Click on the following links to start downloading manuals, documents and illustrations relating to Tank Destroyers, their Operation, Tactics and Equipment and Training of Tank Destroyer Soldiers.
1.) FM18-5 Tactical Employment Tank Destroyer Unit
2.) FM18-5B Organization and Tactics of Tank Destroyer Units
3.) FM18-15 Tank Destroyer Drill and Crew Drill [3-Inch Gun Motor Carriage M10, 76-mm Gun Motor Carriage T70, 3-Inch Towed Gun (Gun M5 and Carriage M1)]
4.) FM18-18 Tank Destroyer Crew Drill, Gun Motor Carriage, M36 – December 1944. This particular manual is not in it’s original format but has been re-typed. It is located on the http://www.lonesentry.com/ website.
5.) FM18-20 Tactical Employment of Tank Destroyer Platoon Self-Propelled
6.) FM18-21 Tank Destroyer Towed Gun Platoon
7.) FM18-22 Tank Destroyer Reconnaissance Platoon
8.) FM18-24 Tank Destroyer Pioneer Platoon
9.) Extract from FM21-45 regarding Booby Traps and Mines – 3 pages taken from the FM 21-45 Protective Measures, Individuals and Small Units, as labeled and used for training of the 643rd TD Bn. and probably for many others.
10.) FM30-40 Recognition, Pictorial Manual, Armored Vehicles
11.) TM9-1295 Cal. .45 Automatic Pistol M1911 and M1911A1
12.) M-10 Interior Illustration – RH Side.
M-10 Interior Illustration – Rear and LH Side.
M-10 Interior Illustration – Front
13.) M70 (M18) Exploded View – Identified as being from 1943, this assembly view of the T70, which would later become the M18 GMC (Gun Motor Carriage) with 76mm main gun. Nicknamed the “Hellcat” the drawing came from the Fisher Tank Division of General Motors, which was know as Fisher Body during peactime. Fisher’s various plants produced many of the parts shown in the drawing but the Buick Motor Division was responsible for the final assembly. The drawing was provided courtesy of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection.
14.) TDS-110 Handbook for Officer Candidates, May 1943. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
15.) TDS-111 Reference Data – TD Units, May, 1943. This document provided courtesy of the Tank Destroyer Association by L. L. Gill, TDA Historian.
16.) Noncommissioned Officers’ Handbook, April 1943. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
17.) TDS-107 Functional Organization Charts, May 1943. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
18.) Browning .50 Cal. Machine Gun Training Manual. Published by the Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School, Camp Hood, TX. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
19.) Browning .30 Cal. Machine Gun Training Manual. Published by the Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School, Camp Hood, TX. This document provided courtesy of Larry Potter.
20.) M1 .30 Cal. Carbine Manual – Published by the Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School, Camp Hood, TX. Provided courtesy of Henry Anderson.
21.) Battle Plays for Tank Destroyers. Published by the Tank Destroyer Center. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
22.) Tank Destroyer Umpire Charts – providing graphic illustrations of the Rules, Fire-Power and Penalties identified in FM-105-5, dated April 23, 1942. Provided courtesy of Henry Anderson and Karen O’Connell.
23a.) TDS-104 Voice Procedure. Published by the Dept. of Communications, Tank Destroyer School, March 1943. This document courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
23b.) TDS-104 Voice Procedure Corrections – A 2 page supplement dated May 12, 1943, providing corrections to the Voice Procedure publication. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
24.) TDS 105-11 Tank Destroyer Weapons 75mm Gun on Motor Carriage M3A1, March 1943. Published by the Tank Destroyer School Weapons Department. This document provided courtesy of Erwin Verholen.
25.) Tank Destroyer Gunnery Manual. Published by the Tank Destroyer School in August of 1943. This document provided courtesy of Larry Potter.
26.) Tank Hunting Tactics – Document is identified as an orientation lecture, given to each battalion, at the outset of their instruction. The document and lecture was given by Lt. Col. Gordon T. Kimbrell. The document provided courtesy of Brad Cramer.
