CONTENTS May 1997 Volume 7, Number 3 Pax Vobiscum Features 4 The 75mm Howizer Motor Carriage, 13 By Jeffrey McKaughan 1 the Obice ds 75/13, Long Serving, traliay Mountain Howireer By Adam Geibel 1 4 New Wheels for the SAS? By Jeffrey McKaughan 1 6 Pasther Pillbox By Will Fredenick 18 Austeation Grant Dozer Tanks By Paul Havdel 23> Panaenkamphuacen 3 8) NA. By Thomas Jentz aw May One tinny weed nd bid ection ine PO, Box 3884, Dtingon, MD WSs 10880852 oad WoyatT-saal,i0)457 50 ny Alghuse rece. Copy patie eet eee aed Volume 7, Nowbon 31997. No part of thie May 1997, expressed writen permission ofthe publisher. ‘Subscriptions: One-year (sx ssues is 17.00 (Maryland residents add % surface, $30.0 airmail. Payment ‘must be in US. fonds. Make all checks or money orders payable to Joumal of Onde Production scooped. avo sales tx) All foreign subscriptions: $20.0 Piblihen ance ot Vion and Mast Soumal of snot sponsible for unsolicited manaserips, ‘Ade Cael _snworkorphoto sent wothecffice. However the publication aways interes "Aasclen ela, in discussing potential ancles forthe magazine and auhors are encouraged 19 er Gove Oot ‘Duma Mia Oneaee wat omer ed Mosca Ordnance SSN Esmopea Comespondt 1053 9577 fr al ses pubis prin ay 196. inns ind views expres by ie urs oot esa fl. appar rte gelatine, Journal of Military Ordnance ST Departments 8 Bookshelf G2 By Tom Lacudein 9 Book Reviews TANKS OF WORLD WAR TWO Roviued by Chis Werks THE FIELD ARTILLERY History and Sourcebook Rvioued by Pare Frandsen 13 oc 17 News From The Director The US. Arwy Ondwince Muscum ByDe. Willan F. Arwarce 26 The Ondawce Museum Foundation News 27° Mixiarune Ondvavce SEMOVENTE da 47/32 ANSALDO FIATL6 By Steve Zaloga 30 Chssified Ads On The Cover Following the TI, the TS shown here was a serious attempt at providing ground forces with a highly mobile 75mm gun system before the U.S. entry into WWI INSET: Adolf Hitler inspecting a Px-Kpfw.38()) nAThe 75mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, T3 By Jeffrey McKaughan ‘A Board of Officers was appointed on July 27, 1938 from the headquarters of the 7th Cavalry Brigade at Ft. Knox, to examine the use of mechanized artil lery and submit recommendations based on their study. As a result of their work, the Ordnance Technical Committee authorized the construc- tion of a pilot model of a self-propelled ‘75mm howitzer motor carriage, desig- nated 73 The first known photographsof the TS show it at the Aberdeen Proving Ground on January 26, 1940. It ap- pears that all modifications were made aL APG. The T3 was based on a mod- fied M1 combat car (no. 54) which was delivered from 1st Cavalry. ‘The TS had a modified superstruc- ture on (op of the basic M1. The front armor plate was angled from front to back and had a slot cut so that the 75mm pack howitzer MIA could be mounted. An oval-shape opening was cut in the upper portion of the left hand door to provide for the panoramic sight. ‘The standard M1 combat car turret was removed and replaced with a 30- inch turret (probably the same as the commander's turret from the M2A3 combat car) mounted on the left side of the superstructure. ‘The right sponson side of the su perstructure had a large rectangular door cut in it. Hinged at the bottom, tt was kept in a horizontal position when ‘opened by small chainsat the front and back corners. On the flat overhead portion of the superstructure, another Jarge rectangular openingwascut. This one was closed with a two-plece, cen- ter-opening hatch, hinged at the front and back. Ammunition was stored under- neath the gun mount and in the left sponson (laid horizontally). a total of 61 75mm rounds were carried along with 3600 rounds for the .30 cal. ma- chine gun. Finally, automotively the T3 had a series 9 engine replacing the early se- res 5 (I'm not sure, but I don't believe that the M1 combat car itself ever had the series 9 engine other than this modification). The new engine was added at Aberdeen during the initial modification. Also, at some point, FL Knox modified the tunnel cover to pro- vide better air circulation around the cluteh. ‘The 75mm MIA1 pack howitzer also had some modifications done to fit the mount. Arecoll guard wasadded to the rear of the cradle. A travel lock was placed on the underside of the cradle. A firing lever was positioned so that it could be actuated by the driver if nec- essary. Finally, the angle of sight ‘mechanism was removed and a modi- fied panoramic sight added (graduated Joursal of Milimrry OndsanceWith the doors open, the T3's traverse was Still limited 9 26.6 degrees total. Also ister. esting s the wire loop that extends directly in Jront of the drivers vision sli. Although not ‘noted in the reports, ttappears tobe a-simple device to aid in “aiming” the vehicle. {in 100 yard units up to 5000 yards. From Aberdeen, it appears that In February the TS was sent to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, for testing. Itwas at Ft Bragg that theT3 was virtually drowned, watersoaking the entire engine and transmission. From Ft. Bragg it was sent to Ft. Knox, arriving on March 18, 1940. The vehicle was inspected and the engine overhauled before delivery to Troop E, 1st Cavalry on April 15. Once at Ft. Knox, the T3 was to be tested to compare its mobility to that of, other tanks and combat cars and to evaluate any influence a mobile 75mm, ‘gun would have on the tactical battle. field, In addition to maneuvers at Ft Knox, the T3 also participated in the ‘Third Army maneuvers in Louisiana in May of 1940, In general, it was tested as an accompanying weapon with armored forces, with light advance guards, and with rear guard delaying forces. Typi- cal targetsengaged were anti-tank guns and positions, road blocks, and “en: ‘emy" armor. Combining the mobility tests and the maneuver tests, the T3 May 1997 ‘These two photos, taken from the open hatch above the gun mount, clearly dlustrate the cramped quarters inside the T3. The photo below are shows the ausleward position of the commandler/qurner/loader when using the panoramic sight — not quite sifting, not quite standing, accumulated more than 1400 miles during testing. ‘The main gunnery tests took place around June 14. The tests were all conducted from a fixed position and all, were direct fre missions. Forty rounds of ammunition were fired with the fur- thest distance being 1800 yards. The TS was faulted for a relatively limited traverse which forced a relocation of the vehicle more than desired. Also, the force ofthe recoil shifted the vehicle enough that the gun had to be re-layed after each round, Ammunition stowage was also thought to be inadequate. There were thirty-six rounds stowed under the re- coll guard and another 25 in the left sponson. It was also thought that the loca- tion of the panoramic sight was in a very awkward position for either crew- man to use. which also related to the most serious defect of the T3 — limited interior space. Because of the size of the vehicle and the size of the gun, thedriver could not move from his driving position which meant that the com- ‘mander /gunner had to performall com- mand tasks as well as loader and gun- nerduties. The only function the driver was able to perform is to actually fire the gun on instruction from the com- mander. As would be expected, the T3 ‘was an extremely fatiguing vehicle to operate and fight in. ‘The two-man crew of the TS were ‘overworked not only because of the tight quarters but simpy by the num- ber of jobs required. For example, including all factors involved, the best rate of fire obtained during peacetime test conditions was three rounds per minute. As (o the automotive aspects of the 73, Troop E concluded that the mobil: lty, traction, and flotation was equal to that of other combat cars. Overall speed was equal as well although accel- eration was slower. The mounting of the 75 mm pack howitzer on the right side and subsequent shift in the center of gravity was blamed for a slightly infertor degree of maneuverability and ease of handling. In general the T3 required more maintenance and upkeep than its com- bat car brother. Much of this can be attributed to the series 9 engine which required a fair amount of modification tobedone to the basic hull. Overheat- Ing appears to have been a major prob- lem. Both with the clutch and the engine itself. In fact, the crew found it necessary to keepall hatches and doors ‘open to provide adequate alr flow for cooling. This would obviously be detri mental to the crew ina combat situa- tion, The T3 lost the battle but ult mately won the war (so to speak!). Based on test results and reports from FL. Knox, the Armored Board rejected theT3as"“unsuitable.” The M1 Combat Car-sized chassis was simply too small for the task. However, the Board re- quested work proceed on mounting a 105mm howitzer in a medium class vehicle. They also requested that the mounting of a 75mm gun in an ar- mored self-propelled vehicle for the Armored Force be given an urgent pri- ority. ‘So while the T3 was to be shipped back to Aberdeen to be dismantled, it provedaconcept that wastobecomean integral part of the ground force com: bined arms operations, The TS set the stage for future SPGs, Looking down through the hatch on top of the thirty-inch turret, you can see not only the ‘commander, but also the traverse contrels for the turret itself. Its obuious from this and the other photos, that the T3 was stmply too