Gino,
The M48A5 were issued in 1979 with T-97 track which was replaced as it wore out with T-142, so just doing a bit of swagging, the T-142 track should have began being installed in the 1981-82 timeframe.

More of a FYI,I want to say that the M48A5s were swapped out with M60A3s in 1984-ish and the M60A3s were replaced by M1IPs in 91-92(??) timeframe.

FWIW

John

Thanks. Yup, that is the gun mount I was seeing, just not clear enough to definitely see what it was from. Does anyone have a spare Sheridan gun mount?

Nice pictures; saved.

Hi All,
Just a quick question regarding MERDC camo schemes. I read somewhere that the Winter Verdant was for U.S.-based equipment and Summer Verdant was used primarily in Europe. Any truth in this?
Regards,
GEorg

Quoted Text

---

Hi All,
Just a quick question regarding MERDC camo schemes. I read somewhere that the Winter Verdant was for U.S.-based equipment and Summer Verdant was used primarily in Europe. Any truth in this?
Regards,
GEorg

---

Georg I painted my tank in Winter Verdant and my unit never changed the scheme. We did not use the sand color only field drab, forest green and black. Germany was a mix of greens and browns all year. My tank was never repainted for over a year and a half. I was A troop 1/11 ACR in Fulda Germany. I had my tank from June of 78 until I left in late October 79.

Tom

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Hi All,
Just a quick question regarding MERDC camo schemes. I read somewhere that the Winter Verdant was for U.S.-based equipment and Summer Verdant was used primarily in Europe. Any truth in this?
Regards,
GEorg

---

Georg I painted my tank in Winter Verdant and my unit never changed the scheme. We did not use the sand color only field drab, forest green and black. Germany was a mix of greens and browns all year. My tank was never repainted for over a year and a half. I was A troop 1/11 ACR in Fulda Germany. I had my tank from June of 78 until I left in late October 79.

Tom

---

So that’s why 1st Squadron was always looking so shabby compared the 2nd Squadron!! No wonder why Crosbie Saint always said we looked the best (just before he relived our Squadron Commander!).
VR, Russ

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Hi All,
Just a quick question regarding MERDC camo schemes. I read somewhere that the Winter Verdant was for U.S.-based equipment and Summer Verdant was used primarily in Europe. Any truth in this?
Regards,
GEorg

---

Georg I painted my tank in Winter Verdant and my unit never changed the scheme. We did not use the sand color only field drab, forest green and black. Germany was a mix of greens and browns all year. My tank was never repainted for over a year and a half. I was A troop 1/11 ACR in Fulda Germany. I had my tank from June of 78 until I left in late October 79.

Tom

---

So that’s why 1st Squadron was always looking so shabby compared the 2nd Squadron!! No wonder why Crosbie Saint always said we looked the best (just before he relived our Squadron Commander!).
VR, Russ

---

Well Russ we all know that when it comes to soldiering and tanking appearance doesn't account for squat. The trooper who walks out of the motorpool with the same shine he walked in with didn't do jack. We were right outside Crosbie Saints office if he was worried about our tracks looking pretty I sure he would have spoke up. The squadron CO Taylor got at least 3 stars. I remember our CO trash talking about hand painting the tanks, they did the PCs. Some one talked sense to him we didn't do it.

Tom

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Quoted Text

---

Hi All,
Just a quick question regarding MERDC camo schemes. I read somewhere that the Winter Verdant was for U.S.-based equipment and Summer Verdant was used primarily in Europe. Any truth in this?
Regards,
GEorg

---

Georg I painted my tank in Winter Verdant and my unit never changed the scheme. We did not use the sand color only field drab, forest green and black. Germany was a mix of greens and browns all year. My tank was never repainted for over a year and a half. I was A troop 1/11 ACR in Fulda Germany. I had my tank from June of 78 until I left in late October 79.

Tom

---

So that’s why 1st Squadron was always looking so shabby compared the 2nd Squadron!! No wonder why Crosbie Saint always said we looked the best (just before he relived our Squadron Commander!).
VR, Russ

---

Well Russ we all know that when it comes to soldiering and tanking appearance doesn't account for squat. The trooper who walks out of the motorpool with the same shine he walked in with didn't do jack. We were right outside Crosbie Saints office if he was worried about our tracks looking pretty I sure he would have spoke up. The squadron CO Taylor got at least 3 stars. I remember our CO trash talking about hand painting the tanks, they did the PCs. Some one talked sense to him we didn't do it.

Tom

---

Tom, I was joking of course. Although we did repaint every Fall and Spring-- so there was a difference between what went on in each Squadron. You and I were there at the same time. When I became S4 of the Squadron for a short time in 1980, The Sqaudron CO sent me all over Europe with a 5-ton in search of forest green paint so he could make sure 2nd Squadron didn't look like any other CAV unit in Germany. I returned with a full five ton, after stopping in Darmstadt, Pirmasans, Bitburg and Geissen, it took a week, but I had enough paint for the entire Regiment. When I got back, I went to the COs office with the requisition paperwork. The CO wasn't there, so the adjutant told me just to drop it into the COs inbox-- on the way in, the adjutant asked me where I'd been, and I said "oh down to Bitburg begging the Air Force to give me some stupid green paint for the COs stupid spring re-paint"...or words to that effect. As I dropped the paperwork in the box I turned around to see the CO coming through the door. He immediately put the adjutant and I at attention, and proceeded to tell us he was the boss and as the CO he could send me and anyone else he saw fit to see the devil in hell to fill an open requisition for green paint. I stayed away from the headquarters for a few days because my rear was still a little sore from that chewing.
VR, Russ

In Germany, we repainted (our Sheridans and M113s) every Spring in summer verdant, but in the fall they were repainted in winter verdant-- the only real difference was we added more brown over the forest green. In Korea 87-88, I never saw anyone repaint except to touch up. Later, when I was there 2000-2002, all reprints were done at the Depot. Just another note-- has anybody noticed the icicles hanging from the driver's belly hatch in the photos? The seal has gone bad, allowing bilge water to leak out around it. Coldest I've ever been anywhere in the world was in December 1987 up near the DMZ. One night it was -21F. Couldn't even get warm in my GP small with two stoves! Two days later I was on leave on the beach at Waikiki.
VR, Russ