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The CEV or M728 was a Combat Engineering Vehicle desigen to clear obstacles for the infantry or armor units. It was equipted with a 165mm gun with thirty some rounds. the boom bould lift 17,500 lbs and the winch in the bustle at the rear of the turret had a 25,000 lb pull. The dozer blad could be used to clear disabled vehicles from the road, remove obstacles or dig emplacements for other vehicles.
Major Ron I saw some M728's in Desert Storm. So what are the Reserve units using to replace them? The Grizzly or is it a Wolverine?
The M88 is a dedicated recovery vehicle, replaced with the diesel engine version the M88A1 and when the M1 tank came ou the updated M88A2 with a larger pulling capacity was developed. Like the German FAMO could not pull the Tiger I & II and Ferdinand/Elefants, so they developed the Bergepanzer (P) and the Bergepanther Ausf A/G.
I know what a CEV is, it was my original MOS. The Grizzly was designed to replace the CEV, but wasn't fielded. The Wolverine is a replacement to the AVLB (another vehicle that was part of my original MOS). The 4th ID was the only one to get the Wolverine before it was cancelled:
http://www.hood.army.mil/4id/equipment/content/wolverine.asp.
The M1 was out for almost 20 years before the M88A2 came into production. Most units ignored the safety rules concerning towing the Abrams with an M88A1. I rarely saw a braking vehicles being used and for the most part the M88A1 towed the Abrams as it would an M60-series tank.
