M8 SP Howitzer "Laxative" in Normandy

fificat

I have just one pic of this gun and want to do a build on it. Anybody have info they can research to get more pics and info about this SP gun? Pic I have shows a GI swabbing out the barrel, and another GI stacking ammo. I also need to know what outfit this gun was with. I you have any info on what happened to this gun after landing in Normandy, I would love to know. TIA

For more pics try google, type in m8 howitzer then click on images.

You might need to know when the photo was taken to know what units were in Normany with M8's at that time whether it was part of the main landing or follow on troops.

Weren't the M8's primarily allocated to be Cavalry Recon units for fire support? Some may have been kept in the Light Company of Armored units. I don't believe any were assigned to Infantry Divisions. They may have been attached to the infantry divisions as being organic to Task Forces from the Cav or Armored units assigned for that mission.

Mike T.

Mike, you got me as to how they were assigned.

Gunner Chris--I have checked Google and find only this pic I referenced, along with a close-up crop of the GI getting the ammo ready.  Enough for all the side view work, but nothing on the guns unit markings.

I found the picture and it has 3-9 painted along the side free hand. It would probably be then a Cav unit in their Cavalry Assault Gun troop. As there were only 8 M8's to a troop the numbering seems odd. 3 for 3rd platoon seems logical, but vehicle number 9? Unless this numbering was for the previous organization method when one gun was assigned to each Recon Platoon. Being the 9th vehicle in a platoon would make more sense. This earlier arrangement was used to the end of 1943, so the old numbering system may not have been painted over.

This link may be helpful to you.

http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/Reconnaissance/Recon/united_states_cavalry_reconnaissance%20squadron.htm

The hedge plow in front put it just prior to Operation Cobra, and possibly associated with 3rd Armored which did have these vehicles

Here's a listing of Cavalry units, most did operate during Operation Cobra. Of the 5 listed all would be possible candidates except the last one.

http://www.essextroop.org/RCP/Reconprofiles.pdf

Mike T.

There are several pics of "Laxative" in print. I will see what I can find out for you about that particular HMC tomorrow. I am off to work now.

Stik--I will look forward to hearing from you.

Mike--I will be checking these links out.

I have since found out that the picture of Laxative was taken in 1944 near the town of Barenton in Normandy, but north of the town near road D36. It was apparently attached to the 2nd Armored division.

I just found a picture of this gun with no hedge cutter, and a note that "Normandy tactical numbers" were painted over, on the way to the breakthrough to the Seine River. There is now a star in place of the big 3-9 on the side, which another picture (a painting of the "laxative") shows is in yellow.

OK, I found this info on "Laxative" in the Concord book US Light Tanks at War by Steven Zaloga. Laxative was assigned to 3rd Armored Division. There are three photos of it, two taken with the high visibility numbers and Cullin hedgerow device,  and a later one. The photo you describe is in there captioned as having been taken on August 9, 1944 near the town of Barenton while 3rd Armored was engaging in combat ops against the 1.SS and 2. Panzer Divisions. There is a second photo of the opposite side that appears to have been taken around the same time and place judging from the background and weather conditions. The third photo shows laxative without the large hull numbers and hedgerow device, a repositioned hull star( the remains of an older star more forward on the sponson can be seen), and it was taken in what appears to be autumn conditions on more open terrain. In none of the photos, the bumper codes are not visible so it not possible to determine which sub unit this M8 was assigned to.

According to Squadron's US Self Propelled Guns in action, M8s were assigned to the HQ Company of Medium Tank Battalions until it was replaced there by the M4(105mm) in the latter half of 1944.

Strange, but I also found these three pics in "Armored attack 1944 : U.S. Army tank combat in the European theater from D-day to the Battle of the Bulge" by Zaloga.  He mentioned on p.173 that Laxative was from "reconnaissance company of the 2nd Armored Division."  Pics I have seen with French notes also mention 2nd Armored.  I have also found notes that 2nd and 3rd Armor Divisions used these big yellow tactical numbers from the Normandy landing, but crews painted them over when they found that the German gunners were using them to sight in on them(!)

Think I have gone as far as possible on this, and will start my build soon.  I have to finish a dio of a British 2 pounder anti-tank gun dug into the desert in North Africa.  I am also experimenting with making my own decals, with some limited success so far.