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Cold War Irish Armor WW2 British Vehicles in Foreign Service

A.34 Comet in Irish Service

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date March 1, 2018
8 Comments on A.34 Comet in Irish Service

Republic of Ireland (1958)
Medium Tank – 8 Purchased

The tanks that the Republic of Ireland Defence Forces Cavalry Corps had previously operated could not be more different to the Comet. The Landsverk L-60, 2 of which were operated from 1934, were small and lightly armed. The tanks to follow these, four Mk.VI Churchills, were slow thick-skinned leviathans.

In 1958, the Cavalry Corp (Irish: An Cór Marcra) began to receive a small number of A.34 Comets which, like the preceding Churchills, were purchased from the British War Office. The Comet was the polar opposite of both vehicles, and was the most technically advanced tank then in service with the Irish cavalry.

Cavalry Officer trainees are taught about the Come by an instructing Lieutenant, early 1960s. Photo: The Curragh

The Comet

Essentially, the officially named “Tank, Cruiser, A.34, Comet”, was an upgrade to the Cromwell cruiser tank. It was designed in 1943 and entered service in 1945, towards the end of the Second World War. It set a trend in tank design that would be followed by the world’s next generation of tanks, the Main Battle Tank or ‘MBT’, as it had a balanced blend of armor, mobility and firepower.

It was powered by the Rolls Royce Meteor Mk.III 600hp V12 petrol engine. This engine was derived from the Merlin engine which was used on the famous Spitfire fighter plane and gave the tank a top speed of 32 mph (51 km/h). The Comet weighed 33.53 tonnes (32.7 long tons). This weight was supported on a Christie type suspension with five road-wheels. The drive sprocket was at the back while the idler was at the front. The track return was supported by four rollers.

The main armament consisted of the Vickers 77mm (3.03 in) High-Velocity Gun, which was derived from the famous 17-Pounder anti-tank gun. Firing APCBC (Armor-Piercing Capped Ballistic-Cap), the specific type of anti-armor round given to the Irish Army, the gun could penetrate up to 147 mm (5.7in) of armor. Secondary armament consisted of coaxial and bow-mounted 7.92mm BESA machine guns. The tank had up to 102mm (4in) of armor.

There were two versions of the Comet, designated as ‘Types;’ Type A and Type B. Both of these versions were sold to the Irish. The major difference between the two was the exhaust arrangement. The Type A had a ‘Normandy cowling’ over the exhaust ports. The Type B did away with this, replacing it with standard nozzles. The Type B also saw the addition of smoke-dischargers to the turret cheeks.

The Comet had a crew of five, consisting of Commander, Gunner, Loader, Bow-Machine Gunner, and Driver. The tank served with the British Army until 1958 when it was replaced by the famous Centurion Main Battle Tank. The Comet stayed in service with a number of other countries however, including Cuba, Burma and Finland.

Comet of the Curragh Command, note the symbol on the side of the turret. Photo: Curragh Camp Museum

Purchase

It is often queried as to why the Irish government did not acquire tanks from the United States, who had plentiful stocks of surplus tanks such as the famous M4 Sherman medium tank and the M24 Chaffee light tank. The fact is the Irish thought the Comet superior to both vehicles. The Comet had better speed and cross-country performance than the M4, and better armament than the M24. As to the question of why the Defence Force didn’t purchase America’s new light tank, the M41 Walker-Bulldog, it was simply a matter of cost.

The Irish Defence Department had a budget of just 80,000 Irish Pounds/IE£ It was planned to purchase just four Comets for this amount in 1954/55. In 1958, the cost of the vehicles had fallen to IE£22,000 each, so four were purchased in September 1958. Ireland received these first four Comets in December of 1958. The tanks arrived at North Wall in Dublin, and with the help of accompanying handbooks, were driven to the Curragh. It was planned that further eight tanks would be purchased to bring the 1st Cavalry Squadron’s tank force up to full strength which, including the four Churchills, would have been a grand total of 16 tanks. This was scaled back to just another four tanks for the same amount of IE£22,000. These four were delivered in early 1960, two late-January, two early-March. This brought the strength of the 1st Cavalry Squadron to a combined strength of 8 Comets and 4 Churchills (12 tanks).

All eight Comets of the Cavalry Corps. Photo: The Curragh

Service

As previously stated, the Comets served with the 1st Cavalry Squadron who were based at Curragh Camp in Kildare. For their initial years in service, the Comets remained in the standard British green paint. At some point in their history, the tanks were repainted in a light grey, similar to the L-60s.

The tanks were used extensively in training operations at the Curragh and at the Glen of Imaal (Irish: Gleann Uí Mháil), in the Wicklow Mountains. 5,948 acres of the Glen has been used as an artillery and gunnery range since 1900. The vehicles also took part in a number of public and military parades.

The Comet is taken down a steep slope while in training on the Glen of Imaal. Note the last road wheel is not touching the ground. Photo: MMP Publishing

Compared to other vehicles, the Comets had a relatively short service life with the Cavalry Corps. This is despite being a very popular vehicle with the Irish armed forces. Its short service is largely due to a lack of foresight by the military in not purchasing enough spare parts to accompany the tanks. To add to this, the caliber and cartridge type of the Comets gun was unique, meaning resupplying was not an easy task. Supplies of ammunition grew even lower when it was discovered that HE (High-Explosive) rounds provided to the military had faulty fuses.

In the 1970s, the Comets were on the ropes. By 1970, just 55 APCBC shells remained in stocks. There were plans to turn the vehicles into turretless personal carriers, along the lines of the ‘Kangaroo’ vehicles used by the Allies in WW2. However, It became increasingly hard to maintain the tanks which were breaking down, overheating or throwing their tracks on an almost daily basis.

The final Comet shoot took place in 1973. The force was retired when ammunition and spare parts had completely run out. They were replaced in service by the more up to date FV101 Scorpion CVR(T), 16 of which were purchased, once more, from the United Kingdom.

The “Headless Coachman”

On the 11th of August 1962, one of the Comets suffered a catastrophic fire which destroyed the turret. With no spares to repair it, it was considered for scrap but, as the rest of the vehicle remained in a serviceable condition, it was decided to make use of it. The tank became known as “The Headless Coachman” and was used for a while to ferry tar barrel targets too and from the range area in the Glen of Imaal.

However, a Captain by the name of Roger McCorley soon came up with a better use of the vehicle. McCorley had recently finished a course on the operation of the Swedish Bofors PV 1101 90mm Recoilless Rifle, a small number of which were in service with the Irish Military. The rifle could fire a High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) shell, capable of penetrating up to 380mm (15in) of armor, to a distance of 900 meters (985 yards). This weapon was on a wheeled base and was usually towed. A plan was hatched to mount this weapon onto the turret ring of the damaged Comet, turning into a something of an improvised tank-destroyer.

The idea was passed to the Director of Cavalry, Colonel J. Stapleton, who formally approved the concept for trials. With this, the Cavalry Corps engineers fashioned an attachment point on the turret ring to mount the Recoilless Rifle upon. Plates were welded over the apertures leading to the driver and bow gunner compartment to avoid back-blast from the gun entering their position.

The “Headless Coachman”, mounting the 90mm Recoilless Rifle, at Curragh Camp. Photo: MMP Publishing

It was taken for testing at the Glen of Imaal on the 27th of January 1969. Tests were successful, with the gun performing well and providing accurate fire from all angles of traverse. The tests led to the approval of further development. Plans were made to incorporate ammunition racks in the walls of the turret basket, and a shield around the gun to protect the exposed crew. There were also plans to introduce another 90mm rifle, or use another Comet to mount an 81mm or 120mm mortar. Unfortunately, funds could not be provided to continue with any of these projects. The gun was returned to the Infantry and “The Headless Coachman” was turned into a target on the gunnery range at the Glen.

Survivors

Of the eight Comets used by the Cavalry Corps, six survive as two were destroyed after accidents (One of these became the ‘Headless Coachman’). Four of the tanks remain in Ireland. These can be found at the Curragh. Two are used as gate guardians, one is on display alongside a surviving Churchill Mk.VI. The fourth Comet still runs and is kept under cover, it is sometimes run in parades.

The remaining two found their way back to England. One of which one is at The Muckleburgh Military Collection in Norfolk. The museum received it in 1987 in exchange for a Peerless lorry. B 2012, the Comet had been restored into a working condition. The second Comet was first acquired by the long-closed Budge Collection, and was later sold to the Jacque Littlefield Collection in California. It is now presumably with the Collings Collection in Massachusetts.

Curragh Camp’s surviving and running Comet. It was recently repainting in this Olive Green, after sitting in peeling grey paint for many years. Photo: The Curragh Museum

An article by Mark Nash with research assistance from Aaron Smith

For our U.K. readers, this article can also be found in the November 2018 issue of ‘Classic Military Vehicle‘ Magazine.

A Standard A.34 Comet, specifically a ‘Type B’, in the standard British Olive Drab paint it arrived in. Illustrated by David Bocquelet.
A.34 Comet of the Curragh Command, circa 1960s. By this time, all comets had been painted this light grey colour. Illustrated by David Bocquelet.

The Symbol on the side of the turret of the above illustration represents Curragh Command. It depicts gold oak leaves and acorns on a red background. There are two theories to its origin. 1: The oak leaf and acorns reflect the name of the county the camp is situated; Cill Daire, ‘The church of the oak’, anglicised as Kildare. 2: It depicts the oak leaf and acorn represents the oak trees that abound the perimeter edge of the Curragh military camp.

The improvised ‘Headless Coachman’ with 90mm Recoilless Rifle. Illustrated by David Bocquelet.

Specifications
Dimensions L x W x H	6.55 m x 3.04 m x 2.67 m (21ft 6in x 10ft 1in x 8ft 6in)
Total weight, battle ready	33.53 tonnes (32.7 long tons)
Crew	5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader/radio op, hull machine gunner)
Propulsion	Rolls Royce Meteor Mk.III V12 Petrol/gasoline engine, 600 hp (447 kW)
Suspension	Christie system
Top speed	32 mph (51 km/h)
Range (road)	155 miles (250 km)
Armament	77 mm (3.03 in) High Velocity gun, 61 rounds 2x 7.92 mm (0.31 in) BESA machine guns, 5,175 rounds
Armor	From 32 to 102 mm (1.26-4.02 in)
Total Used	8

Links, Resources & Further Reading

www.curragh.info
www.historyireland.com
www.geocities.ws/irisharmoredvehicles
News reel footage of the Irish Comets in training on the Glen of Imaal
An Cosantóir, The Irish Defence Journal, March 1983 issue.
Tiger Lily Publications, Irish Army Orders of Battle 1923-2004, Adrian J. English
Irish Army Vehicles: Transport and Armour since 1922 by Karl Martin
Mushroom Model Publications, AFVs in Irish Service Since 1922, Ralph A. Riccio

WW2 Irish Armor WW2 Swedish Vehicles in Foreign Service

Landsverk 60 in Irish Service

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date February 8, 2018
6 Comments on Landsverk 60 in Irish Service

Irish Free State (1934)
Light Tank – 2 Purchased

The Irish were relative latecomers to the idea of tank warfare. Prior to the 1930s, the only experience they had had with armored vehicles was with a single Vickers Mk.D, a derivative of the Vickers Medium Mk.II, and a few types of armored car which included the famous Rolls-Royce model.
In 1934, the Defence Forces of Ireland (IDF, Irish: Fórsaí Cosanta, officially: Óglaigh na hÉireann) became interested in a new Swedish vehicle that was then in development, the Landsverk 60 Light Tank.

L-60 1 in training. Note the distinctive ‘Glengarry’ hat worn by the Driver. This is the traditional headress of the Cavalry Corps. Photo: Irish National Archives

The L-60

Probably the most innovative tank in 1934, the L-60 was the first equipped with a torsion-bar suspension system, an invention bought from Ferdinand Porsche. It was quite revolutionary at the time, providing a far smoother and efficient ride than the old leaf springs, and proved more reliable and sturdy than the Christie system. It was largely based on the previous L-10 m/31, and no less than ten versions were drawn before the first prototype was built. It was a light tank, but with larger front drive sprockets, four double road wheels of the same diameter as the idler wheel, and two return rollers.
The hull was entirely welded. The L-60 weighed only 7.9 tonnes, with light armor (15 mm / 0.59 in max). It was propelled by a Bussing-Nag V8 7.9-liter engine developing 150-160 bhp at 2500-2700 rpm.
The most common weapon of the L-60 was the Bofors 37mm M/38 gun, but early versions, including the two ordered by Ireland, were armed with a 20 mm (0.79 in) Madsen QF autocannon. The turret also carried a .303 (7.7 mm) Madsen machine-gun. There was also an option to mount a Madsen MG on the roof.

