XM8 Prototype FS July 12

[schnickelfritz]

Part of the Littlefield Collection is being liquidated to allow the Collings Foundation to keep the rest. The auction is this weekend and can be found online at www.auctionsamerica.com.

Some Cold War Highlights:
Marder 1A3 Circa 1997 and pristine shape
Jagdpanzer Kannone
Leo 1A3 and spare engine
T54
2 Lynx recon vehicles
OT-64
M114
M901 ITV. Yeah, THAT ITV.
AIFV prototypes sans turrets
Dragoon 300 4x4 APC. That might be the steal, other than one of the Lynxes.
Conqueror Heavy Tank
Cheftain
Centurion (several)
BTR-152
BTR-40 (Israeli)
M1A1 Turret Trainer
French AML-90 Armored car
That weird French 8 wheel armored car
AMX-13 105mm

And the Piece De Resistance...an XM8 AGS Prototype...apparently functional, in need of minor repairs. If you buy it...I wanna listen in when you call United Defense to have a tech sent out to repair an engine stop solenoid and give her a tune-up.

The 105mm is live...you need a Class IV Destructive Device Permit. How effing wild is that?!

See Lot #1088

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LC14&ID=r0083&Order=runorder&feature=&collection=&grouping=&category=Cars

I'm assuming from the more rounded profiles that this is an earlier prototype stage? The pics I have show only angles and simplified contours.

Oh, and there's a Scud-A and tracked TEL for sale. Yes, the rocket motor is there, torched to pieces.

Enjoy!

Dave

[Olefin]

that collection would have been there (minus the Russian and other Cold War items) during the Twilight War - it definitely would have been seized by MilGov and used to help re-equip the units fighting the Mexicans

and I bet the 40th would have loved all the US tanks as reinforcements let alone

Conqueror Heavy Tank
Cheftain
Centurion (several)

there is no way the US Army would have ignored that windfall when they are as low on tanks as they are

[raketenjagdpanzer]

I think there's a lot of them they'd have taken, and they certainly would have taken all cold-war era stuff, and most US WWII stuff, and any/all prime movers. However I think some of the oddball stuff like the Tigers and Panzers, while taken, might well have been held back as base defense/last resort kind of units. Late war German tanks were so finicky and breakdown prone that it's hard to imagine 21 infantrymen (most of whom were civilians months before), and a handful of "tankers" keeping a Pz.IV Ausf.G in operational condition while poking around the ruins of Modesto, 500 miles in any direction from anything you could call (post TDM) a "repair depot".

[Olefin]

Oh I agree with you on those tanks - and they would make great base defense

An operational 88mm AT gun would basically take out pretty much anything the Mexicans or marauders might have as working armor. Let alone the fact that anyone who has seen a WWII movie would be freaking out seeing a Tiger Tank! (except of course those who have seen how Oddball took them on - and make sure they dont have paint loaded in the gun - and if they arent too busy drinking wine and eating cheese and soaking in some rays)

By the way been going thru all the lots -

first off its a great source of photos for those who may want to add them to your own home made modules or sourcebooks or to familiarize players with what their vehicles look like - i.e. can show them the engine they are trying to salvage or what the interior of the tank looks like they are in

second you can see that there are several vehicles that still have live barrels -i.e. Centurion Mk 13 Main Battle Tank (MBT) lot 1059 - its got a live barrel - you can easily see MilGov putting that tank into the line in 2000 to help beef up one of its California divisions - or Lot 1061 which is a fully operational Saladin AC with a 76mm live gun or lot 1071 M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) which also has a live gun - just those three vehicles would make an excellent addition to one of the MP brigades that didnt have any armor and a nasty surprise for any Mexican or marauder forces thinking all they are facing is a bunch of MP's with Hummers

[stormlion1]

The more finicky ones would probably end up buried in sandbags up to there turrets at checkpoints or firebases. The real fun would be getting them moved to those area's. Like has been stated, they were finicky and its not like there are stockpiles of parts.

[Olefin]

Actually the CA divisions had several wreckers and tank retrievers that could help there - and you can always use them to load a tank on a flatbed and transport it - and as Krakow shows you just need to have the tank and its gun work - the ones there they dug in are mostly just turrets, guns and ammo racks and range finders - the rest went to the few they kept operational

by the way the non-operational tanks could be used another way too - great way to draw fire and nail the enemy - Mexican tanker - "I dont get it we have hit it three times why isnt it burning?" said just before the real operational Centurion nails him after he just spent three rounds shooting at a non-operational WWII Sherman being used as a dummy

[schnickelfritz]

Any comments on the shape/appearance of the prototype? Is this an earlier iteration?

