Here is my WIP on my M1A1 Abrams from RFM. Nicely detailed kit. Mine plow and box located at rear (I don't know what is this for ? ) from old Trumpeter kit.
Enjoy !
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1/35 Rye Model Field M1A1 Abrams w/Mine Plow
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 02:18 AM UTC
Hi Everyone;
Here is my WIP on my M1A1 Abrams from RFM. Nicely detailed kit. Mine plow and box located at rear (I don't know what is this for ? ) from old Trumpeter kit.
Enjoy !
Here is my WIP on my M1A1 Abrams from RFM. Nicely detailed kit. Mine plow and box located at rear (I don't know what is this for ? ) from old Trumpeter kit.
Enjoy !
seanmcandrews
Joined: May 09, 2009
KitMaker: 561 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 02:28 AM UTC
Box at the rear is , I'm assuming as photos don't show, called CLAMS for clear lane marking system and dropped markers to indicate the cleared route.
Sean
Sean
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 02:37 AM UTC
When are you depicting the tank from? If it is the CLAMS (I can't see the pics either - Gov't firewall), they were not really used post ODS (Operation Desert Storm, '90-'91). They were ineffective and didn't work well. If you are depicting a more modern tank, I would remove the CLAMS box.
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:07 AM UTC
Thank you.
So, I have to remove it for ODS version.
So, I have to remove it for ODS version.
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:14 AM UTC
Thanks for the info.
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:28 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Thank you.
So, I have to remove it for ODS version.
No, it is fine for an ODS ('90-'91) version. Much past the early '90s, it was no longer used. If it is a newer version; say Iraq '03, it needs to be removed.
majjanelson
Joined: December 14, 2006
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 979 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:45 AM UTC
From the pictures, that's not a CLAMS, it's the original External Auxiliary Power Unit mounted to the right rear of the hull with the Taillight relocated to the back of the EAPU.
Tank Commander4164, you have mixed up US Army and US Marine Corps items on your Abrams; the up-turned tube attached over the exhaust on the center of the rear hull along with the two pieces of gray tubing attached to the turret bustle rack are part of the USMC Amphibious Wading System. You have the 6-shot US Army style M250 Smoke Grenade Launchers mounted to the sides of the turret instead of the 8-shot USMC M257 version.
If I remember correctly, I thought the USMC tankers received Army M1A1 tanks during ODS, so they wouldn't have the marine-specific items anyway.
Tank Commander4164, you have mixed up US Army and US Marine Corps items on your Abrams; the up-turned tube attached over the exhaust on the center of the rear hull along with the two pieces of gray tubing attached to the turret bustle rack are part of the USMC Amphibious Wading System. You have the 6-shot US Army style M250 Smoke Grenade Launchers mounted to the sides of the turret instead of the 8-shot USMC M257 version.
If I remember correctly, I thought the USMC tankers received Army M1A1 tanks during ODS, so they wouldn't have the marine-specific items anyway.
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:50 AM UTC
Got it ! Thank you again HeavyArty.
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:51 AM UTC
Thank you. Looks like I have to work on some details again.
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 03:56 AM UTC
Quoted Text
From the pictures, that's not a CLAMS, it's the original External Auxiliary Power Unit mounted to the right rear of the hull with the Taillight relocated to the back of the EAPU.
If it is the hull-mounted EAPU (External Auxiliary Power Unit), they were only used by a few stateside units in the late '80s/early '90s and were quickly replaced by the turret basket-mounted APUs after ODS as they too were very tempermental and inefficient. Most of the time they were deadlined and didn't work at all.
Quoted Text
If I remember correctly, I thought the USMC tankers received Army M1A1 tanks during ODS, so they wouldn't have the marine-specific items anyway.
Jeff, you are correct. The USMC had not fielded their own M1A1s by the time they deployed to ODS. They were issued US Army M1A1s once they arrived in Saudi Arabia. The tanks had no USMC features. They were also seconded a Bn worth of Army M60A3s (since the TTS - Tank Theral Sight - was as good as the Abrams and thier M60A1s did not have TTS) as well to round them out. Lastly, the 2nd "Tiger" BDE of the Army's 2nd Armored Division was also task organized to the USMC for support.
majjanelson
Joined: December 14, 2006
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 04:07 AM UTC
Thank you for the memory confirmation, Gino.
I've seen a picture attributed to be during ODS of an M1A1 with an EAPU mounted to the rear hull being loaded/unloaded on a Tank Transporter, but not of a Plow Tank with one.
[EDIT]
I found the picture on the web:
I've seen a picture attributed to be during ODS of an M1A1 with an EAPU mounted to the rear hull being loaded/unloaded on a Tank Transporter, but not of a Plow Tank with one.
[EDIT]
I found the picture on the web:
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 04:29 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I've seen a picture attributed to be during ODS of an M1A1 with an EAPU mounted to the rear hull being loaded/unloaded on a Tank Transporter, but not of a Plow Tank with one.
I didn't mean to imply that the EAPU was not deployed to ODS. Those stateside units who had them did deploy with them to ODS, as your pic shows. They were not used by many units though.
majjanelson
Joined: December 14, 2006
KitMaker: 1,355 posts
Armorama: 979 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 04:46 AM UTC
Gino,
I didn't take it you were implying that. My comment was more that I don't remember seeing a picture of a Plow Tank with an early EAPU. Also, besides the poor operational performance, the picture I linked shows another reason why they didn't last long, as they probably got "removed" quite easily during use.