Irish Service

A board of inquiry established in 1933 found that the L-60 would be most suitable for Ireland’s tank needs. This board included the Director of the Armored Car Corps, Major A. T. Lawlor, and OC (Officer Commanding) of the Cavalry Workshops, Commandant J. V. Lawless. Their choice of the tank was sound, as the L-60 incorporated many features that would become standard in tank design over the following decades. This included a welded construction, angled armor, and the torsion bar suspension.
The L-60s that were destined for the Emerald Isle was built in August 1934. One of the L-60s was demonstrated to an Irish delegation headed by Major Lawlor. The tests, for the most part, were a success and the Irish contingent was pleased. There was one major incident that occurred. While starting the tank, a case of driver error caused a catastrophic fire which engulfed the tank, destroying most of the vehicle. How this actually happened, though, we do not know, and a more extensive description cannot be found. Landsverk were made to pay for the replacement.
Due to a very small budget, the Irish were only able to purchase two of the tanks. The Swedes were happy to oblige but continued to look for countries that might make a large order, including Hungary and Switzerland. The first of Ireland’s tanks arrived in November 1934, at North Wall in Dublin. The second tank would not arrive until the following year, bolstering Ireland’s entire tank force a grand total of 3 vehicles. No further orders would be placed due to those budgetary shortages.
The tanks were to be part of the newly formed Cavalry Corps (Irish: An Cór Marcra) which began service in 1934. The L-60s were assigned to 2nd Cavalry Squadron, based at Cathal Brugha Barracks (Irish: Dún Chathail Bhrugha) in Rathmines, Dublin. The two tanks were known simply in Ireland as the ‘Landsverk Tank’. They were designated L-60 1 and L-60 2, literally meaning “Landsverk Tank, L-60, Number 1/2”.These identifiers were applied on the lower-left of the tank’s upper glacis in stenciled white paint. The L-60s were painted a dull grey and shared the 2nd Armoured Squadron with the Vickers Mk.D.

One of the L-60s follows the Mk.D in cross country training. Photo: Aaron Smith
The slow and cumbersome Mk.D was largely outdated compared to the L-60. Irish crews tested the tanks rigorously at the Glen of Imaal (Irish: Gleann Uí Mháil) in the Wicklow Mountains. 5,948 acres of the Glen had been used by the Irish Military as an artillery and gunnery range since 1900. The crews fell in love with the tank, which was fast and nimble, perfect for Ireland’s countryside as it was small and unobtrusive. The tanks were transported to and from the Glen by means of a small trailer that could be towed behind a truck.
Having just the Mk.D prior to this, it was very hard for Irish troops to train for anti-tank and cooperative tank-infantry operations. The arrival of the L-60s changed this, allowing for more extensive training to take place.

Fate

Training at the Glen of Imaal would be the closest these L-60s got to combat. In 1941, Irish experience with tracked vehicles grew immensely due to a large order of Universal Carriers from the U.K. The carriers would be one of the most plentiful vehicles Ireland’s arsenal, with a total of 226 of the vehicles operated.

The L-60s crossing rough country. Photo: SOURCE
In 1949, the L-60s were joined by four Mk.VI Churchill tanks purchased from the U.K. These were assigned to the 1st Cavalry Squadron and would be Ireland’s first experience with a heavily armored vehicle. The L-60s would remain in service with the Irish army until 1953, when they were stood-down from active duty due to wear and a lack of parts. They were officially declared obsolete in 1968 because stocks of ammunition for the 20mm Madsen had run out.
There were plans to increase the service of the L-60 by introducing a new engine to replace the aging Bussing-Nag. The engine chosen was the Ford V-8. At the time, there were not adequate funds to introduce this upgrade. However, in later years, the Landsverk 180 Armored Cars in service with the Cavalry received this very upgrade.

L-60 1 and L-60 2 in motion. Photo: Irish National Archives
In 1959, Ireland began to receive a small number of Comet Tanks from the UK, this would be their first delivery of a relatively modern tank which had a good balance of armor, mobility and firepower.
Both of the Irish L-60s still survive. L-60 1 is currently on display at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin. L-60 2 can be found at Curragh Camp Museum, Kildare. The tank at Curragh is still in a running condition and is sometimes displayed on parades.

L-60 1 on display at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin. Photo: Will Kerrs

An article by Mark Nash

Ireland’s L-60, seen here in the dull grey paint that they would’ve served in. Illustration by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

Specifications
Dimensions (L-w-h)	4.80 x 2.07 x 2.05 m (15 x 6.9 x 6.8 ft)
Total weight, battle ready	9.11 tons
Crew	3
Propulsion	Bussing-Nag V8 7.9-liter engine developing 150-160 bhp
Top speed	45 km/h (28 mph)
Range	270 km (168 mi)
Armament	Madsen 20mm autocannon Madsen cal.303 machine-guns
Armor	From 5 to 50 mm (0.2-1.97 in)
Total Purchased	2

Links, Resources & Further Reading

www.curragh.info
www.geocities.ws
tank-hunter.com
Tank Archives
Irish Army Vehicles: Transport and Armour since 1922 by Karl Martin
Tiger Lily Publications, Irish Army Orders of Battle 1923-2004, Adrian J. English
Mushroom Model Publications, AFVs in Irish Service Since 1922, Ralph A. Riccio

WW2 British Flamethrowers WW2 US Flamethrowers

Sherman Crocodile

United Kingdom/United States of America (1943)
Flamethrower Tank – 4 Built

Although they had proved extremely useful in America’s fight against the Japanese in the Pacific, Auxiliary Flamethrowers (a flamethrower that is secondary to the main gun, rather than replacing the gun) were quite unpopular with the US Army fighting in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO).
Despite this, the British Churchill Crocodile, with its iconic trailer and bow mounted flamethrower, was well admired. American troops, who had received invaluable support from them, placed great faith in these British dragons. While the Churchill Crocodile was still being tested, American interest grew in the project, resulting in the development of their own version.

The American version would be based on their venerable workhorse, the Medium Tank M4 Sherman. It would become known as the Sherman Crocodile, in line with its Churchill brother.

The single M4A2 based Sherman Crocodile. Photo: Panzerserra Bunker

Development

In March 1943, US officers were shown the prototype of the Churchill Crocodile and queried the possibility of creating a similar vehicle based on their own Medium Tank M4, known to the British as the Sherman. In a meeting between UK, US, and Canadian military heads held on the 29th of June, 1943, at Dumbarton Oaks, Maryland, USA, it was surmised that the British led the Americans in flamethrower technology. This ‘flamethrower conference’ was held to evaluate possible requirements for future operations in Europe, namely Operation: Overlord, the amphibious landings of Normandy, which were planned for the following year.
The US Army informed the British War Office (WO) on the 11th of August, 1943, that they were estimating a need for around 100 of these ‘Sherman Crocodiles’, as they would come to be called. Construction of a wooden mock-up of the vehicle was completed by the British Petroleum Warfare Department (PWD). This mock-up was then inspected on the 1st of October, 1943. This was followed by a working prototype which was completed in January 1944. Trials took place at the end of that month, with a demonstration held for US officers on the 3rd of February. Overall, these officers would extremely pleased with the tank.

An M4A4 fitted with wooden mockups of the flame equipment. Photo: Panzerserra Bunker
The First US Army put in an order for 65 tanks that month. This number grew to 115 units when it was predicted that General Patton’s Third US Army would also require armored flamethrowers in their future exploits. The initial order for Overlord, submitted to the British War Office on the 16th of February, was for 100 Sherman Crocodiles including 125 of the accompanying armored trailers. The first production vehicle was finally completed in March.
Initially, the Sherman Crocodile was going to a truly large collaboration between British and American industry. The plan was for the American side to provide any parts necessary or unique to the M4 Sherman. The British, who would also construct the Crocodile, would provide the trailer and component parts of the flamethrower. In reality, British factories became overwhelmed with the production of their own Army’s orders for the Churchill Crocodile and were barely scraping together other orders. As a result, no Sherman Crocodiles were ready for the US Army on D-Day.

Design

Foundation, The M4

The M4 started life in 1941 as the T6 and was later serialized as the M4. The tank entered service in 1942. All Sherman Crocodiles were based on the M4A4, with one exception. The single Crocodile prototype was based on the M4A2.
The M4A2, known to the British as the Sherman III, was a diesel-powered model. The radial petrol engine of previous models was replaced with the General Motors 6046 engine (a combination of two GM 6-71 General Motors Diesel engines). The hull was of a welded construction.
The M4A4, known to the British as the Sherman V, was almost exclusively used by the British military and, like the A2, had a welded hull. Many A4s were famously converted into the 17-pounder armed Firefly. The unique feature of the A4 was its Chrysler Multibank engine. This large power plant was unpopular with the American military but liked by the British. This larger engine also resulted in the lengthening of the hull. This is most noticeable when looking at the suspension bogies as the gap between the units is much bigger than other M4 models.
The average speed of the M4 series was 22–30 mph (35–48 km/h). The tank’s weight was supported on a Vertical Volute Spring Suspension (VVSS), with three bogies on each side of the vehicle and two wheels per bogie. The idler wheel was at the rear.
Standard armament for both models consisted of the 75mm Tank Gun M3. This gun had a muzzle velocity of up to 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s) and could punch through 102 mm of armor, depending on the AP (Armor Piercing) shell used. It was a good anti-armor weapon, but it was also used to great effect firing HE (High-Explosive) for infantry support. For secondary armament, the M4s had a coaxial and a bow mounted .30 Cal (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine gun, as well as a .50 Cal (12.7 mm) Browning M2 heavy machine gun on a roof-mounted pintle.

Flame Equipment

The M4 base vehicle remained mostly unchanged. It retained full operation of its turret and 75mm gun and bow-mounted .30 Cal (7.62mm) machine gun, as was intended for an auxiliary flamethrower. Depression of the 75mm was slightly hampered over the right of the upper glacis, however, due to the placement of the flame gun.
The basic layout of the Sherman Crocodile was the same as the Churchill. All of the flamethrowing equipment would be external. This included the Crocodile’s iconic wheeled trailer which was attached to the rear of the tank. This coupling at the rear of the vehicle was officially known as “The Link”. The trailer weighed 6.5 tons and was protected by 12mm (0.47 in) thick armor. “The Link” was made up of 3 articulated joints which allowed it to move up, down, left or right and swivel on the horizontal axis to allow it to navigate rough terrain. The trailer carried 400 UK gallons (1818 liters) of flamethrower liquid and 5 compressed bottles of Nitrogen (N₂) gas. The tank could be jettisoned from inside the tank in case of emergency.

Loading of the fuel trailer. The fuel is poured in by hand on the left. The nitrogen gas bottles are loaded into the rear on the right Photo: Osprey Publishing
The Nitrogen gas propelled the fuel along a pipe which ran from the rear plate of the tank, along the right flank, to a flame projector mounted on the upper glacis to the right of the co-driver/bow machine gunner’s position. The entirety of the pipe was covered in thin metal plating to protect it from shrapnel or small arms fire. This flame projector was mounted on a pedestal protecting by sheet metal plating. It had a full range of motion, able to actuate up and down, as well as traverse left and right. The weapon was operated by the bow-gunner/assistant driver with controls at his station.

The flame gun on the front of the Sherman. Photo: Panzerserra Bunker

Specifications (M4A4 based)
Dimensions (L-W-H, without trailer)	19’4” x 8’8” x 9′ (5.89 x 2.64 x 2.7 m, measurments without trailer)
Total weight, battle ready	37,75 long tons (35.3 tons, 83,224 lbs)
Crew	5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader, flamethrower operator)
Propulsion	Multibank/radial petrol engine, 425 hp, 11 hp/ton
Suspension	HVSS
Top speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Range (road)	193 km (120 mi)
Armament	75mm Tank Gun M3 Flamethorower on upper glacis Roof cal.50 (12.7 mm) Browning M2 Coaxial cal.30 (7.62 mm) Browning M1919
Armor	90 mm (3.54 in) max, turret front
Total production	4
For information about abbreviations check the Lexical Index

Sherman Crocodile (M4A4 based) of the 739th Tank Battalion in Julich, Germany, February 1945. This photo shows in excellent detail the flame gun and its armored pedestal. Also note the small frame welded onto the upper glacis to the left of the gun. This is likely a crew improvisation to stop the cannon colliding with the flame gun. Photo: Osprey Publishing

Service

Including the Crocodile prototype built on the M4A2, only four Sherman Crocodiles would be completed out of an initial introductory order of six. The three production models were built on the hulls of the newer M4A4.
The Crocodiles were effectively kept in a state of limbo in the UK until a request came in for Crocodiles in November 1944. This request came from General Omar Bradley’s 12th Army Group and General William Simpson’s 9th US Army. These armies showed the most enthusiasm to armored flamethrowers, having been some of the first to benefit from the support of British Churchill Crocodiles during the fighting in and around the port city of Brest. More Sherman Crocodiles were requested, but production never resumed.
The four Shermans were sent to the 739th Tank Battalion (Special Mine Exploder Unit), a unit that had previously been equipped with Canal Defence Lights (CDLs).
Sherman Crocodiles would have to wait until February 1945 for their first and only use in combat. They took part in Operation: Grenade, the assault on the ancient 13th-century citadel in Julich, Germany. On the 24th of February, the Crocodiles supported the 175th Infantry, 29th Division in their efforts to secure the town. The town was secured by afternoon, but the garrison of the old citadel was putting up a stiff resistance.

