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Posted on 08/23/2004 11:27:34 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 The M60 series tank succeeded the M47 and M48 Series. The improved design provided an increased operational range and mobility, requiried a minimum of refueling and servicing, and incorporated an improved main armament. A Continental V-12 750 hp. air cooled diesel engine powers the vehicle. Power is transmitted to a final drive through a cross drive transmission, which is a combined transmission, differential, steering, and braking unit. The hull of this vehicle is a one piece steel casting and is divided into two compartments, the crew in the front, and the engine at the rear.  The M60 Patton main battle tank is now primarily found in US Reserve and National Guard units, but served as the primary US main battle tank for two decades prior to the introduction of the M1. Developed from the M48 Patton series, the M60 was fitted with a 105mm main gun and manned by a four-man crew. Criticized for its high profile and limited cross-country mobility, this durable tank proved reliable and underwent many updates over its service life. Rarely has one vehicle type labored as the principle main battle tank for as long as the stalwart M60. The interior layout, based on the excellent designof the M26/46/47/M48, provided ample room for updates and improvements, extending the vehicle's service life for over four decades.  In the early 1950s, reports from British intelligence indicated the Soviets had developed a new heavily armored medium tank, the T-54. This new tank was armed with a 100mm gun, superior to the American M48 medium tank, which used an old 90mm main weapon developed in WWII. In response, the US developed a strategy to bring the M48 up a level to compete with the new Soviet tank -- the M60. Initially produced in 1960, over 15,000 M60s were built by Chrysler and first saw service in 1961. Production ended in 1983, but 5,400 older models were converted to the M60A3 variant ending in 1990. This tank saw action with the Israeli forces during the Yom Kippur War in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights.  Besides its main gun, the M60 series tanks are equipped with a 7.62mm M240 coaxial machine gun and 12.7mm M85 antiaircraft gun. Power is provided by a Continental AVDS-1790-2C 750 hp V-12 engine and an Allison CD-850-6/6A powershift crossdrive transmission. The first M-60s retained a turret similar to the M-48, but had a revised hull with better ballistic protection. The M60 tank hull was designed with a unique rounded boat shape, made from five cast pieces that combine to provide excellent ballistic protection for the four crew and equipment packed inside.  M60 Dozer The army ordered the M60 into production in 1959 and the first M60s entered service with U.S. Army units during the fall of 1960. Most of the initial production vehicles were sent to Europe to offset the Russian T-54, then coming into widespread service with Warsaw pact armies. While it was an improvement over the M48, especially in armament (having a 105 mm gun, a much roomier M19 Commander Cupola and new road wheels), the M60 was regarded as somewhat of a stop gap measure. It has 750 hp. with a maximum speed of 30 mph and maximum range of 350 miles.  Used in Vietnam and Desert Storm, it proved itself to be a dependable vehicle in all areas of operation
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Add Cannoneer. I just ran across him the other day. He shoots muzzle loading cannons, too.
Yourself?
Or another cannoneer?
They were there, but well camouflaged.
Another Cannoneer. Just plain Cannoneer.
I was never allowed to have a tanker jacket. We always wore field jackets. They did away with the beret while I was at AOBC. USAARMS had a metal pickle tank pin instead of a beret flash. The day they did away with berets our TCI frisbeed his into a mud hole on the Driving Range and pulled out a soft cap.
Reason I asked: I forgot to add myself to a ping list.
Rathe rembarrassing when others grab teh ping list off your page.. and then ask why you aren't in thread.
The baseball cap and old-fashioned field jacket has to be one of the sorriest military uniforms ever designed.
I'm honored. Thank you.
Great. I like tanks :-)
A couple more of my write-ups about my tanking days, in case anyone is interested.
This one is about driver training...
http://mostlycajun.blogspot.com/2004/03/driver-training-for-tankers-back-in-my.html
And this one is about some shooting, and seal problems found after the Israelis decided on an inflammable hydraulic fluid replacement...
http://mostlycajun.blogspot.com/2004/04/plinking-tanker-style-another-what-did.html
Thanks for dropping by...
free dixie,sw
a V100 is a BUNCH lighter & easier to dig out too.
free dixie,sw
Done that. Lifted your ping list and then wondered where the hell you were. Doh!
Got me worried when you said "add Cannonneer"..
And, did the neglecting to add myself bit more than once..
*wincing*
LOL!!
Everybody click on those links for some good stories.
mostly cajun, I sent Reverend Sensing of One Hand Clapping your Driver's Training story. He has a boy at Parris Island who wants to be an 1812. He caught the pneumonia and got recycled.
You got good info. My last assignment at Fort Knox was in the 1st Training Brigade's S-3 shop. We were responsible for scheduling the ranges for the training of CEV crewmen, among other things. The range rules required that we assume a 1000-METER frgment radius for the 165mm round. This meant that those on the firing line had to be in a bunker or buttoned up when firing the 165mm.
Viet Nam: M48A3. Same as M48A2C I had in Korea, except the -A3 had a diesel engine and the -A2C had gasoline...
They TOLD us it as an AVLB. We knew it was really a fly-swatter designed by a government committee with defense dollars....
Never got to see any bridge-layers in the flesh.
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