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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Dr. Tsipis and the M1
Message-ID: <1990Nov14.011933.16773@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 14 Nov 90 01:19:33 GMT
References: <1990Nov1.025300.12582@cbnews.att.com> <1990Nov2.202816.29403@cbnews.att.com>
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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)

In article <1990Nov2.202816.29403@cbnews.att.com>, fmrco!curt@uunet.UU.NET (Curt Fennell) writes:
> 
> Of the officers I know that were sent to M1 units, all of them were very
> impressed with the M1's ability and none of them ever mentioned any serious
> maintenance problems.

  I was with the 3d Mech Div when they received the first European contingent
  of new M1s.  Most complained of the typical tank-problems (see your note
  below) - but all of of the crews - without exception - loved that new
  tank.  
 
> It's true that the drivers seat in an M1 is very easy to fall asleep in; and
> it's also true that the average tank crewman will always catch a few Z's 
> whenever he can ( I've fallen asleep in the gunners' seat of a moving
> M60!).  BUT, I've never seen any accident reports, nor heard anything to 
> indicate that there have been a lot of M1 drivers falling asleep while 
> driving.  I'm sure that all M1 drivers sleep in their seats when the tank
> is not moving - that's about all they have to do when the tank is stopped
> anyway. (the loaders get most of the dirty outside-the-tank jobs).

  Most drivers - once they roll into a defensive position - will idle down
  their engine (so they don't blow a pack) then go to sleep (often ordered
  to sleep - especially after a long road march.
  
> 
> On a side note, when I was a tank platoon commander, I always left the
> tank park with all of my tanks working. However, in any training exercise that
> lasted longer than 3 days in the field, I think I only made it back to the
> tank park with all 5 of my tanks once.  And my tanks were the old reliable 
> M60A1's.  

  ....and the M60A3's could be just as reliable.  But pity the tank unit 
  with the M60A2!  That tank was a piece of junk!  I watched one tank unit
  (2-64 Armor) with A2's deploy out of Hohenfels' tank park with 54 tanks
  go into a tactical assembly area - move out to cross the LD - go into 
  an attack - and finally reach the first objective ----- with two operational
  tanks left!!  I think one Armored Division divided their A2's so there was
  one company of A2's in each Arm Bn - 3ID, unfortunately, put all of it's
  A2's in one battalion.  
 
> Tanks break.  They throw track; torsion bars break; transmissions leak oil 
> and final drives don't 'drive'. That's just a part of being a tanker.  
> So even when we beat the infantry units back to the rear areas, because 
> we were riding and they were walking, my men usually got back to the barracks 
> long after the average grunt because they had to take care of their tanks 
> first.


  ....and tracks get thrown.....to the inside.

  You've just covered the byline of a tanker.



  mike schmitt