Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo. More ?

9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
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M-18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer

The M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer was used during World War II in Europe, 1944-1945. It featured high speed and a low silhouette giving its crews an advantage over the slower and heavier German Panzers. U.S. units with the Hellcat adopted hit and run tactics to knock out German tanks before they could respond.

The M18 Hellcat (also called the 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18) was armed with a 76mm M1A1C main gun and a .50 cal. machine gun, able to penetrate the armor of almost any German tank. The 18.5 ton vehicle was powered by a Continental R975-C4 400hp radial engine that gave the M18 Hellcat a road speed of up to 55 mph. About 2,507 M18 Hellcats were produced.

The M18 Hellcat Gun Motor Carriage chassis was the basis of the M-39 Armored Utility Vehicle (AUV).

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M-18 Tank Destroyer at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup.

M-18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer Photo Gallery

M-18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer at 4th Infantry Division Museum, Ft. Hood, TX, 2 December 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit.

M-18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer on its way to a demonstration at open house, Camp Edwards, MA, 23 Oct 2010.