Anyone have a diagram for how equipment is layed out for inspection in the field for an M60a1 or A0 ?

I want to do a diarama with all the equipment layed out on the tarp at the motor pool.

I can't find the field manual or anything for this but I know it was a formal list and diagram of what was inspected.

IIRC, and it has been a long time, a layout for inspection was covered under the unit Standard Operating procedure (SOP), not the TM. However, the required tools and equipment can be found listed in the TM.
We usually did it as part of inventory. once everything was all laid out, for every tank in the Platoon or Company, the Captain or LT or 1SG would walk up and down and call out a tool on the list - Wrench, Box end 9/16 by 1/2 inch - and everyone would hold up that tool. Then on to the next tool. This would usually take up a good half a day, what with laying everything out just right, cleaning, inspecting, counting, and then putting it all away.
Ken.

This may not help very much at all but I recall that a book "The Guinness Book of Tank Facts & Feats" by Kenneth Macksey published around the early 70s had a photograph of an M60 with equipment laid out on tarps next to it. I vaguely remember that the M60A1 was in a greenish paint scheme (as opposed to OD). Sadly, I no longer have my copy so cannot be any more specific - so as I say - this may not help.

Perhaps other modellers have a copy and can provide a few more details?

What you are referring to is called a BII Layout. BII stands for
Basic Issue Items. I haven't googled it but hope this points you in the right direction.

every division was different. We had a diagram drawn up to show ours so everyone would be dress right dress.

Bruce,
Ahhh.. the dreaded quarterly inventory. As mentioned above, the layouts were prescribed by the unit Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), there was no published Technical Manual layout for the Basic Issue Items (BII). Units would come up with their own diagrams since the purpose for these inspections were primarily for accountability and serviceability. Items assigned to the tank were dictated by the Modified Tables Of Organization and Equipment (MTO&E) which specified what a unit was authorized by it's mission. This might vary because the mission might be different between specific units/operating environments. As a Platoon leader, I was "signed for everything in my Platoon, down to the smallest screwdriver or wrench, just as the Captain was assigned for the entire Company/Troop. Wise officers/NCOs "sub hand-receipted" down to individual tank commanders. In my unit (circa 1976), the main BII for an M60A1 or a Sheridan were:
1) a number #1 or #2 common toolset
2) 4ea CVC helmets & cables
3) cleaning rod set
4) tarp
5) antenna set
6) binos
7) head space and timing gauge for the M85
8) end connector tool
9) tankers bar
10)camouflage net and poles
11)jack
12)mattock, axe, "D" handle shovel
13)short tow cable
14)4ea clevis'
15)search light cover
16)set of chains and a "come along"
17) 5 gal. water can, 5 gal. fuel can, 5 gal. oil can
18) fuel filler neck (often obscenely called a donkey d--k)
19) small oil can with extension
20) grease gun (for grease, not the weapon)
There were probably some items I missed (it's been 40 years now). The radios and searchlight were end-items and were only removed for maintenance or long term storage. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but this list is mostly what you'd expect to see "out on the canvas". Rarely would the COAX or M85 be displayed, as they were either mounted or in the arms room, and we never layed-out a "grease gun" (M2 weapon) or sidearm for the same reason.
Sometimes we'd do "pop" inspections to see if we had all the gear assigned. If a crew came up short, you could count on a report of survey which would be a short formal investigation followed by someone getting charged for the missing item (and often entire crews would be sent out to "find" those items "elsewhere" which would result in somebody else being short). When not in use, BII was normally stored off the tank in the Platoon "OVM" room (Off Vehicle Maintenance-at least that's what we called it). Hope this helps. Others will probably add to the list, since it varied between units depending on mission and location. VR, Russ

Fuel transfer pump, the road wheel lifting arm, coax brass bag, maingun rammer and extractor, firing circuit tester, fire extinguisher, bell rammer, bore brush, breach block lifting tool, eyebolt for breach, first aide kits, gunners roll and flashlights. Sometimes we displayed the bore evacuator and the drivers shield.

Not a tanker as my username obviously states, but I spent some time in mechanized units 30 yeas ago.

As stated previously BII was set by the unit's SOP. I don't remember the layout being the same in any of the mech units I served.

One unit's SOP would make us paint the tools all OD green another unit's SOP would make us paint the wood handles OD green and the metal parts flat black.

Also don't remember ever doing a BII inspection in the field. Usually was done back in garrison after returning from a field exercise.

I would like to see a headspace and timing fixture for the M85. I took a picture, of one of our tank crews laying out the BII,as if it were going to be inspected, and made Black and White copies for all the A2's in our battalion.

I have A picture of a USMC M-60A1 layout but unable to post it. I can email it to you.

Top Smith added a few, but I was thinking of the bore brush and rammer in the cleaning rod kit, I'm thinking the driver's shield would largely have been a Marine Corps item, as we never had them as part of the Cav BII in the mid 70's. I'm not sure what a "gunners roll is" might also be a difference in service speak. Someone was asking about the M85 H&T gauge, I don't think it was much different from an M2 Flex gauge which is a small metal bar with a chain attached, the only difference was it said "for M85" on the side if I recall right-- it might have said just .50 cal-- It was a long time ago for me, and I'm old, so forgive my memory!
VR, Russ

The gunners roll was a flat cloth/vinyl with pockets for the spanner wrench firing pin and breach block tools. Once the tools were in the pockets you rolled it up and tied it up. The Drivers shield was put in place once the driver was in his seat. That way he could not lean back as the turret rotated and would keep the ejected main gun casings from hitting him if shooting over the back deck. It was in every tank I was in unless it got dislodged and bent when the turret rotated. P.S. Don't forget the flag set wire cutters or sledge hammer.

