[25Kingman49]

Thank you, Nick.

Here is a paragraph from the 8 AD After Action Report, from the second link in my original post.

"An air strike had been requested and exactly at 1000 on the 20th a 13-plane squadron appeared over the town. For 45 minutes the planes dive-bombed and strafed the city's defenses. At 1100 A Company of the 36th Tank moved into firing positions behind a low protective ridge approximately 2 1/2 kilometers west of Blankenburg. Moving forward into full view in a line formation on the ridge, the Company fired five rounds from each tank in order to impress the Germans with the strength of the American armor. Following this the tanks withdrew and a two battalion Time on Target was fired by the 275th AFA and the 399th AFA."

Company A, 36 TB equipped with medium Sherman tanks: 76mm main gun.
275th AFA and the 399th AFA equipped with M7 Priest: 105mm Howitzer main gun.

The dive-bombing and strafing certainly reads like the tactics of P-47 fighter/bombers rather than medium bombers.

Thank you all for your responses.