small a frame to build a self propelled gun around. The Job was too big for a ight tank chassis. However, from the tests at Ft. Knox and the Loulsiana maneuvers, the concept was proven sound and the die was castfora self propelled ‘gunn the near future. Joureal of Miliary OndanceWith the door lowered on the right side youcan see the guard added to the 75mm howitzer. Because of the extra weight and the larger engine, the crews testing the T3 found (t necessary to leave most ofthe hatches and doors epen to allow enough free afr low to keep the engine and clutch cool ‘The wall separating he fighting and engine compartments. Alsonote ‘A view through the driver's front hatch. It appears that he has his He ammunition racks on the far sponson. ‘ight hand on the fire mechanism for the howitzer, which ts the only role the driver played during fire missions, OU AY eg | As @ Spel Ofer fo readers ofthe Manon te Mot stan eT rere scl he Wena cance Lobes soumal of Miltary Ordnance, allof | Yee aine erwmact Geran Ur tte woth the prices listed INCL IPS S&H! Cars of the Wehrmacht Century: The Panzer Troops Usiiiay Tack ehicee «$2098 Pn tne PK Gosoestclnd Reveal Fram Lng Ustaywewovencee Saas "Yoke! fet Amy Tak comanae “ex Dethoarcf W S00 Vole Singtel te Wiens Enploeaactte Tank $4899. Wt ar Arma eing ‘Geran on ay Nis oltePekhemann Gomg $4800 ence & Sloped Wy carer vans eranye Parr Tak SSc0 Tne sate othe sage Semper tra fomor Bre cftevinfensS $7000 “Waumel Te ermine Parcs Vr fv ron We Sines Voline i: The amercane Pore vt Vrs Pane Ten $00 cousin oer Das Rach $S Pare OW ol TanSo/rDvilonterugnd $0800 The See ataare Jenn Peper Das Rich? 8S Panzer To ORDER rea) 5 CANCUN or Write to COMMAND POST, PO BOX 1015, DENVILLE, NJ 07834-1015 May 1997 7JoMO Bookshelf G-2 news and notes about AFV resources by Tom Laemlein ‘The recent release and success the computer wargame “Steel Panthers II: The Modem Battles” (SSI, $49.95) has generated considerable interestin post-WWII AFV combat. Much of thisinterestiscentered onthe Arab- Israeli Wars of 1956, 1967, 1973 and the Lebanon incursion of 1982. I've compiled ashortlistof related books (mostly from the Israeli sideof the issue) that deal directly with AFVs: 1996 (New in paperback, available at bookstores.) 2. Chariowsof the Desert: The Story OTsrael's Armored Corps/David shel (Available from Zenith Books) 3. ‘The Tanks of Tammuz/Shabai TevetlyViking 1969 (An excellent ‘eyewitness account ofthe 1967 Six-Day War. Check with used book deslers for availability.) 4, Shield Of David: The Story of Israel's Armed Forces/Yigal Allon/Random House 1970 (Good coverage ofthe ealy years, particularly 1948 & 1956. A litle hard to come by.) 5. Key to the Sinai: Abu Ageia in 1956 & 1967/George Gawrych/Combat Studies Institute, Research Survey #7 (An excellent account of this twice-crtical batle. Check with dealers who specialize in Government Publications.) 6. Six Day War/A.J. Barker/Ballantine Books 1974 (One of the harder-1o-find editions ofthe Ballantine Series: Campaign Book #27) 7. Israeli Tanks & Combat Vehicles/Sieven J.Zaloga/Arms & Armour ress 1983 (Superb photo coverage from 1948-1982. Tanks Tlustrated #8) 8. Armour of the Middle East Wars 1948.1978/Steven J. Zaloga/Osprey 1981 (Osprey-Vanguard #19. Outof-print, but you can stil find it from dealers or at model shows.) 9. The Centurion Tank In Batle/Simon Dunstar/Osprey 1981 (Osprey Vanguard #22. See above.) 10. Armored Fighting Vehicles Of The World/Christopher Foss/Scribmers 1974 (Interesting book to look back at the prevailing attitudes towards AFVs at the time. Any similar publication will do, but this one is elatively easy w find, and inexpensive.) 11, 7-72, 7.34/85, 1S-2/Steven Zaloga, Jim Kinnear & Peter Sarson/Osprey 1993-1996 (These "New Vanguard” books are excellent and all offer good coverage of Arab use of these important AFVs.) For you Internet surfers, here's an updated lst of some of the better “armor-plated” websites: Dial-A-Tank: hup:/www sonie-neU-bstone/anksfindex him! (Aaron Elson’s sit, the autor of “Tanks For The Memories.”) Xenophon: hip:imembersol.comjohns26hsnophon.him Kubinks photos and tour information Armored Fighting Vehicles: hup:lorex.vi.cenmss/-themendtanks am Detailed, scale drawings of moder AV Achtung Panzer htp/ivalden.mo.neU-panzlde/ The homepage ofthe Washington Armor Club On Armour hp//194.19.145.26usersC_bonnesen)_ Images and thoughts on multiple AFV topes. Scale Armored Fighting Vehicle Museum hup:/iwww phdmsu.edustoriofefv.him A virual museum of 176 and 1/72 scale APY. ‘Tom's Armor Page_htp:/members aolcom/meviseI/mitarhim Photos and information on numerous AFVs, Good links Modern Russian Armor hupulogos cyber mephisulmaxwolfhanks/anks him Numerous images of modem SovieyRussian MBT. [AFYs of the Chinese (PLA) Army hitp:/www.cs.umanitoba.ca/~jdeng/english/chinamil/tank/index htm History, with some images, of Chicom AFVs, Ropkey Armored Museum hup:/www.ropkey.convran/armr_d.himl Photos of the vehicles in Ropkey’s rolling AFV museum, Grizaly’s Page htp:/www sci-{l~grizalyfpics html Some excellent photos of Finnish AFVs and ordnance, George Bradford's AFV News Homepage hup:/waw.golden.org/-momoney/ Always a good place to start when looking for internet APYs. Check out George’s huge listing of detailed 1/35 scale plans of AFVs of all nations, Jourwi of Milinay OndvanceBookshelf Book and Video Reviews TANKS OF WORLD WAR TWO Illustrated By Dmitriy Loza Text By Jean Restayn, Francois Vauvillier, Yves Buffetaut, and Philippe Charbonnier ISBN 2908-182-09-2, Hardback, 1996 Published by Histoire & Collections Paris, France English-language edition published by Histoire & Collections P.O, Box 327 Poole, Dorset BHIS 2RG England $37.95 Reviewed by Chis Werks ‘The title of this profusely-illustrated book 1s misleading on two counts: the scope is far more than Just tanks, also including other AFVs and some softskins: secondly, only the European andNorth African theaters are covered. Pacifle armor fans are once more ig- nored, There are over 350 color tlustra- tions of vehicles (mostly side views), and a similar number of partial or scrap-views, and alone photo. Text is limited to captions, very well-trans- lated from French, mostly summariz- {ing the basics of the vehicle. Scales THE FIELD ARTILLERY History and Sourcebook By Boyd L. Dastrup ISBN 0-313-27264-6, 1994 Greenwood Press, Westport, CT 220 pages Reviewed by Peter Frandsen ‘This book is really two books, plus some other stuffin one. The first part, sa very good, but circumscribed, his- tory of artillery from its origins in the 1th century up to the present day. ‘The second part is a review of artillery literature and related subjects again from the earliest days to the present. ‘The third part of the book is a bio- graphical dictionary with entries on men who played an important part in the development or use of artillery. Some marginal appendices close the book. ‘The history portion of the book is well written and is on more firmer ground than many. That portion alone {san excellent introduction to the story of artillery. My 1997 The bibliographicalessays were the basis for the history in the first part of the book. Naturally, more recently published material is favored. The bibliographical essays point out what Is good about each work cited. ‘The cited works are then organized alpha- betically by author for quick reference. Although this middle portion could possibly be entitled “A Gulde to the Morris Swett Artillery Library at Fort Sill, Oklahoma” (The Artillery School), Dastrup has done a tremendous job locating, cataloging andannotating 284 separate, mostly English language, books and articles dealing with arti lery. All kinds of materials are cited from official manuals, to reprints of early historical works to modern day magazine articles. ‘A historian could use this to jump start his or her research on any artil- ery subject he or she might wish. Asa resource there is nothing else quite like it and for that reason alone worth the rather expensive price of the book. Al history libraries should obtain vary on the illustrations, though a few have a useful metric ruler nearby. Not surprisingly for a French book. much attention is paid to French ve- hicles, including captured examples in German use. Soviet coverage. on the other hand, is regrettably small (still, twenty-seven vehicleillustrations). and thereis virtually nothingon their mark- Ings. ‘The quality of the illustrations ts very good. comparing to the best Squad: ron/Signal or Osprey books. Some of the colors, particularly of American vehicles, seem a little “off.” but this shouldn't be a problem for most know! ‘edgeable readers. The more serious modeler or armor buff will not find much here that isn't available else- where, but because of its wide coverage the book is a good one-volume refer- ence source, and a useful complement (though not a replacement) for the Squadron/Signal and Osprey titles. Despite its steep price and limited availability, this is an excellent choice for the younger or more general reader. and a great starting point for further research. this book as a reference source. Any- body interested in artillery should also acquire it. The same author also wrote the excellent King of Battle: A Branch History of the U.S. Army's Field Artil- lery (Office of the Command Historian, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Com: mand 1992), which covers the story of