Top Smith,
Yep, some terminology and issue differences there-- the gunners shield was not a BII item for us-- it was considered part of the end-item, as the tank was deadlined without one. I do remember the gunners roll now, but I'm not sure we called it that. I was also thinking about the gunners quadrant, I think we had that as an item, but I could be wrong. And you are right, the portable fire extinguisher was a BII item. Not the first aid kit items though, just the box, as the inside items were expendable, same with the flashlights, as those were considered crew items. A "not so funny" BII story-- at Grafenwhor during tank gunnery 1977 we were subjected to a "pop" inspection of BII, in the field, which as someone mentioned above was highly unusual. Soon, a team of "inspectors" came along to look at the BII of every tank in the Squadron. The team consisted of a JAG officer, an armed MP SFC with two SP4's, and the unit XO, which in our case was a Major. They ripped through every tank in the Squadron, both M60A1s and M551s, and then moved on. We didn't know what they were looking for at the time, as they were very tight-lipped. We found out later they were looking for the long-bladed screwdriver (I think it had a 20+" blade) used for adjusting the gunner's sight on the M551. One had been used to commit a murder the night before. We had to lay the entire Squadron's BII out, and lots of stuff was missing, including several of those screwdrivers-- the M551 crews were subjected to intense scrutiny if they were missing one. the rest of us just got ROS and had to pay for stuff missing. Turns out the murder was committed by a member of a supporting ordnance unit, who had the same screwdriver for 2nd echelon maintenance (the same screwdriver was also found in M60A2 units). The soldier was caught, tried and last I heard still on death row at Leavenworth.
VR, Russ

All this brings back such "fond" memories!
Ken.

Just scratch build a "tarp" and layout the BII over it neatly and uniformly.

Just an aside the M85 had a fixed head space and set timing. It was not a user adjustment and thus no gauge was issued or existed. I crewed M60A1s and TCed M60A3s. No such animal.

Tom

The issue is going to be scratching much of the BII, beyond the pioneer tools and rammer staffs and some available PE tools.


John

Thomas,
You're right about the M85- I remember now. I spent more time on the M551 than the M60A1 in my career, so I think I was thinking about the BII for the Sheridan, but now as I think more about it, I don't think the H&T gauge was a BII item at all, but part of the maintenance kit for the gun. As for BII items in plastic, I agree, many would have to be scratchbuilt or pilfered from other kits, especially the common tool sets, bags, etc. Not easy, but probably doable with strip styrene, miliput, and a little creativity. The sad part is you can probably find more German WWII "BII" out there than you can for cold war US stuff. As a side note, I wonder how many of us are veterans that indulge in model building? I actually build more aircraft than armored vehicles, but I'm drawn to an earlier time in my life, so I find I visit Armorama more than Aeroscale. I think model building of any sort is relaxing, and helps relieve the stress built up in earlier years, but as I age, I find my memory fading-- still have a lot of good "war stories" though, it's the details that are fading!
VR, Russ

So not much in terms of AM kits out there? I'm fairly new at the game.

Possibly hit up this guy to 3d print some stuff..

Looking for ideas for what to 3D Print

You can probably get stuff like the fire extinguisher, axe, shovel, mattock, perhaps a jack from other kits, and scratch build stuff like the antennas, cleaning rods/camouflage net supports etc. but other than that, there's not a lot out there. I think Alpine or one of the other figure manufacturers (Black Dog?) makes CVC helmets. The tool sets might be cobbled together from some of the Eduard German WWII 1/32 aircraft sets, but I don't think they contain ratchets as I recall. Tamiya and Academy both have some pretty good maintenance/refueling sets, with some of the common items like fuel cans, grease gun,filler nozzle, etc., One Academy set in particular has a bunch of ammo cans and assorted modern equipment as I recall, including a Merimite can and water cooler. You can find chain in the jewelry section of Michael's or Hobby Lobby. You could make the various bags (tool set bags, net bag, etc.) out of putty or tissue. Dragon Vietnam era figure kits have stuff like flashlights, aid bags, etc. Verlinden might have some stuff too-- in fact I think they have a set for Vietnam M48s, or used to anyway. By SOP,some units added things too-- so if you are building a generic scene, you could put in stuff like cots, empty ammo boxes, or other things a tank crew might have wanted on hand (cots were a luxury where I was, but some units kept track of them). Good Luck!
VR, Russ

In USMC service the OVM equipment/accessories are called SL-3 for "Stock List" instead of BII(Basic Issue Items). This picture is an SL-3 layout for a USMC M60A1(RISE)belonging to B Co, 1st Tk Bn, 1st MarDiv, Camp Pendleton, CA circa 1979.



Outta here, Mike sends . . .

Hey Mike, nice photo of the layout!

As for finding some of the gear, Verlinden and Legend both make decent CVC helmets, they can be found in a variety of resin sets. Legend also makes some really nice camo nets and poles in the bag. Laid out you may have to scratchbuild.
There are a lot of tools available for model cars. I find them to be close enough to work for me.
Ken.

Howdy Ken, glad you like the picture. There are also some model RR tools that would work too.

Mike sends . . .