Hey evryone,

As some of you know I am about to finish Tamiya's M48. I painted it yesterday and am about ready to put the markings. Tamiya includes markings for a shark-mouthed Patton, but no information is given on the tank.
Does anyone know who fielded that Patton? Any pictures online maybe?

Thanks,

CDT Reimund Manneck
U.S. Army ROTC

Reimund---shark mouth on a 48? Certainly, I can not recall any unit that did it. The 11th ACR did some wild and crazy things in RVN, however, painting a bullseye type target on the front slope of a tank is a definite "no-no." Korean War the 3rd ID put it on the M-26/47s. I saw it on an M4A3E8 in the Osprey and Squadron books on Armor in Korea. Generally, speaking if the crew can paint an elaborate scheme on the tank, they either have too much time on their hands or (more likely) they are neglecting maintenance in favor of screwing around. Now, watch someone haul up a photo of an M-48 with shark teeth. What's Rob say "I not young enough to know everything."
DJ

I will have to check when I get home, but I am kinda sure (step below pretty sure) that the Tamiya shark (tiger?) mouth is based on a photo of a tank from the Squadron Signal M-48 in Action or the Squadron Signal Armor in Vietnam. No worse than some of the outrageous art on gun trucks or AMTRACS around the same time period.

Rob--the guys who drove the gun trucks were not tankers. We are more disciplined. Go easy on me (age you know) if I mis spoke to Reimund.
thanks
DJ

The cover of the Squadron Signal Armor in Vietnam has a picture of the shark mouthed M48A3, probably the basis for the Tamiya markings since the picture shows the vision block riser as well as the pintle-mounted M2HB .50 cal. The bumper number appears to start with "ACR" so I'm guessing a Black Horse vehicle. The bore evacuator has "Wild One 4" on it.

Reimund/Rob--I am dropping and knocking out 25 for my failure to believe that a tanker would desecrate this monument to man's ability to move, shoot, and communicate.
DJ

Get the above mentioned book or the Osprey Vanguard Armour of the Vietnam Wars, they have some pretty wild schemes. Nothing compared to the Korean War tiger faces though.