This happened at Graf
A M-60A3 from 1st Armored was taking a short cut inbetween two ranges. The TC did not have his gun tube elevated and when the driver hit a soft patch of ground, they stuck the muzzle into the mud.
The driver climbed out and scooped the mud out and ran a short section of ramrod with a brush on the end. Then looked in and proclaimed the tube "clear" Neither the driver, or the tank commander thought to open the breech block and look through the tube.
When this tank got to the range, they loaded TPDS and opened fire. The mud wad that was stuck in the tube, blocked passage of the shell and peeled open the tube like a bananna. Force of the explosion shattered all three driver's periscopes as well as the gunner's periscope head...
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