27.) 3 Inch Gun, M7 on M10 G.M.C. – A 10 page errata or corrections document published on May 18, 1943, to identify errors in the the original document File W-275-282, from the Destroyer Section, Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School, Camp Hood Texas, March 6, 1943. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
28.) 3 inch towed Gun M1 – A 10 page document providing specifications, assembly and disassembly, function and malfunction, care and cleaning and ammunition characteristics. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
29.) 37mm Gun M3 – A 61 page document, file # W-110-140, published by the Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School at Camp Hood, Texas, on December 1, 1942. The document provides files W-250 through W-274 which detail all areas of the gun and its use. There is a section on the M-6 telescopic sight and its use. The document also includes a worksheet and 7 page test. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
30.) General Care & Cleaning of Weapons – A 4 page document to provide information relating to some of the extreme condition the troops may encounter and help them to deal with the the adverse effects on their weapons, including desert, jungles, extreme cold, salt air and gas attacks. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
31.) Fire Control Instruments – A 10 page document, file W-202, providing information relating to the various items the men would be using for identifying targets as well as assuring accurate firing of the guns including Field Glasses, Lensatic Compass, Gunner’s Quadrant, Telescopic Sights M-6, M-51 and M-33 and Sight Mount M19. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
32.) Indirect Conduct of Fire Note Page – A form used by a forward observer to document results of indirect fire during training. Courtesy of Henry Anderson.
33.) Occupation of Position of Readiness – A 5 page table describing the procedure for the preparation and actual movement of an M10 tank destroyer into a position. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
34.) Reconnaissance Conference Outline – A 6 page outline of subjects discussed relating to the techniques, responsibilities, employment of elements of the tank destroyer reconnaissance company. References include, FM 18-5, FM 17-20, FM 2-15, FM 21-45, FM 100-5, FM 31-20 and FM 31-25. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
35.) Safety Precautions for Classroom & Range Conduct – A 6 page document by the Weapons Department of the Tank Destroyer School, published March 8, 1943, providing information to minimize accidental injuries and fatalities. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
36.) TDS 105-12 Supplement – This 2 page document provides information relating to developments in material, technique and tactics for the 37-mm gun, antitank, M3, on the M6 Motor Carriage, since the original publication of TDS 105-12. Changes are effective om June 14, 1943. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
37.) Critique of Tank Destroyer Operations – A 12 page document for the review of a mission, actions of personnel and radio nets, including diagrams. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
38.) Vehicle Identification Charts – A 7 page document to aid in the identification of U.S, British, German, French, Italian and Japanese vehicles. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
39.) Tank Destroyer TOE, Self Propelled – A large chart providing a visual representation of the TOE (Table of Organization & Equipment) for the self-propelled TD units. This information was originally identified in document No. 18-35 of the War Department, Washington D.C., dated March 15, 1944. Provided courtesy of Gene Bauer, who is a retired Army Veteran, that currently works for Range Control, at Fort Hood.
40.) Tank Destroyer TOE, Towed – A large chart providing a visual representation of the TOE (Table of Organization & Equipment) for the towed TD units. This information was originally identified in document No. 18-35 of the War Department, Washington D.C., dated March 15, 1944. Courtesy of Gene Bauer.
41.) TDS 113, Booby Traps for Training – A 19 page document published by the Tank Destroyer School Pioneer Department at Camp Hood, TX. It is labelled for school use only and dated July 1943. Contents include tripping mechanisms, firing devices, explosive charges and laying, detecting and removing of the traps in combat. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
42.) TDS 114, Enemy Antipersonnel Mines – A 14 page document published by the Tank Destroyer School Pioneer Department at Camp Hood, TX. It is labelled November 1943, and includes information on grenades, igniters and mines and also includes some very detailed illustrations. Provided courtesy of Samuel Snyder.
43.) First Echelon Preventative Maintenance Services – a 28 page document with extracted portions from TM 9-2810 Motor Vehicle Inspections and Preventative Maointenance Services, Chapter 2, Sections 1 and 2, dated 21 october 1943. Courtesy of Henry Anderson.
NOTE: Additional manuals are available to download through the Internet site “Internet Archive”. A link to that site is available in our Links section. Additionally, you can purchase manuals on disk from a company called Easy 1 Productions. I have copied their contact information below:
Easy 1 Productions
837 S Stephenson
Iron Mountain, MI
USA 49801
(906) 282-9395
Contact Name: Mike Powell
Email: mpowelleasy1@outlook.com