Sherman Crocodiles of the 739th in Julich, Germany, 1945. Photo: Osprey Publishing
The embattled fortress was surrounded by a moat that was 85-foot (26 meters) wide and 20-foot (7 meters) deep. Division commanders were not keen on throwing wave after wave of infantry against the walls of the citadel, so the Crocodiles were brought in. The Crocodile unit arrived at half-strength, due to the fact that two of the tanks broke down before reaching the battle. When the remaining tanks arrived, they advanced to the edge of the moat and began to pump flaming liquid through every possible void. A large number of defenders quickly abandoned their positions and retreated underground.
With the garrison seeking refuge, the Crocodiles turned their attention to the gates of the citadel. The tanks pounded the gates with approximately 20 rounds of High-Explosive from the 75mm main guns. When they had succeeded in blowing the gates off their hinges, the Crocodiles resumed flaming, covering every inch of the inner courtyard in flames.
With the last survivors from the fort running to nearby hills, the 175th Infantry waded across the moat, securing the complex by 15.00 hours (3.00 pm) that day. The Citadel would continue to burn for two days. In March, the Crocodiles would support elements of the 2nd Armored Division after crossing the Rhine, but after this, there was very little need for the Crocodiles once the Siegfried line had been breached and passed.

Sherman Crocodile (M4A4) pulls its trailer through soggy terrain. Also, note the rather unique and rarely seen shroud around the flame gun. Photo: Panzerserra Bunker
Other flamethrowers were used with standard gun Shermans in Europe. These were either the E4-5 or ESR1 Auxiliary Flamethrower that replaced the bow machine gun. They were also in use in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. Though their effect was described as “positively pathetic” by commanders in the ETO, a large number of the weapons were used.
An interesting point to note about the three Crocodiles based on the M4A4 is that these are among some of the only M4s of that iteration to serve with the American Army in the European Theatre. The only other time the A4 was used by American forces in the ETO was after the Battle of the Bulge when US armored forces had a brief shortage of tanks. Gaps were filled with some A4s from British stocks.
The Crocodiles survived the war, but what happened to them is unknown. None of them are known to survive today.

Sherman Crocodile (M4A4) in action. Photo: Presidio Press

Other American M4 Flamethrowers

In the Pacific Ocean Theatre (PTO), the Americans had successfully designed and built a main armament flamethrower on the M4. A main armament flamethrower replaces the main gun, unlike the auxiliary of the Crocodile. This vehicle was known as the M4 POA-CWS H1 (POA-CWS: Pacific Ocean Area-Chemical Warfare Service) and was mostly used on the M4A3 model of Sherman. They served in a number of famous actions, including the assault on the treacherous volcanic island of Iwo Jima.
There was also use of smaller “periscope” flamethrowers that were attached to the co-driver/bow machine gunner’s hatch. This was also designed by POA-CWS, and was designated the H1 Periscope Mount Flame Thrower.
American development of Mechanized Flamethrowers based on the M4 continued after the war, resulting in such projects as the T33, as well as the M42B1 and B3 which served in great effect in the Korean War.

Further British Experiments

Alongside the Crocodile, British designers continued to work on other possible flamethrowing Shermans. Most notably, this took the form of more reptilian Sherman flamethrowers. These were the Salamander series and the Sherman Adder. Both of these were based on the M4A4.
The Salamander series went through 8 variations, Type I to Type VIII. They all focused on finding the best location for the flamethrower and accompanying equipment. The flamethrower of choice for this tank was the Wasp IIA which had a range of 90 – 100 yards (82 – 91 meters). Designed by the Petroleum Warfare Department, the initial Type I mounted the Wasp in an armored sheath under the 75mm main gun and was fed from fuel tanks in the sponsons. Type II and III were designed by the Lagonda luxury car company and they were the only variants to have a smaller crew at four men, instead of the regular five which the other models retained and mounted their flamethrowers in the 75mm gun tube. Type II also tested a flame gun mounted above the co-driver/bow machine gunner’s position. Type IV to VIII were all designed by the PWD. They all varied in pressurization methods and fuel tank arrangements. On Type VI and VIII, the flame gun was mounted in a blister on the side of the turret. On Type VII it was mounted in the antenna socket on the right front of the hull.
Salamander fell by the wayside. Though tested for a short period in 1944, nothing came of the projects. The next project was called the Adder. The configuration of the Adder was thus: an 80 UK gallon (364-liter) fuel tank was mounted on the rear plate of the M4. An armored pipe running across the top of the right sponson fed the fuel from this tank to a flame gun mounted above the co-driver/bow-machine gunner’s position. The gun had a range of 80 – 90 yards (73 – 91 meters). A simple armored skirt was added to the flanks to protect the suspension. Like the Salamander, however, the project did not make it past prototype stages.

An article by Mark Nash

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Presidio Press, Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, R. P. Hunnicutt.
Osprey Publishing, New Vanguard #206: US Flamethrower Tanks of World War II
olive-drab.com
panzerserra.blogspot.co.uk

Sherman Crocodile (M4A4), Germany, February 1945. Illustration by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet.

“Tank-It” Shirt

Chill with this cool Sherman shirt. A portion of the proceeds from this purchase will support Tank Encyclopedia, a military history research project. Buy this T-Shirt on Gunji Graphics!

American M4 Sherman Tank – Tank Encyclopedia Support Shirt

Give ’em a pounding with your Sherman coming through! A portion of the proceeds from this purchase will support Tank Encyclopedia, a military history research project. Buy this T-Shirt on Gunji Graphics!

WW2 US Tech

Rocket Launcher T34 ‘Calliope’

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date January 27, 2018
8 Comments on Rocket Launcher T34 ‘Calliope’

In an effort to provide increased firepower to assault troops, the United States Ordnance Department began a series of projects experimenting with the addition of rocket launchers to the United States’ armored fist, the Medium Tank M4. Although its 75 mm main gun could fire a highly effective High-Explosive (HE) shell, it was not sufficient to support large waves of attacking infantry. It proved insufficient though, against highly fortified positions the Germans had erected.
Although not as accurate as conventional artillery, rockets can cover a larger area in a short amount of time with explosives and shrapnel, thereby saturating a target in seconds. Rockets also have an added, negative psychological effect on troops under rocket attack, thanks to the screeching noise as they tore through the air.

The most famous of these tank-mounted rocket launchers was the Rocket Launcher T34, and thanks to the deafening noise that erupted from the tubes when the rockets were fired, it was nicknamed ‘Calliope’ after the Steam Organ.

An M4A3 fitted with the ‘Calliope’ from the 40th Tank Battalion, 14th Armored Division, Obermodern, Germany, March 1945. Photo: US Signal Corps

The M4

The tank started life in 1941 as the T6 and was later serialized as the Medium Tank M4. Entering service in 1942, the tank soon became a workhorse, not just to the US Army, but the Allied Armies as well thanks to Lend-Lease programs.

The T34 Calliope was mounted to multiple iterations of the M4, including M4A1s, A2s and A3s. All of the tanks the Calliope was fitted to were armed with the standard M4 weapon, the 75mm Tank Gun M3. This gun had a muzzle velocity of up to 619 m/s (2,031 ft/s) and could punch through 102 mm of armor, depending on the Armor Piercing (AP) shell used. It was a good anti-armor weapon and could also be used to great effect firing High-Explosive (HE) shells in the infantry support role.
For secondary armament, the M4s carried a coaxial and a bow mounted .30 Cal (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine gun, as well as a .50 Cal (12.7 mm) Browning M2 heavy machine gun on a roof-mounted pintle.

Rocket Launcher T34

The T34 was mounted approximately 1-meter above the M4’s turret. A large support beam bolted to the left and right turret cheeks supported the weapon. The rack was physically connected to the barrel of the M4’s 75mm gun via an arm. This arm was connected to the rack via a pivoting joint and clamped to the gun with a split ring. This allowed the missile launcher to follow the same elevation and depression arc of +25 to -12 Degrees. Having the launcher attached, however, did reduce this slightly.

The launcher assembly weighed 1840 Pounds (835 kgs) and was comprised of 60 tubes. These tubes were plastic and mounted in an upper bank of 36 tubes, with two side-by-side banks of 12 below it, one on each side of the elevation arm attached to the gun. The weapon fired the M8 rocket, a 4.5 inch (114 mm) fin-stabilized projectile armed with High-Explosive, which had a maximum range of 4200 yards (4 km). Individually, these rockets were highly inaccurate, but as a barrage weapon, they were extremely effective. The rockets were fired electronically from inside the tank via cables that ran through the commander’s hatch. The rockets were loaded at the back of the launcher. A crew member would have to stand on the tanks engine deck and slot them in one-by-one.

A crew member reloads the T34 Launcher. Photo: SOURCE
If necessary, the rocket launcher assembly could be jettisoned in case of emergency, or the main gun had to be employed. The 75mm main gun could not be fired with the rocket launcher attached. The launcher could be jettisoned with or without all the rockets being fired first. Once jettisoned, the M4 could return to operating as a normal gun tank.

When these weapons were employed in Europe, they were not popular with tank crews because the gun could not be fired while the launcher rack was attached. Field modifications done by the crews began to arise that connected the elevation arm to the top of the gun mantlet. This allowed the gun to be fired, but the narrower movement angle of the mantlet meant reduced elevation of the launcher.

Rocket Launcher T34E1 & T34E2

This was an upgraded version of the T34 which incorporated fixes to address the concerns of crews in the field, and was basically a serialization of the popular field-mod that had arisen. Modifications were introduced to allow the 75mm main gun to fire with the launcher attached and retain its original elevation range. To achieve this, the elevation arm was attached to the small metal extensions near the base of the gun, found on the M34A1 pattern mantlet.

The E1 also replaced the plastic tubes with magnesium ones and was equipped with an easier system cut-off for simpler jettisoning. The T34E2 was almost identical to the E1, but had an improved firing system. It was one of these models that received the nickname ‘Calliope’ when it was witnessed firing, and from there, the name stuck.

Two Calliope armed M4s of the 80th Division wait on a roadside to be called into action. Note the heavy use of foliage camoflauge. Photo: SOURCE

Illustration of a Caliiope armed M4A3, based on the photo in the left column, by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet.

Calliopes in Action

In the end, the Calliope did not see much action and did not play a huge role in the World War Two. A large number of the launchers were manufactured prior to D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe, and shipped to the United Kingdom in preparation for the invasion. There were plans to use the Calliope during the invasion to clear beach defenses. This idea was soon dropped as it was thought that the high center of gravity caused by the launcher would make the tanks unstable on landing craft.
Not much work was available to the Calliope throughout the remainder of 1944. Thirty M4s of the 743rd Tank Battalion had the T34 launchers installed to assist a planned push by the 30th Infantry Division in December 1944. The German Ardennes offensive put a halt to this plan though, and the launchers were discarded without one rocket being launched.

This M4 fitted with the T34 is covered in various, storytelling features from its time in service. It has evidence of copious amounts of applique concrete armor, a collection of miss-matched end-connectors on the tracks, and, to top it off, the tank wears a bust of Hitler as a hood ornament with added jaunty cap. Photo: Presidio Press
More opportunities for the Calliope to play its tune of terror came in 1945. It was used in small numbers in various actions by the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 12th, and 14th Armored Divisions. It was also deployed by the 712th, 753rd, and 781st Tank Battalions. It is from this time we have a personal account from Glen “Cowboy” Lamb, 1st Platoon, C/714 Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Division, donated to us by his son, Joe E. Lamb. Glen Lamb commanded an M4A3 (75mm) named “Coming Home” that also had the word “Persuader” painted on the main gun. His account is as follows:
“The rocket equipped tanks were prized targets for the Germans so they stayed at the back of the pack. One of my best friends was the driver of this tank. One day, the tank and all the other standard Shermans went down a road unscathed, but the Germans had just been waiting. When the Calliope came along the Germans opened up on it with a 20mm anti-aircraft gun and my friend had his head blown off.”

