What is held in the compartments along each side of the M60 hull deck? There is a small one on the back on each side and a larger one near the middle of the tank, under the turret, on each side.

I would like to open some of these but don't know what's inside...

Here's a link to the boxes I'm talking about if you can't understand my horrible description.

http://tanxheaven.com/m60a3tts/m60a3-011.jpg

These are called sponson boxes. The load plan (Army talk for where stuff goes) varies from unit to unit but is normally based on the technical manual (shows where stuff should be stowed) and direction from the Armor School at Ft. Knox. A standardized load plan is more efficient since all tankers will expect to find the same stuff stowed in the same place whenever they switch vehicles or units.

The longer boxes held the tools referred to as "BII" or basic issue items, also called "pioneer tools" because they include the standard D-handled shovel, ax and pick ax. Also inside is a 5 to 6 foot long steel pry bar called a tankers bar. A 3 foot long steel pipe called a cheater pipe (used to create leverage when using the rachet or breaker bar) is kept in there as well.

The long box would also hold the tool bag that includes basic screw drivers, combination wrenches, Allen wrenches, socket wrenches, rachet, breaker bar and various other armor specific tools like track jacks, sledge hammer, and gun cleaning rods.

The back two boxes are used to keep expendable items like spare end connectors, wedge bolts, center guides and things like that. They are used to replace the components of the track that tend to fall off during operations.

Small 1 quart cans of oil or hydraulic fluid (FRH or fire resistant fluid) are kept in the small boxes. The small boxes got wet and muddy inside, more so than the long boxes which is why less valuable items were kept in the small boxes as opposed to the long ones.

These are storage boxes for tools and other gear. There probably is a schemetic as to how they are supposed to be loaded, but most of the time, tools are just thrown in however they fit. You would see pioneer tools (shovel, axe, pick, ext.), track tool (for breaking and reattaching track), tanker bar, barrel cleaning rods, rags, oil cans, etc., etc.

Thanks guys!

On our M-60A2's in Germany,we put the asbestos bags for the ends of rounds in the left rear,to save turet space.Also,in the left rear,we would put the adapters for the ammo racks,which were used to convert missle holding ammo racks to conventional rounds.
Inside of the boxes were decals saying what should be secured in each one.Of course these markings lasted this > < long.
The small gas fired cooking stove was in the right rear,and we put some spare end connectors there.
After one trip to the gunnery ranges,we all took an empty wooden ammo box for main gun rounds,and secured it where the nonexistant gun tube travel lock would be at the rear of the back deck.In that we would put trash bags,a .50 cal ammo box full of spare nuts and bolts .and a few cans of turboshaft oil for our compressors.
Our right front sponson box had the tool bag with the normal maintenence tools,the anntenna sections,and the 2 track jacks,used for drawing the ends of track together to be bolted back together.The aluminum poles for the gun cleaning rods were in this side.As were the brush and rammer end for cleaning and removing stuck explosive rounds.mmhmm.
The left front woild contain our "pioneer tools"
This consisted of the sledge hammer,Shovel,mattock handle,and pickax head.