"M103 Heavy Tank: A Visual History of America’s Only ..." Topic

…Operational Heavy Tank 1950-1970.

"At the Allied Forces Victory Parade in 1945 US and British observers were stunned at the appearance of 52 low, powerful new Soviet tanks rumbling across the streets of Berlin. These tanks, the new IS-3 heavy tank, were a big shock and even with new US tanks like the T26E3 Pershing and British Centurion Mk. I going into service, it was obvious in the minds of the observers they were going to run up against a totally new generation of threat.

What was not really known until the 1990s was the fact that the IS-3 was a mechanical nightmare and not even fully functional until the final IS-3M rebuilds of the 1960s. Those 52 tanks were the limits of production at the time and were barely able to cross the review area without breaking down. But the seed was sewn, and so both US and British designers began to search for a countermeasure.

Using the basic design of the prototype T48 medium tank, US designers soon developed heavy tanks designs but it was not until 1950 that the even larger T43 heavy tank with a four man turret and an 810 HP air-cooled Continental gasoline engine. This mounted a massive 120mm gun using separate loading ammunition, which is why it needed a four man turret crew – commander, gunner, projectile loader and charge loader…"

See here
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Amicalement
Armand

Didn't Gojira step on that?

I'm pretty sure I saw one of these at an old tank holding area at Camp Lejeune in the early 80's.

Rob

Hmmmm, I need some of these in 1/144th scale, to oppose those T-10Ms.

jeez, the M60's turret was big enough, but the M103's turret is even bigger!

I totally prefer the lines of Khurasan's M34 heavy tank.

They should all be in museum … I had a ROCO MiniTank model of the M-103. It was a Big Mutha ! The US ARMY only had one Bn in their inventory, IIRC. In a Div. in Germany.

L4, seems that most of the M103s built ended up on target ranges… *cry*