220 27287 article Newsgroups: sci.military.moderated From: dpalkowetz@aol.com (DPalkowetz) Subject: Re: M-60 Patton question Message-ID: Sender: military@law7.daytonoh.ncr.com (Sci.military.moderated) Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com References: Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1999 16:25:16 GMT Approved: military@law7.daytonoh.ncr.com Lines: 22 Path: brokaw.wa.com!nwnews.wa.com!news-out.cwix.com!newsfeed.cwix.com!204.71.0.53!pull-feed.cwix.com!192.127.252.83!rpc1286.daytonoh.ncr.com!law7!military Xref: brokaw.wa.com sci.military.moderated:27287 The cuppola of a M-60 tank is manipulated by two cranks: One for elevation and one for deflection. The M-85 machine gun is fired electrically via a button on one of the cranks. To a tanker a M-60 is known by its suffix. So if I was having a technical conversation with a fellow "treadhead" I might say " ...and on the A1 you can fire faster twice as fast as on the A3 in good weather...". No body called them M-60s or anything else. Just A1's, A2's and A3's. Incidentally the A2 did exist but was pushed out of the inventory because nobody could get the shillaliegh to work after firing HE. The A1 was all analog computers. The A3 had stabilization, thermal sights, laser ranger finder etc. And it is true.....a A1 could fire twice as fast as a A3 in good weather with a good crew. To much button pushing in the A3. .