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U.S. Army troops employ M31 armored tank retriever near Hurtgen, Germany, in World War 2

A US crew uses their M31 tank retriever in attempts to rescue two pieces of armored equipment from the mud, near Hurtgen, Germany during World War II. They first recover a camouflaged M10 tank destroyer from a roadside ditch , using their cable attached directly to the load. In addition to mud, the M10 has some snow on it. Otherwise, the retrieved tank destroyer appears to be intact and undamaged. In the next scene, several recovery team members clamber over an M7 gun motor carriage (105 mm Self Propelled Gun). Its right tread has sunk completely , where the road surface has collapsed. (The previously retrieved M10 is seen,behind, on the road, with some snow still on it, apparently operating under its own power. ) Many infantrymen are seen in the background. Soldiers snake a retrieval cable around the M7. Troops then gather around as the retrieval efforts commence. Location: Hurtgen Germany. Date: December 9, 1944.

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