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REVIEW
The M32 Recovery Vehicle
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Monday, November 20, 2006 - 06:25 PM UTC
Just published, a review of Easy1 Production''s CD Rom:T042: TM 9-738, Tank Recovery Vehicles M32, M32Ba, M32B2, M32B3, and M32B4 which, as the title suggests, is a reprint of the relevant technical manuals on this interesting vehicle. The review can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Plasticat
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Idaho, United States
Joined: September 03, 2003
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Posted: Monday, November 20, 2006 - 09:57 PM UTC
This is great news Jim. I have been wanting to do one of these for some time, but lacked any reference material(except the Ampersand "Modelling Recovery Vehicles" issue.
One question: Does it have any pictures of the boom being deployed? ie... the cable hooked up between the sprocket and the boom, etc...

JIVS
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Palencia, Spain / Espaņa
Joined: August 08, 2005
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Posted: Monday, November 20, 2006 - 10:03 PM UTC
I would like to suggest to all comic book readers to buy this book . Why ? Itīs easy . Will Eisner - the Spirit fatherīs - colaborate in it.
Will eisner made a serie of comic books to help the US ARMY in the vehicles maintenance for rookies. Because the armey realised that a comic was a suitable way to teach how to manage them
jimbrae
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Posted: Monday, November 20, 2006 - 10:24 PM UTC
AikinutNY
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Joined: October 21, 2003
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Posted: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 05:23 AM UTC

Quoted Text

This is great news Jim. I have been wanting to do one of these for some time, but lacked any reference material(except the Ampersand "Modelling Recovery Vehicles" issue.
One question: Does it have any pictures of the boom being deployed? ie... the cable hooked up between the sprocket and the boom, etc...


On the drive sprocket there was an attachment like a pulley, a steel cable was attached to it and to one of the three bolt holes on the boom. The holes determined how high the boom would be. The M32 was moved forward and the cable wrapped around the pully and the boom was raised. Cables from the back of the vehicle held it in position.

There were some ground spades that went in from of the track under the sprocket if the M32 was pulling another vehicle out of mud or a ditch. Worked like the large spade on the Bergepanthers and FAMOs.
ericadeane
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Michigan, United States
Joined: October 28, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 09:32 AM UTC
Hi Jim: There weren't any ground spades on the M32. You're referring to the chock blocks that ensured the M32 wouldn't shift backwards or forward if hoisting or winching something particularly heavy. THere was also a set of plates that could be mounted to the forward face of the VVS to ensure that the VVS unit would only compress to a set amount. The Tech manual shows various configurations of loads and what support was needed for different types of jobs.

HTH

Roy
Hollowpoint
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Posted: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 10:02 AM UTC
An excellent CD reference. I picked up this one and a few others at the AMPS Nats this year.

It goes a long way to answering the question: "What does the inside of that thing look like? Answer: The Italeri kit is WAY over-simplified. Get a new cast hull from the Dragon early M4A1 kit or Formations, and be prepared to do a lot of scratch-building interior. The Italeri exterior parts and accessories are not terrible, and with this reference and some scratch-building skills, you can tweak and detail them.
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
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Posted: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 12:52 PM UTC
Quite honestly, back this up with contemporary images of the vehicle in action and you'll have a resource that's second to none.

It would also be remiss, not to spare a moment to consider the debt we owe the editors of these manuals - little could they imagine that 60+ years later, a different generation would be poring over them with considerably more enthusiasm than the vehicle crews themselves... :-)
AikinutNY
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: October 21, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, November 22, 2006 - 07:50 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi Jim: There weren't any ground spades on the M32. You're referring to the chock blocks that ensured the M32 wouldn't shift backwards or forward if hoisting or winching something particularly heavy. THere was also a set of plates that could be mounted to the forward face of the VVS to ensure that the VVS unit would only compress to a set amount. The Tech manual shows various configurations of loads and what support was needed for different types of jobs.

HTH

Roy

The choke blocks I saw in the operator's manual looked a little bit beefier that the chock blocks most people see in the motor pool. The common chock block made from wood does not really compare with the ones made for the M32. I think they bolted to the track if I remember the picture.
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