Salerno43: Anzio OOB - T30 HMC vs M4A1 Mortar Carrier?

[5 Leichte Div]

I also noticed in the Anzio_Alt_McNamara OOB this same unit is using the 'T30 HMC' component with it's unit class as 'Half Track' and it's unit type as 'Artillery'. In game this seems to represent the correct image on the unit card and the NATO symbol matches what you would expect, which would be a half tracked artillery unit and not a half tracked mortar unit as in the standard Anzio OOB.

I got the impression the McNamara OOB was heavily researched and maybe more historically accurate over the standard OOB, so it got me wondering if M4A1's were even at Anzio?

Anyone out there with substantial knowledge of the Salerno campaign and early/mid war US unit production be able to verify any of this one way or the other?

-Mark
Top

I took a dive into this question.  I was also unable to pin-point any equipment data from WW2
3rd Inf. Div OOBs. Due to the scenario scale - such a unit would be a gun-howitzer halftrack. Any 81mm mortar units would range only 1 or 2 hexes accordingly. The "7 Cannon" unit ranges 9 hexes at least. 

The unit "7 Cannon" would be a T30 HMC 75mm 'howitzer' halftrack. Those things were originally purposed as a dual AT gun-howitzer in North Africa and Sicily. Inadequate as an AT SP, the Sherman chassis M10 76mm gun replaced them.  The T30 HMCs easily shipped and were still useful as mobile light artillery, also capable for accurate 'direct fire' missions. The M4A1 81mm mortars were less versatile all-around.

The US 3rd Inf. Div was one of the 'early' divisions that saw combat in the Mediterranean Theatre. The T30
HMC was typical to these early units and was still in service in Italy at Anzio in 1944.

The game's unit symbols can be faulty as it is one of the old ones. It may have been overlooked.
And, yes - I also believe that the "Alt" based scenario are more accurate as far as the equipment is used in the game.

How's That ? !
Cheers,
Tom S.