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Ram Badger Described
The Badger was a conversion of the Ram Kangaroo designed to carry the Wasp II flame-thrower equipment. During the war, the Kangaroo was used exclusively for the conversion and the flaming equipment was the same as that of the Wasp IIC, replacing the hull MG. It had a range of 125 yards with a maximum elevation of +30° and a maximum depression of -10°. The flame projector could traverse 30° to the right and 23° to the left. The two fuel tanks had a capacity of some 150 gallons and were pressurized to 250 psi. Ultimately the turret ring was covered with armour plate and an M3 style cupola was mounted off-centre in the plate for the crew commander. The Badger worked in conjunction with infantry of 4th Armoured Brigade, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, in the assault to "warm up" pillboxes and other targets of opportunity, during the early months of 1945. While it proved to be an improvement over the Wasp IIC flame-thrower based on the Universal Carrier, it still did not fully meet the requirements of the Canadian Army.
Postwar a number of Sherman M4A2(76)W HVSS' were converted to Badgers and remained on strength with Canadian forces into the 1960's. They were called the "TANK, COMBAT, FULL TRACKED, M4A2 w/e, fitted for flame thrower". As with the earlier Ram Badger, the turret was replaced with a steel cover over the turret ring and a small vision cupola was added for the crew commander. The flaming equipment, as in the Ram Badger, replaced the hull MG. The conversion of three of the Shermans began in October 1947 but the delay in delivery of suitable high pressure gasoline suction hoses prevented the first pilot model from completion until May 1948. The second and third vehicles weren't delivered until March of 1949. The flaming equipment was the same Wasp IIC mechanism that had originally seen service in both the Wasp and Ram Badger. The success of the Sherman Badger led to interest in the U.S. Army to experiment with their flame thrower T-68.
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Ram Badger Illustrating the Armoured
Plate with Cupola, Covering the Turret Ring.
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Sherman Badger, based on the M4A2
hull and chassis with HVSS
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© Chris Johnson, 1997
