"Kill markings on M1A1 or M1A2" Topic

I tried "googling" kill marking on M1A1s or A2s but have not had any luck, anyone know what the kill markings are on M1s or even if they are using any?

I don't know of any one using them. We are not capping too many bad guy armored vehicles at this point, and even in the intial invasion I don't know any units that put them on.

Jake

if they did find a target rich environment, does the Army or Marine Corp have any kind of "standard" in mind that anyone knows of?

I can't recall seeing much of anything on photos of vehicles in Iraq, but at least a few USMC Abrams used silhouettes, eg:
link

For current modern, last I knew we are in the age of "the politically correct, friendly neighbor, we don't kill people we build schools" military *sigh*. Last I knew kill count and kill records are not authorized and/or are frowned upon. Maybe the Air Force still doses it but the people we have been fighting lately don't have airplanes worth noting. I haven't run across any regulation on it and I was a Reg bookworm when I was in. Also it depends on the unit's commanding officer if they will allow it, and their commanding officer and that guy's commanding officer and whoever sees them that can deauthorize it.

But since the M1's started to be introduced in the 80's they may have had a system then (before PC started).

This is just based on what I saw/read in the Army. Also I wasn't armor so they probably know more on the subject then me. Also the Marines tend to be the least political of all the groups.

Looking at the picture link you will notice that the silhouettes are on a removable plaque stuck on the vehicle/ not painted on the vehicle itself. Also in Iraq to prevent enemy intelligence operations it is theater policy that all identifying marks on vehicles must be removed. When I was there all bumper numbers were painted over and I would think that "slogans" and "kill marks" would probably also fall under this order. But like I said in depends on the commanders involved.

2 cent's given
SSG Miller

Miller has it straight.

Yeah, I too agree with SSG Miller …

Kinda sick calling kills on abandoned wrecks though.

In our task force, markings other than bumper numbers, tire pressure ratings, tow, tie-down and lift point markings and the "official" task force logo were verbotten. Officially.

Practice was another matter.

I thought they paint rings around the main gun barrel as kill marks?

Nope, those bands around the barrel are to identify the tank in the platoon. For example, the '1' tank is the platoon leader and has 1 band. The PSG is the '4' tank and has 4 bands.

In twilight 2000 they showed US tanks picking up the habit of using barrel rings as kill markings, i liked this and used it when i was building tanks for the game. I had an
M-60A3(my player character's luckiest tank)that i built a model of, had rings going from about the muzzle to the bore evacuator and a few on the other side, all "in game" kills. it looked pretty cool. I wanted to see if anyone knew of a real practice but it looks like no.

I mean as in .. no current practice of kill markings, not doubting anyones knowlege. :)

You'll find the barrel rings on pictures from some U.S. Tanks from back in Desert Storm, particularly in the forces that deployed from Germany. I also saw a cool logo that some unit made up that had a star superimposed over a palm tree, very much like the Afrika Corps had. picture

When we deployed in 91 all of the vehicles in A Troop had a Black Horse Superimposed over a Palm Tree.

link

11th ACR, did you know a 2LT Brian Cook when you deployed? He is my BN commander now.

-Billy Yank

I can't say I did.

Ask him were he was assigned?

Robert Henry