Sherman Tank for Sale

December 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

4937563A Sherman tank used in the film “Fury” is currently for sale by auction.  Troostwijk auction house has a listing for a “Sherman M4(105)HVSS medium tank” with bidding starting at $250,000.

Vehicle description:

Medium tank, with 2 GM 6-cilinder diesel engines, armament primary 105 mm Howitzer, M4 in Mount M52 in turret, running gear T80 double pin 23″ width, rubber and steel, turret off revised, in running condition, used on the filmset of Fury, permit needed, y.o.m. approx. 1945, engines overhauld 2014 (The delivery of this lot is only possible if the buyer is in possession of the proper documents. If this is not the case the lot will be delivered without the parts that require special permission.)

Interestingly, the details of the the engine deck and rear grate indicate that this is an M4A3, which was powered by an Ford GAA gasoline engine.  However, the picture of the engine provided with the listing confirm that this vehicle is powered by dual GM 6 cylinder diesel engines, as was the norm for the M4A2.  It is probably a fair assumption that this vehicle was converted from the Ford GAA to the GM diesel at some point.

Photo Gallery and listing here.

Filed Under: Historical Vehicle News Tagged With: , ,

The Chieftain’s Hatch: Equipping the Force Part 3

December 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

chieftains hatchNicholas “The Chieftain” Moran has posted part three of an article based on his archive digging regarding US armor in WW2.  This article series looks at Army Ground Forces and how they determined with vehicles and tanks should be developed and fielded during the war.  Part three includes the period from fall of 1943 to the end of the war.  Vehicles discussed include the T23, T25, T26, the M6 and M4A3E2 “Jumbo.”

Click here to read “The Chieftain’s Hatch.”

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Gallery of long abandoned tanks

December 28, 2015 by 1 Comment

abandoned-army-tanks-that-have-become-a-part-of-nature-8A photo gallery of long abandoned tanks was published on Primus.net this past week.  The photos feature a number of different tanks, many of which are World War II era.  Several WW2 Japanese tanks are shown, as well as a few Sherman tanks.  Postwar tanks are also represented, including the British Chieftain and German Leopard I and several Soviet tanks.

View the gallery here.

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Happy Holidays!

December 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Expect light posting for the next three days as we take time off to enjoy the holiday season.

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Filed Under: Modern Vehicle News

From the Vault: British Motion Studies on German Tanks

December 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment

20131231_092550Today we present a British study from December of 1947 on ‘Motion Studies of German Tanks.”  This report examines the ergonomics of late WW2 German tanks Tiger, Tiger II an Panther.  The report focuses on crew comfort and efficiency, looking at each crew position and providing analysis.  Detailed charts of gun loading times are included in the report, as are diagrams of the ammo storage layout.  This report was photographed at a archive by a friend of the site.  We have put the report into a PDF and posted it on Internet Archive.  The quality of the photos varies, although the report is legible.  Due to the way it was photographed, many of the pages are at a bit of an angle.

Download the report here.

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Iran to purchase Russian T-90 tanks

December 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment

T-90Numerous news sources are reporting that Iran intends to purchase T-90 main battle tanks from Russia.  This acquisition would be a significant upgrade for Iranian armored forces which rely on a variety of outdated and heavily modified older AFVs.

Links to articles:

Iran Pulse: Iran’s military bulks up with new Russian tanks

Tass: Iran intends to buy Russian T-90 tanks

International Business Times: Tehran Wants Russian Weapons Including T-90 Tank And Attack Helicopters

Currently, Iran maintains what is probably the most eclectic collection of tanks of any nation, including Soviet designed T-54/55, T-62 and T-72s, Chinese Type 59 and Type 69, the British Chieftain (referred to as Mobarez with modifications), the US M-47 and M-60 (heavily modified M-47 called Sabalan) and the indigenous Zulfiqar MBT 1, 2, and 3.

 

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Tank Chats #12 TOG II*

December 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The Tank Museum has released another installment in the “Tank Chats” video series featuring David Fletcher.  This episode takes a look at the TOG II tank housed at Bovington Tank Museum.

Description:

This enormous tank was designed on the premise that World War II would evolve in the same way as the First World War. Some believed that existing tanks would not be able to deal with such conditions, and one of the most influential was Sir Albert Stern, who had been secretary to the Landships Committee in the First World War. In company with many others involved in tank design in 1916, including Sir William Tritton, Sir Eustace Tennyson D’Eyncourt, Sir Ernest Swinton and Walter Wilson, Stern was authorised by the War Office to design a heavy tank on First World War principles.

Two prototypes were built, both known as TOG for The Old Gang and they were even manufactured by the company that built Little Willie and the first tanks in 1916, William Foster & Co. of Lincoln.

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Armor for the Ages Tiger II article and gallery

December 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment

TigerIItext05The Armor for the Ages website has posted a new article on the history of the Tiger II tank that was stored at Aberdeen Proving Grounds for many years until it was restored at the Patton Museum in 1992.  This vehicle currently resides at Fort Benning.  The article includes links to four photo galleries which show the vehicle at various stages of the restoration process.  German armor fans are sure to find these galleries of interest.

Link to Armor for the Ages Tiger II page here.

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General Dynamics wins contract to make Abrams SEPv3 pilot vehicles

December 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

According to a recent press release, General Dynamics Land Systems a contract worth $92.2 million to produce six examples of the M1A2 SEPv3.

The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $92.2 million contract to upgrade M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) v2 Abrams tanks to the M1A2 SEP Version 3 (v3) configuration. General Dynamics is working closely with the Army to improve the survivability, maintainability, fuel efficiency, power generation and network capability of its fleet of Abrams Main Battle Tanks.

“Projected for full rate production within the next two years, the Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 will provide the Army with the tank they need to dominate the battlefields of the future,” said Donald Kotchman, vice president of Tracked Combat Vehicles for General Dynamics Land Systems.

The M1A2 SEPv3 production process will begin with a pilot program of six tanks before moving into full-rate production.

Work will be performed by existing employees in Anniston, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Lima, Ohio; and Scranton, Pa.

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Lithuania selets Boxer IFV

December 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

pestininku-kovos-masinu-boxer-gamintoju-industrine-diena-69829514Jane’s is reporting that Lithuania has selected the ARTEC Boxer 8×8 to become their new infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).  This news contradicts reports from early November which indicated that Lithuania was leaning toward the purchase of the General Dynamics Styker 8×8.  Lithuania plans to buy 88 Boxers, including 84 in an IFV configuration and four command post variants. It is reported that Lithuania has decided to use the UT 30 Mk 2 turret offered separately by Elbit Systems to arm these vehicles. The turret will be armed with a 30 mm cannon and Spike-LR anti-tank guided missile launchers.  Delivery of the first 14 Boxer IFVs should be made to the Lithuanian Land Forces in the second half of 2017. All 88 vehicles are to be delivered by the end of 2019. The worth of the purchase is almost equal to Lithuania’s entire defence budget for 2015, which stands at EUR 425m. Next year, however, military spending is going up to EUR 575m.

Full article here.

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