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Roy_A_Lingle · Last edited by Roy_A_Lingle on Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:43 am; edited 1 time in total

Hi Folks!

Museum Staff member showed me this one which is next the M3 Halftrack. This M3 DID come from Germany.
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Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

Roy, if you could get into one, I'd pick that one. It has the M23 mount with the lump on the gun shield. I'd be interested to know the tank's S/N and if the gun mount or data plate indicates any sort of nomenclature change or modification.

KL

MarkHolloway

Much better than the old ADA Museum!

Dontos

Mark

I was thinking the same thing, as my last exposure to the ADA Museum was in 1979/80.

Hopefully there can be an active volunteer program there in El Paso to care for and take advantage of the 'windfall' of decent condition vehicles.

Regards
Don

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Kurt! I Folks!

- Kurt_Laughlin

Roy, if you could get into one, I'd pick that one.
It has the M23 mount with the lump on the gun shield. I'd be interested to know the tank's S/N and if the gun mount or data plate indicates any sort of nomenclature change or modification.
KL

Will check with the Staff, see if they will let me go inside.

The lump on the gun shield. Here are three photos of that lump. It looks part of another gun shield that was cut up and welded onto this one. From what little I could see of the back side of the shield, it doesn't look like it anything was changed. Could that lump be a counter weigth?

SN off a rear tow lug is 8614.

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Follow up spot report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

It is starting to look like a lot of the 1st AD vehicle have that Sherman comb.
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Spot report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

Roy - this is on some M3A1s and M5s. There are a couple of configurations out there. My guess is that it is a counterweight, but most M23 mounts didn't have them, so I'm not sure what was out of balance. I haven't found any documentation.

S/N 8614 was made in October 1942, which is the same month as these gun shields also appeared on M5s.

KL

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

This is the first M3 Stuart to arrive. I have learn from a museum staff member that this vehicle was in storage at Ft. Still. The team that came down from Ft. Still to pick up the SAMs sent it here. A replacement gun mantel has been ordered to replace that sheet metal box that is on there now.
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I could not get a good look at the rear tow lugs and didn't find any numbers stamped into the armor.
Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Neil_Baumgardner

Joe DeMarco believes that the first M3 Stuart is one that the Army recovered from Haiti.

Neil

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

The second M3 SN is 5972 on the Left Rear tow lug. I got my notes mixed up a bit. The vehicle I can not get a good look at is the M5 Stuart.

Follow up spot report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Folks!

The M3 Stuart that came down for Ft Still, Ser Number 5972 (Left Rear tow lug) has been cleaned up, repainted and now sets on a pad next to Robert E Lee Street, about 200 or 300 meters west of the Lee Gate.

That square sheet metal gun matel has been replaced with something that looks correct.
If any of your are thinking that 37mm gun barrel doesn't look right, that is because it is made out of pipe.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Kurt! Hi Folks!

- Kurt_Laughlin

Roy, if you could get into one, I'd pick that one. It has the M23 mount with the lump on the gun shield. I'd be interested to know the tank's S/N and if the gun mount or data plate indicates any sort of nomenclature change or modification.
KL

I finally climbed up on this one, a week ago last Monday, and found that both of the hatchs on the top of the turret are welded shut! The only way into this one is through the driver and co-driver vision blocks. Sorry I am to fat now days to try that path.

Also, just in case I didn't report location status.
The M3 from Germany with the extra lump on the gun shield is now inside the building. It was one of the few vehicles to come in from Germany that didn't need to be repainted.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts out!

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

Ah poop.

Well, the next time the grandkids are in town give them a quick course on military equipment ID and squirt them into the front hatch!

Thanks,
KL

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