View Single Post
  #13  
Old 01-12-2018, 03:59 PM
CDAT CDAT is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 401
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dragoon500ly View Post
One of the oddities of US units in Germany, was a controlled scavenge point for the tank battalions, as tanks were rotated back for refurbishment or factory rebuilds, it was normal practice to remove tracks and road wheels, especially if they were in new or almost new condition. These would be stored near the ammo supply points and would be cannibalized as necessary.

It was also common practise, when a tank was being turned in, to replace all functioning equipment with defective equipment from deadlines tanks. With factory rebuilds, this equipment would be refurbished or replaced with new equipment, and if it would increase the battalion's runners...

Tankers were always creative about "acquiring" additional equipment by fair means or foul, in other words, midnight requisition, ruled! My first tank platoon was equipped with M-60A1s, each fitted with searchlights, in our Motorola conexs, we had an additional three headlights as well as night vision and rangefinder spares, air filters for the engines and enough excess field gear to outfit a platoon!
My first tank section had IPM-1's and one day as we conducting drivers training we drove past a "new" tank park full of M-60's. Later asked what it was for and was told they were waiting to be moved to the range to be hard targets. That night we went back and "acquired" some extra parts for our firing system (I still have one of the "extra" firing pins).
Reply With Quote