Glen “Cowboy” Lamb and his crew in front of their Calliope equipped M4. Photo: Joe E. Lamb Personal Collection
The Calliope had a similar, demoralizing effect as the Churchill and Sherman Crocodiles. With these flamethrower armed tanks, the mere sight of one would induce the enemy to turn-tail and run. With the Calliope’s, it was the noise created by the rockets that produced the same effect. The shriek of a rocket flying overhead would be spine-chilling to any soldier on the receiving end. Such weapons often mentally defeated their targets, rather than physically so.

Further Development

In 1945, a replacement for the 4.5-inch M8 rocket became available. This was the spin-stabilized M16. As this suggested, the fins of the M8 were discarded for this rocket, which used spin-stabilization like a rifle bullet to fly accurately. The spin was achieved by the use of canted nozzles in the base of the rocket, the propellant gases escaping these nozzles induced rotation. Results showed that the M16 was far more accurate than its fin-stabilized cousins. Still, they were not accurate enough for point-targets, but firing en-mass produced tighter dispersion patterns than the M8s. The range also increased to 5250 yards (5 km).
For this rocket, a new launcher was developed, namely the T72, which was designed specifically for use with spin-stabilized rockets. The configuration of the launcher was similar but not identical to the T34. The launcher consisted of 60 tubes, consisting of a double-bank of 32, with two 14-tube banks below it, either side of the elevation arm. The tubes were shorter than the T34, and the rockets were loaded from the front. This launcher was also able to remain attached when the main gun was fired.
A further effort to increase the firepower of tank mounted rocket launchers resulted in the Multiple Rocket Launcher T40, later serialized as the M17 and nicknamed ‘Whiz Bang’. This launcher was designed to fire a 7.2inch (183mm) demolition rocket. These weapons were mounted in the same way as the T34, but only carried 20 rockets. They saw limited service during the French and Italian Campaigns.
An article by Mark Nash

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Presidio Press, Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank, R. P. Hunnicutt.
Osprey Publishing, American Tanks & AFVs of World War II, Micheal Green
Panzerserra Bunker
Joe E. Lamb’s Facebook group dedicated to the 714th Tank Battalion

Cold War Irish Armor WW2 British Vehicles in Foreign Service

Churchill Mk.VI in Irish Service

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date January 17, 2018
9 Comments on Churchill Mk.VI in Irish Service

Republic of Ireland (1949)
Infantry Tank – 4 Purchased

The Republic of Ireland Defence Forces didn’t have much experience with Tanks. In 1929, they acquired a single Vickers Mark D, a derivative of the Vickers Medium Mk.II. In 1935 this was joined by a delivery of 2 Swedish Landsverk L-60 Light Tanks. The Irish continued to acquire various types of armored vehicles in the following years.

By the end of the Second World War, the British Churchill Infantry Tank had made a name for itself as being tough and reliable in hostile environments. Wanting to bolster their arsenal, the Republic of Ireland Defence Forces, specifically the Cavalry Corps (Irish: An Cór Marcra), set their sights on adopting some of the UK’s surplus tanks.

In 1948, following a brief period during which several Cavalry Corps officers trained in England, the Defence Forces of Ireland (IDF. Irish: Fórsaí Cosanta, officially: Óglaigh na hÉireann) rented three Churchill Mk.VIs from the British War Office. A fourth tank was delivered in 1949. The tanks were bought out-right in 1954.

Churchill ‘1B’ of the 1st Cavalry Squadron. Photo: An Cosantoir

The Mk.VI Churchill

Officially designated as ‘Tank, Infantry, Mk.IV, A.22’, the Churchill entered service with the British Armoured forces in 1941. It was named, contrary to popular belief, after an ancestor of then serving Prime Minister, the famous Winston Churchill. Not the man himself. It was the last ‘Infantry Tank’ to serve in the British Military.

The specific model procured by Ireland was the Mk.VI Churchill, which was produced from December 1943. It had armor of up to 102mm thick over the frontal arc. The turret was a cast type and mounted the tank’s main armament of an Ordnance Quick-Firing 75mm Gun Mk.5. This gun could fire Armor-Piercing (AP) and High-Explosive (HE) rounds. Though the HE round was rather effective, the AP was dismal. It could only penetrate 68mm (2.6in) of RHA (Rolled Homogeneous Armor) at 500 yards (460 m).

Secondary armament consisted of a coaxial and a bow mounted 7.92mm BESA machine gun. The tank was crewed by 5 men. These were the Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver and Bow Machine Gunner/Wireless Operator.

A speed-demon the Churchill was not. A lumbering beast at approximately 40-tons, its top speed was only 15 mph (24 km/h). It was powered by a Bedford 12-cylinder engine producing 350 hp. The tank was supported on a complicated suspension with 11 small wheels per side, each one attached to an independent coil spring. The drive wheel was at the rear with a sprocketed idler at the front. Though it was slow and heavy, the Churchill made a name for itself as being one of the best cross-country tanks ever built and could climb higher gradients or cross harder obstacles than most other tanks then in service.

The Rental Agreement

Originally, the plan was to rent four Churchill tanks for £5,000 for a period of five years, starting the 25th of January 1949. Conditions were drawn up and agreed on between the Irish Government and British War Office. The Irish Government would have to meet all transport and freight costs, indemnifying the War Office for any loss or damage. There was also an agreement that the tanks would be returned to the UK immediately if requested.

As the tanks remained the property of the British War Office, strict conditions were put in place that would keep the Churchills painted with the standard British Olive Drab paint, and retain the War Department numbers painted on the hulls. 1,000 rounds of Armor Piercing (AP), 2,000 rounds of High-Explosive and 500 rounds of Smoke Shells were also ordered separately for the 75mm gun.

All four Churchill tanks on the way to the Glen of Imaal for one of their first shoots, November 1950. Photo: Aaron Smith

Service

The Churchill was considered the perfect tank for Ireland, as Defence Force heads considered their country unsuitable for tank warfare and always saw the tank as an infantry support weapon. A role the Churchill was born to fulfill. No two of the tanks were identical and had been extensively refitted and repaired. At least one had seen action with the British army and was drastically repaired after being knocked out.

The tanks were what is commonly known as REME (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers) “Salads”. The rebuilding process saw vehicles from all units and different manufactures stripped to component parts and reassembled using refurbished parts off the shelf. Once a vehicle has been through a re-manufacturing process it will end up with very few original parts put back in. Finding matching numbers in such vehicles is incredibly rare. When rebuilt the vehicles are brought up to or as close to as possible the current standard. This will include up-armoring and up gunning. For instance, It is common to find a 1944 tank with a 1943 engine and a 1945 gearbox.

The tanks served with the 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron based at Curragh Camp, Kildare. The four tanks were alphabetically organized as follows: ‘1A’, 1B’, ‘1C’ and ‘1D’. It is reasonable to suggest that the ‘1’ is representative of the 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron. To begin with, these markings were found as large stencils on the sides of the turret. Later, these markings were changed. The 1A, B, C or D marks were moved to the left of the gun on the turret cheek. They also gained nicknames, presumably given by the crews, as is traditional. ‘1A’ was called ‘Fionn’ and ‘1D’ was originally called ‘Vampire’, but this was later changed to ‘Ḋiarmuid’. The other two were given names, but unfortunately, they are not recorded, and the visual evidence we do have is not clear enough to identify the names. The name of ‘1C’ appears to be something along the lines of ‘Cothad’. ‘Ḋiarmuid’ and ‘Fionn’ were characters from Irish Mythology. So it is likely that ‘1C’ and 1B’ followed suit. To this end, the closest name to ‘Cothad’ is a character called ‘Cathbad’. The only known name of ‘1B’ is ‘Bit Special’, what its mythological name was (if it had one) remains a mystery, however.

Though the tanks were never used in combat, they took part in training for the entirety of their service. Twice a year, the Churchills drove under their own power to the remote Glen of Imaal (Irish: Gleann Uí Mháil) in the Wicklow Mountains. 5,948 acres of the Glen had been used by the Irish Military as an artillery and gunnery range since 1900. Here, the Churchills took part in gunnery, infantry cooperation, and cross-country trails.

Churchill 1B ‘Bit Special’ scales an obstacle with 1D following. Scaling steep inclines was one of the best qualities of the Tank. Photo: An Cosantoir

The Problem with Mud and Councils

Ireland was inexperienced with heavy armored vehicles such as the Churchill, and as such were ill-equipped with recovery and transport vehicles. The need was amplified by an incident that occurred in training at the Glen of Imaal. One of the tanks broke down and became stuck in heavy mud. The military, at this point, had no way to rescue the tank or tow it back for repairs. The military elected to abandon the tank and leave it where it stood to expect for the gun which they were able to take back to base. For the following years, instead of towing the tank too-and-fro, they simply took the gun to the tank every time it was required for gunnery training. In 1967, this process was given up. In the following years it was buried where it stood to prevent public access to it.

Aside from such incidents, there were also issues raised by Civilian organizations. Complaints soon arose from the Kildare and Wicklow County Councils, who were displeased at the amount of damage the all-metal tracks of the Churchill were causing to public roads.

Such issues led to the Cavalry Corps purchasing a World War Two, ex-British Army M19 Tank Transporter. This was the combination of the 12-ton 6×4 M20 Diamond T Model 980 truck and a companion M9 12-wheel trailer. American in origin, this transporter was considered one of the best ever built, some are even privately used today. They only bought a single vehicle, however, meaning that only one tank could be transported at a time.

Churchill Tank ‘1D’ scales an incline. Another of the tanks is visible in the background, designation unknown. Photo: An Cosantoir

Purchase

In 1954, the British asked the Irish Government whether they would be renewing the lease on the Churchills. The Irish Authorities, instead of offering to renew the lease, offered the War Office the sum of £1,000 for each tank to purchase them outright. It is not clear whether this amount was the final one agreed, but nonetheless, the Churchills became 100% Irish Defence Force Property.

Churchill ‘1C’ of the Cavalry Corps and three of its crew members. In the left-rear of the photo you can see what appears to be Churchill ‘1D’. Churchill ‘1C’ was commanded by Trooper James ‘Mul’ Mulcahy (straddling the gun barrel). He recalled that “…it was a handful to drive and had a 5 man crew. [It] was tight inside…”.’Mul’ enlisted in 1948 and served in the Irish Military for 42 years, retiring in 1991. This photo was provided by James’ son, Nicky. Photo: Nicky Mulcahy Personal Collection.

The Rolls-Royce Merlin

Even before the fourth Churchill arrived in 1949, the Transport Corps, who were responsible for maintaining the tanks, had reported that spare parts for the tank’s engines and other vital components were quickly running out. In an effort to keep the tanks going, a new development was considered.

On the 14th of February 1955, Captain Collier of the Cavalry Workshops came up with a plan to replace the Churchill’s old 350hp Bedford engine with the powerful 600hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which had been used in many British aircraft. A derivative of the Merlin, the Meteor, had been had been used on other models of British tanks such as the Cromwell and Comet.

The plan grabbed the attention of Captain Collier’s superiors who agreed to the proposal and suggested that the proposal be tested on one of the four Churchills. The Merlin engine was to be procured from the Air-Corps and was previously installed on one of their Vickers Supermarine VS.506 Seafire LF III fighters which were being withdrawn from service. As such, there was a plentiful surplus of spare parts.

Progress on the project was slow and continued into 1956. Tests were carried out with the engine installed. These tests were an apparent success but, for reasons unrecorded, the program stopped. None of the other Churchills would see the addition of the engine.

Fate

Due to the stoppage of the Merlin trials, spare parts for the Churchills inevitably ran out. By 1967, only one Churchill remained in a serviceable condition. In 1959, the Irish tank arsenal was refreshed with the arrival of four Comet Tanks, again purchased from the UK. A further four arrived in 1960. In 1969, all Churchills were retired. Research suggests that two of the Churchills were scrapped. One in 1963, the other in 1967.

The two tanks that were not scrapped still survive today. The tank that was buried in the Glen of Imaal in 1967 was excavated and recovered in 2002/3. The tank was cleaned and presented to the UK’s North Irish Horse Regiment, based in Northern Ireland, as a goodwill gesture. It is on display at Dunmore Park in Belfast. The tank was recently repainted and received the name ‘Castlerobin III’.

In 2006, the other surviving Churchill, having been repainted a solid green, became an exhibit (along with a Comet) at the Curragh Camp Museum. It has been refitted with new fenders over the tracks that are not accurate to the original vehicle. These were fabricated locally.

Though it does not pertain to the Irish Mk.VIs, there is another restored Churchill on the Emerald Isle. In the North, a Churchill Mk.VII has been placed as a monument on the Carrickfergus seafront. It has also been named ‘Carrickfergus’. It stands as a monument to the town’s military and industrial links. The famous shipbuilders, Harland & Wolff, even built the A20 prototype in their factory in the town.

