Comments for A brain-cleaning post for you

A brain-cleaning post for you

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:29:51 -0600

Well, some of us, anyway. After clicking through on the links at Patterico's place in the post Dusty put up, I need something like a nice clean tank to clear the images. So, some of you fellas were whining about the size of the pic in yesterday's post on the M48. Fine - here's a bigger one. And for those who are going to whine the picture is still too small - click here.

Comment from jsallison on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:50:29 -0600

Back in the mid-80's our sqdn motor sgt 'rescued' an M47 from the clutches of range control at Graf, towed it back to Warner II in Bamberg and commenced to fiddling. After about a year of after hours work by lots of folk we had a functional M47 as our centerpiece on the parade field across the street from our gym. For the 150th anniversary of the Regt it was hauled to Nuremburg in an ill-advised swat at all the squadrons that didn't have one and was promptly 'requisitioned' by the RCO. Coupla months later it magically reappeared within days following the departure of said RCO and kept our restored M24 of the Circle C Cowboys days company. Never were able to locate a source of 90mm ammo, probably just as well as I was likely the only person to know what a stereoscopic rangefinder was and they weren't going to let me near it...

Comment from HomefrontSix on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:42:53 -0600

huh. Works now for me. Musta just been a glitch. Or yet another opportunity for the cosmos to make me look silly.

Comment from RetRsvMike on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:03:54 -0600

muzzle brake evidently got a wee dose of "Oval-tine".

#1 Left torsion bar does really appear to be sprung.

..and it may just be the angle/shadows, but all those return rollers do appear to be somewhat low compared to the tops of the roadwheels...

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:14:38 -0600

The driver's viewports are definitely gone -- so, there's either a chunk of metal welded over his hatch access, or there's a large, gaping sullivan in the glacis...

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:09:46 -0600

The part that says "Forbidden" when I try to click on it.

You're supposed to click the link to the *M-48*, HF6 -- not to the *Number 82*...

Comment from Casey on 2008-09-08

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 01:52:41 -0600

Original y-shaped muzzle brake. I don't see any kind of cupola machine gun, and the cupola itself looks like an Israeli refit, but it's hard to tell from that angle.

Also, the tread surfaces look odd, although that may be something they did when preserving the tank.

Comment from V5 on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:42:50 -0600

Hmmm, maybe it's me, or just the angle that the picture is taken from...

The collar at the end of the barrel (I guess it's a bore evacuator) doesn't seem long enough. Nor does the barrel. It seems to me that the barrel has been shortened by at least a couple of feet. Other than that I have no clue. I'm no expert on tanks and other things that go boom like some of you guys here.

V5

Comment from HomefrontSix on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:25:34 -0600

What part of "click here' for the larger picture is confusing you yahoos?

The part that says "Forbidden" when I try to click on it. ;~P

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:21:40 -0600

What part of "click here' for the larger picture is confusing you yahoos?

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:36:54 -0600

Rod -- Nope. It says "Sledgehammer" on the tube. And it may be Marine Green, but it's not a USMC tank. No bayonet stud on the barrel...

Comment from Rod Thorsen on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:58:03 -0600

A "lot" of end connectors are missing.

Comment from Rod Thorsen on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:55:57 -0600

The markings are certainatly weird. The crooked star as BillT mentions, lack of tactical markings, and I can't quite read it, but is that "U.S. Army" on the side of the gun tube? The colour also looks more "Marine Green".

Comment from Neffi on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:46:34 -0600

Sheesh... it's so obvious. This is one of the *very* few M48s modified to promote physical fitness and agility by having climbing-rope stands affixed to the rear deck. Field trials were deemed successful, so long as the driver was moving forward. In reverse, not so much...
Glad I could help.

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:30:21 -0600

Muzzle brake is definitely off-kilter and the national insignia is just plain bollixed. And don't most tanks have some sort of way for the driver to see where he's going?

Comment from Olaf The Tanker on 2008-09-07

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 08:45:17 -0600

Based on the larger pic you put up this AM -

#1 road wheels on left hull side missing?

What's the deal with the flash suppressor, looks like it's got a bit of material missing around the bore, unless the angle is playing tricks on the camera.

Air Filter assemblies behind sponson boxes missing?

Headlamps aren't the wrong ones, they're just busted out.
Heater exhaust pipe missing
Fire ext. handles not painted red or just plain missing

And I also concur, the sponson box handles are all in no-go mode