Since I will be getting and building one of the two Academy M551 kits, most likely the "Gulf War" version few questions about the M551 Sheridans used in Operation Just Cause:

+ What camouflage pattern was used? NATO 3-color or the older MERDC?

+ What smoke lauchers where used? The older separat lauchers or the new "quad pack"?

+ Where the units used already equiped with TTS or did that happen shortly before Desert Shield?

The unit was 3/73 Armor , 82nd Airborne Division and they still had the individual grenade launchers. TTS was during Desert Shield, but the camo was the NATO three tone scheme. There's a good picture of it in the Squadron Signal book of the Sheridan in action.

This thread should help with camo :

http://www.track-link.com/forums/modelling_finishing/5860

and these Operation Just Cause pics may help as well :





The smoke grenade launchers are late model ones.

H.P.

M551A1s deployed to Panama during Just Cause had:

- 3 colour Nato camo scheme
- later style clustered smoke dispensors
- TTS

http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/AAFK001818/us-soldier-manning-tank

Thanks all. That helps a lot

Thunder Run(ish). Note loader ready with the grease gun.



Cheers,
/E

Quick question if they had TTS why did they still have Search lights? Would they keep them for the whitelight? The IR is useless for thermals. My only gunnery with Sheridans the gunners used the telescope and choke sight exclusively.

The M60A3s I was on even had the searchlight receptical welded over.

Tom

I was in Operation Just Cause, but all I saw of the Sheridan's was some of their departure.

The couple I saw stood out in my memory because it looked like they had been painted by a two year old with a cans of spray paint. Definitely not professionally applied - but they were at least trying to be 3 color Nato - although I'm pretty sure the green on one of them was the old MERCD Forest green and the brown was like a chocolate color! They had all sorts of wear and tear, paint chips and splotches - they hadn't been in action long enough to get all that wear so I imagine they came that way to the fight!

Most of my work was with the Marines who had lots of old equipment - variety of paint from Summer MERCD to NATO on the new vehicles.

The OP Just Cause Sheridans have been an interest of mine of years and it's great to see a couple of new images posted.

In my research over the years the tanks appear to be in MERDC for the most part. The MERDC schemes are very worn out and for sure touched up or repainted by spray can or by hand.

I've only been able to find one image that actually looks like a fair resemblance to the three colour NATO scheme.

I am fairly certain the TTS was not installed on the Panama deployed Sheridans. The later style grenade dischargers were most definitely installed on all of the tanks.

I meant to write no TTS, sorry for the confusion.

On the subject of TTS does anyone actually have any photos that clearly show a TTS equiped Sheridan, Gulf War or otherwise?

In regards to the camo, although not the best paintjobs in the world I still think they were NATO 3 colour though I would love to see the evidence of MERDC is anyone has any better pictures.

http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/TU001382/american-soldier-at-a-roadblock?popup=1

Pretty sure I saw a DS Sheridan with TTS in the archive. I'll re-check when I'm home from work.

Cheers,
/E

This one ?



Here's a better view of the Tank Thermal Sight :



H.P.

Cool topic. Can't wait to see it come about. Hope you p[ost pix in progress?
I was in the drop on the western DZ during Just Cause and my Platoon was last to leave the area so I got to see a lot of stuff going on there. The heavy drop had gone in before we jumped but was dropped into the swampy areas south of the DZ. There was always a platoon of Sheridens rigged for heavy drop in the first echelon assault configurations we used. All of that platoon made it out of the swamp save one. It was so thoroughly mired that I believe it was blown in place after all the good stuff was removed. At one point a CH-47 was hooked up to the platform to try to extricate the tank but didn't have the torque to get it unstuck. This effort had to end when a loose parachute started to get sucked up into the prop updraft. That would have been a disaster so the Chinook unhooked and took off.
The legs that took over DZ security from us were stuck with policing the DZ while the rest of my company took the road to old town Panama city and we saw the breakdown of society as we went. Every store had all of its' contents emptied. One gas station was so well looted that even the pumps were gone and guys were standing there with wine bottles getting the gas out of the tanks!
We passed the spot where our company had one KIA and 4 WIA getting thew a PDF roadblock. Our convoy was led by a Sheriden and yes,they were all beat up and looked like the old old vets that they already were before Just Cause even happened.
Sorry for being so long winded. Too much coffee
J

Man I always wanted to do a Just Cause Sheridan...wish we could get a decent kit of one! The Academy one was really disappointing.

Anotherone in Hunnicutt's 'Sheridan'.

Cheers,
/E

The Academx kit may have its faults but it is the only game in town and looks close enough to be recognized as one. My scratch building is not good enough and the Jagusr resin kit a tad to costly (and I am not a big resin fan). Maybe adding some Friul tracks (not to keen on single link) and etched parts

According to Olive-drab.com

"This M551 Sheridan from C Company 3/73rd Armor, 82nd AB Div, was dropped by parachute into Panama on 20 Dec 1989 during Operation Just Cause" :











I must say I'm a bit dubious about that... (no TTS, early smoke grenade launchers...)

H.P.

This pic is the closest I can find to three colour NATO cam on a Panama Sheridan.

It looks like the colours are very faded but much more like the three colour NATO camouflage pattern than the patchy MERDC schemes seen on other M551A1s during Just Cause.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/8/imagen0187sz.png/

What about the photo in Mandrake's post above? Look NATOish to me.

Cheers,
/E

I agree..no sign of MERDC or touch ups....just faded NATO cam.

From Getty images...a pretty good image of a MERDC painted Sheridan in Panama...

So Panama Sheridans came in two flavors



Same tank :



A few more pics in this gallery :

http://www.operationjustcause.us/photogallery/soldierphotos/

Just check out pics 35, 45, 51 and 77.

H.P.

So now it appears that both types of camo were used!

Here is a break down of markings used on the 3/73rd Armor's Sheridans:

The number of chevrons denote the Company...one,two,three,four refers to Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta.

If the chevron is followed by a diamond it is a platoon Sgts tank. A chevron followed by a single dot it is a Platoon leader's tank.

One,two, or three dots stacked refers to the platoon. For example, two chevrons with one dot then two dots stacked would be Bravo Company, Platoon leader's tank, second platoon. If it is a Platoon leader's tank the single centered dot is always followed by one,two,or three stacked dots.

If there are chevrons followed by a horizontal dash then it is a Company Commander's tank.

Please correct me if I am off with the numbers.

There were fourteen Sheridans deployed to Panama.

Four were covertly brought in by a C-5 Galaxy and prepositioned prior to the invasion.

Ten of them were combat dropped in by C-141. I think that only eight of them survived the drop.