I just recived the Tamayia M1A1 with mine plow. The question i have is, in all the books and pictures I dont see a external APU. Is it a new addition to the current M1A2 tanks? What does it do? And finally does it belong on the M1A1 with mine plow? The dio I was thinking of doing is a simple single M1A1 going through a berm in Iraq with its plow down paving the way for other tanks and troops. Thanks for any kind of help! Scott

I'm not an expert but some tanks M1A1's did have an APU mounted to the rear right side. The APU ran the tanks electronics and other items so the engine did not have to be run. Think of it as a small generator. That's what I've been told. Mine clearing M1A1's also had a box on the rear center that holds markers for follow on units to see that a mine clearing unit was thru the area and to follow "this" path. I'm note sure if this was flags (like the NBC Fuchs) or light sticks. I hope this helps.

Scott,

One of my friends commanded a platoon of M1A1s in Korea. He mentioned once that not all tanks in his company had the APUs, and that on later M1A1s as well as M1A2s the plan was to have a generator mounted on, I believe, one side of the turret. He said that the reason his tanks did not all have them had to do with money.

I have an M1A2 by DML/Dragon and it still sports the optional APU. I don't know if there are aftermarket kits or that there is a new type APU already on the kit somewhere. Also, I wouldn't know if that new type APU was already being used in 1991 or whether all or some M1A1s in the Gulf had the original ones on the back.


Maybe Sabot can help you out.

Good luck.

After surfing for a while here is a photo of a ODS M1A1 with APU. M1A1+APU Good luck with your Diorama please post some photos of it when your done.

Tanks guys (ha ha) #:-) Great web site, added it to my favorites list. This is what makes this site so good,ya ask a question and the answers you get go far beyond anything you expect. Scott

When we returned from Desert Storm, we did away with the external APUs. Not all tanks had the APUs, rule of thumb was that the straight M1A1s had APUs and the older style track (although the track was being replaced with the newer type as it wore out). Newer depleted uranium armored M1A1-HA tanks did not have the APU installed and always had the newer type track on. Other visual references are the differences in the "dog house", aka the armored gunner's primary sight housing located forward of the TC's cupola.

Newer M1A2 SEPs have an internal APU installed in the left rear compartment of the hull, adjacent to the engine. One of the fuel cells was removed to make room, but the loss of fuel capacity is made up for in the ability to run the turret electronics (TIS, fire control, radios, CITV, etc.).

The mine lane marker was called the Cleared Lane Marking System or CLAMS. It never really worked well and they were rarely installed. The CLAMS basically dropped a weighted marker that held an ordinary chemical light (those little plastic tube lights that when bent, cracks a glass ampule inside and starts a chemical reaction that glows). The follow on drivers can see the lights and follow the path. The driver of the CLAMS vehicle could drop the markers with a push of a remotely wired control. A spring similar to a mouse trap would snap against the chem light and activate it as the marker dropped. Of course, dropping this marker on freshly plowed soil and having it land upright so tanks following can see it is not guarenteed.

Sabot Thank you for the expanation of the CLAMS system. I wondered how it worked. As usual you come thru again.

Sabot
Tanks (hahaha ok its getting old) #:-) You're just a wealth of info at times better than some books. Again thanks for the explanation!! Scott

Hey Sabot,

I haven't seen a tank with T-156 track in about 4 years. Sheesh you brought back nightmares about getting that track together and on; then finding out that a section was backwards! As far as the eapu stuff goes you also forgot to mention that it is rare to find one that works. They almost got mine working about a year ago and it ran for about a minute before shooting flames out of all access panels. As far as i can tell all the things are used for is to take up space in the bustle rack.

Stephen Magee

Sabot,

So are there any M1A1s being retrofitted with the new style apu or do they just run without any apus these days?

BTW, in the Warmachines by Verlinden this Clams is being called clamps and described as a mine layer system. I always thought it was a little bit to small to carry mines

Guess I have to get a better reference book.

To be honest with you, I never saw them while I was in Germany and they had been removed from the tanks by the time I returned to the States. We did without them throughout my tank riding days. As far as the Warmachines book, who'd have thought they'd get something like that wrong? Besides, why would you want to lay mines right after you plowed your way through a mine field?

Okay, here is my take on the whole thing. (M1 Tanker, 14 years service)

The early EAPU (external auxilliary power unit) was fitted in the right rear of the tank. (close to the batteries) Like the CLAMS. The original intent was to reduce the fuel consumption of the vehicle ( many tank crews simply ran out of fuel because they didn't realize how bad a gas guzzler the AGT 1500 was....the rule was that if you ran out of fuel, you got an Article 15, UCMJ)
The updated version sits in the loader's side of the bustle rack, and provides the tank with ample power to run all of the doo-dads on the tank. As someone said before, they are very unreliable, quite loud, and often do not work.

With all the info form all the other posts it looks like the "good idea gone bad" syndrome! So I'll leave it off the tank. Thanks guys Scott