One of the Surviving Churchills as it sits today as an exhibit of the Curragh Camp Museum. Note the false, locally produced fenders. Photo: Defence Forces Irland (DFI)

For our U.K. readers, this article can also be found in the May 2018 issue of ‘Classic Military Vehicle‘ Magazine.

Churchill Tank ‘1D’, 1st Armoured Cavalry Squadron. This tank started out with the nickname ‘Vampire’, but later received the name ‘Ḋiarmuid’ from its crew, named after a charecter in Irish Mythology. Illustrated by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet, with corrections from Leander Jobse.

Specifications
Dimensions	24ft 5in x 10ft 8in x 8ft 2in (7.44 x 3.25 x 2.49 m)
Total weight, battle ready	40 tonnes
Crew	5 (commander, driver, co-driver/hull gunner, gunner, loader/radio)
Propulsion	Bedford twin-six petrol, 350 hp (261 kW) at 2,200 rpm
Transmission	Merritt-Brown 4 speed constant mesh epicyclic gearbox
Suspension	22 vertical coil spring bogies
Top speed	15 mph (24 km/h)
Range (road)	56 mi (90 km)
Armament	Ordnance QF 75 (75 mm/2.95 in) 2x 0.303 (7.7 mm) Besa machine-guns
Armor	From 25 to 102 mm (0.98-4.01 in)
Purchased	4

Archive film of the Cavalry Corps displaying their tank arsenal.

Links, Resources & Further Reading

www.curragh.info
the.shadock.free.fr
www.geocities.ws
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
An Cosantóir, The Irish Defence Journal
Irish Army Vehicles: Transport and Armour since 1922 by Karl Martin
Tiger Lily Publications, Irish Army Orders of Battle 1923-2004, Adrian J. English
Mushroom Model Publications, AFVs in Irish Service Since 1922, Ralph A. Riccio
Schiffer Publishing, Mr. Churchill’s Tank: The British Infantry Tank Mark IV, David Fletcher

Cold War West German Prototypes

Begleitpanzer 57

Federal Republic of Germany (1977)
Infantry Fighting Vehicle – 1 Built

Believing they had identified a niche in the market, the Thyssen-Henschel and Bofors companies began a private venture (without funding or official support from the West-German military) to develop an ‘Infantry Escort Vehicle’.

The resulting vehicle, debuted in November 1977, was based on a modified hull of the recently introduced Marder IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle). It was designated the Begleitpanzer (Accompanying Tank) 57 and was classified as an Armored Infantry Fire Support Vehicle, or ‘AIFSV’.

Side on schematics of the vehicle with turret straight forward and turned 90 Degrees to the left. Photo: Public Domain

The Marder

The Marder (German word for the weasel-like creature, the Marten) IFV entered service with the West German army or ‘Bundeswehr’ in 1971. It was developed as part of the rebuilding effort of Germany’s armored vehicle manufacturing industry. Though it was not a remarkable vehicle according to its features, the design has succeeded in being a versatile and well rounded IFV. It was a simple vehicle that had armor up to 20mm thick over the frontal arc, with the frontal upper plate steeply angled. This frontal plate was designed to withstand 20mm Armor-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) rounds. It had rear access doors for carried infantry to disembark from and rifle ports in the hull side which allowed the infantry to fire through, while safely inside.

It had a small two-man turret which carried the IFV’s main armament, a 20mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 autocannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm MG3 machine gun. The 20mm can fire either Armor-Piercing (AP) or High-Explosive (HE) round.

The IFV was powered by an MTU MB 833 Ea-500 diesel engine, which developed 591 hp. This propelled the vehicle to a top speed of 47 mph (75 km/h) on road. It runs on six road-wheels connected to a torsion bar suspension. The idler wheel is located at the rear, with the drive sprocket at the front.

A view of the rear of the single Begleitpanzer prototype. Photo: topwar.ru

Design of the Begleitpanzer

The overall design of the vehicle was largely unchanged from the original Marder IFV. As such, the engine, transmission, suspension, tracks, and armor remained the same. The biggest modification to the Marder chassis was the replacement of the standard turret with a larger one mounting the vehicle’s main armament which consisted of an automatically cycling Bofors 57mm (2.24in) L70 Mk.1 gun, traditionally used in the anti-aircraft role on ships. This necessitated internal modifications. The entirety of the gun was open to the elements. When the gun was depressed the breach would rise out of the turret when elevated it would sink inside the hull. Depression/elevation range was – 8 to + 45 degrees. There was also a coaxial MG3 machine gun mounted on the right side of the main gun. The gun was fed from an ammunition can mounted on the gun cradle, meaning it would have to be reloaded from outside the tank. This gun was intended to engage with lightly armored enemy vehicles and troops.

Front view of the vehicle showng the well angled upper plate. Photo: topwar.ru

The weapon was mounted centrally in the uneven turret. The left of the turret was raised to accommodate the commander’s position. Above this position was a periscope ring for all-round observation. The right half of the turret was much lower to accommodate the vehicle’s secondary armament, a Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) launcher, which could fire the BGM-71B missile. This was installed to give the vehicle some anti-armor capability. After firing, the launcher tube rotated backward until it was vertical, and the exhaust end was in line with the turret roof. A small circular hatch would then open. Through this, a fresh ATGM would be loaded in. The tube would then rotate back to firing position. The gunner was located underneath the ATGM launcher tube. He operated both the main gun and the ATGM with controls in his position.

Two loaders were positioned in the rear of the tank. The loader on the left would be responsible for loading clips into the 57mm main gun. The loader on the right would be responsible for handling the ATGMs. The ammunition load-out consisted of 48 rounds for the 57mm gun and 6 TOW-ATGMs. The driver was located at the front left of the vehicle.

Fate

A mock-up of the Begleitpanzer was displayed in November 1977. A prototype was tested in 1978. Due to a lack of interest from the German Military, the project was not accepted for construction.

The project did start a string of other attempts to increase the lethality of the Marder. A similar project by Thyssen-Henschel saw the addition of a 105mm L7 gun, as found on Leopard 1, to the top of the Marder chassis. This was designated the VTS1, but like the Begleitpanzer, it did not progress past prototype stages.

Illustration of the Begleitpanzer 57 by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	6.79 m x 3.24 m x 2.98 m (22′ 3″ x 10′ 8″ x 9′ 9″)
Total weight, battle ready	Aprx. 33.5 tons
Crew	5 (driver, commander, gunner, x2 loaders)
Propulsion	MTU MB 833 Ea-500 diesel, 561 hp.
Suspension	Independent torsion bars
Speed (road)	47 mph (75 km/h)
Armament	Bofors 57mm (2.24 in) L70 Mk.1
Armor	20mm (0.78 in)
Total Production	1 Prototype

Sources

Arms and Armour Press, Tanks of the World 1983, Ferdinand Von Senger.
On topwar.ru

Cold War US MBT Prototypes

90mm Gun Tank T42

United States of America (1948-1954)
Medium Tank – 6 Built

Design and Development

At a meeting at Detroit Arsenal on the 28th of September 1948, specifications outlined by the United States military for a new Medium Tank were put forward. On the 2nd of December, the designation of Medium Tank T42 was secured.
The Military’s Specifications were thus:

A weight of approximately 36 tons
Better armor protection than the M46 but equivalent armament
Main armament stabilization in elevation and azimuth
An automatic loading system
A concentric recoil system (Hollow tube around the barrel. A space-saving alternative to traditional recoil cylinders)
Blister mounted .30 Cal (7.62mm) machine gun on each side of the turret
Coaxial .50 Cal (12.7mm) and .30 Cal machine guns.

A number of these initial features were based on the Prototype Light Tank T37. This included the blister mounted machine guns. Other features included a similar chassis length with five road wheels, powerplant and transmission, mudguards/sand shields over the tracks, and a turret ring diameter of 69 inches. This was the same diameter that was introduced in 1941 with the M4.
Construction of a mock-up was approved in March 1949 and reviews of this model were held in October and December, with a number of suggestions put forward to improve the design. The similarities to the T37 began to disappear. Ground contact length was increased from 122 to 127 inches (3.09 to 3.22 meters), the turret ring was widened to 73 inches and finally, the turret mounted blister machines guns were deleted.

Hull

The hull of the T42 was a combination of two parts. The forward bow portion was a single homogeneous steel casting, while the rear was a welded assembly of steel armor plates. The two halves were welded together in the middle of the tank. The casting of the upper glacis plate was 4.0 inches (101.6 mm) thick, sloped at 60 degrees.
The T42 eliminated the archaic feature of a bow machine gun and accompanying crew member. As such, the driver was alone in the hull. Room left over by the absent crew member was taken up by a 36-round ammunition rack.

One of the first T42 Prototypes. Photo: US Archives

Mobility

The T42 did retain the engine and transmission of the T37. This consisted of the Continental AOS-895 gasoline engine (AOS: Air-cooled, Opposed, Supercharged) rated at 500 horsepower, and the General Motors CD-500 cross-drive transmission. This gave the tank a top speed of 41 mph (66 km/h). The driver operated the vehicle with the Manual Control joystick, often known as the ‘Wobble Stick’.
The tank was considered underpowered, however. Tests were mounted by placing the powerplant in the hull of an unused Medium Tank T40 chassis and running it against a late model M4A3. These tests took place at the Aberdeen Proving Ground on the 7th of November 1950. The T42 proved to be only marginally more mobile than the M4, reinforcing the opinion that the tank was underpowered.
The tank ran on a five road-wheels with the drive sprocket at the rear. There were three return rollers unevenly placed along the return of the track. The wheels were attached to torsion bar suspension.

Turret

The turret was a completely new design, but not too dissimilar to that of the T41 (M41 Walker Bulldog) in length and shape. It was completely cast in construction. The lengthy turret bustle was used to store the radio set and also housing for the ventilator fan. The turret was manned by 3 crew members; Commander, Gunner, and Loader.
The outside of the turret was dominated most noticeably by the armored housings of the stereoscopic rangefinder lenses. Also known as ‘Frog’s Eyes’, this type of gun system continued to see use after the T42 on vehicles such as the M48 Patton III and M103. Atop the turret, on the right, was the commander’s vision cupola with an AA mount for a .50 cal. machine gun. The loader’s hatch was to the right of this.

Armament

It was suggested by a British liaison officer that the Ordnance QF 20-Pounder was far superior to the 90mm Tank Gun M3A1 used on the M46 Patton. Despite its use on Britain’s own Centurion and, being a more powerful weapon, the 20-Pounder was deemed unsuitable for use on a Medium Tank by the US.
The US instead opted for a newly developed 90mm gun, the T119. This gun was a vast improvement over the M3A1. Firing it’s APDS (Armor-Piercing Discarding-Sabot) round, it could punch through 11.1 inches (282mm) of homogenous steel armor, angled at 30 degrees, at a distance of 1000 yards (914.4 meters).
The main armament was complimented by the coaxially mounted Browning M1919A4 .30 cal. (7.62mm) Machine Gun and Browning M2HB .50 cal. (12.7mm) Heavy Machine Gun.

Nomenclature Change

On the 7th of November 1950, the United States Ordnance Committee instigated a change in nomenclature for tanks in the US Military. It was decided that weight designations (Light, Medium, Heavy) were no longer suitable due to changes in the way tanks were developed and employed on the battlefield, and the varying calibers now available. The caliber of the gun replaced the weight designation. For example, the T42 changed its designation from ‘Medium Tank T42′ to ’90mm Gun Tank T42’.

The Korean Tank Panic

Six prototypes were constructed and finally delivered to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds for testing on 30th December 1950. However, by this time, the Korean War had been raging for a full six months. To put it mildly, this caused a bit of a panic among the hierarchy of the US Military, and a crash program was launched to find a suitable tank to field in the conflict. The death warrant for the T42 was signed when the US Army Field Forces (AFF) declared the tank unfit for production. This did not stop the Ordnance Department though, who continued to work on the tank in the hopes that it could yet become the US Army’s next Medium Tank. Prior to this, in November, work had begun on the T42’s replacement, designated as the 90mm Gun Tank M47. Characteristics of the vehicle were outlined in January 1951.
The immediate answer to the panic was found by returning to the current tank in service, the M46 Patton. It was found that most of the T42’s issues were with its hull and the turret was found to be perfectly serviceable. As such, a program began to mount the T42 turret on the hull of the M46.
The M46 was slightly modified to accept the new turret. This modification took the form of expanding the hulls turret ring to match the turrets at 73 inches. This combination was tested with the use of an M46 hull. This vehicle was designated the M46E1. Only one was produced for tests purposes.
To bring the M46 hull up to the requirements for the M47, the angle of the 4-inch (101.6mm) upper plate was increased to 60 Degrees from the vertical. The air filter in the upper hull front was also removed, giving a better contour to the armor profile. This configuration was accepted and serialized as the Medium Tank M47 Patton II. However, it arrived too late to serve in the Korean War. The tank was declared obsolete in 1957 in the US Military but went on to see service in the arsenal of other countries military’s. In the US, the M47 was replaced in service by the 90mm Gun Tank M48 Patton III.

