Hi Guys.
Am keen to model a u.s national guard m60 tank.Would anybody in the know what the markings are for the Massachussets national guard 60s?.Saw a picture in a Tankograd m60 book.States 1st battalion,11o regiment of the M assachussets guard.Any ideas from our American friends?.
Cheers guys from Richard

Or any National guard m60 unit markings help would be helpful in merdc camouflage.
Cheers guys.
Richard

Richard, the markings would be 26-1-110 with the armor triangle after the 110, IIRC.

This photo stream has lots of pictures circa 1987 of M60' in MERDC which can be used as a general reference guide.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdebock/9370492281/in/photostream/

gimme a couple days to reach out to some friends who were in tanks with MA National Guard and see if I can get some... somewhere there are pictures on the net of a unit at Ft Devens I think..

Hi Chaps.
Many thanks for helping with information.If your buddies could help with info Brian that would be excellent.
Cheers now Fellas.
Richard

Alright Richard, I was able to get some good info and even a few pics from a person who actually served ON the tanks in MA!!!! turns out there were only NINE M-60 A3s in the entire state.... as well as a unit of M-48 A5s with US Army Reserves. This is direct from the PM I had with the gentleman.... "There were 2 tank units in the MAARNG in the 80's: 110AR & 26th Cav, both in the 26th ID. In 1987, 110AR was de-activated, and 26 Cav was re-flagged to 110 Cav."

"110 Cav was the only MA Guard tank unit to have M60A3's
110AR had M48A5's up to de-activation."

"USAR also had a Cav Troop @ Devens D Trp, 5th Cav"

"Only 9 tanks in the state, other 9 @ Drum. Cav Squadron J- series TOE"

"The markings we had were painted on at transition
We never painted them to regulation"

Now, here are a few pictures of what he was talking about on MA tanks....

This is the ACTUAL tank assigned to these bumper numbers, but was not painted like this in its active service. It was painted in a MERDC scheme (see later pictures) however this is the REGULATION way of painting the bumper numbers on... as stated they didnt do it that way and Ill show you exactly what they had as well....


This is the A3 late in its career before they were disbanded with the NATO 3 color scheme.


And this, although its an M-48A5 ( I think), is what the tanks were wearing for MERDC of the 26th Cav.... wheels are painted too but the dust from the base they are on has covered the wheels.


Lastly, onto the way the bumper numbers were on this tank when it was in service....note that the 26 Cav is above 110AR on one side, and B is above 42 on the other.... indicating this was the vehicle in its markings before 110 AR was disbanded and 26 Cav was reflagged 110 Cav... armor gurus did I get that right ?


Far more subdued, but if you look at the numbers on the FIRST picture, and apply them in a way as the last two.. I think you will have a decent representation of what an M-60A3 of the MA Army National Guard looked like as one sat in the 1980s... If you like MERDC (which I prefer), I would say go for it and call it an early 80s paint scheme. If you like NATO and to be accurate to the pictures of the M-60 ( I can actually drive about 30 minutes north of my house and stand on this one)... I would say go for it and just enjoy either way!

PS, did I say how much I like MERDC ??

Brian, nice Gamma Goat.

The MA Guard went through M60A3 DETT just before the NJ Guard and their tanks came from the same re-manufactured Anniston stocks as our tanks did. They were all NATO 3 color. All the North East USA Army National Guard got their M60A3 around the same time and from the same stocks.

At Fort Drum the NJ Guard even drew some 110 AR marked tanks from time to time. They were kept in the same stocks and suffered from the same poor maintenance.

