Com-Central.net

looks like I quoted the wrong message. I was responding to Pzkpfw-e's question

Found em

if anyone is able to get there and take photos, I would have some requests, please !!

P-O

Just to emphasize how long this APG upheaval has been going on, here is an announcement from the January 1971 issue of AFV News sent in by Col. G.B. Jarret.

NEW ORDNANCE MUSEUM BUILDING GETS CONSTRUCTION APPROVAL
FOR SITE AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND TANK PARK

Rather than delay the Aberdeen project, it has been decided that an austere version of the Tank Museum will be built as soon as possible in order to get as many vehicles as possible under cover in the near future. This building will be built in a manner to provide for easy expansion when more funds become available.

George Bradford

Hi All

I'm in contact with Charlie Webb, he took the pictures at Anniston. Sadly for us he retired shortly after taking those pictures, so he has no access to the depot any more .

I've asked if he has a contact there we could "use", but no luck so far.
However it seems that Anniston is devided into two parts, a storage part and a maintenance part. At the maintenance part he still has some contacts.
Seems that recently( last week?) the Mark IV has been removed from storage to maintenance to be restored for its 100the birthday (1917 - 2017). There seems to be a budget found for this restoration.

Anyway knowing the state of the other Mk IV's (and the other nearly 100 year old pieces), I wonder in what state those steel plates are. If they are as brittle as the Bovington ones, it's maybe not a good idee to restore it to running condition.

To be continued

Michel

IIRC there is already at least one hole of grapefruit size rusted through one of the hull sideplates on the APG example

As I remember the Mk IV at Aberdeen there was great concern whether it would survive moving. The lower hull was in very bad shape. I'm glad it was able to make the move but anything other than a cosmetic restoration would probably be a complete rebuild and would probably be more replica than original

- bsmart

In spite of her appearance Matilda is a very lucky tank. SHe was captured by the Germans and used in one of their defensive lines (location was in the vehicle file) She was recaptured and after being stripped of usable parts was shipped to New York to be used as scrap (I assumed that was why she doesn't have a gun, engine, tracks, etc) That was where she got very lucky. Col Jarrett was there when she was unloaded to pick up some vehicles he had selected for the Museum. (I always wondered which vehicles were in that shipment) Col Jarrett saw Matilda being unloaded and simply chenged the shipping label to have it added to his shipment! So instead of ending up in a blast furnace in Pittsburgh she spent the next 70 years at Aberdeen. I believe she is one of only 4 Matildas in North America (Littlefield had a beautiful one and I think there were two in Canada)

I researched this Matilda quite extensively for PTC (partly to get the map as complete as I could) and identified it as T10099, so for anyone interested, details are here:

Unique ID 688: APG Matilda

Was down at ANAD for work and got to see the MkIV. It is sitting in 400 waiting for a "scope of work" before they do anything to it. Looks funny sitting there with the M1's

Glad to see the M60 that was formerly at Aberdeen is there.

I was hoping she was sent to Benning and eventually put some where to access. One of my "Enigma" tanks. Only M60 I've seen with 3 shock absorbers per side. Never have been able t find out any info why. Original M60's, which this is one of the first batch of 20 with unacceptable armor, came with no shock absorbers, or friction snubbers as some references state. Later on it was decided to install them, 2 per side, with later production models having them and early ones upgraded when rebuilt. M60A1 hulls and later all came with 3 per side which required moving the #1 support roller forward. The A1 and later hulls had thicker armor up front than the original M60 models. That and the heavier turret with a more forward gun axis put more weight on the vehicle. I have not been able to track down the Registration # for this tank, although I've seen some grainy pictures of her when she was on the "Mile of Tanks" with it painted on the side (Illegible unfortunately). She is one of the first 20 M60's produced. If I had to guess she might have been used to test the new shock absorber/support roller configuration for the upcoming M60A1 tanks and was fitted so. But that's just a guess. Being at Anniston she might as well be on the moon for me to get a chance to check her out in person. I am curious if she had other M60A1 mods too (Hydraulic brakes for one) but that would take a up close and personal inspection. Maybe some day they'll put her where you don't need a secret squirrel ID badge to see her.

Joe, The M60 Tank at Anniston, AL was serial #7, USA # 9B3102. It was shipped from Yuma Proving Ground, AZ to APG and date of acquisition was Sept. 27, 1967. It was built by Chrysler and was missing the engine and transmission. I have a few documents from APG "study" room including Historical Property Catalog Work Sheet. The cost to ship it ((June 21, 1967) was $3,498.00.It was one 15 Non-ballistic hull production model tanks made for training and tests. It was either to be scrapped or made available to the Ordnance Museum, and Mr. Kemp of APG Museum was "happy to have an M60" and had previously got a M103 Heavy tank furnished from them. I only have a few photos of it, if I'd known about the shock absorbers, I'd have some close up views of them! Rick

I am glad to Sgt York from Fort Snelling is there. I heard it was going to DRMO for disposal. Has any other vehicles been moved to other museums? That M992 Command center sure is cool.

I'm looking for a better photo of that M67A2 Zippo.

Thanks for help

- bialy-r

I'm looking for a better photo of that M67A2 Zippo.

Thanks for help

Anyone come across any blueprints.drawings.manuals for the zippo equipment?

- bialy-r

I'm looking for a better photo of that M67A2 Zippo.

Thanks for help

Drop me an email. I have a picture of it at Ft. Benning taken by PAO that I will send you.