American artillery in much more deiall. For anyone interested in the history ofthe Second World War, WWII Milita Journal isthemagatine of choice, Declatified battle reports, rare photos, info. for collectors, ‘exciting articles, book reviews, interviews, militaria, events, and much more. Subscribe today — $16.0 per year (quart) (Grgn bsripions $28.00 US) Send Check or Money Order ts: WWII MILITARY JOURNAL P.O, Box 8906. San Diego, CA 92198 + USA. 16198645485» ha 619471706The Obice da 75/13 Long-Serving Italian Mountain Howitzer Thought by some to be the forerunner of the modern pack howiizer, Adam Geibel looks at this early, yet long-lasting Italian design. A Jactory photo of a Skoda M1915 with the Seats lowered and the tube at maximum elevation. Note that the handspike ts set. 10 ‘The Skoda 75mm Model 1915 Moun- tainHowitzerdates back toWWI Austro- Hungarian Army service and can be recognized by the heavy’slipper' around the barrelassembly anda box trail with aspade at the end. The 4mm thick flat shield has a fixed upper and hinged lower section, though it was often re- moved when in a firing position. ‘The gun has a sliding horizontal breechblock that opens to the right and pusher-type equilibrators, The 2.1 li ter recoll mechanism uses a hyrdaulic buffer and spring recuperator, with a 50/50 mix of water and glycerine. LTC G. B. Jarrett, Chief of the US Army's ‘Ordinance Corp Foreign MaterialBranch during WWII, classified this weapon as the forerunnerof the then-current pack howitzers. ‘According to Hungarian Army Ma- Jor Turesanyi, 2174 guns and 2044 carriages were built between 1915 and 1918. The Italians began to take these Into service in 1920s war repartations, while Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey also wound up with these guns in their arsenals, Poland and Yugosla- via also had the Model 15. ‘The Germans purchased some in the waning days of the Welmar Repub- licand by the beginning of the war only ‘small numbers remained in service, a8 the GebG 36 was to replace It. How. ever, like all other weapon classes, the older weapon was never totally phased out. The Germans took Austrian, Czech, Polish, and Yugoslavian Model 15'sinto service under the German designation, ‘These apparently served with the Aus trian divisions of the Wehrmacht. ‘The Geb K15 can be confused with the M28, a longer barreled version sold to Yugoslavia and taken into service as, the K258 (). Most of these were issued to pro-German Croat units. ‘The first Italian combat use ofthese was in 1936 during the Ethiopian War, where 252 served on the Northern front and forty-two on the Southern. In many cases, accurate Italian artillery fire was the only thing that prevented their infantry units from being overrun, byEthioptan human waveattacks. One four-gun battery also served in the Spanish Civil War. ‘The Italians had 840 on hand in 1997 and began local manufacture — 1,187 were avallable in 1939. This figure does not include thirty-two which Jounal of Military OrdnanceAnttalian Alpint crew, one of whom ts armed twith a Careano M1938 carbine. ‘The lower ‘section of the gunshield (s folded up and Jastened against the upper section. The Alpini ‘were the troops that Hiller most wanted to Ihave on the battle lines, after his alliance with Mussolin. Specifications Weight Width of Carriage Width, Track Wheel Diameter Height of Trunions Height of Wheel Axle Height Overall Length Overall Length of Gun Assembly Length of Bare and Breech Ring ‘Length, Spade to Wheel Contact, Length of Tube Length of Rifing had been sent to Italian East Africa (AOD, nor the fifty-five ex-Yugoslavi ‘M28 guns Issued to Alpini Divisions. ‘Some M1915s where also encountered in Tunisia. There were fifteen ‘Alpin!’ Mountain divisions at the beginning of the war, each of which could have been 613 - 630 kg (1389 Ibs) 95m G74") om am 8 also given as 706m (27.7") 1575") 128m 357m (126") 1.155 m (46.125-45.47°) authorized as many as twenty-four 75 mm mountain howitzers in two battal- fons. ‘This mountain gun could be bro- ken into four loads, and seven subas- semblles; Saddle (358 Ibs), Slides (348 Ibs). Cradle ($48 Ibs), Piece (361 Ibs), ‘Trail and Wheels (348 Ibs), as well as the upper (336 Ibs) and lower (352 Ibs) Shields —iffitted. These loads include the harness and accoutrements. After the Italian Armistice, the 75/ 19 soldiered om in the Republican Army. The Monterosa Alpine Division, reconsituted In Germany In 1944 and sent to Northern Italy, had thirty-six guns, Other RIA battalions also had them and in German service, the Obice da 75/13 was known as the ‘7.5 em GebK 259 UH. ‘Two pro-Allied Itallan Army moun- tain battalions also used these guns. When the Alpini Brigades were reactived to defend NATO's Southern Theater on 15 October 1949, their artillery regi ment used 75/15's until the M1956 105mmOTOMelara Pack Howitzer was available,References - Ammunition Performance + Mare Nostrum, Greene etal + Infantry, Mountain and Airbome Guns, Granada 75.3 = ns 7 = Penman Arce OF WILT Hoge, Mamie Vebciy Mom CiSi6) GION SBmit Catotn eREtig Tech aeligeace Summary #27 Max Rog 825km (9025 45) (71330yé8) 3.0m 6.7m 7270 9) ‘Test of Howitzer, 75/13 w/carraige (Skoda | Sheti Weight 6388 kg (IAORS Is) (11.2 Ibs) 53g (129) 1918) kalian, 27 Jan 44 + Ispeart: Obice da 75/13 - Inseuzione sul materiale. Edizione 1942, Pignato Archieves. :ATRound, capable of penetrating Tomm RHA at 60° ‘A Wehrmacht mountain troop three-gun sec tion practices during a snow storm. The ob- server uses periscope binoculars and relays Fis signal with a red flag. ‘This 75/13 arrived at the Aberdeen Proving Ground on 25 July 43 from Siedy and was disposed ofon 26 March 1954, Note the that the assistant gunner's seat i stowed. An tralian two gun section in North Africa. Note that the ‘assistant gunners braved for recoil. 12 Jovan of Milimay OrdnanceCI India has recently tested the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile from a ‘mobile launcher for the first time. India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has ralsed concer in other regional coun. trles and elsewhere, becatise the Prithvi missile could be armed with a nuclear warhead. With a range of 156 miles (with a half-ton warhead), a number of Pakistani cities could be targeted, Along-range missile, the Agni, has also been tested, with a range long enough to reach Beijing ‘The government of Slovenia stopped a shipment of M60 transmissions bound forlran. The transmissions wereamong, other “tank parts’ bound for iran which still has a sizeable M60 fleet from the Pre-Shah days, Erle Rubin, a spokesman for the National Security Council told Jomo that they were concerned by the num- berofshipments being made bya num. ber of countries to states that the U.S. and others, consider as rogue regimes, ‘While not commenting on the specifies of a CIA reports which noted the M60 arts as well as Polish T-72 MBTs, the spokesman did say that the "U.S. is engaged in a broad-gauged effort to convince many nations to avoid provid. Ing states on our terrorism list with Weapons and other products and ser- vices..." Just as in the U.S... the defense indus- tty in South Africa Is seeing consolida. tion of some of the major players. Reunert, which as an umbrella com. pany manufactures most of the ar- mored Aghting vehicles currently in use by the Saouth Aftican Defence Force (SANDF), has announced the purchase of TFM, maker of the Casspir. and Nyala series of armored vehicles. basically, this puts every major vehicle type of the SANDF under one contrac. tor, May 1997, ‘The Sudan People's Liberation Army, Jed by John Garang, seem close to consolidating their hold on the south. em part of this war-ravaged eastern African nation, Fighting since 1983, Garang hopes to win more autonomy for Sudanese Christians and animist, the twoofwhich are predominate in the south. ‘The current government, led by Lt, Gen. Omar el-Bashir, came to power in military coup in 1989 and installed an Islamic regime. In the SPLA’s latest offensive, they have seized the key towns of Yel and Kajo-Kejl, which when combined with advances earlier in the year near the Ethoplan border and close to the Roselres Dam, place the rebels in a position to threaten Juba. Juba is a key government post and town on the White Nile. While the rebels claim battlefield success (Including the capture of at least 31 1-55s), the government claims that only through the interference and aid of Uganda have the rebels made any headway. Uganda, has also been reported to have troops and equipment fighting with the rebels in Zaire, This claim, as Well as the one regarding their involve ‘ment in Sudan, they strongly deny. In other Uganda-related news, it has recently been acknowledged that South Africa has supplied military equipment, including “mine-protected, and mine-detection vehicles” and anti- tank missiles (probably FT-5), a le In the January and March 1997 Issue of JoMO we have featured articles on the Australian Bushranger program for @ new Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IM¥) In 1996 the search had been narrowed fo three finalists which then offered thelr vehicles for the final round of test and evaluation, In the earlicrissues we covered two of the three vehicles entered and had planned to feature the third in this Issue. However, BAe Australia sud: denly withdrew from the competition with their entry, the S-600 Foxhound. At about the same