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Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:05 am Post subject: "Jumbo" to go home!

Not too sure about the "3.6" ton assessment (maybe them's metric tones) but this certainly is good news.

www.army.mil/-news/200...on-museum/

Additional pictures on bottom bar of the linky...

Eventually headed for Army Museum, Washington D.C.

the_shadock · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 8:44 am Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

It was probably 36 metric tons, indeed.

3.6 metric tons should be the weight of the single turret without gun..

Anyway, this article allows us to learn a lot of things :

""My intent is to reset Cobra King in appearance to her historic state as pictured on the day after the relief of Bastogne," Dyer states in the plan."

"Phase one will remove the current M-1A1 76mm main-gun that was installed in March 1945 . The Patton Museum will then replace the gun with the original Jumbo version, an M-3 75mm, L38 main-gun."

"The tank will be moved to the U.S. Army Museum in Washington, D.C., with its expected opening in 2013"

good things !!

P-O

Dontos · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:31 am Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

The 'Jumbos' Combat weight was rated at 85,000 lbs initially, when mounting the 75mm main gun.

I assume that equates (closer) to 36 metric tons, taking into account that "Cobra King's" current condition is considerably less than combat weight.

Don

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

Don,
I assume its going to RMP in the interim?

And of course you know we will expect you to provide copious photographs of its arrival... and the restoration process... Confused

Neil

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

BTW, what a story behind this tank! I had to scour multiple sources to give some background for the register footnote:

"This tank is the original “Cobra King,” which served with C Company, 37th Tank Battalion - the first tank to enter Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 (for further info see Dave Melancon, 'Cobra King' led 4th Armored Division column that relieved Bastogne during Battle of the Bulge, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs Office, 25 February 2009). Following the relief of Bastogne the tank may also have supported Task Force Baum during the Hammelburg Raid in March 1945, according to Joe DeMarco (G104, 12/2005). The tank was re-armed with an M1A1 76mm gun on the orders of Lieutenant General George S. Patton , commander of the 3rd U.S. Army, in March 1945. After World War II the tank was put on display at Kitzingen / Wirzburg, Germany, later McKee Barracks in Crailsheim, Germany in the mid/late 1950s, and then moved to 37th Armor Regiment Park and the Rose Barracks Gate in Vilseck, Germany in 1994 (Kitzingen / Wirzburg location information identified by Joe DeMarco, G104, 1/2009). “Cobra King” was shipped from Vilseck to Fort Knox in June/July 2009 for restoration, which will include removing the 76mm gun and re-arming it with an original M3 75mm gun as it had during the Battle of the Bulge (Mary Markos, Historic Cobra King heads to new home in Patton Museum, U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr, 16 June 2009). The tank is planned to go on display at the at the National Museum of the U.S. Army when it opens outside of Washington, DC in 2013. The tank was first identified by Keith Goode and Joe DeMarco (G104, 5/2001) and later officially confirmed by the U.S. Army (Jennifer H. Svan, Vilseck tank confirmed as ‘Cobra King,’ Stars and Stripes (European edition), 27 December 2008)."

No one source has all this info, particularly Joe DeMarco's contributions - otherwise I'd just link to it...

Chris Hughes posted a very good photo gallery of Cobra King at www.toadmanstankpictur...a_king.htm

Here's the articles

Vilseck tank confirmed as ‘Cobra King’
www.stripes.com/articl...icle=59651

This one provides a pretty good overview of its history

'Cobra King' led 4th Armored Division column that relieved Bastogne during Battle of the Bulge
www.army.mil/-news/200...the-bulge/

Neil

JeffStringer · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 637

A muzzle brake on a Jumbo just isn't right. Confused

bsmart · Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

This may now be one of the best documented WWII survivors that actually saw frontline service

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

I agree with Bob!
I cant think of any others...

Great News, good to hear this this morning!!!
What all will be in the new museum there in D.C.??? Any links to preview the proposed museum? what size, what types of displays, etc...?

"Phase one will remove the current M-1A1 76mm main-gun that was installed in March 1945 (a year after the tank broke through Bastogne)"
Just given the linked articles a quick looksy,being a pessimist this a.m., this timeline stated bothers me just a little bit...
SR

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

Forgive me this morning, had a party, woked up very late, it isnt morning now, do I notice more historical inaccurancies or syntax in one or more articles?
SR

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

Its going to open at Fort Belvoir

www.armyhistory.org/

Neil

Dontos · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:15 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

To the matter of 'upgunning' the JUMBO.

From 3rd Army Report (March 1945):
"The project of installing 76mm guns in lieu of 75mm guns in medium tanks, M4A3E2, was continued with a total of 45 tanks being completely modified."
" Gun tubes were supplied thru normal channels of supply and from salvage tanks."
"Sighting equipment for the 76mm gun was not available, therefore 3" gun telescopic sights were substituted to eliminate this problem."
"The main difficulties encountered were the modification and rearrangement of the ammunition rack and the relocation of the radio which was removed from the turret and placed in the drivers compartment. The bustle in the turret in which the radio was originally located was converted to provide storage for seven 'ready rounds' of ammunition. Approximately 75 man hours were required to complete the modification."

Regards
Don

Tichenor · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

To be honest I have some mixt feelings with this.
I'm sad its leaving Europe, the place where it did get its glorie and always will be connected with Bastogne.
On the other hand I'm glad finaly someone recognised its historical value and Cobra King gets its needed restoration.

The other side off the medal is that we here in Brussels have the only M4A3E2 Jumbo outside the US ( as far as I know).

Michel

bsmart · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:34 pm Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

Isn't there a Jumbo at Bovington?

Dontos · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:58 am Post subject: Re: "Jumbo" to go home!

Don

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

Don,
The timeline I am referring to isnt in reference to the installation of the 76mm, but that it didnt happen a year after the Battle of the Bulge as the one article stated. (Nor did the Cobra King participate in a "Breakout" as the one article stated, it "Broke in")
SR

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