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Neil_Baumgardner

Sorry about spamming the board, but I keep coming across something odd or interesting in this old "Tanks for the Memories" geocaching site...

Seems like they went out of their way to build a turret mockup... Unless this is some wierd prototype I've never heard of...

Its apparently in Hampton, VA....

Neil

Doug_Kibbey

Neil,
Those are the second largest white stars I've ever seen on a U.S. vehicle....the first are the ones on the M48A2's of my AIT class. Shocked

SFC_Jeff_Button

I believe the vehicle pictured is the M108, the predesesor to the M109. The M108 had a 105mm gun. It was replaced by the M109 because in part, the 155 rd was being standardized by NATO at the time, and the carriage was to heavy for such a small caliber. It was phased out in the early 60's if I'm not mistaken. "The Hampton" does appear to have some Modifications made to her. Those rubber skirts seem pieced together from something else. Are there any pictures from other angles?

Neil_Baumgardner

Nope, but notice the "turret" above is also much bigger...

Neil

Joe_D

Looks like a T-108 Prototype,

Joe D

JimWeb

Its the T195 engineering mock-up turret on a T195E1 chassis.

Any images of the front?

bsmart

Neil_Baumgardner wrote:

Sorry about spamming the board, but I keep coming across something odd or interesting in this old "Tanks for the Memories" geocaching site...

Seems like they went out of their way to build a turret mockup... Unless this is some wierd prototype I've never heard of...

Its apparently in Hampton, VA....

Neil

I think I know Hampton VA pretty well (having been stationed at Langley AFB for 9 years :-)) and I don't remember a building like the one in the background. Now I've been gone a few years (like 20) and they may have built it since then, but ...

Are there any lat/long coordinates thaat we could use to locate it?

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Jeff! Hi Folks!

SFC_Jeff_Button wrote:

I believe the vehicle pictured is the M108, the predesesor to the M109. The M108 had a 105mm gun. It was replaced by the M109 because in part, the 155 rd was being standardized by NATO at the time....It was phased out in the early 60's if I'm not mistaken. "The Hampton" does appear to have some Modifications made to her. Those rubber skirts seem pieced together from something else.

The M108 did not preceed the M109. Both vehicles were developed at the same time with the idea of a common tracked chassis to replace both the M52/105 and the M44/155 vehicles. Both started production at the same time. Sense both carriers were almost the same, the cost was almost the same. Some where during the very early fielding of both vehicles, a more buck for your bang desicion was made to upgrade all division artillery SPs with the 155 sense the total cost was equal either way. I am not so sure it was a NATO idea, but more likey the US Army leading NATO sense many NATO countries bought the M109 which countered the Warsaw Pacts 122/152mm cannons.

The rubber skirts? I couldn't make out just what was there. Has me wondering if that might just be part of the floatation kit?

The only time I ever saw some M108s was in Berlin back in 1970. the Berlin Brigade had one battery with six of them. There are a few photos around that shows some M108s in Vietnam. Best I can remember, they looks just like the M109 except for the gun barrel.

My 2 cents and some of my very old history.
Sgt, Scouts Out! Smile

Neil_Baumgardner

Here's the coordinates & map location. Its apparently near Fort Monroe

The picture was taken June last year...

[img]http://map.web.mapquest.com/?e=9&GetMapDataDirect=Gme5diw%2ca%3a9u12%3b%40%24x0%2d7nga72%26%3dt0%21absq67%3ah%2dbg5ryg%26z%40nd0ta0%40b2562%3a9uy2%3bu%24nu67%7c%26a7aq%40%24%3a%26%40ba%21620l67%3a%29zz%26la85u6%24%3a%26ur2u%2da%7c%26yt29%40%24&rnd=9773[/img]

boulter.com/gps/?c=N+3...B0+20.122+

Neil

bsmart

Roy_A_Lingle wrote:

Hi Jeff! Hi Folks!

SFC_Jeff_Button wrote:

I believe the vehicle pictured is the M108, the predesesor to the M109. The M108 had a 105mm gun. It was replaced by the M109 because in part, the 155 rd was being standardized by NATO at the time....It was phased out in the early 60's if I'm not mistaken. "The Hampton" does appear to have some Modifications made to her. Those rubber skirts seem pieced together from something else.

The M108 did not preceed the M109. Both vehicles were developed at the same time with the idea of a common tracked chassis to replace both the M52/105 and the M44/155 vehicles. Both started production at the same time. Sense both carriers were almost the same, the cost was almost the same. Some where during the very early fielding of both vehicles, a more buck for your bang desicion was made to upgrade all division artillery SPs with the 155 sense the total cost was equal either way. I am not so sure it was a NATO idea, but more likey the US Army leading NATO sense many NATO countries bought the M109 which countered the Warsaw Pacts 122/152mm cannons.

The rubber skirts? I couldn't make out just what was there. Has me wondering if that might just be part of the floatation kit?

The only time I ever saw some M108s was in Berlin back in 1970. the Berlin Brigade had one battery with six of them. There are a few photos around that shows some M108s in Vietnam. Best I can remember, they looks just like the M109 except for the gun barrel.

My 2 cents and some of my very old history.
Sgt, Scouts Out! Smile

There is an M108 in storage at Aberdeen. One reason they moved it off the 'tank field' and into storage is that GIs would break into it at night for 'extra curricular activities' With that big turret and the small gun there was plenty of space for 'whatever'

I've been told that beer cnas weren't the only thing the staff would find inside the M108 when they went to investigate the doors being open after a weekend Rolling Eyes

bsmart

Neil_Baumgardner wrote:

Here's the coordinates & map location. Its apparently near Fort Monroe

The picture was taken June last year...

[img]http://map.web.mapquest.com/?e=9&GetMapDataDirect=Gme5diw%2ca%3a9u12%3b%40%24x0%2d7nga72%26%3dt0%21absq67%3ah%2dbg5ryg%26z%40nd0ta0%40b2562%3a9uy2%3bu%24nu67%7c%26a7aq%40%24%3a%26%40ba%21620l67%3a%29zz%26la85u6%24%3a%26ur2u%2da%7c%26yt29%40%24&rnd=9773[/img]

boulter.com/gps/?c=N+3...B0+20.122+

Neil

Interesting, I never got down to that part of town. Back when I was there that wasn't the 'nicest part of town' When we scooted by on the Interstate in recent years I did notice a lot of revitalization. I sometimes wonder how or why T series vehicles get put where they do as monuments

SteveC86

From the map it looks like the vehicle is in or around the Hampton VA hospital. Never been in there, but that's where the sign says the hospital is.

bsmart

makes sense. I wonder if there is another vehicle off to the right of the picture (on the other side of the road) with VA CENTER on it?

The buildings look like it could be part of an older VA center ( probably built to support Civil War and WWI vets)

I keep wanting to go back down to the 'old stomping grounds' Maybe a weekend trip is in order this fall (If I can ever remember what a weekend is supposed to be)

MarkHolloway · Last edited by MarkHolloway on Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

MORTAR FIRE

SFC_Jeff_Button

Hello to all. I had some time off today sfter classes and I drove down to the VA hopsital in Hampton to find this strange arty piece. Sure enough it's there and I snapped a bunch of pic's from different angles, top, inside (through a missing hatch cover), etc... I will also have it's exact location for Neil's armor listings.
I snapped 66 pictures yesterday from Ft Monroe's old Coastal Batteries, to the Hampton National Cemetary, to this arty piece, I just have to down load them all. I can tell tou though that there was a number "5" stamped into each front tow lug, (only markings I could find) so possibly a very early model M108 or T____ model!?
I post these pics later today.

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