I have Revell's M60A3 kit and wanted to build it as a Marine Desert Storm vehicle, but it contains decals for European service only. So I request:

1) Did the tanks have reactive armor added, or not necessarily?

2) Where can I find the appropriate markings?

According to one of our Marine members, the Marines used a battalion's worth of US Army M60A3TTS tanks in Desert Storm. The A3s became excess after the 197th Separate Infantry Brigade's armor battalion (don't know the battalion/regiment offhand) transitioned to M1A1s before the ground war began.

Most likely, they would be overall sand color with minimal markings like the coalition inverted chevron.

might have been 2-69 from the 197th they got M1s 105 mm flavor prior to the start of the ground war

There aren't any documented photos of the M60A3 in USMC service. All published photos from Desert Storm show the M60A1. These M60A1 tanks were all fitted with a suite of reactive armor shortly after they arrived in theater, and all vehicles were equipped with steel road wheels. The 1/35th scale Revell/Italeri/Esci/Ertl/AMT kit (yes, these molds did get around) depicts the aluminum wheels discontinued in 1980. The Tamiya kit has the correct road wheels, but the Esci tooling has superior detail on the hull. Maybe a kitbash of the two would be the best route.

Mike Mummey should be able to help out on this one. I think he had provided some info about this on ML awhile back down to which company received whatever number of tanks.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

I turned in a company's worth of M60A3TTS tanks to a POMCUS site in Kaiserslatern in the summer of 1989. About half of the tanks still had a good number of aluminum road wheels, and while the vast majority of replacement wheels were steel, a new aluminum one would show up on occasion. I guess that depended on the NSN used and if the mechanic copied down the steel or aluminum part number.

Mike Mummey, I think it was he who mentioned the Marines getting some hand-me-down A3s in theater. I do know some US Army units belonging to the 197th SIB and the 24th's Div Cav squadron deployed with A3s but transitioned to M1A1s in country. I never knew what became of them, but his story seemed plausible.

I've got every boxing of the Esci M60 series in original Esci, AMT/Ertl, Revell of Germany and Italeri packages. It's one of my favorite tank models.

Hey Robin, you said "member", heh, heh, heh. "Tanks" for thinking that my life expierence may have been somehow plausible. It means a lot. I thought we hashed all this out and had you squared away last October dude. Gary, the USMC did use the M60A3 in DESERT STORM. Pay attention friend and I will break it down "Barney Vision " just for you. There was also more than one USMC outfit to use the M1A1 in DESERT STORM. The unit out of Washington state you speak of was a reserve company(B Co,4th Tk Bn), kinda like the Kansas National Guard only Marine like, you know. And we do not do urban myths, bottom line. Also no Marine that I know of is haunted by anything except that "thang" that got away. Brother Gerald, not all photos are published. Mine aren't. I do not know who is in charge of "documenting" them but apparently but they are doing a poor job. Not every M60A1 that arrived in Saudi Arabia and was off loaded had ERA(Explosive Reactive Armor). But all the M60A1s were fitted with live, OD yellow lettered service ERA tiles before we crossed LD(Line of Departure) in February 1991. The modification to hang ERA was performed by a Depot Contact team from Anniston, AL at the Port of Al Jubail. As for roadwheels they were a mix of both aluminum and steel, photo documented or not. In the fall of 1990 the USMC 1st, 3rd and 8th(Res) tank battalions were in Saudi Arabia. They were all equipped with M60A1(RISE)passive tanks that came off of the MPS(Maritime Pre-position Squadron) ships. CARC Sand and "NATOflage" tanks had dummy ERA mounted. The four color desert tanks did not. Gary this is where you get to say "MERDEC", we know it has been a while. Meanwhile back in the states the 2nd and 4th(Res) tank battalions were going through M1A1 NETT(New Equipment Training Team) at 29 Palms, CA. They flew over to join the festivites around Dec 90-Jan 91 and drew M1A1s "commons" that were suppposed to go to the 3rd ACR. In Jan,1991 the US Armys 197th Seperate Infantry Brigade from Ft Stewart,GA had NETTed in country from the M1-M60A3 to the M1A1. The Brigade Cavalry Troop had eleven M60A3s. The USMC MEF(Marine Expeditionary Force) G4 was made aware of the fact that there was a battalions worth of 105mm M1s and eleven non ERA M60A3s available. The USMC sent down representives(myself and some other Jarheads) from 3rd Tank Bn to see what condition the vehicles were in. We reported back that the "NATOflage" M60A3s would be a good thing to pick up. MEF assigned alllocated six M60A3s to 3rd Tank Bn and five to 1st Tank Bn. Upon arrival in the battalions Field Trains area 3rd Tanks immediately turned one into a parts tank(hangar queen). Then they assigned one to each of the four gun companies in the battalion. The remaining tank was assigned to the headquarters tank section and had the turret bustle ammo ready racks removed. Maintenance personal then installed a system of racks for the shoulder launched Stinger missile. It was manned by LAAD(Low Altitude Air Defense) Marines and became an impromtu air defense tank with a Stinger operator in the loaders hatch. In my company(C Co, 3rd Tanks) the M60A3 was assigned to the headquarters platoon and pulled the TAB(Towed Assault Bridge). Its TTS(Tank Thermal Sight) and LRF(Laser Range Finder) were inoperative as well as the GPS(Gunners Primary Sight). The good old M105D telescope worked just fine though. In 3rd tanks the five remaining M60A3s were all covered by the crews on both hull and turret with tons of sand bags secured with comm "slash" wire. Chris Hughes, I thank you for the trust and confidence in my fidelity and abilities. Tom, make your rare and unique DESERT STORM USMC M60A3 in three color "Natoflage". Then put a green color over where the US Army sand colored bar with black letters/numbers bumper markings were. They did not have any other markings that I can recall as they were already different(slick) from everything else in the battalion. Out here.

Yeah right. I will try harder next time. Mumbo sends . . . . .

In Iraq-

"Marine member" refers to a member of Armorama who is a Marine. No harm or foul meant in the term, my apologies if you do not consider yourself an Armorama member.

As far as my comment regarding your life experience as being plausible, I really don't know you from Adam and I do not believe everything I read on the net. Your story makes sense, so I believe it.

Robin, no apologies needed. I was having fun with member. My story makes sense because it is a fact. This very subject has been dealt with two times that I know of in the past year on this site alone. And I have never met that Adam guy either. I believe that I may have some business coming up this fall in Hardin County. See you then? Out here.

Wow, I turn my back for one day...

Thanks for the info everyone.

Tom, I did find the photo of an M60A3TTS in US use in Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield. It is in the Motorbooks Desert Shield book by Robert F. Dorr (ISBN 0-87938-506-5) on page 84. It is still in US Army markings.