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Armor/AFV: Allied - WWII
Armor and ground forces of the Allied forces during World War II.
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Sherman ammo stowing?
HermannB
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Posted: Monday, January 14, 2013 - 09:42 PM UTC
Hi gang,

please forgive this dumb question, I reroute this from someone in a German discussion group. He wants to know if in a Sherman with wet ammo storage, the water had to be refilled from time to time and if yes, how this has to be done? I personally don´t think this has to be done since the water didn`t vaporate.

TIA
Hans-Hermann
barkingdigger
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Posted: Monday, January 14, 2013 - 11:02 PM UTC
Interesting question! I doubt the bins needed any regular topping up, but as with all other liquid-holding systems there must have been fittings to allow them to be drained (for periodic maintenance/repairs) and refilled. So there must be a tap low down, and a filler cap on top, but these may not be easy to get at because they are needed so rarely.

Anyone got pics or a tech manual?

Tom
PantherF
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Posted: Monday, January 14, 2013 - 11:18 PM UTC
It was MY impression that it was filled with a water/glycerine-filled containers (anti-freeze) and evaporation didn't occur.










~ Jeff
Dangeroo
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 12:33 AM UTC

Quoted Text

It was MY impression that it was filled with a water/glycerine-filled containers (anti-freeze) and evaporation didn't occur. ~ Jeff



Yes, that was my impression too. I wouldn't see what maintenance would require them to be drained. However, they would have to get an initial fill so there must have been either a cap or a top secured with screws?
barkingdigger
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 01:28 AM UTC
Indeed gentlemen, these were meant to be zero-maintenance items, filled with anti-freeze (to prevent corrosion). But they are big boxes filled with gallons of liquid, so they must get installed empty. And any repairs (split seams, shrapnel holes, etc) would require draining & refilling. I doubt anyone'd want to lift one out still full...

However, without having looked at the real thing or a manual, I could be completely wrong!

Tom
Frenchy
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 02:06 AM UTC
"Wet" ammo racks :

in a M4A1 (76mm) :


in a M4A3E8 :


HTH

H.P.
Biggles2
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 03:29 AM UTC
Are the rounds stored (submersed) in the liquid, or is the liquid in a space around the round storage?
PantherF
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 03:37 AM UTC
Just stored in a container with the fluid around them. No shells get wet.

Nice pics by the way.











~ Jeff
ericadeane
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 04:08 AM UTC
Glycol would make for some slippery loading!
PantherF
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 05:07 AM UTC
I can only imagine the floor and the barrel AFTER loading a few wet shells.










~ Jeff
Joel_W
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AUTOMODELER
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 05:21 AM UTC
And after a few wet shells it would soon become an exercise in frustration, as the shells just slipped out of your hands.
Joel
barkingdigger
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 05:33 AM UTC
That it would! (But would it increase range by reducing friction in the barrel? ) Anyway, here's the blurb from TM-9-759 for the M4A3 (1944) - it's the only thing it says about the bins:



I'm not sure if the whole thing was a lump of tubes surrounded by the glycol, or if the two-round boxes in Frenchy's pics each slid in separately into a kind of frame? That'd make each one easier to handle.

Tom
HermannB
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 09:45 AM UTC
Gents,

thanks for the informations. I had the same thoughts. The Guys on the other discussion group wanted to know if there were soem externel filler cap like for filling fuel. He was planning
a diorama of refilling the wet stowage from the OUTSIDE. Strange Idea!

Hans-Hermann
KurtLaughlin
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Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 - 01:54 PM UTC
Here's an except from the 1951 M24 TM. Only the M24 and M4 series used wet stowage, mainly because it was worthless. Between 1945 and 1951 the tanks were ordered to be drained. Obviously if they had needed to be checked or topped off in service the same openings would have been used.

BTW, the glycol mixyure was changed out in 1944 or so as it was too corrosive. A proprietary product called "ammudamp" was used instead.

KL


Quoted Text

(7) The use of any fluids (water, antifreeze compound, or ammudamp) in ammunition box cans has been discontinued. All ammudamp cans will be completely drained of ammudamp fluid.

Where the ammunition racks can be removed easily, remove the rack, unscrew the filler and drain plugs from the cans, and pour out the fluid. In other locations where it may be impracticable to remove the racks, siphon the fluid from the cans by use of a suction type oil gun fitted with three nipples, straight tee, and rubber hose. Bring the free end of the rubber hose to the ammunition can, remove the filler and drain plug, and insert the hose to the lowest portion of the can. To start the fluid flowing, hold a finger tightly over the outlet nipple, pull the suction gun handle completely out, and then release the finger from the nipple.

After all the fluid has been drained, thoroughly dry the ammunition boxes and ammudamp cans. After the cans have dried, replace the filler and drain plugs. Discard the ammudamp fluid drained from the cans. Remove from the ammunition boxes those ammudamp cans that have deteriorated to such an extent that they are no longer suitable for use as separators or barriers for the ammunition. Cut and shape well seasoned wooden blocks (procure wood locally) to the shape of the ammudamp cans that were removed. Fit the blocks into position in the ammunition boxes. Treat the wooden blocks with synthetic wood filler and apply two coats of paint before use. Paint filler and drain plugs black to indicate that the ammudamp cans have been drained of all fluid.

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