-36 (90 MM gun) and M-18 (76MM gun), the latter units being armored. The Battle of the Bulge was the swansong of the towed Tank Destroyer units with many of them overrun in the German surprise attack. The first battle where the towed guns had issues and high losses was at Mortain in Normandy. This helped the Army's decision to adding the armored and more mobile tank destroyers to the war in Europe replacing the towed guns. As with many of the tank battalions of World War Two, tank destroyer battalions were assigned to armor and infantry divisions for fire support and anti-tank capability. The concept was first worked out in 1941 and the doctrine for the units certified in 1942. Prior to this towed 37 MM guns and M3 Half Tracks with 75MM guns mounted in the back were used in the Louisiana Maneuvers of 1941 and again in the Carolinas maneuvers later that year. The concept was proven and orders issued to raise 53 battalions of tank destroyers which was greatly expanded later. The first combat use of tank destroyers was in North Africa in particular at El Guettar where the guns on the M3 halftracks helped stop the 10th Panzer Division albeit at considerable losses of units. As the M10, M36 and M18 armored tank destroyers began reaching the front the towed and halftrack mounted units converted to them. By the end of the war and the arrival of the M26 Pershing tank with heavier armor and a powerful 90MM gun, the curtain fell on the tank destroyer concept. That would be taken over by the tanks themselves – as they had been doing since 1942. In March 1943, the Tank Destroyer Force finally received a new branch insignia. This depicted the profile of a M-3 half-track mounting a 75-mm gun. Although only the version for left-side wear was authorized (M-3 facing to the right, or honorable, side), the insignia were occasionally worn in pairs; more rarely with the unit numbers added. The shoulder sleeve insignia was approved on September 22, 1942, and was created by the staff of General Andrew Bruce, its first commanding officer. The colors of the force were black and orange. Hence, the TD patch featured a powerful black panther crushing a tank in its jaws, all on an orange disk. The tank, which in the original version of the patch had eight bogie wheels, typified an American tank, not a German version. Insignia manufacturers had problems breaking numerous needles while completing all the bogie wheels, necessitating the four-wheel variation of the SSI, most common version. As this is a battalion color it would not have had the devices that the company guidons carried. CONDITION: very good to fine overall, issued without crest as so many WW2 flags sent into field with only unit designation. Philadelphia depot was only able to complete about 15 regimental flags per month and more & more units were being deployed. It took up to 45 days to hand embroider the crest and just not enough time even though the crest was adopted by end of 1942. (02-19982-13/JS). $200-400.