A total of 1,100 M10s were converted to Achilles, making it the second most numerous armoured fighting vehicle to carry the 17-pounder gun, behind the Sherman Firefly tank.

[citation needed] The M10 was based on the chassis of the M4 Sherman but carrying thinner although more sloped armour in order to comply with the high-speed requirement for the tank.

The main armament of the Achilles was the Ordnance QF 17-pounder, a substantially more powerful gun than the 3 inch (76.2 mm) M7 mounted on the standard M10.

The next generation British anti-gun, the 17-pounder, was able to deal with Tigers and Panthers but had a far longer emplacement time prior to battle than the 6-pounder due to its larger size, often taking a day to fully prepare for action.

As a result, the British used the Achilles as a quickly deployable anti-tank gun, able to reinforce a position taken by infantry and engage counter-attacking German forces while the slower towed 17-pounders were pulled up and dug in for a more long-term defensive presence.

This had the advantage of mitigating the weak armour protection of the Achilles as being used defensively usually allowed it to fire the vital first shot.

This was in line with the original design concept of the vehicle, intended to blunt German "blitzkrieg" attack tactics.

However, the Sturmgeschütz's low profile and heavy armour were significant assets that allowed it to be successful in its different tactical environment.

Thirteen German tanks were destroyed in one of the most successful anti-tank engagements of the campaign, for the loss of four self-propelled guns and a further four damaged.

[3] After WWII, Canada rebuilt M10 tank destroyers at the Montreal Locomotive Works and gave 48 M10s to Denmark and the Netherlands in 1955.