M60: Cold War Guardian | Tank Chats

The high point of a series of American tank designs that began in WW2, the M60 stood guard in a divided Europe during the Cold War. David Willey gives us a detailed analysis of a tank that served far longer than anyone intended.
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00:00 | American tanks 1945-1960
07:50 | M60 Development
17:34 | M60 Design Features
24:32 | M60A1, RISE and AOS upgrades
28:55 | M60A2 and the Shillelagh
33:01 | M60A3 and the final years
35:40 | Thank you to Horstman
36:34 | US Marines and the Gulf War
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
#tankmuseum #tankchats #davidwilley

[@thetankmuseum]

Hi Tank Nuts! We hope you enjoyed this video. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

[@pyeitme508]

RAD. Wish for M1 Abrams tank soon!

[@DaYemenball]

Idk why but I like the M-60 just because it’s so huge and very oddly shaped. It looks like a Pershing bull with a bubble turret that has been stretched.

[@Anarcho-harambeism]

I think you forgot about the m47

[@stefanschutz5166]

Thank you so much from a former hussar of Sytzama.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Pretty comprehensive. One of the better vids, and that's rising above a rather high bar.

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

One of the major reasons for the decision to move to diesel which isn't often mentioned, is that the US was trying to move to multi-fuel concepts, and diesels were considered much easier to convert to other fuels than conventional petrol engines. If petrol engines had been able to be converted easily, it is questionable whether the US would have moved as it did. Of course, in the end, real multi-fuel capability was only implemented in practice by the US Army in some of the trucks like the M35 series, and the M1's turbine which is one of the few true (i.e. no conversion/modification requires) multi-fuel engines out there.

[@memonk11]

Who is this guy???

[@destroyerarmor2846]

Fat Americans hate diesel, oil fuels and metric system 😭

[@mikemcginley6309]

Hey Nick,when are you going to do inside the hatch on a 60?

[@darnit1944]

​@@memonk11The chieftain. He is quite big within the tank community.

[@memonk11]

@@darnit1944I figured that before I bought his book.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Grew up in the shadow of Aberdeen Proving Grounds; it was common enough to have one of these behemoths roll down the road. The really impressive thing was the very slow undulating 'bounce' as it rolled by - the suspension damping out the motion of massive lump of armor. You could really feel the mass.

[@lairdcummings9092]

A number of the images in this video were taken from APG, or the Deer Creek Automotive Test Facility; an adjunct to APG. Public access roads ran past Deer Creek and you could often see tanks and tank chassis being tested there, including the M60 and M1. It's amazing to watch 60 or more tons of steel charging up hills or getting meters of air whilst dashing over obstacles.

[@Grimmtoof]

It's always a little weird for me hearing people talk about Aberdeen proving ground. I'm from Scotland so my mind atomically jumps to the city of Aberdeen rather than somewhere in America!

[@bluntcabbage6042]

@@Grimmtoof For us American tank enthusiasts, Aberdeen is our Mecca. It's where all things holy happen for American armor.

[@zeedub8560]

When I was at Ft. Knox for training in 1989, I was a road guard when my company went to the driving range. A platoon of M1s went by first, and I noticed how quiet they were, and I didn't really feel much. Then our 13 M60A3s came by. First, I could hear them much earlier; those diesels were LOUD. But also, the ground really shook as they passed by me. Which of course means the M1s are lighter on their tracks even though they weigh more. But it was fun to feel the rumble.

[@hoodedrage720]

You ever see Kurt?

[@steveb8883]

Great Video! I was Active Duty Army from 1987 until 2006. I was a tanker. I have been on the following tanks: M60A1, M60A3, M1-IP, M1A1 and M1A2 SEP. I am extremely grateful for my time on the M60 tanks. It taught me how to be a tanker old school. If you can tank on an M60, you can tank on any modern tank. It was rough making M60A1 do it's job. The A1 had no night sights. We relied on mortar allum rounds to conduct night ops. We never mounted the spot lights. The engines would blow a jug almost every time we were in the woods. The M1 tanks were like Cadillacs after being on the M60 tanks. I was in OIF and DS on M1s. I cannot imagine those wars on an M60.

[@TimothySielbeck]

I served on them with IR and passive sights. One of my favorite memories of night gunnery is the low ground fog illuminated by the flare from the mortars as seen through the gunner's sight.

