For all you current armor fans, I thought some of you might like this. Here is a link to a rather in-depth article about the action leading up to, and during the loss of those 2 M1s. Apparently taken out by Iraqi anti tank missiles from behind. Oh yah, and also some really good pics of the war too.
http://armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1704995.php
good hunting
Hopefully this streak will continue.
Thanks for sharing this link. Although I read the Army Times regularly while I was in the military, I guess six years some things get forgotten. Thank you for reminding me of yet another good source for news. That article was very indepth and detailed. The kind of detail not seen in many other places.
Didn’t we just lose a crew that was crossing a bridge and the driver was shot, tank went off the bridge and they drown. I remember hearing something about it, but can’t be sure because I could not confirm it.
In Gulf War I 4 M1 Abrams where lost to freindly fire. 3 From other M1s. 1 From an Apache. No M1 Crews where lost. The crew compartment is protected from ammo fires.
As far as the 2 RPG kills, the Iraqi’s got very lucky.
The one lost off the bridge was due to a moronic driver not having his hatch closed. M1 Drivers are supposed to drive closed hatch at all times to keep from getting decapitated by sudden turret traverses. If he was driving closed hatch like he was supposed to it never would have went off the bridge.
any models or convertions of the sbrams with the mine plow? its sweet!!![:p][:p][:p]
Tamiya and Dragon do a Abrams with the mine plow
Hey everyone,
Ok, I’m up to decaling my Tamiya M1A1. I need information on the 3/7 Cav’s bumper codes. Would it be “3I - 3/7 CAV” or would it simply be “3I-7C” and then the vehicle/troop number? I’m also looking for information on M1A1 “United Flight 175” Its got three broad white kill rings around the bore evacuator and the name on the forward gun tube. Yet the only photo I have is of the gun itself. Anyone seen this Abrams? In any case, its a great kit, but I figured for $40, it could at least have a friggin interior!
Give em hell boys!
I don’t think those are kill rings, I think they are unit designators. The Germans used kill rings for a bit during W W 2. I 've seen those pictures too, if you look when they show vehicles lined up they all have the three rings…probably for the 3rd Squadron. In my day it would be 3I-3/7CAV. Don’t know if they would have changed nit designators since then Ron Grovinus is our current expert
J Delta,
From what I know, we started using kill rings in DS I. If you look down that photo there are at least three other gun tubes with at least one ring around them. The Brits are doing the same thing. I saw a Challenger II on MSNBC the other day with four. Nice shootin!
When I was in ('88-'94) our bumper numbers were like this 24I-3-69 with a filled in triangle following the 9. My best guess would be that yours should look like this 3I-3-7CAV. I say this because were the 3rd ID is now used to be the 24th ID and knowing soldiers like I do they just paint over the 24 and put a 3.
Trevor
Out of curiosity, have any of you guys found a source for the new smoke mortars on the contemporary M1s?
Could anyone hook me up with some good plans, pictures and/or diagrams of the snorkel often found on the Marine Corps M1A1/A2 Abrams.
I believe they are a round or greanad simply loaded into the smoke tubes.
Exactly. The current ones are in banks of 8, mounted at different angles. I’m wondering if someone actually makes this or if its scratchbuild time.
From a few years spent in 1/2 ACR, i agree with the no M1 combat losses as well. sounds like you guys have done your research well. On the other hand, there have been countless Bradlees lost, more than a fair share of which were from M1 fires. Then, the battlefield is a confusing place. Also, the rings on the evacuator are kill rings, at least on the tanks I saw when I was in. Though I be the lone survivor…Give em some for me.
RAF120,
Thanks! Actually, I just found out that the tank I’m modeling is with 3/69 Armor too! I’ve got the codes as
3-I 3^69^. Not sure the platoon and company, but going by other markings I’d seen, I was able to figure out the unit its with. The tank itself is almost done. Just have to finish decaling and do the figures. The best part of this model was building the 1/35 M-4 Carbine next to the loader’s hatch. Scratchbuilding a 1/35 ACOG scope was interesting! I don’t think the tank has enough crap on it yet though. Gotta get some more supplies (MRE boxes, etc.) the bustle rack isn’t nearly full enough!
Glad I could help. I wouldn’t mind seeing a picture of it when your done so feel free to E-mail me one or post it somewhere. As far as the platoon markings go the reply from justbuilt is right on the money from when I was there. As you can see by the caption that tank was also from the 24th ID.
Trevor
The rings on the bore vacuator are generally not kill rings,but used for identification as to what platoon the tank is in. Red = First PLT, White = Second PLT, Blue = Third PLT. Of course this is all up to unit Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Not saying that they are not “kill” rings, but I’ve seen them on way to many tanks that have not been in combat. On the tanks that I’ve seen “kill” markings on they have been sillouettes of whatever it was they killed (ie. T-55, T-72, Truck, etc.) Generally, they have been only temporary and not allowed to stay on for very long (PC, Commanders guidance, etc).
The two M1’s lost recently, in direct combat, were supposedly killed by an Air Defense Artillery gun at extremely close range AND from the rear into the engine deck during limited visibility (sandstorm). The Marine Corp M1 is believed to have lost sight of the tank to its front and missed the turn that the tank column had taken and therefore went over the edge of the bridge which did not have a guard rail on it (don’t know why). The end result was that the crew drowned as the tank landed on its turret in about 40 feet of water. There was another combat loss but do not have any details off hand. It was during a “Thunder Run” into Baghdad after we had secured the Airport. Unsure if it was a combat kill, or damaged beyond repair and destroyed by another M1 to prevent it from fallind into somebody else’s hands. There were many pictures and video of reporters and Iraqi’s standing on a burned out hulk the next day. At least one M1 was destroyed this way in the first Gulf War (read “Tuskers” An Armor BN in the Gulf War. By David Pierson 4-64 AR).
CPT Monson,
The rings I was referring to were black, but thanks for the clarification on the colored rings, I was wondering about that. I’ve got 2 shots of the tank I just built. One before the war (no rings on the bore evacuator) and one during (3 rings on it).
I’ve seen shots of three M1A1s knocked out in the current war, although I’d heard reports of as many as 8 being lost. I’ve got a shot of one of the burned ones at my photo page.
<www.cobrahistorian.tripod.com/cobrahistorianshangar/id2.html>