Why This 'American' Tank Destroyer Became Far Deadlier After The British Changed Just One Thing

Описание: The M10 Wolverine was America's most produced tank destroyer of World War 2. It was a solid machine with a solid gun. But when British engineers got their hands on it, they did something that transformed it into one of the most feared anti-tank weapons in Europe. They ripped out the American 3-inch gun and replaced it with the devastating 17-pounder — the only Allied weapon that could reliably kill a Tiger from over a mile away
This is the story of the Achilles Tank Destroyer. Same chassis. Same engine. Same thin armour. But with one gun swap, penetration jumped from 93mm to 140mm — and with the revolutionary APDS sabot round, it reached a staggering 209mm
In this video we cover the full history of the Achilles 17-pdr M10, from the anti-tank crisis that began with Tigerphobia in Tunisia, through the engineering of the conversion at British workshops, to the brutal combat record in Normandy where a single troop destroyed 13 German tanks at the Battle of Buron during Operation Charnwood
We break down the exact specifications and penetration data of the 17-pounder versus the American 3-inch gun, the 76mm on the M18 Hellcat, the 90mm on the M36 Jackson, and the German 75mm and 88mm guns on vehicles like the StuG III, Jagdpanzer IV, and Nashorn. We examine the APDS round — what it could actually do and what it could not — and separate verified fact from myth
The Achilles served from D-Day to the Rhine crossing and beyond, operated by British, Canadian, and Polish anti-tank regiments. After the war it served in Korea, Belgium, Israel, and Denmark — where it remained in service until 1989
If you enjoy deeply researched military history focused on British weapons and engineering from World War 2, subscribe to British War Machine for new videos every day.
Sources include Ordnance Board trial reports, Royal Armoured Corps assessments, operational research data from MORU Report 33, veteran accounts including Captain Tony Foulds' recollections of the Buron engagement, and published works by Steven Zaloga, Dennis Oliver, and David Doyle
#BritishWarWeapons #WW2 #Achilles #TankDestroyer #17Pounder #M10Wolverine #BritishEngineering #WorldWar2 #TigerTank #Normandy