M60 Tanks

[panzergator]

The battalion scout platoons were 3 M113A2s and 3 M901s.

[redleg]

Thanks for the info, PG! I wasn't going to paint any M901 / M981 in MERDC because of the lack of FIST-Vs in M60 units...but my plans have just changed!

[Hoth_902]

RedLeg,

Don't undercut your endevour. Fill out the entire unit.. LOL.

[panzergator]

In the three years of my first overseas assignment, '75-'78, the tank battalion scout platoon went from 10 M114A1s to 10 M113A1s, to 6 M113s and 4 TOW Under Armor M150s, to 3 M113A1s and 3 M901s.

[redleg]

Hoth, you are becoming my arch-nemesis! I would have so much more money in my bank account right now if it weren't for you pushing me to build my collection! All that diabolical encouragement! LOL BTW - it's about time for you to post some pics of your M60s on here. Your work is great...you need to share more of it!

That's a lot of change in scout platoons! Maybe I'll go with the six M113s after all. I still have some time to decide I guess - still need two more tank companies before the battalion is done!

[Hoth_902]

Redleg, Please, you are now projecting.. Its is you who are providing all the diabolical encouragement. I now have an entire ACR because of you.. LOL. Ok. I will see what I can do on my M60s.. but they all look the same at the moment. I need to get around to painting my M60 Sabra's. I keep debating on trying to figure out the Turkey Orange tinge color, or just do them in NATO Tri Color, or Just desert sand. See.






The Nato tri color and the Desert Sand are easy, but I kind of want to paint the Orange Tinge. I like doing stuff that is different. I did see one that had a yellow color like the one in the Catalogue.. Anyway.. I hate trying to mix colors to get what i want.

[panzergator]

To whom do your Sabras belong? That determines the color scheme.

[Hoth_902]

Panzer, that is a great and fair question. As for right now, my Sabra's are Turkish. Based on my photo recon of the internet, I believe the Turks are the only operators of the Sabra and I also believe that they use all three paint schemes.

With that said, I would love to build an actual RPNW Ground force with actual equipment they would use being purchased for my collection. To that end, I feel like the RPNW would probably buy something like the Sabra. Its got a 120 mm main gun and there would be a good supply of used chassis. Enough to build a substantial force for a nation of that size. Also, any M1s in its inventory, "procured" during the break away, would be short on parts.. Finding a supplier would be difficult to say the least. Lets be honest, the US would not be rushing to the RPNWs help to keep its stuff working after it broke away from the Union.

The issue, for me and by default the RPNW, is a finite budget.. well sort of. I am trying to fill out full units for actual army's that I would use to war game with. Not that I am doing much of it at the moment., even before the Pandemic. So I am focusing on that first.. With that goal in mind, I want to paint the vehicles using unique paint schemes for that country. Its more interesting. To that end, building an army specifically for the RPNW is a little out of the question at the moment. If I did buy units for my imagi-nation, then it would be Nato Tri color and desert sand. At some point I would love to buy and build at least a company of every M60 ever Built. As I have told you before, its my favorite tank of all time. Love every version.

[panzergator]

I like to start new units with a platoon or company, company if possible. It usually depends on balancing existing requirements, since I am still filling out my division, against the new unit. I'm not as ambitious as BrigadeCommander about every track and wheel, but I need to finish my Divarty, G seies mech battalion, one more H series mech bn, the ADA Chaps and a composite engineer battalion. I am also working on 2 E series mech bns using M59s (from another company), as well as figuring out how I want to make my M48A1 battalion, since GHQ doesn't make that one (yet?). I want a two-piece battery of atomic cannons, as well as some THAADs and other pieces from a third company that GHQ also does not make (M37s, M52s etc for the post-Pentomic, pre-H series units. There are self-imposed budgetary constraints I must work within. If I ever win the lottery, this won't be a problem...

But it makes it easier if you have a plan for your collection, whether you wargame or just collect units. I learned this along the way as my collection grew.

[Hoth_902]

Panzer,

O I have a plan when I start.. but it rarely survives contact with the enemy. Every time Boeing comes out with a cool piece or my friendship with people on this forum grows.. so does the scope of my plan. I suffer from mission creep, like no body's business. Now the bigger question for me, is if I expand out the number of companies I do for the Turks, I should buy one company to do in all three camo schemes. But then I would ask myself, do I need the other tank types that the Turks have.. see.. mission creep.. LOL

[panzergator]

Oh, I understan quite well your predicament. That is exactly how I got where I am. And defines where I still must go. Hence my pleas for out-of-print vehicls from time to time.

You can do one company of each type and paint each company in a different scheme or one platoon of each company in each scheme.

Or just have a fictional US battalion using Sabras as an expedient. I may have one such company eventually.

We are slaves to GHQ.

[Hoth_902]

Trust me Panzer, I know I am not alone in the level of obsession and servitude to GHQ and there products. Matter of fact, if anything, you and others make me feel better because I feel like I am not at your level yet.. Close, but not yet. As for painting a single platoon in one color and a different color for the next, that train has left the stations. I now only speak and purchase in companies.. I am hopelessly infected. And any fictitious units will be for the RPNW.

[panzergator]

Oh, you are at our level. We just started earlier than you, and I am a piker in comparison to Chrisswim and others.

Yeah, I usually buy in company strength, sometimes in battalion strength. Still planning to buy for the Christmas sale probably my G series mech battalion. And I have had two battalions of M59s on order pre-pandemic, so there is a backlog. I am replacing my current M48A5s with Magach 3s, working on what to do with M48A2s (cavalry or armor units), making M48A1s from A2 turrets and A1 hulls... Oh, geez. I get confused sometims. I am also makung a second early M60 battalion with odds and ends of the old M48A5 turrets and old M60A1 hulls. I'm in the middle of stripping paint. Life would be easier if GHQ would make M59s, M48A1s, and re-issue the M60.

[panzergator]

One model we need is the Israel M60A1 with add-on armor they used in the 1970s.

[Hoth_902]

I want an M60A1 without the IR lamp.. So I can have gulf war era marine M60A1s.. and if there is enough of a difference.. one with reactive armor. I can cut it off but I really don't like doing mod work for myself. They should have made that something you glued on.