My latest plan...

[panzergator]

Well, I still have that M103 battalion to finish, BUT... I want an M48A2 battalion to go with it. Execution: buy M48A5 packs with the 2 A2 turrets, use the A5 turrets to make M60s using my old sculpt M60A1 hulls and gradully build up both battalions. At the end, I will have an M48A2 battalion and an M60 (as opposed to an A1 battalion) battalion. I will have to cut off the cupola and replace it with spare M60 cupola. At some point in the process. I will simply try to buy the turrets separately.

I checked out the Magach 3 and it will do for the correct M48A5. I have only to cut away the 50cal over the main gun. I can use barrels from the old M60A1 sculpt turrets to correct the Magach 3 gun, since the 5 didn't have the barrel jacket.

Chris, should I buy the Shapeways M59s or will Scotia respond?

[panzergator]

OCD. MAD for collecting, building the units as they existed, although most will just be the tracked vehicles and a few of the wheels. Not really interested in going beyond the J series TO&E. Going back to early 50s.

[redleg]

Sounds like an awesome project! How were M48 battalions organized anyway? Four 17-tank companies?

[panzergator]

Number of companies fluctuated between 3 and 4. Still doing the research.

[mike robel]

Well, I still have that M103 battalion to finish, BUT...

Yikes! I just noticed the M103's. Now I'll have to buy some of those!

The M103 was actually the first tank I ever trained on at Advanced Camp at Fort Bragg in 1976. It was from an Army Reserve Unit that still had them! So we got to climb on it. I had taken some Armor Officer Basic Classes through correspondence as a cadet, so I noticed things that were the same as the M60A1 when I got on it.

Then, we had a little time on Sheridans at Fort Bragg as well. That was in June-July. By September I was at Fort Knox for the Armor School.

[panzergator]

Mike, those are M103A2s. Did you have the A1 or A2? The back deck is the quickest giveaway. It would be interesting to have the background.in that unit, as the 103s all but disappeared in1972.

[panzergator]

I haven't read of M103s in Army Reserve units that late. When the Army had to them in Germany, there was only one battalion of 72 M103A1s, divided into 4 companies of 6 three-tank platoons. No tanks in hq, since the employment concept was to parcel them out to back up M48 units. As I said previousy, there was a Marine Reserve M103 company next to my Basic Training battalion at Fort Knox early in 1973, but they were turned in that year. Marine M103s formed the D Company in Marine th I bns, probably in 5-tank platoons.

[mike robel]

Well, I was only on it for a day, but it was an A2 because I remember the grill doors and the air cleaners.

I also remember the accumulator. Rough and Smooth, your in the groove.

I was very surprised when I saw it because I thought they were all out of service by 1976, except for the USMC.

[panzergator]

"Rough and smooth, in the groove!" Same for M60 series hydraulic indicator!