Bill, that M45 mantlet was 8 inches thick. I read they did it to help balance the gun in the turret.

Here's the M-46 pic. May have to send them 4 at a time. Note this has been modified in removing the 2d and 4th return roller and the pistol port has been welded over....why???? Note also that this has the original sand/dust shields and you can plainly see how the center sections fold up.

OK, they all took...something blinked with the computer so hope it didn't kill this post....will send it anyhow and see....if closer pics are needed, i can take. When the Museum is settled....ther are moving back in next week after renovation....I would like to get the key, traverse the turret to the side, sweep the leaves off and shoot the back deck complete.

Bill

just noticed the compensating idler is missing from the right side. [X(]Strange...Also the spare tracks are mounted backwards...the chevrons should be facing the tank....with the center guides on this side, the crew would have to dismantle the tracks and move the center guides to the other direction[:@]....this was probably done for show. [:'(]

WOW bill many many thanks for those photo's
did notice the right side comp idler missing thought it was my eye's LOL
the back deck does look like it's gonna be a fun job thought of doing it in thin brass sheet for ease of the louvres.
The exhaust and rear plate look relatively straight forward[X(][X(]
the only real dramatic change being the change in drive and the positioning (to make em work with the stock boxes)

forgot I have a Trumpeter 1;35 scale M-46....here's the back deck. Detail is very good,
Bill

Great pics Bill! When you get a chance could you find out which company made that particular tank? Chrysler or Fisher? I think the shape of the blower housings are different between the manufacturers even taking into account the 400cfm and 1000cfm blower sizes.

[quote]ORIGINAL: pattoncommander

I'm waiting eagerly for the conversion kit to M-46. I'll do two models. No photos. I intend to take some I the next day or so. We have an m-46 here at Ft Jackson...only one outside of Bovington I have seen. As soon as I get some photos. I'll post them.

Hey 123spat, We didn't have any M-60s in Nam. Latest we had there were M-48A3s.[>:] In my opnion, having worked with them a number of years, the M-60s were just as awkward and clumsy as the M-48s. I had 48, 48A1, A1 with dozer and 48A2, and for a short while was saddled with a T-97 flame tank. After spending so much time with very nimble 41s, 46's and 47s, the 48's were just slow, wallowing pigs. [] Going from 48.6 to 52 tons and from 23 inch to 28 inch tracks with the same engine was a bit too much. Last M-60A3 I drove could max out at 18 mph.[:'(] Driving an M-41 sportster will spoil you on speed and maneuverability, but have to admit, the M-60 would make a nice backstop. Now the M-1A1 is a totally different animal and has everything...with the corresponding price tag. [X(]

On the M-45, I'm not sure many even had a convas mantlet cover. None that I recall in Korea had covers, other that the partial mantlet side canvas as they had all been converted from older M-26s. But I have a photo of a post war training area that shows M-45's with a full mantlet cover like the M-46. Th M-45 mantlet was thicker with an added inch or two of armor, so the canvas would have to be custom made for that tank. My 105 howitzer was made from a Vietnam era radio antenna and is the correct length with a slight taper, but just may possubly be a slight fraction too thick.

As soon as I get some M-46 photos, I'll post them

Bill

[/quot M 60 CEV was in SE ASIA and maybe the bridge layer

Hi clickster, where did you get the info on the M-60 CEV in Nam? I did some in depth research for my museum last year and was informed very flatly that there were no M-60 series tanks sent to Vietnam and the that latest model 48 tanks were the 48A3 with 90mm and dielsels. If they did have stuff there, I'd like to to know where and when. Just the size and weight of the 60 would be enought justifiication not to send to a swamp/jungle area. Plus as that time, it was the latest in our inventory and no a good idea to let them out of the box too soon.

Was the CEV built on the 48 chassis?

Here's a quote I found on the net:

Name: George Vincent Robbins
Email: gvrobbins at prodigy dot net
Hometown: El Paso, TX
Date: April 03, 2006 - 08:46 PM (pacific)

Hello from El Paso

I served in Vietnam for 31/2 years, from May 67 to Dec. 67, I served in 511 Pannel bridge Company at Ahn Khe, we were attached to the 18th Engineerd Bde. In Dec. 67 I was sent to Chu Lai to form the new Amercial Div. After about a month of running in circles I was assigned to E Company 26th Engineers, I stayed with them until Apr 68, I went home just a couple of weeks after Tet 68. In Mar. of 69 I went back to Vietnam and I was assigned to the same company E company 26th Engineers, I was assigned at LZ Fat City. In May-Jun. 69 right after the sapper attack were we lost half of our vehicles, I last a rank and was transfered to A Company at LZ Baldy, main duty was to clear road of mines from Baldy to Ross,did that until Aug. 69 when sappers over ran LZ Hawk Hill, the platoon I was assigned was sent to LZ Hawk Hill to reinforce the bunkers and give them some support until they sent in the 1/46 Inf. I stayed on Hawk Hill until around Nov. 69 when I was assigned to the CEV crew (007). A company's crew was assigned back on LZ Fat City, then all the CEV crews were sent to E company for control and movied to Chu Lai. I stayed on the CEV until Oct. 69 were I went home. I returned back to Vietnam in Feb. 71 in Chu Lai, they were going to send me back to the 26th engineers (this whould have been the 3rd time), I went to personel and was assigned to C troop 1/1 Cav were I stayed until Jan 72, by this time I was all Vietnamed out and I went home. If you think you served in those areas at the same time give me a call or email.
Take care Brothers
George