time, the company announced a sale of 22 Foxhounds to Kuwait and that they had been awarded the contract for the supply of interim vehicles to the Australian Army. ‘These vehicles, Perentie are 4 x4 and 6 x6 Landrover derivatives and will bridge the time until the delivery of the new Iwy. Based on the German Mercedes- Benz Unimog, the S-600 can carry 12 including the commander and driver, Its roof-mounted ring mount ean be fitted with eithera 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine gun. There are several engine and transmission options as well ‘The S-600 is the largest vehicle in the Shorland range ofarmored vehicles. ‘Along with the armored personnel ver. sion, proposals exist for an 81 mm mortar carrier, command post, ambu- Jance, and a water cannon. ‘Extermination War: Crimes of the Wehrmacht 1941-44," Is the name ofa traveling museum show makingits way around Germany. Over the past two years. ithas opened in sixteen German, and Austrian cities and has caused controversy at every stop. ‘The attraction documents the role of the regular German army in Holo: caust atrocities. Both right and left wing factions are mounting ever-grow. ing protests over the exhibitions. As theshow is currently in Munich, pleas have been made to both sides to refrain from violence. eaten Ne ete A long-standing German policy of not selling arms to any Middle Eastern country appears to be on the way out. At the recent IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi. more than 40 German compa- nies were represented. A high ranking official government delegation alsohigh lighted the German presence. Key among the speculation was the adding of surplus Leopard main battle tanks to the already crowded contest for the MBT market in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, However, Kraus Maffet has said recently that it still did not expect the German government to relax the resistance to Leopard sales in the region in the near future. Some Arab countries have let it be known that they feel somewhat in sulted that the Germans will sell civil- fan goods but not military items and that there could be economic trade considerations if the German policy is not altered, 13New Wheels for the SAS? By Jeffrey McKaughan ‘The Shadow in profile. The low sithouette ts very apparent tn this side view. The monocoque frame ts supported on an irele- ‘pendent wishbone suspension. The body Itself utlizes reinforced aluminum panels on most surfaces, The heavy-duty, fullwidth tallgate can also be seen in this photo. 14 Displayed at Defence Exposition South Africa (DEXSA) in November, 1995, the Alvis Shadow light stike vehicle ap- pears to be the most likely candidate for the SAS's new wheels. The 1990-91 Gulf War ilustrated the need for spe- lal forces units to have the capability of maneuvering deep behind enemy lines performing a wide range of mis- sions. To do so they must have the capability of long range actions in ve- hicles large enough to carry crew, sup- plies, and weapons and beable totrans- port everything in some degree of com: fort so that the simple act of driving does not exhaust the crew. This is a problem with many of the dune-bugey type of LSV. While offering speed and maneuverability, they do $0 at the cost of comfort (a relative term) and pay: load. While the SAS operate the lighter- sized LSV, they primarily make use of Landrover-based vehicles, supported by German-built Unimogs and French- built ACMAT light trucks. In November of 1994, bids were requested foranewattack vehicle. The id was ultimately tendered to Alvis of the UK in 1995. Alvis 1s the prime contractor and Integrator, while Reumech OMC of ‘South Africa supplied the chassis, and ‘Supacat of the UK developed the top frame. Shadow 1s based on a modified Reumech A-Wagon chassis (main change is a reduction of 10 inches to the wheelbase, which allows two to be carried in a CH-47 Chinook). Powered by a GM 6.5 liter, V8 turbo-charged diesel, GM also provides the transmis- sion with a four-speed automatie con- nected to a Borg Warner two-speed transfer box. The driver can select two- or four-wheel drive. Part of the design ‘envelope here is parts commonality with the U.S. HMMWV. Ground clearance 1s 240 mm to help protect the underside, which Is reinforced with replaceable bottom plates made of a polymer material, there is a 9 mm skid plate at the front of the chassis. ‘The fuel tanks (one on either side, sitlow and are filled with fire-suppres: sion inserts, as well as being double- skinned. They also have cross-feed system so that fuel can be pumped from side to side. ‘The top frame {s steel-constructed and capable of supporting the vehicle being airdropped or an accidental rollover onto the top frame. Likewise, the front bullbar is built of steel and strong enough to protect Shadow. The photos show the integrated 3.7 ton electric winch system in the center of the bullbar. Shadow looks like just the ticket to continue the British tradition estab- shed In the desert of North Africa by the SAS and LRDG. Purpose-bullt to withstand the rigors of long range op erations and provide the user with a mission-orlented vehicle, It should also be noted that all references to the SAS are of my own. Both the SAS and Alvis take the “can- not confirm nor deny the involvement of any unit in the program.” Jounal of Miliary OndanceIn these photos you can see the retrforced late used forthe structure ofthe body. Also rote the nuimerous tiedown and attachment points for weapons ard supplies. The front bullbar supports the winch which is centered inthe front. The cross:members forthe front “orl” are actually anchor posts for winch land recovery operations. When not used, they form the front grill work, The A-Wagon With the look of a sport utility vehicle, ‘Reumech’s A-Wagon is designed for police and security duty Built with protection and comfort in mind, Reumech touts the survivability against small arms fire and anti-personnel ‘grenades while atthe same time advertising the speed and agility at highways speeds. ‘The A-Wagon is also being targeted at “peace” forces as a protected vehicle that does not give the appearance of a military vehicle, ‘This A-Wagon was photographed at the Gerotek Vehicle Testing facility near Pretoria, May 1997Panther Pillbox By Will Frederick Although not necessarily the structure examined when the report was made, this is an ‘example of a Panther Pilbox that was covering the Route 65 in taly. October 4, 1944. 16 @ Sexentr* DORE ‘Throughout World War Il, tank turrets ‘were employed as pillbaxes on all fronts In some cases entire tanks were buried up to the turret level, while in other cases, casing were designed to it just the turrets for defenselve emplace ments. tn the Itallan campaign, Allied forcesencountered Panther turretsbullt ‘on steel boxes designed expressly for the roll ofa pillbox. While there were a variety of designs, this particular type ‘was noted in more than one report and was as described here. ‘The position consisted of two box structures. The lower box was made of ‘welded 70 mm flat armor-quality steel plate. with fourwalls, anda floor but no roof. Itmeasured 101. 11 in. inlength, 9. 3.5 tn, wide, and 6 f. 7 in. tall ‘As the diagram shows, the lower structure was “divided” into three com- partments. The larger of them was lined with matchboard and fitted with three wooden slat bunks. There was a ‘small hole in one wall which was for an escape tunnel, but could be bolted over ifno such tunnel existed. The second compartment contained the main ac. cess hatch to the structure above. An tron ladder was provided. The last compartment’s purpose was not clear. In some examples from the HITLER Line it was more or less a storage area. The top structure was again made of flat armor-quality plate. The sides were 80 mm thick while the roof was 100mm. This structure measured the same in length and width as the lower structure but was only 3 ft. 2.5 in. tal ‘The roof ofthis structure carried a ball race for the Panther turret which was a fairly standard turret but lacking some deatlls, such as the power traverse ‘The floor has amatching hateh tomate with the ladder on the lower box. The two boxes appear to have just sat on top of one another and not actually bolted together. The entire unit is sunk in the ground up to about 1 ft from the very top structure, with the spoil being taken up the bottom the the turret and then gently sloped away. ‘The main entrance starts about 40 f. away and was a long slit trench sloping fairly sharply downward and covered at its deep end with wooden beams and dirt. 1) Large compartment. 2) Matchboard siding 3) Bunk beds. 4) Escape hole. 5) Second compartment. 6) Main access hatch. 7) Iron ladder. 8) Hole in floor of upper compartnent 9) Third compartment, Jourwal of Military OrdnanceTHE U.S. ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM Unfortunately, due to the press of busi- ness, this update on the museum is go- ing to have to be relatively short, As many of you know, the museum under- {goes a recertification inspection on the 24th and 25th of March. This is a “biggie” as it occurs but once every five years and determines if we remain a ‘museum in good standing within the ‘Army Muscum System or we revert to a “historical holding.” The later classifi- cation is one which is t00 painful to discuss, thus we areina period of prepa- ration to pass the recertification inspec- tion and continue to press with our plans for the future. Unfortunately, we lost the entire month of February because we under- went an Army Audit Agency inspec- tion. This audit of our collection was totally unexpected and we lost a great deal of time responding to their ques- tions and demands. T suppose we can look on this unpleasant experience as a preparation for our recertification in- speetion but it stil detracted from this ‘most important event. 