An early production M47. Photo: Presidio Press

The 90mm Gun Tank T42.

The 90mm Gun Tank M47 Patton II, the combination of the T42’s turret and the hull of the M46 Patton.

The Medium Tank T69 with an Oscillating Turret mounted on the Hull of T42 Prototype vehicle no. 3.
All three illustrations are by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

Further Developments

The Aberdeen trials began with automotive tests. In an effort to improve the T42’s mobility problems, the prototype vehicles sent to Aberdeen were fitted with the upgraded AOS-895-3 engine and CD-500-3 transmission. Thanks to the substitution of some steel parts with aluminum, this incarnation was 500 pounds (227 kg) lighter than its predecessor. The overall performance was improved, finally meeting the original specifications and surpassing the results of the previous test using the T40 hull. The Army Field Forces were still not impressed enough. Considering the T42 still much too underpowered, they continued to refuse its adoption. By this time, their attention had shifted to the M47 and T48 (later M48) development program.
The trials did not start well for the T42. Pilot vehicle number 1 was completely destroyed by a catastrophic fire caused by a loose pin in the final drive which tore a hole in the fuel tank. This resulted in fuel spraying over hot components of the engine. The tank was a fireball in seconds. Pilot vehicle number 2 arrived at Aberdeen in April 1951 to continue the now delayed automotive tests. This vehicle was later modified to allow the installation of a new transmission, the XT-500. This necessitated a modification the rear hull. This took the form of replacing the sloping rear hull plate with a vertical one. The XT was more efficient and had a lower production cost of the CD model, with just 60 percent of the overall part-count.

The T42 with CD Transmission on the left, and XT Transmission on the right. Note the changes to the rear of the tank. Photos: Presidio Press
Despite the deletion of the blister machine guns on the turret, developers were keen to employ extra machine guns somewhere on the vehicle to compensate for the lack of a bow mounted weapon. One solution was the mounting of machine guns on the mudguards just above the idler wheels. This took the form of an armored box. The box would contain one Browning M1919A4 machine gun, 680 rounds of .30 caliber (7.62mm) ammunition, a pneumatic charger, firing solenoid and a compressed air bottle. The system would be operated by controls in the driver’s position. The guns were fixed in traverse and elevation. Though not practical to aim, it was found that the weapons provided a good suppressing fire over an area. Further development was suggested, mostly to add a degree of traverse in the guns, but it went no further. The whole concept was later completely dropped.
During the spring of 1953, in an effort to keep the T42 project alive, a plan was formed to turn it into an option for a lighter more economical tank. Modifications planned were a steel elliptical hull and flat track suspension (track return supported by road wheels, as used on tanks such as the Soviet T-54). Had these plans materialized, the vehicle would have received the designation of 90mm Gun Tank T87, or Medium Tank T87. May 1953 marked the end of this project and the whole T42 program in general. The project was officially ended in Autumn 1954.

One of the later T42 Prototypes. Photo: Presidio Press

T69, the Only Variant

One of the original specifications for the T42 was not researched until almost a year after the tank was declared unfit for service. This specification was that an autoloader would be added when such a device was available. It was found that trying to add an autoloader in a conventional turret was impractical as the breach of the gun would have to return to a 0-degree elevation angle for it to line up after every shot. For this reason, it was decided that an oscillating turret would be the best option. Oscillating turrets are divided into two parts. A lower collar attached to the turret ring, and an upper portion with the gun fixed in place. The upper portion pivots on trunnions under hydraulic power providing the gun elevation and depression. With the gun fixed in place, the autoloader has a straight path to ram in the shells.
The new turret was mounted on the hull of T42 prototype number 3 which was modified with the XT-500 transmission. The tank received the designation of 90mm Gun Tank T69, also known as Medium Tank T69. The tank took part in a number of trials but, like the T42, it was not accepted for service. It was found that the vehicle bore no advantage over conventional designs.

The T69 at aberdeen proving grounds for evaluation. Photo: Presidio Press

Survivors

No whole T42 survives today. The only way the vehicle does survive is through the uses of its parts. A single hull survives as the T69, which currently resides in storage at National Armor and Cavalry Museum, Georgia, USA. The turret can, of course, be found all over the world where there is an M47 on display.

An article by Mark Nash

T42 Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	26’9″ x 11’7″ x 9’4″ ft.in (8.1m x 3.5m x 2.8m)
Total weight, battle ready	38 tons
Crew	4 (commander, driver, loader, gunner)
Propulsion	Continental AOS-895 gasoline engine, (air-cooled six-cylinder supercharged 8.2-liter engine), 500 horsepower
Transmission	General Motors CD-500
Maximum speed	41 mph (66 km/h)
Suspensions	Torsion bars suspensions, shock absorbers
Armament	90mm Tank Gun T119 Sec: 2 x Browning M2HB .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) Heavy Machine Guns + 1 Browning M1919 .30 Cal. (7.62 mm) Machine Gun
Armor	4 in (101.6 mm)
Total production	6
For information about abbreviations check the Lexical Index

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Presidio Press, Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank, Volume 1, R. P. Hunnicutt
US National Archives

WW2 British Prototypes

Praying Mantis

United Kingdom (1937-1944)
Experimental Machine Gun Carrier – 2 Prototypes Built

The Praying Mantis was an experimental machine gun carrier designed by a private developer for the British Army during the Second World War. It is in competition with the Kugelpanzer as one of the strangest armored vehicle designs ever produced.

It could be said that it is ‘typically British’ in its eccentricity. The vehicle would never become as deadly a hunter as it’s invertebrate namesake, however, as it never left the prototype stage.

The First prototype of the vehicle.

Development

The Praying Mantis was a private venture by one Mr. Ernest James Tapp (often shortened to E. J. Tapp) of County Commercial Cars. The design was patented in 1937, with the construction of prototypes beginning in 1943. The vehicle was designed to shoot over walls and other obstacles while staying as concealed as possible.

Anatomy

The initial prototype of the Mantis was designed on a bespoke chassis. It had thin tracks, a rear mounted drive wheel and 4 road-wheels. The prototype was basic in its construction, intended just as a means of testing cross-country ability and the driver’s position. This prototype was displayed to the War Office shortly after the outbreak of World War II.
The second and final prototype was commissioned in 1943 and was based on the engine and running gear of the venerable Universal Carrier. The Universal Carrier was the workhorse vehicle of the British Army throughout the war and saw service with numerous countries in numerous theaters. It also spawned a number of variants and derivatives such as the Canadian Wasp flamethrower or the Australian 2-Pounder armed LP2.
With this, the Mantis retained the Carrier’s Ford V8 85bhp petrol engine and running gear that used the ‘track-bending’ steering system. This is all that the Mantis retained from the Carrier, as the rest of the tank’s chassis was rather unusual.

Chassis

The anatomy of this ‘iron invertebrate’ is unlike any other tank or armored fighting vehicle. It consists of a lower hull in which can be found the engine, a crew compartment, a pivoting ‘head’ and finally, a small machine gun armed turret, known as the ‘helmet’.

The Praying Mantis with the fighting compartment raised to full extension. Photo: The Tank Museum
The Crew compartment, known as the ‘control chamber’ took the form of a long hollow box. Inside would be the positions for the vehicles two crew members, the Driver and the Gunner, who would be effectively lying down, prone, inside the box with their heads towards the machine gun turret. At the crew’s feet was a hydraulic system that would raise the entire compartment. It would rise to about a 55-degree angle. Maximum elevation was 11f.5ft (3.48m) off the ground. In the original plans, the box had the ability to traverse left and right as well. This would bring the head, which could pivot up and down, above an obstacle allowing the gunner to engage any targets. The vehicle could move around with the crew chamber in any position. When fully lowered, the Mantis could move around behind low bushes, or even tall grass while staying concealed.
The Gunner was in charge of the vehicle’s main armament, a pair of Bren Light Machine Guns mounted side-by-side in the rotating ‘helmet’. Chambered for the standard British .303 round, the magazine fed Bren was a staple weapon of the British Army’s infantry. The gun entered service in 1938. It would serve for over 30 years, finally being withdrawn in 1991. The ‘helmet’ was also equipped with a grapple, fired by a small grappling gun.

Illustration of the Praying Mantis by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

Fate

The second prototype took part in a number of trials, but that’s as far as it would go. In operation, it was found that the controls were extremely hard to use. The effect on the crew was also not ideal, as many recounted the swaying of the moving vehicle gave them motion sickness. In 1944, it was officially abandoned.

Lowered fully, the Mantis could be used as cover for infantry. Photo: The Tank Museum
The first prototype was scrapped, but the second eventually found it’s way to the Bovington Tank Museum. The vehicle has been preserved there ever since, and the joints are still in operable condition. It is considered to be the strangest vehicles in their collection.
Though this vehicle was something of a flop. Mr. Tapp’s idea of a vehicle that could raise its weapons above cover without exposing itself would later be employed by various armored vehicles. The ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) launching FV1620 Humber Hornet, for example, used a similar mechanism.

The Praying Mantis as it sits today in The Tank Museum, Bovington. Author’s photo.

An article by Mark Nash

Specifications
Crew	2 (driver, machine-gunner)
Propulsion	Ford T 4-cyl petrol, 40 bhp
Speed (road)	25 mph (40 km/h)
Armament	2 x .303 Bren Light Machine Guns
Armor	6 to 9 mm (0.24-0.35 in)
Total production	2 Prototypes

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Article on The Tank Museum’s Website
Patent GB577274 submitted on July 16th 1946 by Mr. E. Tapp

Cold War US Other Vehicles

Flame Thrower Tank M67 Zippo

Post author By Mark Nash
Post date December 17, 2017
9 Comments on Flame Thrower Tank M67 Zippo

United States of America (1953)
Armored Flamethrower – 109 Built

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) was no stranger to the use of flamethrower equipped tanks. The Corps strongly advocated for the deployment of such vehicles. American early flame-throwing tanks, such as the M3A1 ‘Satan’ and variants of the M4 Sherman, were used to great effect against the heavily entrenched Japanese forces in the Pacific in WW2.
With the outbreak of the Korean War, the Marines were practically begging for a new flame-throwing tank. All that they had at that time were the M42B1 and B3, flame throwing tanks built on the chassis of the out dated M4 Sherman. This led to a request for a new, up-to-date flame tank. The answer to this request was the M67, also known as ‘Zippo’ (after the popular brand of lighters), based on the 90mm Gun Tank M48 Patton III. It would, however, arrive too late to see action in Korea.

M67 in action near Da Nang. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

History

In the final stages of the Second World War, the United States Military, fighting the Japanese in the Pacific, realized the effectiveness of tank-based flamethrowers, particularly in dealing with a well-dug-in enemy force. They would first be deployed in the shape of field expedient modifications of the M3 Light tank (resulting, for instance, in the ‘Satan’). Such vehicles would then progress further into serialized developments of the Medium Tank M4A1 and A3. These were designated M42B1 and B3.
Post War, development continued on flame-throwing tanks on newer chassis. The M26 Pershing was first tested for conversion in October 1945 as the T35. This went through a few designs, including mounting the flame equipment in the turret, replacement of turret with a casemate structure, and finally a trailer configuration similar to that of the British Churchill Crocodile. None of these designs were accepted for production or service, and the T35 project was canceled in 1948. Believing that tanks with a flamethrower main armament had a limited infantry support role on the battlefield, the US Military wasn’t keen on developing a vehicle with such a configuration.
The United States Marine Corp (USMC) however, disagreed. The Marine Corps’ primary use of tanks was in a close infantry support role and the effectiveness of flame tanks was already demonstrated to them in fighting against the Japanese. Come the time of the Korean War, the Marine Corps were effectively pleading for a new flamethrowing tank to replace the outdated M42B1 and B3s which they had no choice but to use.

An early M67 based on one of the earlier models of M48 with the shallow engine bay. It is seen here in action alongside an M50 Ontos. Battle of Hue’ City, 1968. Photo: SOURCE
Following this, work began on a flamethrowing tank based on the 90mm Gun Tank T42, which was supposed to be America’s next medium tank. With the complications that arose from the T42, the project was moved onto the 90mm Gun Tank M47 Patton II. (This was the combination of the T42’s turret with the M46’s hull. The famous answer to the ‘Korean Tank Panic’). This variant was designated the T66, with the flame projector mounted in the turret in place of the 90mm gun. Only one prototype of this tank was produced before the project was canceled, due to the fact that by the time this single vehicle had been built, the M47 itself was being replaced by the new M48.