[link=http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:6PBuKDJrrI0J:http://www.vwam.com/guestbook/index....cd=4&gl=us]CEV in Vietnam[/link]

Also, didn't a CEV take out a T-54 or T-55?

[link=http://www.army.mil/CMH/documents/vietnam/vni/249.htm]More CEV[/link]

e. The Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV), Company A, 65th Engineer Battalion successfully used several innovative techniques during Operation Cliff Dweller IV.

(1) The CEV devised a plan to afford more protection for US infantry elements providing security for the southernmost blocking position. When arriving at this position on 8 January the vehicle commander used the CEV blade to build a berm 3-4 feet high between the tanks to protect the infantrymen. This not only gave the infantryman a berm in front of him but also a depression behind the berm for further protection. On 11 January the CEV leveled the berm, filling in all holes after the blocking force had completed its mission and were returning to their respective bases of operation.

(2) In order to bring more destructive fires against the enemy with its 165mm demolition projector, the CEV commander took down the locations of caves during the daylight hours and fired at them at night using a range card system. Three secondary explosions were achieved by using this method. Further damage assessment to enemy personnel or equipment was undeterminable because of the destructive power of the 165mm demolition projector. It was the only weapon available during the operation capable of destroying caves of the granite type found on Nui Ba Den.

Is it possible that it was missed in your search because it was listed as M728 rather than M60 CEV? According to the Squadron/signal M60 book the M728 saw 'limited' service in Vietnam. I can't find any references in my books to an M48 CEV variant (flamethrowers, AVLB etc variants, just no CEV). Just a thought.
Geoff

Just did some looking around, and Globalsecurity.com has a big history on the CEV and they state that the M-728 CEV did see service in Vietnam. I have never seen a CEV on a 48 chassis and have never seen any version of it on any tank, so must conclude, from my experience anyway, that the M-728 was the first tank spefically designed for the engineer mission on a modified m-60 chassis. None of my reference material covering the CEV indicates that it was used in VN, but it appears is was. First one I ever saw was with the 14th ACR in Fulda, Germany, when we got our M-60A1s issued in 1961. I think I counted 4 of them.

GWW I checked the sites you posted and sent an email to the webmaster. On the M-45, he indicates no M-45's on inventory after 1954, but when we switch to Pentomic in Aug 1956, 31st Regt 7th Inf Div had a platoon of M-45s for Inf Spt tanks, for which they were designed. He has the papers and books, but I was there and test drove one. Nice pic of the M-45 and it does substantiate the mantlet cover, which I don't recall seeing. It's really great when a number of people on the site take an interest....we wind up with all sorts of links and info that normally would be overlooked. Thanks
Bill

Hi mate
Thanks, but I'm not the one deserving the plaudits. If you mean the links back on the first page of this thread, I was just quoting the what the other Jeff (Panth. F) posted, which included the links. I agree with what you say though. I've been alerted to some really good sources in the brief time I've been on here.
Regards
Geoff

o.k it's been a while but decided to do an m46 many thanks to bill (patton commander) for the photo's
and i hope he will assist on a few more things as the project gets under way the back deck is going to be a challenge but what the hell []
already started got another m26 donor on it's way as we speak
cosmetically i hope it meets with bills approval and hope he will chime in and steer the build in the right way if it starts to wander
will upload a few piccies of the W.I.P on the back deck as i've already started removing the rear stowage bins were the new exhausts will go
see piccie below as to the variant i'm going to try and model

a couple of pics of the W.I.P on the back deck

rough layout of the new deck

Keep going! It'll be cool!


Jeff

thanks jeff will do mate
just a couple of differences between the m26 and m46
from the pics ive seen the rear fender on the 46 is straight as the m26 has a bend down to the rear also was the rear panel higher on the 46 as it looks that way to me [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]
must only be a couple of inches but still higher than the 26
also making the rear engine deck flatter on the m46

an update on the m46
got the sides sorted and filled with plasticard
straightened the mudgaurd on the rear where the exhausts will sit
last pic is a "before" to show the difference

Nice, looks to be a lot of work, [sm=thumbup.gif] I always love to see something new,[sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]