1 am pleased to report that this audit tamed up but two minor discrepancies in our collection ‘management practices and one of them was corrected on the spot. The other ‘minor problem will be solved later this year when we complete our biannual inventory. The bottom line of thisentire matter is the AAA determined that we are“in good shape” and'“had no serious discrepanciesincollectionsmanagement practices.” Director Dr. William F, Atwater Another area that is going well is our rehab effort on our large artifacts. Cur- rently, we have in process a British Cru sader tank, an East German BMP, a Soviet 120mm mortar, aU.S. 1920 self-propelled 4.2 inch gun, a Soviet T-34/76, and a cap- tured Iragi (Soviet) T-72. The environ- mental situation still is causing us minor problems because of the necessity to test things like the paint, fuel, lubricants, hy- draulic fluid, etc. for hazardous materials. ILis, of course, better to be safe than sorry ‘and we are refining our processes so that wwe can both meet environmental demands andourneed tospeedlargeartifacts through the rehab procedures. ‘The conditions under which the con- tractor must work are, for the most part, excellent, The building we have obtained is first-rate and the equipment is also su- pperb. For instance, there is an overhead ‘crane that can be used for any number of tasks, We have an outstanding process whereby paint isremoved. Essentially, we are using baking soda with a 20% mixture of aluminum oxide and when we then wa- ter-blast the artifacts the abrasive medium does not destroy them. In fact this mixture can be used on glass and rubber without scoring them. We can also recover the waste water and run it through a filter system and reuse it. The paint is blasted into dust and is also recovered through the filter system and can be then disposed of in ‘an environmentally correct manner. Our ARMED Forces Day ABERDEEN PRoviNG GrounbD. May 17, 1997 News From the blasting booth is purpose-designed for thisprojectalone. Icannot say enough of the contractor that is actu- ally doing the handson work, Theyare doing an absolutely outstanding bit of ‘work and we are looking forward to swinging into full utilization of our new facility. Unfortunately, when we get to full production we cannot invite mem- bers of the public into our facility be- cause of the heavy metals danger inthe air, We are going to explore the possi- bilities of inviting certain select mem: bers of the public in, to include the editor of this magazine , in order tell, our story and to make sure that weare, in fact, taking care of the artifacts. Aswemove forward into the year, the museum staff will be attending a training conference during the 21st through the 25th of April. We also have big events coming up in early May with the Ordnance Senior Offic- cers Annual Meeting, and then on the 17th we have Armed Forces Day. It appears the Army is going to make a ‘major efforton Armed Forces Day this year. As many of youknow forthe last, several yearsithas been amere shadow of its former days here at APG. This year, however, the Garrison Com- ‘mander is determined to make a better showing. While it will never go back tolive ire shows we canstill expect to see static displays of up-to-date equip- ‘ment and the vehicle collectors clubs. May 1997Australian Grant Dozer Tanks By Paul Handel Grant Dozer with blade restingon the ground {nthe AFV park in Puckapunyal. This Grant hhas ‘Double F block rubber track pads andl a counterweight on the 75mm gun. we 18 By mid-1943, the Australian Army had decided to use the Matilda Infantry ‘Tank for operations in the South-West Pacific Area, following the inability of the M3 Light Tank Stuart to perform adequately in the Jungle environment ‘during the actions at Buna in late 1942 and early 1943, Some 400 Matildas were available in the Australian Army, although by 1944 about 100 were be: {ng cannibalised for spares. The Matilda had all the qualities needed for jungle warfare, including heavy armor, the ability to travel at low speed forlengthy periods and diesel engines. However, by far the most numer- ous tank in the Australian inventory was the M3 Medium Tank series, of which over 750 examples were avall- able. At the time, British armored units in Burma were using the M3 Medium series as their main tank, and ‘most probably Australia was thinking that the M3 Mediums could be used in the Pacific in suitable terrain. The M3 Medium Tank equipped many armored units, and it was proposed to convert some tanks into various types of specialised armor, such as flame throwers, mine clearers and recovery vehicles. ‘There was even a proposal to mount the complete turret of an Aus- ss arty a tralian Cruiser Tank Mark 3 with 25 pounder gun onto an M3 Medium Tank. Drawings were prepared which showed the turret could be fitted, and 120 rounds of ammunition carried, but the ‘suggestion was not accepted by the Army. However, very few of these ideas got off the drawing board. ‘One proposal which came to frul- tion was the fitting of a dozer blade to an M3 Medium. The blade selected was the same as fitted to the M4 Medium Tank, that is the MI Dozer Blade built by the US Company, La Plant Choate. ‘The M3A5 OM Diesel-engined Grant was chosen as the type of tank to be fitted as a dozer, and in common with many of the M3A5’s in Australia in 1944, they were to be fitted with Ma Sherman suspension units, with trail- ing return rollers. These bogies could carry more weight than the M3. type, and were needed by Australian M3 Mediums at the time as a number modifications were being fitted, such asthe applique armoron the nose, and the tanks’ gross. weight increased toa point where the heavier bogies were necessary. Also, in the case of thedozer, the Ml blade was designed tobe fitted to the M4 Sherman suspension. It added about four tons to the vehicle gross Joursal of Milinzy OndhwwnceGrant Dozer on M19 Rogers tank transporter. The tank was reversed onto the trailer, andl the blade rested on the folding traler ramps, The M4 suspension units can be clearly seen. Weight. ‘The blade unit was 124 inches wide (cutting face) and had two arms which extended to the centre bogie unit of the tank on each side. ‘The center bogle was fitted with an adaptor plate on which the blade was hinged, and a projection from the adaptor plate was bolted to the front bogle of the vehicle. This provided a stable mounting for the blade arms. Anoll pump driven bya power tank off from the tank's main drive shaft was fitted inside the vehicle, and this pro- vided the hydraulic power. A single hydraulicram provided the raising and lowering function. In common with ‘most early tank dozers, the blade could only be raised and lowered and could not be angled or tilted. An armored cover was fitted over the hydraulle ram and its hose connections. The base of the hydrauliewas mounted on the lower part of the final drive housing and the ram end was connected to the center of the blade in a tripod. A quick release pin was fitted to allow the ram to be disconnected from the blade. ‘The hydraulie piping from the ram ran up the final drive housing and entered the hull slightly above the final drive housing, through the blanked of apertures of the original hull machine guns. A fixed cover was mounted on the hull horizontally to cover the pipe. and a further hinged box protected the pipe over the final drive housing. The driver controlled the operation of the blade via a control valve. ‘As with dozer blade fitted the Sherman, maneuverability when using the blade was poor, due to the tank's steering system and its relatively long length of track on the ground. ‘Track slip was usually reached before the tank stalled due to overloading, and this was a useful safety device. ‘Three of these tanks were built in 1944, and were extensively tested at the Proving Ground at Monegeefta in Victoria. They were officially desig- nated Dozer, Grant 111, (Aust) No. 1 ‘MKl. They developed more power than the Mattida Dozers built around the same time, and thus were theoretically ‘a better vehicle. Further tests were carried out by the 2/Sth Armoured Regiment in the Wasp Creek area of southern Queensland in June, 1945, ‘Three Grant M3AS Tanks were Included in the organization of the 2/ Ast Australian Armoured Brigade Re- connaissance Squadron, a unit which operated the specialised armor of the 4th Australian Armoured Brigade. The three Grants were landed at Morotal in June 1945 during the build-up for the invasion of Borneo. The Brigade Com- mander received permission to fit them. with Ml Dozer Blades, as their original function as armored protection for |A Grant Dozer on Balikpapen. There are grousers stowed in racks on the upper hull and various anunition types can be seen just forward of the turret. My 1997 19‘The Grant Dozer with blade fully ralsed. The hydraulle ram can be ‘seen, as part of the armored ‘shield around tho ram has been removed. This vehicle shows a mixture of spoked and pressed bogie ‘wheels Corps HQ was not to be utilised. The blades were fitted on Morotal in early July 1945, and the tanks subsequently were landed at Baliikpapan. ‘As the opportunities for using the blades were found to be limited, shortly after landing they were removed. How- ever, one tankless blade was moved to the forward area on 19 July 1945 to support an infantry advance, but was not required. Thus the most numerous tank in the Australian arsenal during World War 2 was represented in a combat zone, although it did not fire any shots in anger. 