How much did "Rhino" tanks improve the American advance in Normandy?

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Accepted answer

Sergeant American Culin invented the Rhinos: the use of the Rhino was as followed:

  • The tank drives at 25 mph
  • It goes through the hedgerow thanks to the prong
  • Other tanks could use the breach to advance without exposing too much

1/ The bocage battle

During the bocage battle to Cherbourg, the Americans started to use the Rhino tanks: it did help them to advance fast, since they were opposing only low-quality Axis units that had not that much antitank weapons nor training: in this situation, the Rhinos allowed faster advance for the tanks on a difficult terrain, as well as regular presence of tanks close to infantry and thus better support provided to infantry.

During the later advance on Saint-Lô, Rhino tanks were not of a great help: the Americans most of the time used artillery and infantry to capture hills, and the help of tanks was often delayed. Still, German centers of resistance could be destroyed during this phase of battle with tanks/Rhinos assault: for example, the 8th corps suffered 5 000 casualties for 5 kilometers taken, while later the 5th corps had 6 000 casualties for 10 kilometers advance: the difference in casualties per kilometer is real, but its causes are multiple (better artillery and air support, Rhinos, tactical adaptation of American infantry...) and overall losses were still high.

Note that the Germans had no Rhinos but similar problems: the Lehr division lost half of its tanks in two days of failed counter-attacks and had to play defensive.

2/ Cobra operation

During the Cobra operation, that was basically a massive attack of tanks, opened by infantry assaults and a massive air attack, the Rhino tanks proved useful:

After the air bombing, and the first infantry advance, German resistance was still harsh. The Americans once thought they were stalled again, but Bradley decided to launch the armoured divisions into the breach to actually open the breach and enter the exploitation phase of the battle. This decision could have triggered a disaster (a kind of Seelowe), would American tanks be slowed down and vulnerable in their advance. But the Rhino tanks helped in opening the roads, thus avoiding jams, and they allowed tanks to fight head-on ennemy defenses instead on manoeuvering slowly on each hedgerow and being an easy target during the manoeuver.

Conclusion:

The Rhinos did give better results in terms of speed of the advance and tactical disponibilities of tanks/ But against classic German division (around Saint-Lo) and not weak ones (around Cherbourg), it did not reduce significantly the amount of casualties overall (less casualties in tanks, but still numerous ones in infantry).

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