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M32 TRV turret stowage question: M1A1 Bazooka

E

ericadeane

New member
I'm building the 1/35 M32B1 from Tasca/Asuka.

I'm looking for advice on where to mount the M1A1 "Bazooka" rocket launcher in my M32 TRV turret. According to my TM 9-738 (from Easy1 Productions) it was mounted "Vertical location rear of turret". Does anyone have a clue as to what this means?

Admittedly, even the TM's narrative says some items were not updated as the series progressed and one can assume that many prescribed vehicle equipment stowage points may have changed with factory variations and updates. But, for the life of me, I can't figure where it was stowed. In 1/35th scale, the 54" long M1A1 would have been 39mm long. With my Tasca/Asuka M32B1 kit's turret, I can't see how a 39mm long tube could fit anywhere.

I thought of the later M9 bazooka that could be broken down into two tube sections but the TM clearly says the M1A1 was allocated to the M32s.

I've scoured the many pics of survivors and the TM fully. I'm lost. Any ideas?

Roy Chow
 
Hey Roy, would love to see some pictures of what you got so far.

I looked around on google and in Son of Sherman book, can't find anything. Could it have been on the inside?

Vertical location...wonder if that would mean that it's stowed sticking up. Aligned up and down, know what I mean?
 
Thnx for your quick reply Moon. I have no doubts that it was inside -- but where there's 4.5' of clearance to stow that one-piece tube -- is lost on me. I even looked at the M20 Armored Car, which stows one horizontally across the front, just inside the front raised armor. But the width accommodations make it very clear how it fits in that scenario. The M32 turret is just too cramped for me to discern where it was.

I'm building the M32B1 as a blog on Track Link.
http://www.track-link.com/forums/site_blogs/20306
 
I cant seem to find anything. Reading Hunnicut's book it only lists weapons as being a mortar mounted on the front, and a 50cal on a ring mount. There is no mention of a bazooka. If one was carried in the vertical at the rear of the turret I can only imagine it stood on end somewhere in the back of the turret interior. It should fit that way with clearance. Sorry cant be more helpful.
James
 
Well I tell ya Roy, since no one can find sure nuff info on how it was stowed, think you have creative license option here. I know as soon as you fix it inside, someone will come along with a page from some TM that shows how it was really stowed. So you might want to use low tact glue...:rotf
 
Hey Roy,

I guess you found where I came to after leaving TL!

Look at the stencils for clues:

h8b52362.jpg

Note that there is a stencil for "Rocket" but the launcher itself would seem to be hung from a hook. This would comply to the TM text "1 2.36-inch A.T. rocket launcher M1A1, carried in rear of turret." Other items are clearly marked as inside a lid, mounted on ring mount, ball-mounted, mounted on front deck plate, carried in bracket. Similar text to the rocket launcher is read for the "1 cal. .30 machine gun tripod mount M2, carried in right side of hull behind assistant driver's seat."
Find a photo showing if this was loosely stowed and you have an answer to whether the bazooka was secured or not.

Regards,
 
Hi Saul: I've seen that pic before and it's illuminating but still doesn't jibe with an M1A1. I could easily see the 2 parts of an M9 Bazooka tube strapped there horizontally. But the one-part M1A1 has no room.

I also was trying to read the overall language about the other items too, as you've alluded to. I've found a bracket to hold the .30cal tripod vertically on the RH lower hull wall. So looking for in-exact language in other areas isn't yielding any fruit.
 
ericadeane said:
Hi Saul: I've seen that pic before and it's illuminating but still doesn't jibe with an M1A1.
Click to expand...

The stencil is for the rockets themselves, the launcher is separate and is mounted vertically. Until someone photographs the bottom of the roof panel, one won't know for sure. Other image series in my collections don't show it (interior side of roof) either. Sadly, the other vehicle is too deteriorated to see if there was an unaccounted belt (which would secure the tube to the turret ring) if the weapon does indeed hang from a hook.

Regards,
 
sharkmouth said:
ericadeane said:
Hi Saul: I've seen that pic before and it's illuminating but still doesn't jibe with an M1A1.
Click to expand...

The stencil is for the rockets themselves, the launcher is separate and is mounted vertically. Until someone photographs the bottom of the roof panel, one won't know for sure. Other image series in my collections don't show it (interior side of roof) either. Sadly, the other vehicle is too deteriorated to see if there was an unaccounted belt (which would secure the tube to the turret ring) if the weapon does indeed hang from a hook.

Regards,
Click to expand...

Would it be mounted on the underside of the roof?
 
Saul: I'm having concurrent conversations on this in a Sherman tank forum and I also posted this on ML.

Tom Cromwell over on ML suggested the spot between the left rear seat and the wall mounted fire extinguisher. He pointed to VERY clear pics in Ampersand's "Heavy Wrecker" p. 57. I think it makes sense. There clearly is an spot for a vertically mounted item there.

In your pic where the stencil says "rocket", the wartime photos show the signal flags -- and the brackets match exactly those below the "rocket" stenciling.

Funny thing though: The more I look into it, I think the M1A1 was omitted. The pics in "Heavy Wrecker" show two M32 turrets completely stocked -- but no bazooka, nor any placards. We know differences exist in the stowage layout from the original TM 9-738. The .45cal MG was moved from the roof to the front right inside turret wall. The stowage of the two 5 gallon water cans is clearly on the LH sponson (whereas the TM says it should be on the RH sponson). I may just have to omit the bazooka after all....
 
ericadeane said:
Tom Cromwell over on ML suggested the spot between the left rear seat and the wall mounted fire extinguisher...
In your pic where the stencil says "rocket", the wartime photos show the signal flags -- and the brackets match exactly those below the "rocket" stenciling.
Click to expand...

The location pointed out by Tom makes sense. It is the same belt which I alluded to used to secure the tube to the turret ring, yet something else (a hook?) would be needed to suspend it.

As for the "Rocket" stencil, note that they do not refer to the signal flag brackets. There is a stencil for that:

h440ed2e.jpg

Note the stencil at the upper left edge for the signal flags.

Regards,
 
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