Some say the South Vietnamese were the first to fit their tanks with sand-filled ammo boxes, for increased protection. I found this ARVN M-48, something a little different from the sandbags and tracks you so often see used as additional turret armor in that war. Obviously, I'll just glue my ammo boxes on, but I wonder if anyone can tell me how they might actually have been fitted to these tanks?

My guess would be that the ammo cans were welded on to the turret armor with a couple of weld beads on the bottom and on the sides of each can. That would certainly make a unique M48... I may have to give that one a try also.

Do you have any more pictures?

John

Thanks! I'm afraid I don't have any more pics, though.

Her's another one :



from this interesting thread :

http://www.mohinh.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1971

H.P.

There is info on other sites that the tanks were crewed by PAVN (People's Army of Vietnam) and not ARVN. So, in essence they are captured tanks at the end of the war.

Great pics! I've never seen them before. We have no reason to doubt that these were ARVN field mods, applied before capture, so modelers can go ahead and have at it. Apply ARVN or PAVN markings as you wish.

Sorry that this doesn't answer your original question, but here are some photos of ARVN M41's fitted with the ammo boxes.