[@Vtarngpb]

If you want to hear a good sob story, I enlisted as a 19K in 2002 (Same BN my that my dad had been the S-3 in '75-77), trained on A1's and A2's. Got back to my guard unit to find out our BDE was getting reflagged from Heavy Armor to Light Infantry. Never stepped foot on a tank again, so I never got to shoot a TT VIII 🥲. Transferred to a WPNS Co so I could still stay mounted 😂. During MOB for my 2nd deployment in 2010, my crew shot a perfect score on a humvee table VIII though 😉

[@thegorlnextdoorhere]

Thank you for your story sir; stories like yours really inspired me to join the army as a tanker back in 2018, thank you for your time in the tank so ours could be better Thank you for your service and I hope you have a wonderful day

[@bongobrandy6297]

You missed out on the Haunted Tank, the M60A2.😵‍💫

[@SomeRandomHuman717]

@@TimothySielbeck IIRC an easy way to tell if the driver's night optic was IR or passive was to look at the shape of the cutout in the driver's hatch. A rectangular cutout meant it was the IR periscope, and if it was square, it would be the passive periscope.

[@puravida5683]

What a flash from the past! I was a M60A1 tank commander in the 70s. I still remember TCQC and Reforgers while serving in Germany. The heaters on the tanks were a blessing in the winter. During field exercises we often only wore our teashirts inside, while the poor infantry guys were laying in the cold German snow. We often heated our C-Rations in the tank engine compartment.

[@SimDeck]

Great stuff. I was British Army Infantry. I was so jealous of you guys in your tanks when the weather was bad.

[@dankmazzi2376]

I was there 2/1 cav. Recon..Germany and yes we where freezing. Good memories though take care brother.

[@catherder6]

As one of those infantry guys I'm still waiting for my pizza.

[@tonyromano6220]

I did a reforger in 1978 I think. 1/41st 2AD.

[@ColeDedhand]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the M60. I spent 6 years in USMC tank units. 1st Tanks and 3rd Tanks. Up to and including Desert Storm.

[@ferallion3546]

Outstanding. I’m very interested in the new update program for M60. I forget the name but it modernize them in order to upgrade their survivability in the 21st century battlespace. Always fascinated with modernization extension programs.

[@himemjam]

​@@ferallion3546 Its really interesting to think we have B52's in service for over 60 years. The M1's been in service since the 80's. So has the Apache and the Warthog. Looks like that process of modernization is so very important to our defense.

[@t.r.4496]

The M-60 had more kills in Desert Storm than the Abrams. I'm not sure if it was numbers or the location of the enemy or what but it held its own against the Iraqi Revolutionary Guards.

[@arvedludwig3584]

@@ferallion3546 so sad they only do that with the M60. There are a shitton of Leopard 1 that could've been upgraded with an L44 and MEXAS or similar. Kinda like the Leopard C2.

[@scrawnybaguette]

the turks still use a modernized m60 as their main tank in some units

[@admiraltiberius1989]

One of the finest Cold War warriors.

[@shaddaboop7998]

lol

[@christineshotton824]

I once read the M-60 described as the "T-72 of the West". Not the best tank in the world, but good enough to be dangerous in the right hands, and available in large numbers.

[@admiraltiberius1989]

@christineshotton824 I mean the M60 has better ammo stowage and it's crew isn't as cramped but it's a mostly fair comparison

[@scockery]

Yeah, David Willey is a true warrior.

[@jackbower8671]

​@shaddaboop7998 what's funny?

[@coreybenson3122]

My uncle on my dad’s side was part of Task Force Ripper during the push to capture the Battle of Kuwait International Airport. He was a driver of an M60a1 in the Marines. 1st Tank Battalion. He freely talks about his experiences. Over Thanksgiving, he lamented the marines current decision to remove all armored units from the USMC.

[@marioacevedo5077]

Until the next war. Then it will be, We needed tanks!

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

Yeah. They took away most of their Artillery too. Mindbogglingly stupid. .