20 ‘The armored cover on the final drive housing which covers the hydraulic pipes leading from the pump to the hydraulic ram. Grant Dozers were kept on the strength of one of the Citizen Military Force (Reserve) Armoured Brigades after the war until 1955, but it is not known how much they were used in training during that period. ‘The Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memortal and Army Tank Museum at Puckapunyal in Victoria has an ‘example of the Grant Dozer in its collection. ‘The author wishes to tank Mr. Laurte Wright for assisting with the photographs used to tlustrate this article, and to Mr. Walter Varley for providing the photo of the Grant Dozer on Balikpapan. Geel ie Ae mt ptt 7 ‘The Grant Dozer with blade at the lower travel limit dozing on upward slope. Steel chevron tracks are fitted to this Grant. Jounal of Military OrdnanceArmor Modeling and Preservatio Society... or AMPS, is a non-profit or- ganization whose purpose is to “associate interested individuals and organizations in both shar- ing an interest in the history of armored vehicles and incultivat- ing interest in armored vehicles and related subjects via thehobby of modeling...” Boresight, the Society's publi- cation, isissued six-times per year and is full of articles, reviews, and other information useful to the military modeler. Starting with the No- vember 1996 issue, Boresight now has color in every other issue! A one-year membership is $20.00 (US.), Canada $25.00,All Others: $25.00 surface and $35 airmail. All payments must be in US. funds, no credit cards. Amps P.O. Box 331 Darlington, MD 21034 Panzerkampfwagen MAUS By Thomas L. Jentz ‘More than 100 photos and drawings, plus a comprehensive review on the development and performance of the almost mythical MAUS. Drawing primarily from original wartime-era German documents, Jentz follows the development of the various MAUS components and answers many Of the questions about this mammoth tank. ‘The illustrations include drawings from German technical manuals, British technical evaluation drawings, German factory photos of the turret interior, wartime photos, photos of the "amalgamated" MAUS at Kubinka, plus a side-view scale drawing by Hilary Doyle. This 60-page, mégazine-format (8.5.x 11) publications only $15.95 per copy. Shipping is $1.75 per copy in the U.S. Overseas is $1.80 for the first, $1.25 for each additional (surface) or $4.00 for the first and $3.25 for each additional (airmail). ORDER YOURS TODAY: Darlington Productions P.O. Box 5884 Visa/MasterCard accepted Darlington, Maryland 21034 Special Limited Offer + + First Editions Signed by Germany's Panther Tank ovenn$45.00 ‘The Quest for Combat Supremacy Development, Modificationa,rare Variants, ‘Characteristics, Combat Accounts Tobpages,8.5°x 11", 13Sphotosand 7S drawings Panzertruppen Vol. 1 1933-42 ..$49.95 Formations, Organizations, Tactics, ‘Combat Reports, Unit Strengths, Statistics 288 pages, 8.5" 11", 100 photos and 180 chars Panzertruppen Vol. 2 1943-45 ...$49.95 Formations, Organizations, Tactics, Combat Reports, Unit Stengths, Statistics 30M pages, 85° x 11" 47 photos and 250 chans Germany's Tiger Tanks $49.95 Tiger I & I Combat Tacties (Nov. 96) Characteristics, Formations, Organizations, ‘Tactics, Combat Repor's, Unit Strengths 176 pages, 9 x 12", 130 photos and 60 charts Order direct from: hhomas L. Jentz, 18132 Kitchen House Court Germantown, MD_ 20874 Perhook add $5.00 shippingto US. addreses, $10.00 for shiping and handling to foreign addresses, and ‘Sb sales wx for orders to maryland addresses. Shipments made aftr receipt of payment in fll by check for money order in US dollars, Foreign customers may add 5% othe total and ue Visa or Mastercard Thomas L. Jentz May 1997, 21MO Specials Darlington Productions announcesa series of publications using the 24-page mags particular vehicle, a series of vehicles, or a conflictengagement Special #1 MB8A1 Armored Recovery Vehicle: An indepth photo study of the U.S. Army's primary ARV. More than 80 photos and line drawings detail the exterior and interior ofthis vehicle. Special #2 Iron Coffins: Itallan Medium Tanks -M13 and M14 More than 60 illustrations depict these WWII tanks. Special #3 M26 Pershing ‘The interior and exterior of this U.S. tank is detailed with more than 90 photos and line drawings detailing the exterior and interior. Special #4 German Elefant Panzerjiger Tiger (P) Approxi ‘mately 90+ illustrations show the inside and outside of this German ‘Tank Destroyer. Although this example is not in restored condition from the APG museum, it clearly shows off the features and details, of this vehicle, Special #5"FUCHS" Transportpanzer (TPz1) and Variants ‘This modem Bundeswehr vehicle serves not only as an APC, but also as an engineer vehicles, ambulance, command post, and other roles. The U.S. Army (designated as the FOX) used these vehieles in an NBC role during the Gulf War. See it inside and out! Special #6 Post-War T-3485: ‘The T-34/85 after WWII. Photos show external changes as well as internal details ee a ee Soimenanenee eeuras esr ‘are shown in this Special filled with action photos and detail shots. [7 cognate Special #9 The MIAL and MIA2: A detailed look at THE world’s premium MBT. Inside and out using photos and line drawings from the U.S, Amy TM's you can see the differences between the two vehicles. Special #10 Valentine Infantry Tank: Using photos from two different vehicles as well as illustrations from the operator's ‘manual, se ths tank up close. 1 ! 1 ! L Special #11 Sd.Ktz 231 (8-Wheel): Detsil photos of both the interior and exterior, plus a few wartime photos clearly describe the German armored car $7.95 each {$1.00 forthe fst, +70 foreach afer. $2.00 fo first, +70g foreach afte. (surface) double above for overseas airmail Postage: US. Foreign: US. finds nly Maryland residents add 5% ta. 22 format. Each publicationin theseries will feature either Special #12 Merkava IT and III: This look at the exterior of this Israeli MBT. Shows the differences between the two variants AND the differences between the production runs within the variant. Special #13 Matilda in Australian Service: The Matilda was Widely used in the Pacific by the Australians. Theie variant was not s0 different from that used by the British. See the details her. Special #14 Waffentriger Wiesel: This airmobile recon vehicle is in service with the Bundeswehr. Both the cannon and TOW versions are explored. Spocial # 15 Visit tothe Zoo: Iraql Tanks and AFVs: Alter the war, «vast quantity of agi equipment was ‘captured. This Special highlights a selected group of tanks and other vehicles. Special #16 Warrlor MCV: Combine this Special withthe ‘Academy kit and you can now detail the interior! Focuses ‘on both the standard Section vehicle and the Command version. Over 100 illustrations, Special #17 M18 Hell Cat: 100+ illustrations ineluding photos from the ech manuals and the Tank Destroyer Board Reports show the TD in great detail. Also points out some production changes and modifications. Special #18 Wespe: Using photos and drawings from the actual D2020 (German tech manual) Tom Jentz detail this German WWII self-propelled gun Special #19: Sherman VC M4A4 Firefly: David Fletch Iibrarian at the Bovingion Tank Museum has put together an outstanding study on what makes a Firefly a Firefly, Detail photos and drawing from the actual technical manual are included. Special #20 IS-3 Stalin Heavy Tank: Written by Steve Zaloga using a vast collection of photos and the Russian tech ‘manual, the IS-3 and the later IS-3M are highlighted, Special #21 YPR76S in Dutch Service: This variant of the MLI3 is the mainstay of the Dutch army. Itis similar to other AIFVs in other counties such as Korea (KIFV). Academy plans a kit ofthis vehicle latr in 1997 with this author supplying much of the information. Darlington Productions P.O. Box 5884 Darlington, MD 21034 Journal of Milirazy OndwnceThe Pz-Kpfw.28\t n.A. photographed at the B.M.M. factory grounds. This experimental vehicle has the pluoting armor visors (copied from those frst installed in the Pz. Bef.Wa.Ausf.E] installed tn the front and rear of the cupola and in the driver's front plate. The track guards have been extended, a remotely operated searchlight mounted on the turret, and the Notek light moved to the left fender. Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) n.A. By Thomas Jentz May 1997 ‘The first documentation that theCzech company Boehmisch-Machrische Maschinenfabrik (B.M.M. formerly C.K.D.