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- Joe_D

DA form 2408-4's tell the story most of the time. My friend was on "All the way to Bagdad" A14.


Joe D

Joe:

Some day I want to model ALL THE WAY TO BAGHDAD. It had a mine plow and I love the look of plows on Abrams. They look so much more menacing. I may try and model it though after it lost three roadwheels in southern Iraq and was written off. Interesting story with that tank, but I do not know a lot of details. I just know the roadwheels sheared during an attack over rough ground.

The Japanese embedded journalists were kidding the crew aftewards that their tank would not be making it "All the way..." so the M88 crew took the barrel with them and at least that made it all the way.

I understand the crew did not get a replacement tank so they were split up and sent where needed.

So what is form DA 2408-4? Some sort of maintenance record on a particular vehicle? If I visited the Patton Museum or any other museum would the curator have such a history of a particular vehicle? I have never been to the Patton Museum but maybe one day...

Bob

- Joe_D

Here's a picture of the OIF M1A1.



Joe D

Well, they still have some work to do on the display and markings. Here is a shot of ANSWER TO THIS as the war was starting. The museum still has to add the CIPs and the markings on the CIPs. I wonder if the markings have been properly applied to the sideskirts? Joe, any other photos? I'd like them to add the spare sprocket and roadwheel and the MILES tape, but I suppose they will not do that.

s49.photobucket.com/al...edia=image

Bob

Bob

I'll get some photos tomorrow, when I go by there.

Don

Bob,
Never asked my friend if his tank made it all the way, I assumed it did since he was still on a tank in Baghdad when he got hurt. I'll ask him next time I'm at Knox. I doubt they took he Barrel if it did break down, more likely the thermal shroud. Would not have been enough time. Nice pictures of 3ID in Udari desert.

Joe D

Joe:

Here is a pic of it out of action.





Here is also the pic I meant to have in my last post of ANSWER TO THIS.

Bob

Bob

Went by today. The outfitting is almost complete. Still missing the CIP's on the front slope of turret & ther TC side bustle rack extension (shown in the above photo. Everything else seems to be in place.

Whats wrapped around the EPLARS antenna (left side of photo)?

Don

- Dontos

Whats wrapped around the EPLARS antenna (left side of photo)?

Don

In the foreground photo is my co-author's turret. He attached a skull & crossbones flag to his EPLARS antenna, but the CO was not happy about it, as it smacked of the whole occupation, "We are here to kick your ass" thing, instead of "We are here to liberate you." So, he had to keep it wrapped up. Why he did not take it off I don't know, but I suppose he thought at some point he'd be able to get away with it.

Also note the flag attached to his windsensor. It now has several holes in it from the campaign. Later he would also attach a smoke grenade packing tube attached w/ more Hundred Mile an Hour Tape. Inside he kept a light strobe that only aircraft could see, when he pulled the cap off the top of the packing tube. It was expected aircraft would then identify him as friendly.

Here is the flag now at his house used as a background for the model I built for him. The model is in a diorama which is not fully shown here.

- Burik

... Inside he kept a light strobe that only aircraft could see, when he pulled the cap off the top of the packing tube. It was expected aircraft would then identify him as friendly.

Bob

They 'toyed' with the same idea during DS, it didn't work then either...

Perhaps for rotary wing, but fixed wing move way too fast for light recognition.

Beautiful model! Even got the shipping label on the skirts,...awesome!

Hey Bob,
I'm impressed. I imagine your co-author was very happy with the model. Last time I saw that tank was at TAA Spartan.

The DA Form 2408-4 is a weapons data card, It's used to track how many rounds a cannon has fired and when it was borescoped and if applicable (Rifled Cannons) pullover was performed. They get turned in every 6 months to Watervielet Arsenal. The card is tracked by the tube serial number. The card will also have the Unit and bumper number. A master gunner should have copies of all the cards that were sent in. You also are supposed to get the card when you draw a tank. Doesn't always happen. Then you contact Watervielet to get a copy. Hopefully the previous owners were updating and sending off the cards. I always wondered how long they kept the records and if they disposed of them when the tube was replaced. It could potentially be a way to track a tanks history of assignments. I can picture a room in the basement full of these cards just waiting for some one to go through them and create a data base to get the history on a tank. I'd love to get a hold of the M68 stack.

Joe D

So, Joe, you were in 3rd ID? What does TAA stand for? I know it as "Objective Spartan."

Bob

TAA Spartan was where 2nd BDE moved to from the Camps in Kuwait before invading Iraq. TAA is Tactical Assembly Area. Basically a spot in the Desert. From what I remember they were in Camp Pennsylvania before jumping there.
I was not in 3ID, was in ARCENT. I worked with the unit Master Gunner's. That's how I know the Tank Commander of "All the way to Bagdad".

Joe D