Guys, I am planning to bulid one of those rare olive green Abrams tanks used in Iraq. If you have any photos or links, please don't hold it back.

Best regards,

Adam

This one belongs to Charlie Company, 1st Tank Battalion USMC :



Sticker close-up :



On a side note, I believe the color is called Forest Green...

HTH

Frenchy

Every day we learn something new from Frenchy bottomless chest of wonders .
I have never seen M1 in that color, what is the story behind them?

Here is one I got a pic of while going through BIAP of an M1A1 with Tusk 1 armor. Not seen many in forest green, often all tan or like our tankers from 1-35 Armor which had the 3 color NATO with Tan Tusk 1 or 2.



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No chest of wonders, only a well-stocked HD AFAIK, some USMC Abrams used in the early stage of OIF coming from stocks that were pre-positioned for Europe, were not repainted Sand prior to arrival in theater.

Frenchy

Always surprising, Frenchy!!
Any pictures out there of the M1A1's depicted in Echelon's USMC set Nbr.2?
If I recall it right they were nicknamed "Hermes" and "Nightmare Witness"...

I think this one is Nightmare Witness :


Frenchy

Thanks for that pic, I really envy your HD!!!!

Hey Adam,

Hermes:






Nightmares Witness:









Pictures posted for discussion purposes only!

hope this helps

Cheers Max

Great photos, great help Guys. As always.

Thanks,
Adam

Howdy all, the solid Forest Green tanks were loaded aboard the MPS(Maritime Pre-position Squadron) ships prior to OIF at Blount Island, Florida. The USMC has no tanks pre-positioned in Europe. The tank 'Hermes' had "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" on the starbord side of the bore evacuator. The crew in the picture drowned when their tank drove off a bridge into the Euphrates river around 24 hours after that picture was snapped.
Outta here, Mike sends . . .

OMG, what a sad ending...

The wrecked vehicle photo is the same?

Adam

Hi Mike
Always good to have first hand info !I've just said they were pre-positioned for Europe, not in Europe That would explain the green camo more suitable for a European theater of operations...

Frenchy

Roger that Frenchy, those Green Hogs could be for Korea, South America, Asia, Ausssie land or the Artic too. Since those pesky thermal sighting systems appeared color is kind of a non-issue. A good 30 kilo road march will blend your hog in just fine.
And yes the broken up looking Green tank with 'MPF' spray painted on its flanks is the same tank that SSgt May, Cpl Rodriquez, Cpl Martinez-Flores and LCpl O'Day died in. Outta here, Mike sends . . .

Nice reference shots!

Nightmare's Witness.....

In the 1st image the wheels all look like they've been taken from a sand colored vehicle or is it just dust/sand build up?

Anybody have an idea of what the front CIP panel colours were? In one shot you can see it peeking through the cammo netting.
Were they like Hermes, tan with green strips or green with tan strips?

Howdy John, those are just dirty green road wheels. The CIPs come in a kit per tank. More than likely if the side/rear panels are sand then the fronts are too. Outta here, Mike sends . . .

Thanks Mike

Again on this subject...
Should an "Hermes" model built with DML M1A1 AIM kit carry part V28 or V14?? I left these pieces for the final stages since I could not find references of this.
Thanks for any help or advice you can give

One thing to keep in mind Adam is, that you would have to "backdate" the AIM kit to a HA version like in pic#1 + #2 (sticker).
Hinges, 2x for the APU (old style) hanging from the rear and a cutout of the rear-light cover.
So far I am informed the first batch of AIM‘s allotted for the USMC as replacements was around FY 2008.
But Mike and Frenchy may have more up-to-date info on that.

Not speaking for this particular unit, but from my experience the part resembling V28 was removed as soon as possible by it‘s crews, most of them were just "cut" off.

Cheers
Christopher

Thanks for those tips Christophe, I almost miss those details

An M1A1 AIM is an Abrams brought up to current "Heavy Commmon" standards and returned to a "zero kilometers/ zero hours" like new condition. There is nothing to 'back date' on the Dragon kit 3535 to make a Jarhead Abrams from 2003. The tanks that came off of the MPS(Maritime PrePosition Ship) boats had a mix of old and new features. As an example the first tank pictured "Green Mile"(which became 'Hermes' later) has the lugs to hang a hull mounted APU (Auxiliary Power Unit). The USMC never had the hull mounted APU. This is a feature from older rebuilt tanks. Most of the USMC vehicles on the MPS ships are rebuilds. You just need to add the the M257 Smoke Grenade Launchers to kit 3535 to make a Jarhead Abrams. Chris, what is part(V28) that you are saying was "cut off"? I do not have the kit in front of me at the moment. Outta here, Mike sends . . .

Chris, what is part(V28) that you are saying was "cut off"? I do not have the kit in front of me at the moment. Outta here, Mike sends . . . [/quote]

V28 is the angled piece of metal sheet attached to the rear vertical hull in front of the drive wheel reaching into it‘s inner space, designed to prevent mud building up within .
The kit gives you the choice of installing it (V28), or deleting it with a screwed on metal plate (V14) indicating it was deleted during the previous upgrades.
Originally it was intended to prevent trowing a track in muddy grounds, sort of inner "self cleaning" scraping device for the drive wheel.
Had to be removed every time to remove the drive wheel.
Since it was totally useless anyway, crews cut it off at the base usually with a welding torch.

Cheers
Christopher

Howdy Chris, you are talking about the 'Mud Scraper'. It is bolted to the hull with four bolts. And yes it gets unbolted and tossed the first time you pull the sprockets. "Tanks" for clearing that model part number up. Outta here, Mike sends . . .

i see 1st Armored division markings on that one tank

Hi - My name is Thomas Leagon and I am the bald Marine on top of the tank... Let me know if you have any questions.