Com-Central.net

- Neil_Baumgardner

Accurate Armour is supposed to have an M103A2 kit this year - although their kits are usually pretty expensive!:
www.accurate-armour.co...navlevel=2
Neil

- KenEstes

Re: the Q on how long the army operated them:


The Marine Corps alone would participate in the M103A1 upgrade of turret controls, sights, rangefinder and ballistic computer. These new heavies finally reached the troops during 1958-59. Had the Army assigned the tank a higher priority in its materiel system, the deliveries might have happened sooner. Ironically, the M103A1 proved so impressive that the Army took 72 of them on temporary loan from the Corps to outfit its sole heavy tank battalion in Europe during 1959-62.

The USMC discarded them in 1972, having modified 160 of their 219 to the diesel A2.

- CaptCav

I found this thread while Googling the 899th Heavy Tank Bn. I joined this site so I could specifically respond to this thread. Wow - you've taken me back to my childhood, lol. The 899th was somewhat of a mystery unit, and I've spent most of my adult life trying to figure out who they were and where they came from.

In 1957, my dad was CO of A Co, 709th Tank Bn, an element of CCA, 3d Armored Div, at Kirch Gons, Germany. During '57, the 709th Tk Bn returned from Graf to discover that huge beasts had occupied their hard stands in their absence, unannounced. Long story short, it was a company of the 899th Heavy Tk Bn, equipped with brand new M103 heavy tanks. I specifically remember it was October, because while this happened, the Russians launched Sputnik I. The company was commanded by my father's friend, Capt (later COL) Don Valeska.

The arrival of the M103s created quite a stir - no one had ever seen them; and there was a continuous arrival of VIPS and the curious to The Rock to "look" at the beasts. The 899th was an odd ball unit. It belonged to the 4th Armor Group in Frankfurt. Headquarters for both the battalion and 4th Group was at Gibbs Kaserne. Shortly there after, the 899th was redesignated 2/33 Armor (Hvy Tk). I might add that another unit of the 4th Armd Group was attached to the 3AD at KG - the 746th AIB.

As I remember my dad explaining, the 899th Hvy Tk was parceled out across 7th Army. Each of the four divisions received a company of M103s. The thinking was that the M103s would be used as long-range "sniper tanks" (for lack of a better term); to engage the oncoming Russians before they were in range of the M48A1s. THe M103s turned out to be an albatross. They were so heavy, that they were restricted to just a few roads and bridges. As we tankers all remember - late winter and early spring in Germany are muck season & tanks bog down. The M103 did not bog down..... it played submarine. And lastly, the M103 utilized a 2 piece main gun round, which was not well received by the heavy tankers. It was cumbersome and took time to assemble before firing. Seems I remember there was a crane inside the turret, to facilitate moving the round.

BTW - when CARS was implemented in the fall of 1958 - it was a little screwy. The 4 tank bns in 3AD were re-designated as follows:

7th Tk Bn - 2/1 Cav (MTB)
709th Tk Bn - 2/13 Cav (MTB)
32d Tk Bn - 1/32 Tk Bn (MTB)
33 Tk Bn - 1/33 Tk Bn (MTB)
83d Recon Bn - 3/12 Cav (DivCav)

In the early 1960s, 2/1 Cav and 2/13 cav were redesignated battalions of the 32d & 33d Armor.

Hope this fills a few knowledge gaps!!

- Dontos

WOW!! M103's at "'THE ROCK!!!" Never heard about that one......

- Neil_Baumgardner

There only appear to be 4 T43 pilots (aka prototypes) out there, and about 20 M103s - so not that common. Unfortunately I dont know where to look for SNs on them...

Neil