Got this out of a book on the 11ACR

Now that would make for an outstanding Diorama. The top would be fairly eazy, any interior resin out there?

It's an M-48A3 Patton. Tamiya do a reasonable rendition. I would like to know what knocked it out though!!
I think that some purchases in the tube / sheet plastic / sheet metal department would be in order to build a diorama of the picture. COSTY........VERY COSTLY.....

Ouch!


Sorry,all my Tam M 48's are commited to other things

Tread.

That one is for the scrap pile. :-)

I sure hope the crew bailed before this thing blew its top First thing this baby burned before exploding - look at the rubber burned off the left track. I can see four possiibilities:

(1) Electrical short started a fire - it happend to M48/M60 vehicles in peacetime and with service ammo on board - look out!

(2) Vehicle ran over a command detonated mine (usually made form 500 ib or greater aerial bomb found by the VC. Though I doubt that as vehicle is relatively upright - The pictures I have seen of results of these mines was completed destruction - here the hull is still fairly intact.

(3&4) - An RPG penetrated the hull and iginited either ammo in the ready rack or the fuel cell in the engine compartment. I would go with the ammo explosion - diesel fuel (this was an M48A3, not a earlier gasser - not air cleaner box on what remains of left fender) The explosion blew off the turret and some of the blast vented thru access panels in the firewall blowing up the rear deck (held down by two pins in front and six bolts at rear)

As a note, this was about the only way an RPG-2 would completely destroy an M48. It is also why the gunners rode "shotgun" on top of turret or back deck (RPGs did nasty things to human flesh). Most M48s hit by RPGs or normal mines were back in operation in less than 48 hours - as long as there wasn't an ammunition fire!!

seems to be alot of engine compartment damage for a ammo fire alone. with the turret blown off the energy should have venteed upward. at least that would jive with pics I've seen of 48s sans turret in 73. could a hydaulic fire have cased simultaneous damage in fighting and engine compartments? I remember reading about the flammability of of hydraulic fluid in 73.

Josh
aKa shiryon