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Smashy · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Aug 05, 2010 Posts: 112

Rainwater gutters to stop water pouring off the turret into the hull & engine hatches.

TrevorLarkum · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:17 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

- Massimo_Foti

That data plate is italian. It says the tank was revisioned by "Officine Fiore", in Caserta, not that far from Naples. Back in those day the Italian Army's tank school was stationed in Caserta (it's now in Lecce)

Hope it will help

Massimo

Thanks, Massimo - that does help. It has prompted me to research Caserta, and I have put together an entry for the armour school there:

Caserma Ferrari Orsi, Caserta

There is now a link to it from the M47:

Fort Knox Italian M47

Do you know how well concentrated are the places where Italian tanks served in Italy? For example, would it be reasonable to assume that all Italian M47s served at Caserta at some point (so I can add it to their previous location lists, and maps) or is that unreasonable?

On a different but related note, does anyone know the significance of the metal strips welded diagonally on the front and back of M47 turrets?

See also other M47s:

Preserved M47s

I seem to see them mostly on ex-Italian vehicles, and there are no pictures of them in Hunnicutt. I'm wondering if they may be an Italian feature, and therefore a way of identifying ex-Italian M47s. Does anyone know?

Dontos · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Trevor

Here are somemore shots taken today of the cutaway tank. I found the Drivers escape hatch open. Was able to crawl into the drivers compartment and the turret. The interesting item found was the hull SN stamped into the data plate mount. The SN of the tank was 7693. Not sure why is got re stamped 20.

Regards
Don

TrevorLarkum · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:56 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

- Dontos

Trevor

M47 (SN 3200) was received a few years ago in a shipment following a US Govt 'repossession' of loaned vehicles from the Ropkey Armor Museum in Crawfordsville Indiana.

Included were the M47, M42 'Duster', M114, and a towed 8in howitzer.

The M114 & The M42 are now at Ft Benning. The 8in Howitzer is now on static display in front of the museum. (its actually on the pad that the T28 had previously been located on.)

Regards
Don

Don, I've updated the M47 entry with the information and your latest photos:

Unique ID 1326: Ropkey/Fort Knox M47

.. and I've added a new entry for the M42:

Unique ID 1327: Ropkey/Fort Knox/Benning M42

I've also added Geoff Waldens pics from the 'Seen at Boatwright' thread.

Many thanks - and please do let me know if you have any pics of the M42.

Massimo_Foti · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 4:57 am Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

That data plate is italian. It says the tank was revisioned by "Officine Fiore", in Caserta, not that far from Naples. Back in those day the Italian Army's tank school was stationed in Caserta (it's now in Lecce)

Hope it will help

Massimo

Dontos · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 12:04 am Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Trevor

Looks good.

BTW: This is the data plate on the rear of M47 (SN3200).

Regards
Don

Dontos · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:29 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Trevor

M47 (SN 3200) was received a few years ago in a shipment following a US Govt 'repossession' of loaned vehicles from the Ropkey Armor Museum in Crawfordsville Indiana.

Included were the M47, M42 'Duster', M114, and a towed 8in howitzer.

The M114 & The M42 are now at Ft Benning. The 8in Howitzer is now on static display in front of the museum. (its actually on the pad that the T28 had previously been located on.)

Regards
Don

TrevorLarkum · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:21 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

I have reworked the M47 entries I have for Fort Knox, specifically I have split the 'cutaway' M47 back into two entries since I no longer believe they are the same vehicle, and I have added Don's two new M47s that I didn't see in my visit. This is all of them:

On Post
Unique ID 1325: Stithton M47

RMP:
Unique ID 1321: Belgian M47

Unique ID 1324: Don's cutaway M47

Unique ID 1326: Don's seizure M47

Unknown (seen in 1983):
Unique ID 1320: My 'cutaway' M47

Unique ID 1322: M47 '3'

Unique ID 1323: M47 '4'

Don, thanks for the recently uploaded extra photos of the cutaway M47, I have added them today.
Please check all these entries when you have the time, including my estimates for photo dates (I noticed some seem to have actual dates in the stored image information, but most just say January 2003). Also, can you say something more about the 'seizure', and is that the same M47 as you have a picture of in photobucket labelled 'Crawfordsville'?

Joe_D · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 10:34 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Unfortunately I don't think anyone there knew how to even spell tank, let alone know one from another.

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:06 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

- Joe_D

She's in Smyrna Tennessee. The folks who own her thinks she's an M48A2.

She looks pretty good, apart from the "information" plaque.

Did you do your civic duty or just shake your head and leave?

Tichenor · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 6:01 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

- Joe_D

Could you see if this M47 was also a former Belgian Army Tank. SN is 3791.

Joe It could be an Ex-Belgian M47, if they where delivered in sequence there is a very big chance it is. One of the survivers here in Belgium has SN 3785 and to make it even better another one has SN 3792. When I have a chance to make it to the archives I will search for this one to.

Tichenor

Joe_D · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 3:20 am Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Tichner,

Could you see if this M47 was also a former Belgian Army Tank. SN is 3791.

She's in Smyrna Tennessee. The folks who own her thinks she's an M48A2.

M48A2 ????

I believe she was because of the Aux fuel tank brackets, extended tail lamps, and the retention of the track tension wheel in front of the sprocket, something the French and Italian owned tanks had removed.

Rear View

M47 SN 3791

TrevorLarkum · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 11:16 pm Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Good news is I've now updated the Belgian M47 (location, RN/SN, id details, added Don's 13 photos, map):

Unique ID 1321: Belgian M47 at Fort Knox

Bad news is I've revisited the 'cutaway' M47 and it's looks like we are talking about two different tanks (unless they changed the muzzle brake at some point). I believed my photo's were of the M47 before it was cut away, hence the areas marked with crosses in white paint but it must be a different M47:

Unique ID 1320: Cutaway M47 at Fort Knox - actually two different vehicles?

- Dontos

I have located a number of shots of the 'cutaway' M47, before it was cut up. It seems it was on display for a number of years around what looks like Serio Hall.

Regards
Don

Please show them - and anyone else who has some. My 'cutaway M47' has the same muzzle brake as the one now on Stithton Circle but differs in other details, so it looks like we have another (7th) Fort Knox M47.

Dontos · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 11:02 am Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

I used a green scrub pad to remove the light coat of paint off the front slope Rn 'plate'.

In Trevors photo it was not visible. It looks like a light coat of cheap paint was painted over the plate to obscure it. In the 80's, she was operational & used during the annual demonstrations that the museum hosted.

When she got here, I'm not sure. But I am convinced she is a former Belgian tank, perhaps arriving after some sort of trade deal, 'back in the day'.

Regards
Don

Tichenor · Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Focus on the M47

Don

For me its 99.99% sure thats a former Belgian M47. The big question, how did it get there?
When I have time, I will try to find the history of that M47. That should be traceable with the RN and the serial.

Tichenor

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