M48 Patton III

The M48 Patton III was the third in the line of tanks named after the World War Two American General George S. Patton. Entering service in 1953, the M48 replaced the rushed, but well serving, M47 Patton II, and was one of the last tanks in US military history to carry a 90mm main armament.
The tank weighed about 50 tons, with armor of up to 110mm thick. The tank was powered by a 650 hp Continental AVSI-1790-6 V12, air-cooled twin-turbo gasoline engine. This would propel the tank to a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h).
The tank served with the US Military up to the 1990’s, despite being mostly replaced by the next tank in-line, the M60. While in service, the M48 went through systematic upgrades including a new engine, internal systems and the eventual up-gunning with a 105mm gun.

Pilot, the T67

In Autumn 1954, work began on basing a flamethrower tank on the M48. It would be designated as the T67. Main armament would consist of the E28-30R1. This stood for Experimental E28 fuel and pressure system, with 30R1 flame gun. This configuration was later serialized by the Chemical Corp Technical Committee as the M7-6 Mechanised Flamethrower. The component parts were designated as the M7 fuel and pressure unit and the M6 flame gun. The complete system, including the turret, was designated Flamethrower Turret T7. For the prototype, this was assembled inside an M48 turret with the Low-Profile Chrysler commander’s cupola with external .50 cal. machine gun mount.

The T67 pilot vehicle based on the early M48 model with low engine deck. Photo: Presidio Press
This turret was lowered onto an M48 hull, with the low engine deck housing the early Continental AVSI-1790-6 V12. With the deletion of the standard gun, there was no need for a loader and the number of crew members was dropped to three. This position was taken up by a large, 398 gallon (US) fuel tank for the flamethrower. The Commander and Gunner remained in their traditional positions on the right-hand side of the turret. The only ingress and egress point in the turret was the commander’s hatch as the remaining loader’s hatch was completely blocked by the flame thrower’s fuel tank. As such, the hatch was used to refuel and maintain the equipment.

Flame Equipment

The thickened fuel for the flamethrower was stored in the large 398 gallons (US) central tank. This was the maximum capacity of the tank, but a bit of leeway was given for expansion and other losses or spillages. As such, usable capacity was closer to 365 gallons (US). There was a secondary 10.2 gallon (US) fuel container which supplied un-thickened gasoline to the atomiser, it also coated the main-fuel for ignition in cold weather. The system was pressurized to 325 psi (2240.8 kPa) allowing a 55 second burst with the ⅞ inch (22.22mm) nozzle, and 61 seconds with the ¾ inch (19.05) nozzle. Maximum range for the flame gun was 280 yards (256 meters).

Cross section of the M67’s turret. Note the huge fuel tank in place of the loaders position. Photo: Presidio Press.
The fuel was ignited by 24,000 volt spark plug igniters in front of the nozzle inside the firing tube. A carbon dioxide snuffer system was also employed at the nozzle to extinguish any residual fuel burning the gun itself after it was shut off.
The M6 flame gun was housed in a shroud designed to mimic the appearance of the 90mm T54 gun equipped on the standard M48 Patton in an effort to disguise it as a standard gun tank. The shroud was noticeably wider in diameter and 21-inches (53.34cm) shorter, though it did include a faux tubular ‘T’ shaped muzzle break. This dummy gun barrel had holes in the side allowing the circulation of air necessary for combustion. There were also holes and drip shields at the bottom for drainage. There was a removable cover in the center of the barrel, allowing access to the ignition systems and the whole system was attached to the standard gun shield found on M48’s, and the tube for the fuel pivoted on the same trunnions. Though the system shared as many elevation and traverse components as the standard M48, the M6 Flame gun and complicated shroud made it muzzle heavy. A hydraulic equilibrator device was introduced to balance the weapon which operated throughout the M6’s whole +45 to -12 range of elevation. As well as the flame gun, the gunner also operated the coaxial .30 cal. Browning machine gun as normal.

M67A2 taking part in fire trials. Photo: Presidio Press

Hull Modifications

The introduction of the T7 Flamethrower turret and accompanying weaponry necessitated a number of minor, but important, modifications to the M48 hull. The depression angle of the M6 Flame Gun was greater than that of the 90mm gun main armament of standard M48’s, as such, the brush guards of the bow head lights were flattened to allow clearance. The ammunition racks for the 90mm ammunition on the left and right of the driver were removed and replaced by stowage bays for the storage of tools, spare parts for the flame equipment, and ammunition for the machine guns.The auxiliary engine muffler, which was located on the M48’s rear deck, was relocated to the right-rear fender. This was a preventative measure to give clearance to the flame-thrower fuel tank vent which protruded from the left-bottom of the turret bustle.

M67A2 ‘Zippo’ from the 1st Tank Battalion, US Marine Corps. Illustration by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet

Standardisation, the M67

The T67 was now two-years late for action in the Korean War, but work carried on. After going through a number of tests and trials with the Marines, 56 complete T67s were delivered to the Corps, in addition to 17 T7 Flamethrower turrets. All of these were based on the M48A1’s with the large M1 Cupola that has the integral .50 cal machine gun mount. The spare 17 turrets were mated with the modified hulls of M48A1s. The T67 Pilot was also upgraded to M48A1 standard, bringing the total number of tanks to 74 units. On the 1st of June 1955, the T67 was standardized as the Flamethrower Tank M67. At the same time, the T7 turret was designated as the Flamethrower Tank Turret M1. When the M48A2 appeared (with the larger engine compartment and radiator grill) the M1 turret was introduced to the new chassis. This turned the M67 into the M67A1.

M67A2 during trials at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Photo: Presidio Press
Along with the chassis changes, the M7 fuel and pressure system was upgraded to US Army standards and redesignated the M7A1. Following this, the Chemical Corps redesignated the whole system as the M7A1-6. Chrysler built 35 M67A1s at their Delaware plant between 1955 and 1956. These were the only M67’s to ever see service with the United States Army, but this was only for a very short period.
Further upgrades to the M48 tank soon resulted in the M48A3 with its powerful 750 hp Continental AVDS-1790-2 V12, air-cooled twin-turbo diesel engine. With this upgrade to the gun tank, the Marine Corps requested that their M67’s be upgraded to the same standard. Funds were provided for the Marines to have 35 of their M67’s upgraded to M48A3 standard. On the 1st of February 1962, a pilot of the upgraded vehicle was completed at the Detroit Arsenal. It was designated the M67E1. It featured a number of upgrades also found on the M48A3. These included a new gun shield cover, new fire control systems and the replacement of the coaxial .30 cal. (7.62mm) Browning machine gun with an M73 machine gun. On the 25th of June 1962, the M67E1 was officially serialized as the M67A2. In total, 73 vehicles would be converted to M67A2 standard. The upgrade work would be done at the Anniston and Red River Army Depots alongside the M48A3 upgrade program. In total, the USMC would receive 109 M67’s altogether.
The Chrysler Company also developed the T-89 flame thrower kits. This allowed a team of mechanics to turn a standard M48 gun tank into a flamethrower in around eight hours.

Service

Actual combat history of the M67 is not very well recorded and is, at best, patchy. This is due to a general lack of record keeping at troop level. This is a common occurrence in the history of many of the tank actions in Vietnam, as described by Oscar E. Gilbert in his book ‘Marine Corps Tank Battles in Vietnam’. With the assistance of such literature, the following section will highlight the known actions in as much detail as possible.
The M67A2 conversion program would be complete in time for the vehicle to see deployment in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps, though it would be accompanied by small numbers of the other models including the M67 and M67A1. The M67 was one of two armored flamethrowers used in the Vietnam War. The other was the Self-Propelled Flame Thrower M132. This was a modification of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier fitted with similar flame equipment to the M67. This vehicle was used by the Army in armored cavalry units.

A Later M67 modeled on the M48A2-A3 hull with larger engine deck in service in Vietnam with the 1st Tank Battalion during Operation: Doser. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In deployment, the M67 would often be accompanied by 2 ½ ton trucks equipped with special equipment to keep the tank in action. One would carry and refuel the tank’s Napalm supply, while the other would recharge the compressed air system. This was, of course, a drawback. Because of the necessity of keeping the resupply equipment relatively nearby, the M67’s were restricted in what operations they could take part in.
An unforeseen problem with the flamethrower was the noise created by the equipment when it was fired. Such was the level of internal noise that the gunner and commander could barely hear each other even when using the intercom. To deal with this, the commander, to his own risk, would often operate head-out. This would improve the audio enough for the crew to understand each other. Some commanders even went as far as haphazardly mounting the intercom outside of the tank, near the hatch.
The M67’s first combat came in the August of 1965 with Operation: Starlite, also known as the Battle of Van Tuong. This was the first major US action of the war. The objective was to hold and defend the Chu Lai Air and command base. During this battle, in map zone An Cuong (2), a resupply convoy of Amtrak’s and a 3-tank section of M67s was ambushed and almost completely destroyed by Viet Cong forces.
The action around An Cuong (2) was one of the only recorded in any great detail. We do know that the M67 took part in actions such as Operation Dozer and the Battle of Hue. In the Battle of Hue, two M67’s accompanied by M48’s were the first tanks to enter the city. The guerilla nature of the Vietnam War was no hindrance to the M67. It was often used to incinerate any patch of jungle that may look like an enemy position in so called “Rods of Flame” attacks.

Fate

The M67 would be the last flame thrower tank deployed by the United States military. The tank would stay in service with USMC until its retirement in 1974. In the 1960 World War II film ‘Hell to Eternity’, a number of M67’s were used to represent M4 based flamethrowers during the Battle of Saipan.

A M67 in a still from the film ‘Hell to Eternity’. Photo: IMFDB
A few of the tanks have survived. Before its recent closure, one was on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. The tank has since been relocated to Fort Benning, Georgia. Another can be found outside the Engineering School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

The surviving M67 at Fort Leonard Wood. Photo: Mark Holloway

Zippo?

The tank’s unofficial nickname name, “Zippo” (after the lighter brand, as stated in the introduction), is somewhat mysterious. Just like the M60A2 and it’s “Starship” name, a concrete source cannot be stated when this name came into use. It was likely given by the crews or infantry (Grunts to the USMC) that operated with the vehicle.

An article by Mark Nash

M67 ‘Zippo’ specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	20’10” x 11’9″ x 10’10” ft.in (6.4m) x 3.63m x 3.08m)
Total weight, battle ready	48.5 tons (96 000 lbs)
Crew	3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Propulsion	Continental AVDS-1790-5A V12, AC Twin-turbo gas. 810 hp.
Transmission	General Motors CD-850-3, 2-Fw/1-Rv speed GB
Maximum speed	30 mph (48 km/h) on road
Suspensions	Torsion bars
Range (Fuel)	80 miles/130 km (878 Liters/ 232 US Gal.)
Armament	Main: M7-6 Flamethrower, 365 gallonso of fuel. Sec: 1 cal.50 M2HB (12.7 mm)+ 1 cal.30 (7.62 mm) coaxial Browning M1919A4
Armor	Max: Nose glacis/turret 110 mm (4.3 in)
Total Production	109
For information about abbreviations check the Lexical Index

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Presidio Press, Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank, Volume 1, R.P. Hunnicutt
Casemate Publishing, Marine Corps Tank Battles In Vietnam, Oscar Gilbert
Concord Publications, Armor at War Series, Vietnam Armor in Action, Gordon Rottman & Donald Spaulding

Cold War US MBT Prototypes

90mm Gun Tank T69

United States of America (1951-1958)
Medium Tank – 1 Built

In the early 1950s, the United States Military began a design program to develop tanks that would replace those currently in service. The faithful M4 Sherman had begun to show its age and was in the process of being replaced by the M26 Pershing and the upgraded M46 Patton.
At their core, however, these tanks were still very much vehicles of World War II era and did not make use of newer technologies that had begun to appear. One of the tanks to spring from the design program was the Medium Tank T42. This tank would form the basis of the T69 project.
The unique feature of the T69 among other medium tanks then in development was its oscillating turret and autoloading system. The T69 project followed on from the T71 Light Tank project, which featured a 76mm autoloading gun in an oscillating turret. It also ran parallel to the 120mm armed T57 and the 155 mm armed T58 Heavy Tank projects. Both of which also featured autoloading systems and oscillating turrets. These two were based on the hull of the M103 Heavy Tank.

The Medium Tank T69, with an Oscillating turret, based on the hull of the T42 Medium. Photo: Presidio Press

The Medium Tank T42

The T42 was originally designed to replace the M46 Patton. Starting life in 1948, the T42 was based on the T37 light tank prototype, but had increased armor protection and carried a T139 90mm gun (which would later be serialized as the 90mm Tank Gun M41) in a brand new turret. It did, however, retain the same basic dimensions and the five road-wheel running gear.

