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The museum lists this as an M60A3. OK experts, clue me in, is it an M60A3? The USA number is JJ010P, serial number is 40391. The last digit of the serial is questionable. As you can see, I only got the rear decks serial number. The front tow lug is painted over very heavily. I consider this panel to be experts on this, esspecially a certain member named Doug!, haha. I looked very hard down the sides and everywhere else for markings that may "bleed" through but found nothing.

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OOOPPPS, here's the rear view.

Yes, M60A3. The quickie recognition,....wind sensor on back of turret.

Don

Are you talking about the rubber looking antenna sticking up? This mortarman doesn't know a wind sensor from a straw.

The little 'skinny pole thingie' on the center rear of the turret. Doesn't seen t be an MRS on the end of the gun tube (not uncommon for static display) which is also an M60A3 ID feature.

I'm sure JOE D will list a hundred things, but I always go by the MRS and the wind sensor.

Don

Ayup,

it's also got the mounts for the smoke launchers, which I believe the US Army didn't refit to the A1.

Cheers,

Jens O.

Hmmm, I don't remember MRS on the A3 gun tube. Just the thermal shroud......

- MarkHolloway

Hmmm, I don't remember MRS on the A3 gun tube. Just the thermal shroud......

Agreed, no MRS on an M60A3.

- Jens_O_Mehner

Ayup,

it's also got the mounts for the smoke launchers, which I believe the US Army didn't refit to the A1.

Cheers,

Jens O.

The US Army M60A1 RISE/Passives I rode on had grenade launcher/mounts.

Hi all,

In addition to the wind sensor, the opening in the right-hand rangefinder blister should have a little door over it, probably with a padlock on it. There were a number of modifications added to existing M60A1s (driver's hatch, thermal shroud, SG launchers, etc.) that eventually showed up on the M60A3, but the laser rangefinder (indicated by the blister) and the digital ballistic computer (indicated by the wind sensor) were only found in service on the M60A3's.

C

Hi Folks!

I have agree, the wind sensor does indicate (if that is what that thing is), that vehicle is an A3. It is hard to tell, but that thing looks like it is closer to the aux antenna location rather than centered on the rear edge of the turret.

Sure could use a good view of the TC's side range finder ear to see if there is a door covering the opening. That would nail it down for sure.

Anyone else notice that vehicle is fitted with all aluminum road wheels?

Maybe just me, but all aluminum wheels seams a bit out of place on a vehicle with the hex pad type track block.

The bustle rack is the early two piece type so the search light can be stored on the rear of the turret. However the rack for the light is missing.

The headlight assembles are missing.
The infantry phone box is missing.
The tail light assembles are missing or cover over.

Thanks for all the photos Jeff!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

- Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

I have agree, the wind sensor does indicate (if that is what that thing is), that vehicle is an A3. It is hard to tell, but that thing looks like it is closer to the aux antenna location rather than centered on the rear edge of the turret.

Sure could use a good view of the TC's side range finder ear to see if there is a door covering the opening. That would nail it down for sure.

Anyone else notice that vehicle is fitted with all aluminum road wheels?

Maybe just me, but all aluminum wheels seams a bit out of place on a vehicle with the hex pad type track block.

The bustle rack is the early two piece type so the search light can be stored on the rear of the turret. However the rack for the light is missing.

The headlight assembles are missing.
The infantry phone box is missing.
The tail light assembles are missing or cover over.

Thanks for all the photos Jeff!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Our M60A3TTS tanks in Germany originally came with aluminum wheels and the hex pad track tracks. Replacement road wheels were steel and the only requirement was that both road wheels had to be of the same type (steel or aluminum) on a single road wheel arm. I can post photos if you want. Every tank in the brigade (probably division) had a mixture of steel and aluminum road wheels.

It's definitely an A3.

Am I correct in assuming that aluminumwheels were less desirable than steel wheels?

If so could it be that a unit turning it in made sure that they had pulled all the steel wheels they could off of the vehicle they turned in? Seems like a lot of work, but I saw stranger things on equipment that was being transfered in the Air Force

Yes, aluminum wheels had several problems. First of all, they required steel wear plates that affixed to the inside of the road wheel. This was to prevent the enter guides from damaging the wheel. The wear plates would wear out frequently, break off and jam the wheel against a center guide.

Second, the wheel itself was weaker. During one Reforger, my wingman's tank hit a bump and I watched an aluminum road wheel break off and roll off of his tank like a giant Lifesaver. Of course, the rubber on the road wheel was in pristine condition with no missing or chunked rubber. It didn't even have the decency to break a worn out road wheel.

By the time I got in, aluminum wheels weren't available. Only the steel ones came in. It is ridiculous to think someone would waste valuable time to pull off steel road wheels before transfering the tank.

Here's a picture of me hanging next to the road wheels, you can see a mix of aluminum and steel wheels.
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okay, someone clue me in, how can you tell they are aluminum wheels?