Update to M60A2 USAREUR deployment

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 6:49 am

Up until now, I have tracked A2 units in V Corps as 1-32AR and 3-33AR. In VII Corps the units were 1-37AR and the companies were split in 3rd ID, one company to each armor battalion.

I have just found two posts by folks who say they were there, attesting to the fact that there WERE A2s in 8th ID. Unfortunately, one states there was a single pure battalion and one says the companies were split, each of 3 tank battalions having an A2 C Company.

I keep hoping to resolve all of this, just out of curiosity.

Begemot · Post by **Begemot** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 7:05 am

If there were A2s in the 8th Infantry they weren't in the 2nd Brigade '75 through '79. The two armor battalions of this brigade (1-68 and 2-68 ) were equiped with M60A1s. Interested in knowing when and where, if this were so.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 7:17 am

As I said, "me, too." One of the posts cited 2-68. I was in an A2 unit in Friedberg at the time, but had a school buddy in Baumholder. He doesn't remember any A2s. He was a platoon leader in 1-68.

I can find evidence of 2 in 7th Corps and I know specifically of the 2 in 3AD from personal experience, but can't account for the other 2 of the 6 supposedly issued in USAREUR.

If anyone can offer info, I would certainly appreciate it. The only other way I could see 6 is if the two at Ft. Hood were counted as designated for Europe.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 8:21 am

Back to Square One...

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:24 am

You can read through a discussion on tank-net.com, three pages worth, that run the gamut of possibilities, yeas and nays, to get an idea of the confusion. There are some things stated I know to be wrong, and even Donn Starry, who commanded V Corps at the time, adds to the confusion.

SO, like I said, Square One.

Sorry, Guys.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:22 am

Ok, I have found sufficient posts to convince me that 8th ID's 5-68 Armor In Mannheim got M60A2s and 3rd ID got two battalions of M60A2s. 3rd ID parceled out companies so their battalions had 2 A1 companies and 1 A2 company. With 2 in 3AD and one in 1st AD...

THAT ADDS UP TO SIX!!!

I AM DONE!

Cross-attaching in 3rd ID with their mech battalions must have been even more complicated.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:48 pm

Having searched far into the night, I am pretty convinced that we have found all 6 of the battalions of M60A2s in USAREUR, based on personal testimonials of service or observation. Those units are (for those of us OCD folks who care):

3rd Armored Division - 1-32 Armor and 3-33 Armor.

8th Infantry Division (M) 5-68 Armor

1st Armored Division - 1-37 Armor

3rd Infantry Division (M) two battalions worth in Schweinfurt, either pure or broken down and cross-attached so that tank battalions had a mix of 2 A1 companies and 1 A2 company. Still not sure how this was done and it must have been a nightmare for those trying to manage a Prescribed Load List of spare parts of those turrets and the CBSS.

Still open to more information about all of this, if anybody has anymore info.

In 3AD, A2 battalions functioned just like A1 battalions. My A Company cross-attached to 2-48 Infantry and my platoon was cross-attached with A/2-48. Later, the mission changed to thickening the covering force.

redleg · Post by **redleg** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:01 pm

When I saw this thread, I shot a quick email to Fort Benning hoping to contact the armor branch historian to see if he had any information. I guess it took a while for the email to get to him because I just got his reply this morning. Looks like you already figured this out through your own research, but here is his reply anyway:

Thank you for your inquiry. I have checked with the Armor Museum staff, the branch archives, and veterans. Here is the list of M60A2-equipped units that resulted:

V Corps-

5th Battalion, 68th Armor, 8th ID (54 A2s)
1st Battalion, 32nd Armor, 3rd AD (54 A2s)
3rd Battalion, 33rd Armor, 3rd AD (54 A2s)

VII Corps-

3rd ID
1st Battalion, 64th Armor (17 A2s)
2nd Battalion, 64th Armor (37 A2s)
3rd Battalion, 64th Armor (37 A2s)
4th Battalion, 64th Armor (17 A2s)

1st AD
1st Battalion, 37th Armor (54 A2s)

CONUS:
1st Battalion, 67th Armor, 2nd AD, III Corps, Fort Hood (54 A2s)

2nd Squadron, 6th Armored Cavalry, Fort Knox (17 A2s)

Robert Cameron, Ph.D.
AR BR historian

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:53 pm

well done, Redleg! Looks pretty definitive. So the A2 tank battalions in 3rd ID swapped an A2 company for an A1 company and then likely task organuzed from there. Interesting.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Sat Apr 06, 2019 1:46 am

I must confess that, since the Armor School moved to Benning, it doesn't occur to me to use it as a resource for info. Apparently, I am incapable of visualizing the Armor School and it's ancilaries being anywhere but Fort Knox. I visualize Fort Knox as ghost town now, remembering what a full and vibrant place it was when I was there, officer students, basic training, doctrine development, vehicle testing, all kinds of stuff, Brick Mess, Country Club, aviation (my boq was the now-demolished Newgarden Apts, and there were helos always buzzing me, operating day and night, developing night vision, nap of the earth techniqes). A veritable hive of activity!

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Sat Apr 06, 2019 8:41 am

So that accounts for 395 M60A2s of the approximately 520 produced. Wonder what happened to the rest?

chrisswim · Post by **chrisswim** » Sat Apr 06, 2019 7:11 pm

PG
The rest are in my armored forces, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting soul.
Guys, great info, thank you for looking up the information, culling through it. Real nice.
If you have more you come across, please share. Thank you.

panzergator · Post by **panzergator** » Sun Apr 07, 2019 2:02 am

Chris, so you really have 125 or so M60A2s on your back lot? How about some pics? Are you inclined to part with any? That's 2 plus battalions... I have 3 battalions, plus a company and a platoon.