M48A5 Tanks at armories and Fort Devins were in MERDC Summer Woodland modified. (Dark Green as opposed to Forest green, light green, sand and black) Their tanks at Fort Drum were in modified Desert (Sand, earth yellow, earth red, even olive drab that became a sort of mish mosh of colors)

Cool Steve.... from what this guy told me it was that the 110 AR had 18 tanks, 9 in MA and 9 in NY I guess... sound about right?? and was that one in MERDC indeed a 48A5... I was a engineer so I could only tell you bulldozers backhoes and panscrapers with authority LOL... my intel came from a PSgt with the 110cav and 101 FA after the 110 was disbanded.... dont happen to have any pictures of those MERDC you described do you?? I intend to some day have at least one of each verdiant in both hand and spray I just like it so much more than Nato 3 color
The Gama Goat I did, was a first try at MERDC because I want to do the M1-A1 like the old Tamiya box top with that desert black and white....

Don't know anything about the Mass NG tanks, but the below pic you posted above is an M48A5.

Roger that Sir thank you! This was aparently one of the 26 cav M-48A5s before they switched over the the M-60A3s as described. The research and first hand accounts I have listed seem to tell that these units were reflagged and combined and disbanded all in a fairly quick time for what I would say... I think in the span of less than 5 years they went from two different units, 110 AR and 26 Cav, to 110 Cav, to out of MA National Guard period. I have read where Initially there were three troops in MA and one in NY, then one went to RI and another to CT.... would have been quite the inventory eff fest for these units I would imagine for the last 3 or 4 years...I think there was something to do with Total force that changed the structure Army wide, but maybe just slightly before my time, I came in on the tail end of it. Still, really enjoy reading and seeing about the history of these tanks, and having spent some time flattening out the ground they once rolled on, and maybe even picking up some uxo or not after them... kinda cool.
Camp Edwards, MA Military Reservation....

One of the Troops was in Connecticut in Branford, CT. The Armory had an article about them on Drill, which mentioned M113 and Tanks. They also have a M114 as a "Gate Guard" on the lawn. As a side note the Armory was originally for Heavy Tank Company 102nd Infantry Regiment, then went to the 242nd Combat Engineers, and I believe if still open is an Auxiliary Facility for HHC 1/102nd Infantry.

Hi guys.
Ive certainly opened up a good discussion on armor!!.Nice to read what you are stating in your comments.As i said to Brian if any of you have the Tankograd book on the early m60 series,M60/A1/A2 a picture in colour tells the reader the m60 is 110 guys mass National guard c.1987 germany reforger exercise 1987???.Do you think this information is flawed?.Would the guard have m60s on exercise in Europe?.Be a long haul on the boat from u.s.a and im thinking maybe the photo is late 70s?/ early 80s?/

Cheers fellas.
Richard

Units that went to Europe from the US for REFORGER would draw Heavy equipment from the POMCUS sites. They practiced what they would do for real, draw propositioned equipment and roll into battle. It would take too long to ship heavy equipment to the front. So it could have been a Massachusetts guard unit in a borrowed tank.

Tom

Hi guys.
Ive managed to figure out how to upload an image on here.For disscusion purposes i have put the photo from the Tankograd book to show you guys what i was waffling on about.See what you think fellas.Thanks Tom for replying also.
Richard

That's one long in the tooth M60, it still has T97 track. Well it could be that the Army decided to ship a battalion of NG tanks over as an exercise. Or there were still M60s in the POMCUS site. It wasn't always brand new equipment but instead as a unit in Germany drew new stuff their old vehicles were fixed and put in reserve. I remember some guys in our tank company 1/11th ACR complaining about having to work all the gigs off their tanks which were going into POMCUS. I don't see any bumper numbers, USA numbers or any markings on the tank which would be on one shipped from the US. All the tanks stored on Fort Drum or Fort Dix had some kind of identifying markings.



Tom

Hi Tom.
Thanks for commenting.Its an interesting photo.A real old warhorse of an m60.Like you said it could be an oldie from Pomcus stock or shipped in for the Reforger exercise.I quoted the wrong date earlier in my post as it should be c1985 instead of 1987.I find it an interesting tank to model and i will make it a bit battered and not worry too much about unit markings.Makes me wonder what information the book author had regarding the unit etc.
Regards.
Richard