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Location Category ID:
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6055
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Latitude, Longitude: |
49.33413125
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-0.75660825
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Location Accuracy: |
10
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For many years Monsieur Jacques Lemonchois has made a business from salvage work off the Normandie beaches. He has recovered a number of military vehicles that were lost during the Normandy Invasion in June 1944. These are on display in an ‘Underwater Wrecks of the Landings’ Museum, displaying numerous military items recovered from the sea. All the items are intended to be displayed as they were recovered, so the vehicles are very rusted and encrusted with barnacles. The Museum is located near Commes in Calvados, between Port-en-Bessin and Escures, on the road to Bayeux. It officially opened in 1991.
As well as those vehicles displayed in the Museum, M. Lemonchois was also responsible for recovering from the sea the M7 Priest 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriages belonging to the Saumur Armour Museum (#118) and the 68th Artillery Regiment at Valbonne (#46). He has salvage rights to half of the sea-bed off the coast of Normandie, the other half belongs to M. Jean Demota who recovered the Sherman DD Tank displayed at Courseulles-sur-Mer (q.v.), Calvados. Since the first edition a second M7 Priest listed has been moved from this museum, and is now on display at Ouistreham (q.v., source: T. Royall).
Inside the museum there are displays of artefacts related to the recovered vehicles. One display is labelled as “M4 DD of 741st Tank Battalion: Once the two tons of mud inside were removed, the items and weapons of the crew appeared to be in perfect condition”.
As well as the vehicles listed here, the museum displays a Sherman turret; it has a label that states “DD M-4 TANK TURRET, 741 ST TANK BATTALION, Torn off a tank deeply embedded in sand”.
All of the vehicles are displayed outside, each mounted on rocks and in fenced enclosures.
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Musée Des Épaves Sous-Marines Du Débarquement
| Location ID: | 6055 | | Latitude, Longitude: | 49.33413125, -0.75660825 | | Location Accuracy: | 10 |
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Unique ID: |
771
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Unique ID: |
988
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This is a 1943 production M4 fitted with an M1 dozer blade. The dozer blade is badly damaged.
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Unique ID: |
986
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Text in original Preserved Tanks In France publication:
This M4A1 DD has a sign nearby that states “‘DD’ TANK SUNK 4 MILES FROM OMAHA BY 27 METERS, ON MORNING OF JUNE 6 Th AT 6.30 AM, 32 AMPHIBIOUS ‘DD’ TANKS (741 Th TANK BATTALION) ARE LAUNCHED 4 MILES FROM OMAHA BEACH. 27 OF THEM SINK, UNABLE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HEAVY SEAS. 2 REACH THE BEACHES DUE TO THE SKILL OF THEIR DRIVERS. 3 OTHERS ARE BEACHED BY THEIR L.C.T. WHOSE RAMP WAS JAMMED.”
It was recovered from offshore in July 1980. It is missing its flotation screen and half its right-hand track.
Text in Preserved Tanks In France Update:
This tank, along with a variety of personal items recovered with it, has been purchased by an American company, Overlord Research LLC, based in West Virginia, USA. The owners intend to return the tank to the United States, preferably for public display in an American Museum such as the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana or the National Museum of the United States Army, to be constructed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. However, the details of its repatriation and its final location in the United States are still being determined. As the tank was submerged for many years, Overlord believes preservation of its current condition which shows its loss at sea as it approached Omaha Beach is an aspect which is more historically important than attempting a restoration. (Source: Wikipedia).
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Unique ID: |
987
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This M4A1 DD is missing half of its left-hand track. It is unusual in having large driver’s and co-driver’s hatches as usually seen on the M4A1 (76)W.
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Unique ID: |
989
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Serial Number: |
“2537”.
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The left-hand superstructure of this M7 is badly damaged. It has a label nearby that states “M7 PRIEST HOWITZER FROM 58Th ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, RECOVERED FROM AN L.C.T. WRECKED 3 MILES FROM OMAHA BEACH AND CARRYING 2 JEEPS, 3 HALF-TRACKS AND 4 M7. IN IT, PERFECTLY KEPT DOCUMENTS ENABLED TO IDENTIFY ITS PILOT: JOHN H. GLASS AND RECONSTITUTE ITS INCREDIBLE STORY FROM THE NORTH AFRICA TO THE NORMANDY LANDINGS.”
Corporal John Glass revisited it at a memorial ceremony held in 1985.
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