I am in a race with other "Tank" travel bugs. We all started from the same location and are having a race to see who can travel the most miles. We have milestones as we make our journey. Please help my M7 Priest stay ahead of the others.

M7 Priest Travel Bug

Current Dossier:
Travel more miles than the other enemy tanks.
It is important that the muggles not be aware of the mission.
Be discreet when driving tank behind enemy lines.
Camouflage cache well to prevent unwanted discovery.
Use ammo boxes for bivouac when available.
Keep HQ aware of current location by logging your move.
Acquire photo reconnaissance when possible and post pictures.

The M7 Priest is an American made self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. The nickname "Priest" is due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring. The Priest was created because there was a need for a self-propelled artillery vehicle with enough firepower to support the infantry. The design for the M7 was created by reworking the M3 Lee Chassis to provide an open topped superstructure and mounting a 105MM Howitzer. They also wanted this vehicle to have sufficient armor and be fully tracked, and the M3 Lee chassis provided this. After some trials, a machine gun was also added and the M7 Priest was accepted for service in February 1942.

The first M7s were produced for the U.S. Army but were also used by the British. The British 8th Army station in North Africa were the first to use it and having proved itself successful, Britain ordered 5,500 of them. The order was never fully completed. The British used the M7 not only throughout the North African Campaign, but also the Italian Campaign. There were even a few used during the early days of the Normandy invasion. The British did have problems with the M7, the primary armament was American not British so they had to be supplied separately causing logistical problems. The armament problem wasn't resolved until the M7 was eventually replaced by the 25-pounder-armed Sexton. Once the Sexton appeared, most of the M7s were converted into "Kangaroo" armored personnel carriers. These Kangaroo personnel carriers were so successful that they were soon being used by both U.S. and British forces. Their ability to maneuver in field with the tanks was a major advantage and led to APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) being designed by almost all armies immediately after the war.

In U.S. service the M7 was a great success. Each U.S. armored division had three battalions of M7s, giving them unparalleled mobile artillery support.

A total of 3,490 M7s were built and they proved to be reliable weapons, continuing to see service in the U.S. and allied armies well past World War II.