This is an M48A3 question. Did M48A3’s used by US Marines in Vietnam have a com system on the rear of the tank for infantry to talk to the TC. I know M26’s in Korea had such a device. It was a telephone type handset that was accesable from a hatch on the aft of the tank near the trailer hitch. The movie “Full Metal Jacket” showed an infantry NCO using such a device. The tanks in that movie look like M41’s. However, that’s just a movie, which means that’s iffy at best. My reference Material:
The M47 and M48 Patton Tanks by Steven Zaloga & Jim Laurier (Osprey Publishing)
US Marine Corps tank Crewman 1965-70 by Ed Gilbert (Osprey)
Marines in Hue City by Eric Hammel
these books haven’t been able to answer my question. Does anybody out there know about a telephone on the back of an M48? I’m looking to do a Hue City Diorama. It’d be an interesting feature to include if it existed on these vehicles.
“The rear of this tank provides positive identification, as the solid rear plate and rear deck configuration confirm that it is an M48A1. The large box in the middle of the rear plate protected an infantry phone, and the square plates below the phone mount are for transmission access. A third, round, transmission access plate is partially obscured by the infantry phone box.”
Here’s little clip from M48A3: “Detachable headlights were mounted, and the fender telephone intercom was mounted in a higher position.”
If you were in an M60A1 and sitting in the driver’s seat, it would be on the far rear to your RIGHT. Near the back of the tank. It was in a box on the back to the right of the air grille. Since the M60A1 was just a little enhancement of the M48, I would assume it was in the same spot. Really cool to have a phone back there, fed into the crew com system…made sense though. Quite handy to be able to talk to the infantry with our limited vision…
I grabbed two shots of the M48 mentioned above. Location “A” is a small box and may be the telephone box for an M48. Location “B” is where I remember general area where the phone was located on an M60A1. “A” seems like a kind of high up placement for a phone for an infantryman trying to call in to the crew, and if you think about it, what about that cord?
Now, “B” is a better spot. A little lower to the ground, and that cord can swing a bit before being “clipped off”. Not a pleasant place to make a call, I’ll grant you, unless you’re freezing your you-nkonw-what off and the warm breeze can be rather nice. Of course you’re still ending up with a mouthful of mud…
But who knows on the M48 vs the M60 phone placement. Not trying to bore you…but I think that it’s possible that this M48 has had its phone removed?
That’s the answer I was looking for. Best part is… I don’t have to disassemble any of the parts that I already installed. It’s at the right rear right above the fender. I saved the link, and Thanks fella’s that takes care of it for me.
To think, I’ve spent between 60 to 70 bucks on books plus hours searching the net and I still have to run to finescale forums for answers. Thanks fellas.
I have never seen the T-I phone on the right side, low on the hull as Bropous2007 shows in his pic labeled B. The right rear fender has been pretty much standard for US tanks since the M26E1 Pershing. On the M46, M47, and M48A1 and A2, the box was moved to the back of the hull.
M26E1
M46
M47
M48A1 and A2 position
On the M48A3, it was again moved to the right rear fender, where it has pretty much stayed.
The standard location on M60 tanks was also on the right rear fender, as shown on the tanks below.
M60A1
M60A2
M60A3
Recently, based on lessons learned in Iraq, they have been added to Abrams as well. Don’t know why they haven’t always been there. Gotta love how we continue to re-learn combat lessons over and over again. They are still mounted on the right rear of the hull, where the fender would be if it had a rear fender.
No problem. All our minds get a little cloudy sometimes. For more pics of the Starship, check out Tanx Heaven. There are a bunch of pics of them there. I used them heavily when I built my M60A2 Starship.
The T/I phone was located on the right rear fender on the M48A5 and M60A3 I crewed. On the M60A3, it was there but had long been disconnected. On the M48A5, we used them to set up a hot loop while in a defensive position. That way anyone in the platoon could talk to one another without having to use the radio.
