Hmm–my memory is that Kelly Savalas’ mount in TBotB was an M-24, as the French Army had quite a lot of those as a result of post-war US military assistance. The M-24 and M-36 were then replaced by AMX-103 & Char (130?), with the US variants going to the Reserves & Legion, and thus being available to rent as film props.
Full Metal Jacket does have a gear faux pas–The Marines ought to be a little less uniform. Only a few out to be in “jungle” boots, the web gear ought to be less M-56 LCi and more USMC M-1961 782 gear,
Still, It’s Vietnam, 1960 something, USMC. There would not have been british german polish hungarian or martian cans on those tanks. They woulda been US steel cans or maybe clay pots? geees
Fly & Pryman: you both misread the intent of my post. I meant to point out the fact that what we presume is a “german” designed jerry can embossing can be too narrowly defined. I see those in lots of places. Whether it be in the equipment stowage of a milveh movie set or in Hue city in 1968 or on the deck of a USMC vehicle in Afghanistan today – none would surprise me. It’s a ubiquitous design and to my eye, doesn’t scream “I’m out of place” on that movie tank’s stowage bin. that’s all.
I bet the guys behind the tank are not even US Marines.
These conversations always amaze me; when a war movie pops up with some sort of tank or other armored vehicle, modelers often try to point out the errors. I think of the vehicles as props in a movie. It is fun trying to model the vizmod vehicles (like the Saving Private Ryan Tiger or Kelly’s Heroes tanks).
Have you seen what the US Army uses to replicate BMPs and T-72 tanks at Fort Irwin? Bascially vizmod M113A2s with Bradley turrets called OPFOR Surrogate Vehicles or OSV. Hollywood often gets it closer than our own Army does in real life.
Germany even offered free T-72s to the US Army for use as OPFOR vehicles; all we had to do was ship them to California. We figured it was cheaper to just convert vehicles our soldiers were already familiar with and had repair parts in the system instead of training soldiers on an entirely new vehicle system and requiring a new supply chain to support the ex-East German tanks.