The T42 prototype. Photo: US Archives
The T42, to the worry of the US Military, was still halfway through development when the Korean War Commenced in June 1950. This gave rise to the infamous “Korean Tank Panic”. As a quick solution to this problem, it was decided to take the turret of the T42 and mount it on the M46 hull. This spawned the Medium Tank M47 Patton II.
The T42 itself would never make it to full-scale production, having never met all of the Military’s needs and expectations. A few of the tanks would be kept for experimentation and further development. This led to its use as the base hull for the T69.

Birth of the T69

The T69 was born out of the idea from the United States Ordnance Committee that an automatic loading system would be added to the T42’s turret should one be designed and become available. Preliminary experiments with a loading system inside this turret were not successful due to the limited space and the need to line up the breach with the loading system after every shot.
Further studies by the Rheem Manufacturing Company found that it would indeed be feasible to mate the T139 90mm gun with an autoloader if the equipment was mounted in an oscillating turret. Oscillating turrets, made famous by the French and their AMX-13, were a new feature at this time. These turrets have a fixed gun in a two-part turret. The lower half, or ‘collar’, is connected to the turret ring and provides horizontal rotation. The upper part, or ‘body’, carries the gun moving up and down on a set of trunnions providing vertical traverse. Turrets of this design allowed the use of autoloader mechanisms as the gun was fixed in place, meaning the loader did not have to be re-aligned with the breach after every shot.

Profile shot of the T69. Photo: US Archives
A new contract was drafted with Rheem who then proceeded to draw up plans and prepare mockups of the turret and loading system. Work began on the turret in summer 1951. However, there were lengthy delays due to the late arrival of equipment. A total of six different designs for the turret were evaluated by APG (Aberdeen Proving Grounds) and tested by personnel supplied by the AFF (Army Field Forces) before one was selected. A number of turrets for ballistic tests were then built for APG to test the armor protection. Only after this would development finally continue in the summer of 1955.
The turret was mounted on the second T42 pilot vehicle modified to carry the XT-500 transmission. This combination was then designated the 90mm Gun Tank T69, otherwise known as Medium Tank T69.

Hull

The hull of the tank was made up of two parts. The front half was a long rounded casting of steel homogeneous armor, it was 4 inches (101.6 mm) thick and angled at 60 degrees. The rear was welded steel armor plate. The two halves were welded together in the center.

Engine

The T42 hull was powered by the Continental AOS 395 gasoline engine, (air-cooled six-cylinder supercharged 8.2-liter engine) rated at 500 horsepower. This ran through a General Motors CO-500 cross-drive transmission, later upgraded to the XT-500 (this required changes to rear of the engine compartment, resulting in a vertical rear plate). Together, this gave the vehicle a top speed of about 41 mph (66 km/h). This engine was retained for the T69. The driver’s position was located at the front left of the hull with an ammunition rack to his right. The driver steered the vehicle via the Manual Control Stick, often known as the “Wobble Stick”. The Manual Control was a single joystick that controlled left and right movement, as well as controlling forward and backward speeds.

Turret

The body of the turret was a single cast piece with the 90mm gun protruding from a long ‘nose’. The angles of the casting provided numerous deflective surfaces against incoming rounds. This body was attached to a fully cast collar by trunnions, forming the fulcrum point of elevation and depression. Maximum elevation was 15 degrees, maximum depression was 9 degrees. This motion was actuated by a hydraulically powered mechanism, though should it fail manual operation was possible. The collar was then attached to the 73-inch turret ring.
Turret crew consisted of the Gunner, Loader, and Commander. The Loader sat to the left of the gun, with the gunner on it’s right. The Commander was situated at the right rear of the turret underneath a rotating vision cupola.

Another profile shot of the T69. In this photo, the turret is partially raised to about half of its maximum elevation, and the roof is open. Note the hydraulic bar propping up the roof. Photo: Presidio Press
Access into the turret was rather easy. There was a hatch on the left of the turret roof for the loader, and another atop the Commander’s cupola at the rear right. The traditional hatches in the turret roof were not the only point of entry, however. If needed, the entire turret roof had the ability to raise up via hydraulics and could rise to almost a full 90 degrees. This allowed full access to the interior of the turret, easy removal of the gun and loading system, and quick ammunition resupply. In case of emergency, it also allowed for a quick exit of the turret. This was operated by a control in the Loader’s position.
Other features on the turret consist of an AA mount for a Browning M2HB .50 Cal. (12.7mm) Heavy Machine gun on the commander’s cupola and a ventilator in the left rear. On each side of the turret, positioned just above the fulcrum point were the ‘Frog’s Eyes’, the armored housings for the lenses of the stereoscopic rangefinder. The same can be found on the M47, M48 and so on.

An interior photo of the T69s turret taken recently at the NACM. 1: Gunners position. 2: Escape hatch. 3: 90mm Gun. 4: Recoil guard. 5: Ammunition cyylinder. 6: Ramming and extraction system. Photo: Rob Cogan.

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Presidio Press, Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank, Volume 1, R. P. Hunicutt
An original government report on the T69, Read HERE.
National Armor and Cavalry Museum (NACM)
NACM Curator, Rob Cogan

Illustration of the T69 Medium Tank prototype by Tank Encyclopedia’s own David Bocquelet. The color is speculative as there are no known original colored photos. As such, the standard US Olive Drab paint scheme was chosen.

Armament

The T69 was armed with the T178 90mm gun. This gun was essentially the same as the T139 but was mounted upside-down. This meant that the vertically sliding breach slid up towards the turret roof instead of down towards the floor, avoiding collision with the loading mechanism. The mounting lugs were also modified so that the gun’s concentric recoil mechanism (hollow tube around the barrel. A space-saving alternative to traditional recoil cylinders) could be mounted in the forward part of the turret, in the nose. There was a fume extractor towards the muzzle of the gun, just behind the muzzle-break. This was a relatively new feature on tanks at the time. Firing an AP (Armor Piercing) shell, the gun could penetrate 6.2 inches (157.48 mm) of armor at 1,000 yards. A coaxial Browning M1919 .30 Cal. (7.62mm) Machine Gun was mounted on the left of the main armament. When not in action, the turret would be traversed almost fully to the rear. The gun would then be placed in a travel lock mounted on the left rear of the engine deck.

A head-on shot of the T69, showing the 90mm gun, coaxial .30 cal (7.62mm) mg to its left, and the .50 cal (12.7mm) on the commander’s hatch. Photo: Presidio Press.

Autoloader

The T178 gun was fed by an 8-round autoloader mechanism. The system was mounted longitudinally on the centerline of the turret. It consisted of a magazine with an integral ramming system. The magazine took the form of a conical 8-tube revolving cylinder, like a scaled-up version of something found on a Smith & Wesson Revolver for example. The chambers of the cylinder were reloaded manually by the Loader and could be loaded with up to three different types of ammunition. AP (Armor Piercing), HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) or HE (High-Explosive) for example. The gunner could select which ammunition type he needs to fire via a control panel in his position.

A cross-section of the T69’s turret showing the autoloading apparatus. Photo: Presidio Press
When engaged, the cylinder was lifted into line with the breach, the hydraulic rammer then pushed the round forward into the breach. Upon withdrawal of the rammer, the cylinder indexed (rotated) forwards one chamber. The cylinder assembly then dropped back down to its stationary ready position low in the turret. Once fired, the empty shell was then passed along a chute to an ejection port in the turret bustle that automatically opened upon recoil of the gun. Once the shell was clear, the port automatically closed when the gun returns to battery (recovers from recoil). The rate of fire could be as fast as 33 rounds per minute. This was when firing just one ammunition type when interchanging between various types, rate of fire was reduced to 18 rounds per minute.
As well as the eight rounds in the cylinder, 32 rounds were held in the bow to the right of the driver. In the T42, this rack held 36 rounds. It was found, however, there was little clearance between the autoloading assembly and the turret ring for the loader to have access to this row of four extra rounds. It was the responsibility of the Loader to replenish the Cylinder when all rounds were spent.

A rear view of the T69 with the turret open. Note the shell ejection port in the turret bustle. Photo: Presidio Press

Fate

The T69 was tested at Aberdeen Proving Grounds from June 1955 to April 1956. The tests were dogged by a high rate of component failure which prevented in-depth study of the automatic loading system and operation of the oscillating turret. The tank was deemed unsatisfactory for service, but various tests on the vehicle would continue. Lessons learned would pave the way for future technologies and developments. The T69 Project was finally officially terminated February 11th, 1958.
The T69 was not the last experiment with oscillating turrets and autoloaders by the US Military. The project would be followed by the T54. Not to be confused with the infamous Soviet T-54, these were a series of prototypes based on the M48 Patton III hull. They were intended as a means to develop a turret for the M48 that could carry the 105mm Tank Gun T140. A variant of this project, the T54E1, carried the gun in an oscillating turret and used an autoloading system.

A photo taken in the early 1980s showing the tank at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Photo: preservedtanks.com
The T69 did survive, however. It was preserved at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds for many years, but it has since been removed from the site with the closure of the museum in late 2010. It was moved to Fort Benning and is currently a part of the collection of the National Armor and Cavalry Museum (NACM), Georgia, USA. The museum will open to the public in a few years. Recently, the tank was stripped of its old weathered paint given a fresh coat of protective Red-Oxide primer. In late 2017, the vehicle was given a fresh coat of Olive Drab paint.

The repainted T69 at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum. First picture shows it in the red oxide, the second shows it in its new paint job. Photos: NACM and Rob Cogan

An article by Mark Nash

T69 Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	26’9″ x 11’7″ x 9’4″ ft.in (8.1m x 3.5m x 2.8m)
Total weight, battle ready	38 tons (76,000 lbs)
Crew	4 (commander, driver, loader, gunner)
Propulsion	Continental AOS 395 gasoline engine, (air-cooled six-cylinder supercharged 8.2-liter engine), 500 horsepower
Transmission	General Motors XT-500
Maximum speed	41 mph (66 km/h)
Suspensions	Torsion bars suspensions, shock absorbers
Armament	90mm Tank Gun T178 Sec: 1 x Browning M2HB .50 Cal. (12.7 mm) Heavy Machine Gun + 1 Browning M1919 .30 Cal. (7.62 mm) Machine Gun
Armor	4 in (101.6 mm)
Total production	1
For information about abbreviations check the Lexical Index

Republic of Ireland (1958) Medium Tank – 8 Purchased

The Comet

Purchase

Service

The “Headless Coachman”

Survivors

Specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Irish Free State (1934) Light Tank – 2 Purchased

The L-60

Irish Service

Fate

Specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

United Kingdom/United States of America (1943) Flamethrower Tank – 4 Built

Development

Design

Foundation, The M4

Flame Equipment

Specifications (M4A4 based)

Service

Other American M4 Flamethrowers

Further British Experiments

Links, Resources & Further Reading

“Tank-It” Shirt

American M4 Sherman Tank – Tank Encyclopedia Support Shirt

The M4

Rocket Launcher T34

Rocket Launcher T34E1 & T34E2

Calliopes in Action

Further Development

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Republic of Ireland (1949) Infantry Tank – 4 Purchased

The Mk.VI Churchill

The Rental Agreement

Service

The Problem with Mud and Councils

Purchase

The Rolls-Royce Merlin

Fate

Specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Federal Republic of Germany (1977) Infantry Fighting Vehicle – 1 Built

The Marder

Design of the Begleitpanzer

Fate

Specifications

Sources

United States of America (1948-1954) Medium Tank – 6 Built

Design and Development

Hull

Mobility

Turret

Armament

Nomenclature Change

The Korean Tank Panic

Further Developments

T69, the Only Variant

Survivors

T42 Specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

United Kingdom (1937-1944) Experimental Machine Gun Carrier – 2 Prototypes Built

Development

Anatomy

Chassis

Fate

Specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

United States of America (1953) Armored Flamethrower – 109 Built

History

M48 Patton III

Pilot, the T67

Flame Equipment

Hull Modifications

Standardisation, the M67

Service

Fate

Zippo?

M67 ‘Zippo’ specifications

Links, Resources & Further Reading

Republic of Ireland (1958)
Medium Tank – 8 Purchased

Irish Free State (1934)
Light Tank – 2 Purchased

United Kingdom/United States of America (1943)
Flamethrower Tank – 4 Built

Republic of Ireland (1949)
Infantry Tank – 4 Purchased

Federal Republic of Germany (1977)
Infantry Fighting Vehicle – 1 Built

United States of America (1948-1954)
Medium Tank – 6 Built

United Kingdom (1937-1944)
Experimental Machine Gun Carrier – 2 Prototypes Built

United States of America (1953)
Armored Flamethrower – 109 Built

United States of America (1951-1958)
Medium Tank – 1 Built