Now and again, as I'm surfing the web waiting for the Muse to get done doing her nails and start doing her job, I stumble upon stuff that just catches my eye.
This is one of those things.
Anyone want to take a stab at what caught my eye here in this picture of C66, a 1-77th Armor tank serving with the 5th Infantry Division in Vietnam, fording the Can Lo river in 1968? What made me do the double-take?
POSM85 .50 cal in the coupola?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Self-propelled-howitzer-vietnam.jpg
I'm almost positive thats actually the Cam Lom River if thats '68. Just sayin.
It also looks like there's a guy in a grunt helmet over the shoulder of the loader.
Since this particular model seemed to have been equipped with that oddball cupola that carried the Ma Duce and the M-85? (which is missing along with the search light), it would have to be your shock that not only did the CO's tank (66) actually make it out of the motor pool in running condition, but the driver dared to get it dirty.
That or it's still sporting a 90mm main bang bang.
For Olaf and Eric,
The tank is an M48, obviously, so the 90mm cannon is nominal. So is the
smalltiny doghouse for the gunner's periscope (which is visible on the turret roof just below the M85-less hole in the TC's coupola,), as night vision sights (let alone thermal imaging,) for tanks were still a pipe dream in 1968. The M48A5's with the M68 105mm cannon were not fielded until well after we pulled out of 'Nam.gunner's sight doghouse: check
loader's side frog eye: that's a lifting ring you're seeing by the loader's boot (resting his hand on it)
two antennae: check (goes with the bumper number)
i got it! it's the loader side sponson box handles. they're turned inward, therefor the sponson would be bouncing open (follow that vehicle to make up any equipment shortages you may have!)
John,
Might it be the barrel of that 8" gun sticking out of the cammo netting in the background? Looks like it is one of those SP types, judging from the hight of the barrel above the ground.
Respects,
Anyway, this look pretty serene to me, no shooting an issue, since there are workers on the far shore, and guys loading or unloading in the 2.5T up the hill. Rear area swim test? Photo Op? Most likely, or there'd be more tanks--these guys liked to travel in packs of 5, y'know.
Just my 2 cents....
Of course, knowing John, the star on the glacis being off-center probably jumped right out at him, too.
*koff*
I *still* think nobody's in the driver's seat. That sure looks like muddy water reflecting in the viewing prisms, rather than somebody inside peering out...
I thought something clicked when I read the caption -- the Can Lo is in the middle of the Delta -- there's no high ground within forty miles of it.
And good one, John! Even *I* had to Google it to make sure.
Ummm -- what?