A couple of shots from my private collection, never published. This is the "A Duece" - Company C, 3/33rd Armor, Spearhead 3rd AD- Kirch Gons Germany 1976.... the "pickles".....

Feel free to copy these and use them as you wish....

We've just repaired our thrown tracks....Hohenfels...




Returning to the motor pool after an alert.....



enjoy.. Steve

Back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth...

That bottom (color) photo from 1976 as well? I didn't know the T-148 track went back that far. I need to file this info in the back of the mind for future reference.

Swap turrets and headgear and these photos aren't any different from my experience as an M60A3TTS platoon leader in Germany in 1988.

Thanks for the photos.

Rob,

As I recall, the T-148 was provided to us in February '77. The reason I'm sitting in the mud in the top pic is because our old track was so worn it just wouldn't stay on. You can't tell because of the mud, but one could actually see the pins exposed because the track pads were so bad. Finally, after much celebration, we were issued new track for the entire battalion.

Although no tanker relishes changing track, this new issue was a godsend. We especially appreciated the ability to indivdually replace individual pads, a time and work saving innovation of the T-148.

Steve....

You ever see one fly off a tank on the autobahn? We had a car passing us when one of the pads came off and was bouncing like a football towards the car. The driver's eyes got big and wide as that track pad parallelled her path down the road.

Luckily the pad took a sideways bounce away from her car. I would have hated to see the damage that thing would have done to the side of her car at those speeds.

Howdy all. I believe that the track is T-142. Crockett, those are some neat photos a "Starship". Thanks for sharing them.

Wow, I bet that driver on the "bahn" got a real scare Rob. We would launch wedge bolts in the same fashion and I can relate.

Regardless of the nomenclature, we were thrilled to get new track. I don't know how it is now days, but my tour was a very bad time for armor crewman, the Army, and our country. We were starved for spare parts, our weapons were worn out, and our equipment didn't work (for the most part). During the Carter administration, it was almost impossible to keep a tank ESC green, you just couldn't fix anything because you NEVER HAD THE PARTS. I hope things have improved.

Steve

Best one I saw was a VW Golf that tried to sneak thru a 3/17 artillery convoy as it was leaving Merrill Barracks. The driver never saw the car, left track ran right over the front end. I'm not sure now what guns they were M109 or M110, but they could crunch a car.

I picked up the remains of a M816 that the drunk driver rolled off the autobahn near Wurzberg. Engine here, cab there, axles everywhere. The farmer was not too happy about all the trucks driving thru his fields.

Helped with a GammaGoat that flipped, killing the driver. They were fun when the trailer was off.

Yeah we got new track on Labor Day weekend in 1977.
We also had a hard time geting spares that we needed for our A2's.Though,no one in our Bn called them Starships.
Our most common breakdown,was the heaters.We found ways of keeping them going.I was the master preheater coil solderer.
I have a few pictures too,and a little silent super8 film.Of the view through one of the sights while I sent a round downrange.
I do like building models of mine though:


(++) (++)

Ft Hood '74-'75


Stick 'em up!


and another



SB

Did you guys ever see a roadwheel come off on the Autoban? One of the M60A3s in my platoon lost one and it went rolling ahead of him into the center of the autoban. Just luck would have it that it came off when there was a lull in traffic. Rob where were you at. I was with 2/68 armor in Baumholder.

I was same time frame as you guys. Hit Baumholder in May of 77. We got the new track in August or September that year as I remember the great effort we had (all day) in replacing all 5 of my tanks tracks. We wouldn't be allowed back in the motorpool with a tank that filthy...we would have had to hit the washrack first. I've done "MY" tank getting her semi PM the pack jerked out. I'ld show you pictres, but I am very unhappy with the way the ESCI sectional track turned out and from the front the name of the tank shows which some might find offensive (if they get the joke).

Robert, I was with 2/68 from May 77 until Feb 78 when I transfered over to 1/68. Capt Wallace was CO ( a man I would shoot on sight BTW) I ran First PLatoon Bravo company. Col HAupt was BN Cmdr a man I had great personal feelings for

REFORGER 1988, my wingman A-22 had a brand new aluminum road wheel break off. The wheel broke right where the fins ended. The center of the road wheel stayed attached to the road wheel arm and the outer portion, rubber and all came rolling off. Of course the rubber on the road wheel itself was pristine, not a chunk missing or crack present. Couldn't have happened to a worn road wheel.

I was with 5-77AR (formerly 3-68AR) in Mannheim.

The diorama possibilities for changing tracks would involve an M-88.
When we switched track,we needed an M-88 topull off the old track from on top,with it's winch.and we used the winch to start feeding the new track up past the sprocket.It was faster than the "TM" method.

Roger that Crockett. Regardless of the nomenclature everybody likes new track. Especially T-142, right.? I apologize for correcting you all in a public forum. It is just that I have become spoiled by you guys using the correct nomenclatures the rest of the time..

Hey Mike, thanks for that correction! I appreciate it. I probably didn't know the correct number even back then. Guys like you that are sharp and on thier toes keep us old DATS on our toes..

Regards,

Steve

Howdy Crockett, I guess I am an old DAT too. I started the gig back in 1975. There were these things called M48A3s on the ramp(motor pool). I did get upgraded to M1A1 CDAT before I retired last year though. I was not trying to show off or put anyone down by correcting your post. Hundreds if not thousands of modelers come to this forum every week. Many have little or no "Tanking" time under their belt. When they see someone such as yourself or Robin put out information about tanks they consider it to be gospel. I was trying to avoid Nick the New Modeler bugging his retail hobby shop dealer for some of those "old school T-148 tracks". And I am not really that sharp, I just spent countless hours replacing those stinking track pads in the Mojave sun. If I can work the technology I would like to share with you a picture of me on a M60A2 at Wilson Range in February of 1978. I was in the first USMC bunch that ever attended BNCOC at Knox. Your "A -Deuce" pictures brought back memories of good times past. Thanks again for your response and sharing those great pictures. Out here.

With so many of us having been assigned to the US Army in Europe, I thought this link would provide a lot of memories.

http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm

All together with the two tours my dad did, and my own almost 5 years, I lived in Germany 11 years.

Tom

Thanks for the link. By doing a little exploring through subsequent links, I found out that the 8th ID is having a reunion in Newport, KY in September (across the river from Cincinatti). About 2 hours for me but it looks like they may be drifting my way.
http://www.8thinfdiv.homestead.com/NEWSLETTER.html

I think that I am going to the reunion in Sept. I hope that I can meet some of you guys there. I finally got on M1s When I was assigned to the 1stATB at Ft. Knox. I was on them for About a year when the National Guard decided that they still wanted there soliders trained on the M60 A3s because they didn't have M1s yet. So guess who got picked for that. Some on the guys in the unit had never been on them. When we took them to the gunnery range to let the troops do there gunnery, they saw what these old war pigs could do. We did a modified tank table 8 with the iet troops so they could see what it would be like in their unit and what it was like to be on a tank when it fired. It was me and three Trainees. I took one of the guys who had never been on the M60 down range with me as a loader. He about crapped his pants when the gun recoiled and kicked the casing out . He had always been an M1a1 tanker. AHH Good times!

Crockett:

Were your A2s overall OD or one of the USAEUR camo schemes?

Thanks for the pix,
KL