Can you identify these vehicles?

[DioRandy]

Hey, gang
It was a beautiful Spring day here in northern Illinois and I'm on vacation. So, I took some "Walk Around" photos of a couple of the classic armoured vehicles I've come across in the local area. I've planned on doing so for a long time, but never found the time.
But, now that I've done it, I need some help identifying exactly what they are.
The tank looks similar to an M103 Heavy Tank, but the photos I've seen don't show a counterweight on the rear of the turret.
The M113 appears to have what I'm thinking is a flamethrower turret. However, I obviously don't know. I took numerouos photos of each vehicle, so, if anyone is interested in seeing the suspensions, tracks, etc. I have more photos.
Therefore, I'd appreciate any assistance in identifying these vehicles.
Thanks,
Randy

 

[MrT]

Well the top picture appears to be an M-47 with the fenders missing.

Terry B)

 

[Phil_H]

The "M113" is something of an oddity. The running gear is inconsistent with the M113 family. It sits too high, the idler is way too big and it looks to me like it has return rollers, which aren't present on any M113 variant. The turret is too far forward and would be sitting over the engine bay.

And then there's that funny raided section in the middle of the side plates.

More pics?

PS: The front slope appears too short and too shallow and there is too much of a vertical "step" at the very front.

 

[G Cooper]

Hi Randy.

As Mr T stated already, the first one is an M-47. That was just the warm up however for the real brain strain that is the second vehicle.

Your second vehicle is a straight up Frankenstein's nightmare of cobbled up parts and pieces from who knows where. The running gear is 100% M-41. But it is backwards. That is the front of the "vehicle" is actually the rear of the M-41 hull. The "flamethrower" turret looks more like an early M-48 commanders cupola minus the .50cal, with steel plate welded on. And the upper hull is . . . ummm. . . maybe a close representation of an M-113, with pieces of an actual M-113 added on the back end. But now the question is; why would anyone do this to an M-41? The only things I can think of are.

The U.S. military making mock ups for war games. But this is, I gotta believe unbelieveably unlikely, as the U.S. Army has thousands of real M-113's to use for that purpose.

A foreign countries attempt at "making their own" M-113 type vehicle out of parts they had on hand. But again I think that is very unlikely. Because if that were the case, how would it end up where you found it?

The most likely idea I have would be that this was used in a Hollywood type movie for something.

Or the other more realistic idea is that this (the M-41 part) was an old range target that ended up in the hands of the city fathers so to speak, and they fixed it up to what it is there just to put in a city park somewhere as some sort of monument etc.


But if you have any more photos of the second one, it would be an interesting site to see as much of the rest of it as you have, just to see exactly what it all is. Kind of like an onion to get peeled apart to see all the layers, and where they came from.


Gary B)

 

[Sharkmouth]

The first vehicle is the M-47 as Terry pointed out. The second is the M59 APC with the Commander's M13 (not M113) Cupola. Without seeing the roof plate, this could also be the M84 which is the mortar carrying version of the M59.

Regards,

 

[G Cooper]

sharkmouth wrote:

The first vehicle is the M-47 as Terry pointed out. The second is the M59 APC with the Commander's M13 (not M113) Cupola. Without seeing the roof plate, this could also be the M84 which is the mortar carrying version of the M59.

Regards,

Hah ! And I was actually going to suggest that we wait until Saul looked at it .
But I really liked my Hollywood movie idea :pinch:.


It was that running gear that I just couldn't get around, But I see now that it ain't no Frankensteins anything. But it sure had me stumped.Guess I'll go back to my corner now and chew on the bones Jenny threw me last week :laugh:


Gary B)

 

[Sherman 18]

Nice finds

 

[Sharkmouth]

Gary, did you notice we both posted at the same time?

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

Targets... :woohoo:

 

[G Cooper]

sharkmouth wrote:

Gary, did you notice we both posted at the same time?

Regards,

Yeah, I saw that. It has been said that great minds think alike :hmmm

It has also been said that some day I will learn how to think :duh :pinch: :laugh:


Gary

 

[DioRandy]

Well, you asked for more clues. Here they are. That's plywood attached to the front.
It's just sitting there in the corner of a vacant lot on the main drag. It's in Capron, Illinois, a small town of only a couple hundred people -- if that. There's no VFW nearby or anything that would indicate why it's there. However, I do know it's been there for years.
Good luck!