} was designing a fully-tracked Panzerspaehwagen (armored recon- naissance vehicle) for the German ‘Amy was found in a standard data sheet from Wa Pruef 6 typed on 2 March 1942, entitled "88 tn.A” The initials"n.Atheabbreviationiorneuer Art) specifying that this was a new model of the well established Pz.Kpfw.38(0). However, the actual design work at B.M.M. must have been initiated much earlier, as they had completedan experimental chassisand turret by April 1942. The Pz. Kpfw.38(t) 1n.A. wasn't included in a listing of the design projects current as of August 1941, but several other design projects from 'M.AN., Henschel, Krupp, and Krauss-Maffel are also missing from this list. Sufficient information Isn't avail- able in German records to prove who initiated this project or more impor tantly find the basic design specifica- tions. The project could have been initiated by Wa Pruef 6 as an alterna. tive approach to the detailed design work on a fully-tracked Panzer. spachwagen entrusted to MAN, as the VK 13.01, VK 9.03, and VK 13.03 projects. B.M.M. themselves may have initiated the design to extend the life of the Pz.Kpfw.38(t). Alternatively, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, in his capacity as head of the Panzerkommission, may have authorized the project as it is known that he was directly involved in the efforts by the third competitor, ‘Skoda with their T-15. On 2 March 1942, Wa Pruef 6 recorded the following details about the "38 t nA, noting that “further details haven't been determined.” B.M.M. had installed aV-8, four-cycle, gasoline engine, rated at 220 horse 23power in the 10.6 metric ton vehicle resultingin avery favorable power ratio of 20.7 HP/metric ton. A high power ratio was more important for accelera- tion and hill climbing than for main- taining high speeds. With the chosen gear ratios and suspension, the Pz.Kpfw.38(0) n.A. was designed for a maximum speed of 52.5 km/hr with an estimated sustained speed of 40-50 km/hr on the road and 20-30 km/hr cross-country in medium difficulty terrain. Fuel capacity was 260 to 270 liters, but no data was presented on what this translated to in range. Its cross-country mobility was rated as being able to ford toa depth of 1.6 meters, climb a 35° slope, sur- mount a 0.7 to 0.8 meter step, and clear obstacles up to a height of 0.4 ‘meters. Overall dimensions were rather narrow for a crew of four with a length of 4.56 meters, width of 2.03 meters, and height of 2.215 meters. (Compare to 4.61, 2.21, and 2.25 for the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) designed for a crew of three or 4.63, 2.48, 2.21 for the VK 13.03 designed for a crew of four). In addition to restricting the crew and Umiting the size of the turret ring, this narrow width adversely affected the steering ratio. The least resistance for steering is achieved with a wheel base ‘width (track centers) equal to the tracks. ground contact length, ‘Armor protection for both the tur- ret and hull consisted of 30 mm plates on the front, 25 mm on the sides, and 20 mmon the rear. The turret roof was to be 12 mm thick, top of the hull 10 mm, and bottom of the hull 8 mm, The frontal armor provided effective protec tion against all calibers of anti-tank ‘weapons up to 25 mm at ranges over 600 meters. The 20 mm thick plates were adequate to provide protection against armor-piercing rounds fired from small arms (6 mm and less) at all, ranges. Therefore, the Pz.Kpfw.38() 1n.A-met the baste specification ofbeing adequately protected against penetra: tion by armor plercing rounds fired from fully-automatic weapons. ‘The only note in the data sheet on armament was that itwas “planned” to have a 5 cm KwK-Turm being designed by Daimler-Benz. The turret designed by B.MM. for the Skoda 3.7 em gun was not mentioned. ‘On 5March 1942, additional infor- ‘mation was entered on the data sheet, by hand, including a name change to *bz.Sp.Wg.ll Ausi.B.M.M." Overall length was increased to 4.70 meters and width to 2.225 meters (the width to the outside of the tracks being 2.22 meters). Width ofeach track, mounted on a wheel base widthof 1.915 meters, was 0.305 meters. ‘This Pz.Sp.Wé.ll AusfB.M.M." was to be armed with a 7.92 mm M.G.34 and an M.P. in addition to the 5 em Kw.K6. and have sufficient stowage ca- pacity for 60 rounds of 5 em, 2100 rounds of 7.92 mm, and 192 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. An articulated T.Z.F.12b telescopic was to be tused by the gunner in aiming the 5 cm Kw.K. and coaxial machine gun. Buttoned. up vision for the gunner (also serving Another view of the vehicle shown on page 23. 24 as the commander) was to be through periscopes mounted in a cupola. The driver was provided with the standard twin K-F.F.2 periscopes. Communica: tion between crew members was by an intercom system. External communi- cation was through the use of an Fu 5 sender/receiver radio set. with an op- ton for also mounting a supplemental Fu2 receiver radio set. A Kurskretsel (gyroscopic compass) was alsoincluded to aid the driver in maintaining direc- ton, ‘An experimental verston of the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) n.A. was demonstrated for Hitler in April 1942. As in all photographs of the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) n.A.. ithas a turret designed for mounting a 3.7 em. gun with a cupola extending across the full width of the turret. No documentation has been found reveal- ingany attempts by B.M.M. toredesign their"S8tn.A-"forfittinga larger turret needed for the 5 em Kw.K.39/1 1/60 gun. ‘APz.Kpfw.38(0) n.A. was senttothe Kraftfahrversuchsstelle (automotive testing station) in Kummersdorf for comparative testing against the Skoda T 15 and the VK 13.03, The com- manderofKummersdorf, Oberst Esser, always favorably impressed by the drive train in the Pz.Kptw.38(t) series, ini- tialed the report on the test findings dated 29 June 1942. The Pz. Kpfw.38(0) nA. had been driven a total of 3,886 kilometers, mostly on rough cross: country track. The only comment on any engine component problems was the failure of rivets holding the fan wheel. Transmission shifting was ex- ceptional, without significant power in- terruption. Brake bands didn't grab. The ability to steer the vehicle was good. With the exception of a leaking gasket, the steering mechanism had held up well. Leaf springs had fre- quently broken and there was exces- sive wear to the track pins. The suspension’s ability to provideadequate springing was comparatively good. In summary it could be said that after correcting the stated deficiencies, the Pz.Kpfw.S8i(t) n.A. was useable. In comparing the three vehicles with each other, it was stated: The weight of all three vehicles (s close together. Attention should bepaid to the fact that a.3.7 em gun is planned Jor the T 15 and the 38(t) and the free space in the turret is very restricted. While a 2 em gun is the baste mount in the VK 13.03 resulting in significantly more favorable space in the turret as in Jounal of Milivury OndwavceHitler inspecting a Pz.Kpfw.38() n.A. As was frequently the case with experimental vehicles, glass panels were mounted In the driver's front plate (and also in the cupola) instead of armored visors. Hinged sheet-metal covers have been added to ‘cover the driver's and radio operator's glass panels. A Notek blackout headlight was mounted on the right fender instead ofthe left). The usual practice was for the driver to sit on the right side in Czech designed tanks. both other vehicles. ‘At 35 om, the ground clearance of the T 15 ts the lowest, at 36 om for the 38()) somewhat more favorable, and most favorable at 42,5 em with the VK 13.03. The ground clearance of the VK 13.03 ts significantly better than the T 15. Fuel consumption of the VK 13.03 couln't be determined because of con: verting the suspension and work on the superstructure, Fuelconsumption of the T 15 and 38() are about 20 percent higher as that experienced tn German PeKpfiw. It ts expected that the VK 13.03 will achieve the same favorable results as achieved previously in other German Pz.Kpfwv. The range oftheT 15, only 170 kilometers on the roadand 100 kilometers cross country, is not accept able. The range of the 38{0 is better at 202 kilometers on the road and 124 kilometers cross country. ‘As revealed in a report dated 15 June 1942, detailingthe extensivemedi cations recommended for the Versuchs. Serie (experimental series). a total of May 1997 five Pz.Kpfw.98(0 n.A. were produced and identified simply as Nr.1 through Nr.5. On 19 January 1943, Kum- mersdorf was advised: “For the near terma production series of Pz. Kpfw.38(0 1.A. will not be ordered. Please close out testing and set the chassis aside.” But this was not the end of the Pz Kpfw.38(0)n.A. As with many other experimental armored vehicles. they were kept in service for testing new automotive components intended for installation in other production series. Having already been driven 1748 k- lometers, Pz.Kpfw.38(t) nA. with an air-cooled Tatra diesel engine (Motor Nr. 103) was delivered for testing to Kummersdorf on 28 December 1943. Later, in May 1944, two Pz.Kpfwv.38(0) nA. were used to test the fuel con- sumption rate of a new gasoline engine and a Tatra diesel engine. Exactly which engines were installed is not specified in the report but these are presumed to be the in-line 6-cylinder, Praga EPA-AC gasoline engine rated at 160 horsepower at 2800 rpm (the main engine installed in the Jagdpanzer 38 production series) and the air-cooled, V-12 cylinder, Tatra TD103P diesel engine rated at 207 horsepower at 2250 rpm (Intended to replace the gasoline engine in the Jagdpanzer 38 produc- ton series as well as in the Jagdpanzer 38 D production series). On 8 May 1944 they left for