[@joefreeman9733]

Thats not the end of the stupidi t y. They re c also eliminating close air support o r gsnic to Marine Divisions. Abd the scout sniper program. As nd the Navy took the necessary budget for large scale amphib landing c a pability after declaring that their 40 billion dollar each carrier task groups couldnt survive supporting amphib landings against a near peer. And they couldnt supply the Marines once ashore either. Additionally the LCS progr a m run by the Navy seems to h a ve been a complete waste of money as well. So we come now to the question of what are the Marines to be actually used for...other than embassy duty and admirals orderlys on capital ships? Well the previous commandant ever politically attuned to which w a y the navy windbags are blowing has .... taking a leaf from history come up with a leaf from the IJN. Their idea is to dump penny packets of Marines with some supplies a few ship killing missiles and some small arms on various islands in the Pacific and take shots at Chinese naval vessels. This concept didnt work out well for Japan or its Marines during WW2 OR FOR THAT MATTER THE SMALL Marine garrisons on Guam etc at the beginning of the war who were quickly overrun once sizeable amphibious forces came over the horizon. Its worth noting that the Chinese are vastly exp a nding their amphib capability right now. Sp what do the Chinese know that thecUS doesnt? At any rate as a former US Marine sergeant from the Vietnam era I recall working with Marine close air support destroyer 5 inch naval gunfire and tanks . I wouldnt care to do without these assets . I doubt that the 1st MarDiv would have survived iin Korea without these assets. If I were a young man today instead of the Marines being my first choice it would probably be my last choice.

[@mann_idonotreadreplies]

@joe cool story bro

[@kurt5490]

​@@BobSmith-dk8nwthe idea of the marines giving up 120mm mortars makes absolutely NO sense to me whatsoever!

[@marioacevedo5077]

My number one favorite tank. When I was in infantry training at Ft. Benning, we ambushed M-60s and quickly learned these monsters didn't play nice. If we hid in spider holes to pop up behind them, they would pivot turn over the holes and bury us. And they would charge ambushes and chase us through the woods. I can imagine how they've torn us apart with live ammo.

[@danpatterson8009]

Hopefully there was some rule about not actually squishing troops during these exercises.

[@SlinkyTWF]

Yes, the combat application of the neutral-steer.

[@twostep1953]

Ahhh... good times... I remember that M-60 zooming past our position and knew we were about to be over-run from the rear. The cadre had 'conveniently' not issued us any A.T. weapons.

[@charlesc.9012]

@@danpatterson8009 They did crazy things back in the 70s and 80s. In 80s Britain, one of the anti-social motor sports was to drive small hatchbacks into supermarkets, and things such as dragging sofas and playing musical chairs by climbing onto roofs, just insanely dangerous stunts in general, sometimes involving cars. Probably why we have so many OSHA laws today

[@philboucon8420]

Who needs the OPFOR with friendly like these? lol

[@TheGreatWhiteScout]

I was enlisted on an M60A1 AOS and transitioned to Rise Passive as I made NCO rank as a Tank Commander. I then went to OCS and was a Platoon Leader on M60A3s until the M1 transition as I was an XO of a Cav Troop. The difference in the M60A1 AOS and the M60A3? As a gunner, I hit a 1500 m target center mass battlesight engagement from a quick halt on a daylight range and was patted on the back with a 'Good shot!" from my TC. Three years later on an M60A3, my gunner hit a 5000 m first round hit while traveling 20 mph in a pitch-dark live fire run at the National Training Center,... and no one said a thing about it. It was that common a feat of gunnery. With the thermal sight and magnification, I could see a female deer start to urinate three miles away on a rainy night at Fort Benning GA and know for a fact that I could put a SABOT round through it's skull before it was even finished. That was (now) nearly 40 years ago. That was the difference that just five years (1982-1987) made in armored warfare. It was like going from WWII to the 21st Century in that time.

[@Milkman3572000]

Impressive

[@kh6437]

I started serving on the M60A1 and later transitioned to the A3. The difference in our percentage of first-round hits was little short of miraculous. No more hand-cranking the rangefinder and your accuracy depending on the TC's visual acuity. No more mechanical fire control computers with cams. The A1 was a pretty good tank but its fire control gear was the very finest of Victorian technology. But it did take some discipline to use it properly. We found out that with thermal sights we could see the blips from the ranging laser going downrange, and the crews were fascinated. Several rangefinders got burned out and replaced because they overheated due to too-rapid cycling so they could watch. People would play with the rangefinders and pretend they were blasting people like in Star Wars. And of course we wasted a lot of fuel screwing with the smoke generators. Battalion HQ had to get real ugly about that.

[@vanpearsall]

2/5 cab Black Knights forward, sir

[@jamyers1971]

LOVE the M60!!! I served on M60A3 for a couple years before transitioning to M1. Great Tank, the 105mm was super accurate.

