Focus on the M47

[Kurt_Laughlin]

- Dontos

As for the M41's available there are 2 in RMP that I may be able to access.

The duster question I thought was answered with the M42 data plate I found. I'll dig thru my various harddrives to find those photos. Unfortunately the M42 has been shipped to Ft Benning back in Feb, so I can't check it.

I'll see about getting some good photos on the M41's .....after I trace that box in the drivers hole of the T34......ha ha ha

Regards
Don

IIRC, the vehicle you went into had the same number stamped in both places on the rear hull mod plate, or something similarly inconclusive. The question, to remind everyone, is "Of the two serials stamped on the rear hull modification plate of M41s and M42s, which one (right or left) is the Ordnance serial number?"

Thx,
KL

[Kurt_Laughlin]

x .

[Dontos]

Oh yeah, thats right.

Hopefully I can find some better answers in my next RMP visit.

Regards
Don

[TrevorLarkum]

I've now uploaded my M47 entries. I saw four in 1983, the first two I considered part of the museum collection. The other two I found in a compound on the edge of the post - I didn't know its name or purpose then, but now I suspect it may actually have been the 'legendary' Richardson Motor Pool.

Unique ID 1320: Cutaway M47

Unique ID 1321: Belgian M47

Unique ID 1322: M47 '3'

Unique ID 1323: M47 '4'

Thes entries are straight from my original manuscript. It's late now so I'll update them with the new locations, notes from this thread, and Don's latest photographs, tomorrow.

- Tichenor

- TrevorLarkum

I saw and photographed a number of M47's at Fort Knox when I visited in 1983, including this one. Oddly, though, it had no registration painted on it then, which I'm at a loss to understand.

If the R/N has been applied after 1983, it shouldn't look like that, we have
a M47 here with the markings on it from the fifties and they look far better than those.
Tichenor

Exactly my thoughts - take a look at the photo's and see what you think. I wonder if the registration is actually there, but hidden under a layer of dirt, or a temporary coat of paint.

[Dontos]

Trevor

I think the RN is there but obscured by dust.

As for #3 & #4, those don't appear to be in RMP. I'm told it is identical to how it was in the late 60's & 70's.

Those may have been range targets that are not part of the museums collection but gone to the range.

My reasoning is one of the current M47's in the collection was part of a vehicle siezure back a few years ago. It is a former Italian Army vehicle. That was not here in 1983.

So during your visit, we may have only had 3 M47's in the collection.

Regards
Don

[Joe_D]

Trevor,

In '83 Richardson MP was still very busy training US Tankers on M60A3's. Those pictures sort of look like they were taken at Heard Motor Pool, They had a lot of strange stuff there in the 80's, to include some cast off M60A2's for a while. Doug is much more familiar with the place though, maybe he can shed some light on it.

[Doug_Kibbey]

- Joe_D

Trevor,

In '83 Richardson MP was still very busy training US Tankers on M60A3's. Those pictures sort of look like they were taken at Heard Motor Pool, They had a lot of strange stuff there in the 80's, to include some cast off M60A2's for a while. Doug is much more familiar with the place though, maybe he can shed some light on it.

The series that I thought looked most like they might have been taken at Heard MP was this one:

preservedtanks.com/Pro...queID=1323

...though the angle is narrow and I can't be sure. Looks like back fence area of Heard.

[Dontos]

Here are shots of all 4 current M47's 'on post, that I am aware of....

SN 2947 with the Belgian RN painted on the front slope:




The 'Cut-Away' tank. RN 30186153(?):




The Stithton Circle Tank (SN 2796):




This is the 'Siezure' tank (SN 3400) Has an Italian Rebuild plate on the rear:



Regards
Don

[TrevorLarkum]

I can see this is going to take some untangling - I'll scan and post some more pictures as soon as I can.

[Dontos]

In the above photo of the 'Belgian' M47, notice the aux fuel tank mounts. That should help ID it as the other M47's don't have such a feature.

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.

The more I think about #3 & #4, the more I'm convinced that they were Range bound hard targets. Just a thought.

Regards
Don

[Tichenor]

Don

Just checked the two wrecks here in Brasschaat and they are both lefthand drives.

Tichenor

[TrevorLarkum]

Here's a better picture of the location containing the cutaway M47 - is this RMP?



It was open and straightforward to look around in 1983.

This place was closed so all photo's were taken through the fence, including the M47s '3' and '4' above - is this Heard MP?



This is maybe the same place?:



OT, here's a small selection from lots of other photo's I took around the base, these may or may not be the same locations as above but are not for the purpose of working out where preserved vehicles were, these are pictures of in-service vehicles just for nostalgia:











And finally, a 'drive by shoot':

[Doug_Kibbey]

Trevor,
If pictures 2 and 3 were same place, it wasn't Heard Motor Park. Number 3 definitely not, and number 2...very unlikely.

Approximately when was the whole sequence of pics taken? Or does that vary?

[Dontos]

The M1 is in Potts Motor Pool.

I was there in 85, it was the only place M-1's were 'housed' at that time.

Funny thing is, I may have done my Basic Armor Training on those tanks. I'll have to look at my old OSUT photos to see if there is any ID marking visible.

I think that cutaway M47 might be at Boatwright, since they would have done the work.

Regards
Don

[Doug_Kibbey]

- Dontos

The M1 is in Potts Motor Pool.

I was there in 85, it was the only place M-1's were 'housed' at that time.

Funny thing is, I may have done my Basic Armor Training on those tanks. I'll have to look at my old OSUT photos to see if there is any ID marking visible.

Don

Hey, I did MY basic armor training in Potts Motor Park! Of course, you already knew this, and mine was on M48's.