Eisenach from Prague. ‘The Pz.Kpfw.38(@) n.A. with the Tatra diesel engine failed to complete the trip. when the connection between the drive shaft and engine failed. The Pz.Kpfw.38(l) n.A. with the gasoline engine made it to Eisenach by the evening of 9 May, having suffered dam- age to the roadwheels and right-hand steering brake ‘The best source of information in En. lish on this and other Czech tanks is avail able in the recently released Czechoslovak ‘Armored Fighting Vehicles by Charles Kliment and Viadimir Francev. This and ‘other books published by Schiffer are avail ableatlist price plus S&H by mail order from Tom Jentz, 18132 Kitchen House Ct Germantown, MD 20874, Call (301) 972 2504 for details 25The Ordnance Museum Foundation Executive Director's Corner ee Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD_ 21005 FELLOW MEMBERS, ANNUAL MEETING ‘The Annual Meeting was held Saturday, March 8th in the Little Theater of the Ordnance Museum. Dr. Atwater reviewed the current, positive trends for the museum with respect to organization structure and higher level support. I reviewed the programs and accomplishments in 1996, the Financial summary of the Foundation and the goals/programs for 1997. Members can obtain copies of the handouts by written request ‘The current Board of Trustees members up for re-election were voted in for another term. ‘The Board is: Richard ‘Camegie - Chairman and acting Treasurer; Elliot Deutsch - Vice Chariman; Ron Lehman -Secretary; Broadnax ‘Cameron - member, Dave Clark - member, and Robin Axtel - member. Ifany member that is interested in Joining the Board and can attend a monthly meeting at the museum (generally the third Wed. starting at 3:00pm) - please let us know. Allen Killenger (Managing the restoration program for the Museum) reviewed the status of the restoration and lead usona tour of the facility. Cookie Sewell (an Advisor to the Foundation) is planning to write an article and Dr. Atwater will provide a more detailed summary of the program. Sol won't go into details, but my impression Is very positive about how the program has been planned and, based on the tour, that quality restoration work on the artifacts will be accomplished in a safe manner with no negative impact on the environment. Chuck Cresswell presented the status of the Helen Bentley & Associates program for fund raising in 1997. We will havea promotional brochure for them to use by the end of March. Their program is aggressive and we hope to see results by mid-year. We will have a comprehensive summary in the next issue. MUSEUM VIDEO TAPE AVAILABLE Chesapeake Audio/Video Communications Inc has completed the Video Tape reviewing the artifacts at the Museum. Dr. Atwater naffated the one hour Video. This tape will be sold in the Gift Shop in partnership with the Ordnance Corps Association, We will offer a special discount to members, The retail price is $ 19.95. For members we will sell the tape for $15.00 plus S&H through theend of June, 1997. Send your order to the Gift Shop (see below) this tape is successful, we visualize a series for more in-depth video's of the Muscum’s holdings. SIGN-UP FOR LONG DISTANCE PHONE COMPANY sign-up brochure from American Communications Network, Inc. was included in the last issue of the magazine. This agreement would offer to our members an alternative carrier to the "big three" (AT&T, MCI and Sprint). a carrier that ‘would provide Lower cost calling to members and A commission to The Foundation. If you decide to sign-up, PLEASE RETURN THE COMPLETED FORM TO TBE FOUNDATION, Rich Camegie - Chairman TIGER WITHOUT A HOME ce Order your copy today! $12.95 per copy plus $2.00 s&h Order directly from Ordnance Corps Association P.O. Box 377 Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. 21005-0377 (Maryland residents add 5% sales tax) Join The Ordnance Museum Foundation, Inc. Regular Membership Ordnance Company Commander Membership Ordnance Battalion Commander Membership $25.00 $100.00 $250.00 (Dowd Ades 26 va Space) Joureul of liliary OrdnanceMiniature Ordnance Semovente da 47/32 Ansaldo Fiat L6 By Steve Zaloga ‘The Italian Army's 16/40 light tank proved tobe obsolete almost as soon as Itentered service in 1940. Itwas used asa scout vehicle, but its gun was too small to have much effect on tanks of the period. In 1941, trials were con- ducted of a self-propelled assault gun version, mounting thesame 47mm gun used on the M19/40 tank. The Semovente da 47132 was intended to provide a close-support weapon for the May 1997 = ee infantry and cavalry, as by this time, the Itallans recognized that the 47mm. gun was inadequate as an anti-tank weapon. Atotal of about 300 were built in 1941-43 and itsaw fightingonall the fronts including North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and even on the Eastern Front. It ‘was also used in small numbers by the Wehrmacht in Italy In 1943-45, T have been intrigued by this tiny te vehicle since first seeing the ex- ample preserved at the Aberdeen Ord- nance Museum on my first visit there over twenty years ago. I considered 27scratch-bullding It several times, and managed to locate a German transla- tion of the Italian manual in the Na- tional Archives which provided some useful interior photos. The Italian manufacturer CRLEL hada white metal at of it several years ago, but Ihave no interest in white metal models after having tried my hands at several over the years. Fortunately, CRILEL is now shifting most of thelr production to resin and their kits are now available through R&J Enterprises (Tel: 510- 490-2095), CRLEL has a very compre- hensive line of products covering both German andItalian WW2 vehicles, and an excellent line of gures. The CRILEL product prices are comparable to most European imports, this kit cost about ‘$85.00. This may seem high, but itis obviously a limited run item, and the hand crafting on the molding justiNes the expense “The CRILEL Semovente kit is very good, and I would rate it at about 4 on a scale of 5. The molding is excellent, with minimal warpage or air bubbles. The fits good throughout, and assem: bly is very straight forward. 1 was particularly impressed with the mating of the upper hull parts including the hollow superstructure. My only quibbles concern the wheels and tracks. ‘The wheel detallis abitmessy at points, and the idler wheels have some mold problems. The track is nicely detailed, but the method of molding it makes i difficult to cut from the sprue and difficult to clean up. However, these problems are relatively minor and sim- ply require a bit of patience. Photos of the Semovente in action often show it with the front transmis sion access panel open for cooling. ‘This Is a simple change on the kit Although the kit comes with an inte- ror, no transmission is provided. This, was probably because it is difficult to see. However, [decided to add one, and fortunately the manual I discovered came in handy. The interior provide with the kit s good, but tcan use some detail enhancements. 1 completed the Interior, including the painting, before attachingthe superstructure. The com- plexity of the suspension also requires, that portions of the suspension be painted before assembly. One of the few details that I added to the model was the roof tarp. This, wasastandard iting, designed oslide along the two rods on the hull side. made mine by folding some aluminum foll “accordion” fashion. Coloring for the Semovente da47/ 32 Is very bland, and most photos 1 have seen show overall Italian sand with noother camouflage. Itwas much ‘more common for the crew to put foll age on the vehicle, s0 I decided to follow their practice on my model. The basis, for the branches are dried tree roots which are delicate enough to represent follage in 1/35th seale. I tried several methods for the leaves including gluing on dry herbs such as tarragon or oregano. | finaly settled on using the railroad modeler’s method of fine col- ored sponge from Woodland Scenics, glued on to the roots with Walther's Goo. This had the suitably “bushy” appearance I was looking for. Mark- Ings on the Semovente are also fairly bland. 1 did the front license plate marking using white decal sheet and dry transfer lettering, Remember that the Regio Escereito abbreviation on the right ides in red lettering, the numer- What’s Canada’s Best Kept Military Secret? Academy Miniraft, AFV Club, Alan, Andrea Miniatures Publications, Chesapeake Model Design, Cromwell, Custom Dioramics, Caceh | ‘Review, Frailmodeliimo, Grandt Line, Hecker & Gores, Historex, Homet, Halen, Irom, Jaguar, Jordi DML, Eduard, Emhar, Fort Re ut, Belgo, Collector's Brass, Combat Series, Commanders Se +, Darlington Productions, Dartmoor Mil Rubio, Kendall, Le Cimier, Mil Art, Mini Art Studia, Model Kasten, On The Mark, Osprey, Precision, Puchala, R&I Products, Resieast, Royal Moulels, Schiffer Publishing, Scratch New Connceton, Show, Soldiers, Sovercign, Speclal Operations Group, Squadron / Signal, Tamiya, Tank Workshop, Tauro Models, Tomer, Trophy, VLS, Warriors, Wolf Miniatures, Voshida Designs, Zvezda, And Much Mare R&R Hobbies, P.O. Box 71, Briercrest, Sk., Canada, SOH-0KO Mail Order for the Model Builder - Catalogue Available With Over 150 Pages of Kits, Figures, & Accessories Phone: (306) 692-8763 or (306) 692-8769 Fax: (306) 545-3723 barker @sk.sympatico.ca Bringing the Best of the World to Your Front Door 28 Jounal of Militury Ordnance