Any Israeli M60A1’s in service with original “US configuration”?

I know Israeli received many M60A1’s from the United States and in time modified them with a myriad of different new configurations. However, my question is, did the IDF ever field any M60A1 with their original “American” configuration i.e. with the second machinegun copula etc.?

Thanks,
Noah

Hi
I take it you mean like these from the yom kippur war in 73







Israel had a couple hundred by then some had the 50 cal removed and 30 cal added to the outside of the cupola others had started to get the urdan cupola by then.

Peter

An independence day parade in 73 prior to YK war,

The US flew many stock -A1's over there during the rush re-supply towards the end of the Yom Kippur war. No time to modify them to Israeli specs, they went straight into combat.

Thanks everyone for the responses and answers!

They did the same with straight M60s, from Europe. 2nd AD, I believe. Been awhile since I looked.

Tom

Hello
They change the air filters and the M60 machine-guns where replace with FN or M1919 Browning .30 caliber.

They were so quickly pressed into service that they simply spray-painted over the US stars w/black paint and rolled them into combat. I had a pic of one with blacked-out stars, but can't find it now.

I had heard several stories that supported that statement above, although Ft Knox, not Germany, was the source of the tanks... Knowing Joe, they sent the worst tanks in the Division.

Also, by the time the "Logistics pipeline" was turned on, the priority item was ammunition, tank and artillery. Those tanks replacements were shipped primarilly after the fight, and led to low stocks of US M60 series MBTs, which ultimately led to M48A1/3s being upgraded to M48A5s, whit some Israeli technical assistance.


John

Some were definitely shipped from Reforger stocks in Germany, because there was some initial concern over being able to defend against a Soviet attack. Most likely, then, these were M60A1s. I seem to recall something about re-stocking US units with M60s obtained from elsewhere, maybe Korea. That was why the initial M48A5s went there? Difficult to tell with what material I can easily grab, since some sources refer to the M60 and M60A1 interchangeably. Interesting topic though.

Tom

Tom,
The original M48A5s went to Korea in 1978 to replace the clapped out M60A1s in 1-72 Armor and the poorly maintained ones in storage that came from 7th ID's 73rd Tank Battalion, which deactivated in 1971. I worked with a guy that was a "plank owner" with 2-72 Armor, when they activated in 1978, who related the story to me. Supposedly those worn M60A1s went straight to rebuild...

So the theroy of sending M48A5s to Korea to allow their M60A1s to be moved to Germay or POMCUS to offset YKW losses seems to be tangently related but not directly due to the five year offset... The upgrading of the M48A1s & A3s to A5 standard was the direct result and accomplished with Israeli help but you know that already... Right??

John

True. Some A5s mounted the Israeli Urdan style cupola with scissors mount for the mg.

Tom