An Alternative History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Part 3

[rickshaw]

An Alternative History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps
Part 3

In the meantime relations with Indonesia were restive.  A Communist coup occurred in 1965 and Try Sutrismo was it's new leader.   The Indonesians immediately received military aid from the USSR and the PRC, including T55 MBTs.   Australia became more alarmed at this.   They ordered a squadron of M103 heavy tanks from the US, armed with 120mm guns.  Finding that the M103 was a "maintenance hog" and not terribly reliable, they sought alternatives.   

The M60a2 was just becoming available in 1974.  They ordered a replacement squadron.   It seemed to be the perfect answer with a long range missile/gun.  It wasn't.   If the tank fired it's conventional gun, the missile guidance system was knocked out of alignment.   This problem was never fixed with the consequence that the vehicles were forbidden to fire conventional ammunition.  As the Shillelagh missile was comparatively expensive little time was spent on the range and the vehicles quickly became known as "hangar queens".

The M48s were starting to wear out from their harsh service in South Vietnam.  The Australian Army looked to replace them in the mid-1970s.   Again, they looked to the USA.  The M60 standard MBT was by then available.  However, the standard M60 was not as good as the promised M60a1.  The Army opted to wait until the M60a1 became available.  They waited an extra five years until 1980.  They then ordered a regiment worth of vehicles, plus spares and specialist vehicles.  This came to a total of 150.  They began to arrive in 1982.  Once more, 1 Armoured Regiment was brought up to strength.

M103












M60a2








M60a1












The Kit

The kits are Tamiya M60a2 and the M60a1 and a Dragon M103.   They are painted with a hairy stick and Vallejo acrylics.   The decals are via Kit Spackmen.

[PR19_Kit]

That M103 looks a ferocious thing! 

Was the turret REALLY that big?

[rickshaw]

That M103 looks a ferocious thing! 

Was the turret REALLY that big?

It was surprising to me as well.  The hull isn't much longer than an M48 but the turret is huge.  Four men inside - two loaders.

I actually hate the kit.  It keeps shedding road wheels everytime I pick it up  Dragon has a weird way of fixing the suspension arms.   

[zenrat]

Good work Brian.

[PR19_Kit]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

[Old Wombat]

 

[rickshaw]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

[PR19_Kit]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

To quote a line from the 'Damn Busters' film : 'This is getting BLOODY dangerous!'

[rickshaw]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

To quote a line from the 'Damn Busters' film : 'This is getting BLOODY dangerous!'

I don't think they used live warheads on the missiles,  Kit.

[NARSES2]

Nice looking models Brian 

[chrisonord]

Very nice builds there Brian 
Chris

[Old Wombat]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

To quote a line from the 'Damn Busters' film : 'This is getting BLOODY dangerous!'

I don't think they used live warheads on the missiles,  Kit.

Maybe not but there's always that slim chance that something is going to find a weak point.

[Scotaidh]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

To quote a line from the 'Damn Busters' film : 'This is getting BLOODY dangerous!'

I don't think they used live warheads on the missiles,  Kit.

Maybe not but there's always that slim chance that something is going to find a weak point.

There exist hand grenades that, detonated on the side of a tank turret, will kill the occupants thereof by means of concussion.  Similarly, if one were to hit a tank with a Sidewinder, or any other heat-seeking AAM - which are perfectly capable of homing on those very hot engines - one could reasonably expect the concussion to knobble the tank's engine, or crew, or both.

I can't imagine it's any fun to be in a sardine tin with hammers being thrown at it - one's bound to hit sometime ...

[zenrat]

Reading up on the M103, it seems after they'd been withdrawn some were used as 'Manned Evasive Targets' for use in training TOW gunners....

MANNED targets? 

Who'd want that job?

The British used Centurions for similar duties and the Swiss Panzer 61s...

To quote a line from the 'Damn Busters' film : 'This is getting BLOODY dangerous!'

I don't think they used live warheads on the missiles,  Kit.

Maybe not but there's always that slim chance that something is going to find a weak point.

There exist hand grenades that, detonated on the side of a tank turret, will kill the occupants thereof by means of concussion.  Similarly, if one were to hit a tank with a Sidewinder, or any other heat-seeking AAM - which are perfectly capable of homing on those very hot engines - one could reasonably expect the concussion to knobble the tank's engine, or crew, or both.

I can't imagine it's any fun to be in a sardine tin with hammers being thrown at it - one's bound to hit sometime ...

...and yet I am sure there are those who would be lining up to drive the things.  The sort of people who throw themselves off bridges with elastic attached to their feet.  What are they called?

Oh yes, New Zealanders.   

[PR19_Kit]

...and yet I am sure there are those who would be lining up to drive the things.  The sort of people who throw themselves off bridges with elastic attached to their feet.  What are they called?

Oh yes, New Zealanders.   

And you were going to take a holiday there? They won't let you in now!