[AT] OT Abrams tanks

[szabelski at wildblue.net]

The M88A2 is an upgrade from the M88A1, which was an upgrade from the M88. The M88 is a M60 chassis  It’s turret and other weapon related systems were removed and it was modified to carry spare replacement parts (road wheels, track sections, etc.) and all necessary tools. The top of the chassis was essentially replaced with a armored box that carries equipment and tools. It has a folding crane that can be used to pull turrets, power packs, or do heavy lifting. It also carries a towing bar for towing other vehicles and a 90 ton winch. It can pull a 70 ton tank. 


The M88 family has been around since the development of the M60 tank and is manufactured by BAE Systems (formally United Defense).


The M88A2 has an upgraded engine and upgraded transmission and final drives. The improvements were made due to the fact that improvements to the Abrams tank increased the weight of the tank and necessitated more towing capability. In certain conditions two M88A2s are used to pull a disabled Abrams, one in front and one in back serving as additional braking.

If you were watching the news when Baghdad fell, you probably saw a M88A2 pull down a statue of Sadat Hussein.

----- Original Message -----
From: Jack <jacktractor at live.com>
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sun, 22 Sep 2019 12:18:12 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [AT] OT Abrams tanks

What can you tell us about the M88A2 Hercules.

[szabelski at wildblue.net] You can go on-line and read about the tank battles as written by several tankers who where there. Try searching for anything related to “73 Easting” that was one of the major tank battles and is now referenced as the last great tank battle of today. You should be able to also find pictures of the Soviet made tanks with their turrets blown clean off, some as much as 100+ feet from the chassis.

I had the pleasure of working with one retired colonel who was part of a fight between his platoon of four tanks and an entire Iraqi armored brigade. He was sent ahead of his US battalion to scout out an area on the other side of some burning oil fields. They couldn’t see what was on the other side through all the smoke and didn’t want to drive into an ambush. When his platoon came out the other side, they were facing a dug in Iraqi brigade in standard Soviet deployment. Without hesitating they opened fire on the Iraqis while running at full speed. In less than about 20 minutes they wiped out the entire Iraqi brigade and never took a hit. He later was reprimanded by his commander because he didn’t report back by radio that he was engaging multiple enemy tanks and requesting assistance. His defense was that he was a little busy calling shots and didn’t have time to to notify his commander.

There was a History Channel documentary made about the tank battles during the Iraqi war. I think it was a series of stories about all the tank battles of that war and WWII (Greatest Tank Battles???). You might be able to find it on- line somewhere.

[James Peck] The same fellow states that in the Kuwait war, they were only firing when fired upon. A pair of Abrams received fire from a group of Soviet made Iraqi tanks. One Abrams smoked 7 of the enemy tanks and the other smoked 4.

At one point they were approached by hundreds of Iraqi soldiers holding their rifles above their heads with white rags attached. The Iraqis had ripped uniforms, no food, no water, and were generally in bad shape.

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