TankCommander4164,
I think that if you remove the USMC pieces, your Abrams will be pretty good for an ODS tank. If you look close at the picture above, you will notice the round tube guards around the taillights have the notches rotated a little more than you have on your model, and the one relocated to the rear of the EAPU has two notches. The second notch was to give clearance for the mounting boss on the rear of the hull for the EAPU.
(images from PrimePortal)
HTH
I didn't take it you were implying that. My comment was more that I don't remember seeing a picture of a Plow Tank with an early EAPU. Also, besides the poor operational performance, the picture I linked shows another reason why they didn't last long, as they probably got "removed" quite easily during use.
TankCommander4164,
I think that if you remove the USMC pieces, your Abrams will be pretty good for an ODS tank. If you look close at the picture above, you will notice the round tube guards around the taillights have the notches rotated a little more than you have on your model, and the one relocated to the rear of the EAPU has two notches. The second notch was to give clearance for the mounting boss on the rear of the hull for the EAPU.
(images from PrimePortal)
HTH
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 05:16 AM UTC
Another question; For ODS version..Should I remove smoke dischargers too ?
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 05:39 AM UTC
Quoted Text
For ODS version..Should I remove smoke dischargers too ?
No, all Abrams have them.
What needs to be removed are the deep water fording gear. These include the snorkel fitting on the rear exhaust and the pipes. Also, the APU mounted on the rear hull could be left on, but was not very common.
panamadan
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 1,513 posts
Armorama: 1,449 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 08:55 AM UTC
Those APUs were a POS.
Had them on our IPs at Stewart in the late 80s.
Dan
Had them on our IPs at Stewart in the late 80s.
Dan
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 01:06 PM UTC
Thank you all Fellers.
Cheers..
Cheers..
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Saturday, May 16, 2020 - 01:05 AM UTC
Paint works are done. Also all painted and weathered with different types of handbrushes, decals are on, first coat of varnish has applied, weathering step is still work in progress..
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Saturday, May 16, 2020 - 04:56 AM UTC
Looking good so far. One tip. The cable for the mine plow goes into an adapter on the driver's hatch left vision block. It looks like below.
Tankrider
Joined: October 07, 2002
KitMaker: 1,280 posts
Armorama: 1,208 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 11:36 AM UTC
Gino,
That vision block mod with the power adapter was post ODS. Plow Tanks would remove the RH vision block, attach the plow's power cable to the slave cable receptacle and jam a rags into the remaining gaps. The USMC deployed about a company of their own M1A1s, the version that was later to be known as the Heavy Commons. The rest of the USMC M1A1s were HAs from Army stocks. I ended up with one of the USMC "rentals" in my second tank company in Erlangen Germany. It was identical to the rest on the HAs, except for more miles on the odometer and the AK ammo that was hidden in the heater ducting in the Driver's compartment - we found that when we were testing out heaters and some of the ammo cooked off scaring the crap out of D13's driver...
That vision block mod with the power adapter was post ODS. Plow Tanks would remove the RH vision block, attach the plow's power cable to the slave cable receptacle and jam a rags into the remaining gaps. The USMC deployed about a company of their own M1A1s, the version that was later to be known as the Heavy Commons. The rest of the USMC M1A1s were HAs from Army stocks. I ended up with one of the USMC "rentals" in my second tank company in Erlangen Germany. It was identical to the rest on the HAs, except for more miles on the odometer and the AK ammo that was hidden in the heater ducting in the Driver's compartment - we found that when we were testing out heaters and some of the ammo cooked off scaring the crap out of D13's driver...
tanknick22
Joined: February 19, 2009
KitMaker: 1,139 posts
Armorama: 1,100 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 02:44 PM UTC
Quoted Text
When are you depicting the tank from? If it is the CLAMS (I can't see the pics either - Gov't firewall), they were not really used post ODS (Operation Desert Storm, '90-'91). They were ineffective and didn't work well. If you are depicting a more modern tank, I would remove the CLAMS box.
Gino
The box on the right rear of the hull is a APU the Clams was mounted a little of center on the rear of the hull
TankCommander4164
Joined: February 26, 2018
KitMaker: 83 posts
Armorama: 84 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 10:40 PM UTC
Hi all,
I've just finished my model and thank you all for your tips and advices.
USMC M1A1 Abrams w/ Mine Plow
1991 Operation Desert Storm
I've just finished my model and thank you all for your tips and advices.
USMC M1A1 Abrams w/ Mine Plow
1991 Operation Desert Storm
HeavyArty
Joined: May 16, 2002
KitMaker: 17,694 posts
Armorama: 13,742 posts
Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 11:59 PM UTC
Quoted Text
That vision block mod with the power adapter was post ODS.
Thanks John, I keep forgetting that it is an ODS tank. Need more coffee.
Quoted Text
Gino
The box on the right rear of the hull is a APU the Clams was mounted a little of center on the rear of the hull
Nick, yup, I fully know the difference between an APU and the CLAMS. At the time, I couldn't see the pics and was going by what the OP and others were describing.
ReluctantRenegade
Joined: March 09, 2016
KitMaker: 2,408 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - 12:51 AM UTC
Quoted Text
No, it is fine for an ODS ('90-'91) version..
Sorry for going slightly off-topic, but that means that both the MCBS and the CLAMS were deployed during ODS? Why did the CLAMS prove ineffective?
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