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M103A1 stowage
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 04:54 AM UTC
Digging tanks out of storage after moving. Looking at my Dragon M103 right now. Would you see ALICE packs on them, duffel bags, cammo bags and poles? Wanting to put some stowage on it, but no idea what you would see on them. Thanks guys
m75
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:12 AM UTC
The Ampersand M103 book has a few photos. Covered TC .50 cal, extra water cans, a few sea bags (for the USMC folks... duffel bags to the rest). Some exercise images show two stacked tires just behind the top of the mantlet, look to be M35-sized. Also duffel bags tied down in same spot as the tires, on another vehicle. Some Europe-based M103 images showed the typical upside-down overshoes stuck between the turret hand-hold rail and the turret wall. Another has solid wall of upright duffels all across the turret rear.

A good reference book!
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:20 AM UTC
Thanks Jim. Hard to find decent in the field pics on the web. I’ve got tons of stowage, just need to use it up. Wish someone would make the rubber boots for the side rails, every tank unit I was in had those hanging off. Maybe I’ll start cutting boots off figures, lol
SSGToms
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:20 AM UTC
Well, the M103 was withdrawn from service in 1974, but the ALICE system was issued in January 1973, so you have 2 years where you'd see ALICE packs strapped to M103's. Lots of crew just load duffel bags and strap those on top or in the bustle rack. You'd also see waterproof bags (with sleeping bags in them) which gather and tie on top. Also a cooler, C-rats, an Igloo drink container, and an AM/FM radio. Maybe a Mermite container or two. Camo nets and poles are not likely - tanks don't like to stay in one place too long and they always find their own cover.
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:28 AM UTC
Thanks Matthew, good info on the ALICE packs
Kevlar06
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:29 AM UTC

Quoted Text

....Camo nets and poles are not likely - tanks don't like to stay in one place too long and they always find their own cover.


I agree, the poles (which came with poles and spreaders in one long plasticized canvass bag) not so much. But you can bet there was at least one section of camo net, also with its plasticized canvas bag, somewhere on the vehicle.
VR, Russ
Frenchy
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 05:39 AM UTC
Here's a period picture (not a A1 I think, but I'm no expert ):



Full size


from this IPMS USA book review

H.P.
TankSGT
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 06:11 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Well, the M103 was withdrawn from service in 1974, but the ALICE system was issued in January 1973, so you have 2 years where you'd see ALICE packs strapped to M103's. Lots of crew just load duffel bags and strap those on top or in the bustle rack. You'd also see waterproof bags (with sleeping bags in them) which gather and tie on top. Also a cooler, C-rats, an Igloo drink container, and an AM/FM radio. Maybe a Mermite container or two. Camo nets and poles are not likely - tanks don't like to stay in one place too long and they always find their own cover.


I was an active US Army tanker from 1977 to 1981 and did not see an ALICE pack. We used duffle bags and wet weather bags.

Tom
BootsDMS
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 06:16 AM UTC
I've just scoured 2 of my Tankograd books "US Army 1945-1969" and "Nuclear winter FTX", both contain useful photographs of M103A1s in service. The main stowage seems to be duffle bags, I imagine one per crew member ie 5 in total. There are a couple of indistinct images which could well be field packs, and one picture showing what looks like sleeping bags affixed to the turret rails. No thermos containers, coolers or ration boxes visible at all.

What is notable is the extra fuel rack affixed to the hull rear - which I also understand was the same type for the M48A1. Has anyone ever built one of these, and if so how did you go about it? Or, is there an accessory kit of one of these? Nearly every photograph in the above 2 books shows these racks on the M103A1. I recall that a long time ago in Military modelling magazine, Steven Zaloga produced such a rack for a model; I imagine scale drawings would be key here. it would certainly add to the presence of the M103, or the M48 come to that.

Brian
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 06:28 AM UTC
I’ve built the fuel rack, many years ago, was very hard finding reference which is all gone now. Drums were Tamiya, leftovers from the 70’s. Guess I’ll just go with duffle bags and wet weather bags, I’ve already cut the boots off some old figures for the side rails. Also got some old figures with the proper tanker helmets I’ll squeeze in there. Hard part will be sanding the bags to fot the angled bustle rack

Frenchy
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 06:30 AM UTC
Jettisonable Fuel Tank Rack :



H.P.

BootsDMS
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 06:58 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I’ve built the fuel rack, many years ago, was very hard finding reference which is all gone now. Drums were Tamiya, leftovers from the 70’s. Guess I’ll just go with duffle bags and wet weather bags, I’ve already cut the boots off some old figures for the side rails. Also got some old figures with the proper tanker helmets I’ll squeeze in there. Hard part will be sanding the bags to fot the angled bustle rack



James,

Absolutely love that! Fantastic effort and just shows how different the basic vehicle can be made to look.

I just wonder what the helmeted figure you plan on using look like? The Tankograd pictures show a couple of designs which I believe were German-made but US used - if you see what I mean; they resemble the WW2 contours but sans any ventilation holes. The other type looks like a moulded one-piece design with apertures for the earpieces of the radio set I think). Any clues as to how to convert/produce these would be welcome, also may I suggest that instead of sanding - possibly for ever (!) hard plastic duffle bags, you use Milliput. That way they could be squeezed into the rack as you make them. A couple of strips of plastic card for the straps and a padlock and you're there I reckon (assuming US bags are made for locks like the old defunct British kit bags as we call them).

Brian
BootsDMS
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 07:01 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Jettisonable Fuel Tank Rack :



H.P.



Frenchy,

I should have known you'd come up with this; it actually looks all do-able enough - in my case probably just a lack of modelling courage.

Thanks.

Brian

Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 07:32 AM UTC
Thanks Brian, that’s a Tamiya M48 in there with a Legends, I think, M48A1 conversion, much more resin than plastic! The figures I have are just a bunch of old plastic Tamiya figures with the dome type, 70’s style CVC helmets
Frenchy
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 08:10 AM UTC
You're welcome Brian. There are two more views here (if needed )

http://www.com-central.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&printertopic=1&t=14062&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

H.P.
BootsDMS
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 08:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Many thanks - very useful indeed.
18Bravo
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 09:04 AM UTC

Quoted Text

...Hard part will be sanding the bags to fot the angled bustle rack.



No sanding necessary. Cylindrical steel cutter on your Dremel is all you need.
Kenaicop
#384
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Posted: Thursday, April 09, 2020 - 09:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

...Hard part will be sanding the bags to fot the angled bustle rack.



No sanding necessary. Cylindrical steel cutter on your Dremel is all you need.


I got that!
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