Dave

[pmulcahy11b]

Wasn't the M68 the standard 105mm cannon for US tanks for some 20-odd years? The XM8 must have a heck of a recoil buffer.

[rcaf_777]

There are also a lot of good items in tank parts section, old radios, tank shells, wheels and a few apu too, wonder if the could work stand alone?

[schnickelfritz]

I could dig the running Lynx...I bet it's fit in my garage!

[bobcat]

if only i had the money. i would love to have that XM8 in my driveway. whatever the auction gets to+$200 BATFE tax+ $30 registration fee+insurance would kinda kill the rest of my college funds though.

[rcaf_777]

Good news wife just told if I win the lottery I can have the XM8 going to buy a ticket now

[Olefin]

Looking at all those parts you can see why the US Army would definitely have loved that collection.

Might as well rename it as the Littlefield Depot for the game. All those parts combined with the facility itself and the vehicles would have been a big time gift to the MilGov forces there. Would have allowed them to not only re-equip some units with armor but also get other non-operational armored vehicles back into operation. And all those shells and shell casings would be a boon to the artillery units in California.

Have a feeling in 2001 the Mexican forces in southern California might be getting one hell of a surprise coming down the roads from central CA.

"Where the hell did they get a Conqueror and a Centurion!" screams the Mexican commander seeing his French armored cars going up in smoke as 105mm artillery rounds start coming down on his position from the SPG's the rounds they reloaded that they found at Littlefield's facility.

[Panther Al]

Forget the XM8, I want the Panther. :)


*edit*

Never mind... they are not selling the Panther. Huh.

[pmulcahy11b]

if only i had the money. i would love to have that XM8 in my driveway. whatever the auction gets to+$200 BATFE tax+ $30 registration fee+insurance would kinda kill the rest of my college funds though.

Yes, it would be nice thing to show up at HEB with...I wonder how many groceries you can haul in that turret?

[Cdnwolf]

I want the Churchill Flail.... imagine cutting the grass with that sucker.

[Matt Wiser]

I'll take the AGS, the Mark IV Panzer, and the 88. There's also a SCUD launcher (the original tracked version I believe) with missile (motor inoperative and sans warhead). If an M-36 TD was also available, I'd take that as well..

[Cdnwolf]

So lets pool our money and see what we can buy. I have $1.38 and some old lint covered candy.

[Olefin]

Bet you can do a bunch of short stories on that collection for Twilight 2000

just imagine being in the artillery and you get told that they finally got a decent prime mover for your 105mm cannon - and turn the corner and see a
8-ton Half-track Sd.Kfz. 7, straight out of the Dirty Dozen, and your very befuddled gun crew looking it over

[pmulcahy11b]

So lets pool our money and see what we can buy. I have $1.38 and some old lint covered candy.

I have a piggy bank with about $50 in it...

[Matt Wiser]

Or how about this: 40th or 91st ID is told they're getting some armor and artillery reinforcements; among the vehicles: a Kfz.7 pulling a for-real 88-mm gun; an AMX-13 with a 105-mm gun, a pair of Centurions with the 105, and a Jumbo Sherman with the 105 howitzer....watch division staff shake their heads in amazement.

[Olefin]

Hey it would be better than nothing - and considering most of the Mexican armor are armored cars and AFV's I would hate to come up against that 88 if they can get it operational -

The one lucky thing they would have as to ammo is that Littlefield had a lot of ammo casings that most likely could be reloaded for his vehicles - as well as practice rounds - as far as I know those can be made combat ready if you have someone with the right skill set -and most likely he has that kind of person on the payroll.

Even if all you can get is one basic load of ammo - that may be all you need - its not like the Mexicans have 500 tanks in California - I think their total AFV count in CA is under 50 of all types

[WallShadow]

I want the Churchill Flail.... imagine cutting the grass with that sucker.

I want it for The Coming Zombie Apocalypse™--why waste ammo when you can turn 'em into mulch, then motor over the bits?;)

[Matt Wiser]

An 88 would rip open most of the Mexican armor like the proverbial hot knife through butter.....Lethal armor-killing ability out to 2500 yards...The ghost of Erwin Rommel would be looking down and smiling, even though it was the Americans putting the 88 to good use.

[rcaf_777]

Here is another collection in Everett Washington, is mostly aircraft but they have a working FLAK 37 88mm too

http://www.flyingheritage.org/TemplatePlane.aspx?contentId=34

They also have a T-34, think about the Soviet Advisors face if they see that lobing shell at them?

[Twilight2000v3MM]

Somewhere on my hard drive I have a handful of pictures from the museum. I went twice before it closed and was at the last tour ever.

The XM8 was cool.......

The SCUD leaked oil everywhere......

The Panther was just awesome....