1:72 diecast display tank by Hobby Master.

The M10 were, numerically, the most important US tank destroyer of World War II. In its combat debut in the North African campaign, the M10 was successful as its M7 3-inch gun could penetrate most German tanks then in service at long range. The heavy chassis did not conform to the tank destroyer doctrine of employing very light, high-speed vehicles, thus it began to be supplemented by the 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 early in 1944. Later in the Battle of Normandy the M10's gun proved to be ineffective against the frontal armor of the numerous German Panther tanks encountered and by the fall of 1944 the improved 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 was beginning to replace it, though it remained in service until the end of the war. In the Pacific, US Army M10s were used for traditional infantry-support missions and were unpopular due to their open topped turrets. The Japanese tactic of very close-in infantry attacks against US AFVs made the M10 much more vulnerable than a fully-enclosed tank.

Approximately 54 M10s were supplied to the USSR though their usage in Red Army service is largely unrecorded. The M10 also equipped units of the Free French Army; one M10 named "Sirocco", crewed by a regiment composed of French sailors, famously knocked out a German Panther tank on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. British M10s were designated 3 in SP, Wolverine and saw action in Italy and France, including some re-armed with the much more effective 17-pounder guns which gained the designation 17 pdr SP. Achilles.

The M10 had an open-topped turret that left it vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire and infantry assault especially in urban combat and forest areas, where a simple hand grenade could be tossed inside. By the end of the war its armor was too thin to provide protection from the new German tanks and anti-tank guns. The other main disadvantage of the M10 was its very slow turret traverse, the M10 did not have powered traverse and so the crew had to hand-crank the turret to traverse it, taking approximately two minutes to traverse 360 degrees. US tank destroyers fired much more HE than anti-tank ammunition, indicating that they were employed much like the tanks they were supposed to support.

On December 16, 1941 the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion was formed. On June 30 1944 the Battalion landed on Utah Beach with "A" and "B" Companies supporting the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red 1) and "C" Company supporting the 4th Infantry Division. The 634th played a major role in the Allied breakout at St. Lo to begin the drive eastward to the Siegfried Line and beyond. After many hard fought encounters with German forces the 634th took part in the capture of the high ground at Mortain resulting in the famous “Falaise Pocket”.

Moving east at 20 miles a day they crossed the first river, the Seine and then the Marne. Fighting their way through Belgium in support of the 1st Infantry Division the next major task was to breach the Siegfried Line (a defensive line of bunkers, tunnels and tank traps) at Aachen, Germany. This was the first major city in Germany to come under attack from the Allies. Since Aachen was a very historically significant German city Hitler ordered it defended at all cost. After the German Garrison Commander refused to surrender an attack by air bombardment and fire from the M-10s and other artillery began on October 11 1944. "A" Company of the 634th supported the infantry when they entered the city the next day while "B" and "C" Companies along with infantry encircled the city and prevented several attempts by the enemy to re-supply and re-enforce the troops fighting within the city. October 21 1944 after devastating the city with their 3- inch guns the fighting ended with the surrender of the remaining German troops.

They continued pushing east and in early December the 634th along with the 1st Infantry Division were relieved and sent back to Belgium for a well- deserved rest. The rest didn’t last long because on December 16 1994 the Germans attacked in the Ardennes to begin the well-known Battle of the Bulge. The 634th and the 1st ID were rushed to defend the northern flank of the Bulge and were called upon several times to counter enemy attacks.

After the Ardennes the 634th and the 1st returned east to continue the war. On May 7, 1945 VE Day they found themselves halfway across Czechoslovakia. Three hundred and six days after landing in Normandy the 634th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 1st Infantry Division had been in actual combat conditions except for 7 days. They managed 3 days of rest in August and another 4 days in December.

During the 299 days of combat, the Battalion destroyed 55 enemy tanks, 12 self-propelled guns, 18 armored cars, 76 general-purpose vehicles, and 25 anti-tank guns. Forty-nine pillboxes, 80 machine gun nests and 189 strong points were neutralized. Over 3,000 prisoners were taken and 45 enemy vehicles and 5 anti-aircraft guns were captured intact. The known enemy killed runs well over 6000. During combat the Battalion fired a staggering 17,855 rounds of three-inch ammunition.

Because of their actions the 634th TDB were awarded 55 Silver Stars 4 with clusters, 157 Bronze Stars 9 with clusters and 2 members received the Croix de Guerres. Seven enlisted men received battlefield appointments to second Lieutenant.