[@stephenallen4635]

If you could then, could you give your thoughts on the cupola. Average person sees it and thinks it looks like a glaring weakness and an easy target to shoot but obviously it was put in for a reason. What were the advantages of such a large cupola and do you think it was worth it?

[@quantumsage4008]

@@stephenallen4635 also adding to this gentleman's question, was the 50cal turret viable against a fast moving target or against infantries in cqc? other than exposing the crew like in conventional setup, what other advantages does it have?

[@dmacarthur5356]

Advantages of the copula was that it offered the tank commander protection from small arms fire while offering a view outside the tank. Just think of War Daddy in Fury hanging out of the tank while under direct fire. Additionally the cupola allowed the M2 to rotate and elevate independently of the turret/main gun unlike the coaxial machine gun that is in line with the main gun. As far as the effectiveness of the M2 for fast movers? A jet? Probably not but as far as anti land vehicles or personnel it was very effective. Also remember that the Soviet Hind D gunship was the one thing that tankers worried about during the Cold War Era so the M2 offered some type of defense against helicopters. ~Former M60A3 49th Armored Div. tanker

[@SlinkyTWF]

@@stephenallen4635 I hated that effing cupola. The hatch was a PITA to close, and you had to lock the spring-load open to keep it from shoving you down into the tank. Late production M60A3 models omitted it after the IDF reported incidents of it separating if the turret took a hard hit, which was not good if you were an Israeli TC who, under doctrine, fought crew-exposed for visibility.

[@dnob6668]

@@dmacarthur5356 The M60 series tanks did not use an M2 .50. It used the M85 .50 cal. The M85 had a firing rate selector for between 400 to 600 rpm but all it still would have been useless against fast moving aircraft. The cupola on the M60 along with the smaller M85 allowed for more ammo than on the M48 series with the M2.

[@TheBdb869]

We hosted a tank company at the kaserne is was stationed at for Reforger in 1984. I remember seeing a driver climbing out of his tank hold the M-3 grease gun.

[@alantoon5708]

The M-3 was used until after the Gulf War!

[@N_Wheeler]

Each M60, M60A1, M60A3 and M88 had a rack inside with a sticker that said M-3. The arms room had a single M-3 for each tank or recovery vehicle in the company. The personal weapon for each crewman was the M1911 pistol.

[@richardunger2177]

Yup...I was mech infantry....M3A1 was standard issue for track drivers and track commanders

[@tanker335]

That could have been me. Did it have a bulldozer blade on it?

[@Vtarngpb]

My national guard unit still had grease guns on the books in 2002 😂

[@j.k1688]

I am a BSA Eagle scout in the US, and for my Eagle project I painted and otherwise restored a M60-A3. A lot of love for this beautiful warrior.

[@jackbower8671]

That's awesome! Congrats on your Eagle btw!

[@Mechanized85]

M60A3/M60A3 Passive and M60A3 TTS, it's was best variant in US were made, it's for sure.

[@RTFLDGR]

coolest Eagle project ever

[@j.k1688]

@@RTFLDGR it was 97° Fahrenheit 💀

[@calicojack556]

You win for one of the most interesting Eagle Scout projects ever. My son is an Eagle Scout and we done a lot with the scouts in general. Good for you.

[@nonamesplease6288]

I like that the Tank Museum chose to present this beast in the old US Army MERDC camo. I grew up on these M60s and other US equipment finished in this scheme.

[@tim_davidson6344]

Though the MERDC camo looks pretty cool, I'm partial to the 1970s four-color (OD green, tan, black, off-white) scheme.🤔

[@nonamesplease6288]

@@tim_davidson6344 That is the same camo I'm referring to. It was referred to officially as the MERDC four color scheme. It was actually meant to be versatile, with several different versions based on the terrain you would be operating on. The colors you mention are the verdant woodland scheme, probably the most common in Europe and the US, but it was also designed so that you could adapt the scheme to changing conditions by painting over one of the colors, like painting white over the green if it snowed. I believe the version in the Tank Museum is the Army's red desert scheme. It looks like three colors, but I believe the other minor color besides black blends in with the sand color.

[@tim_davidson6344]

Thanks for the clarification; I didn't know the definition of the MERDC acronym. I just always called it the "four color scheme". I entered the Army in the late '80s and all of the older vehicle types (M35 2-1/2T series, 800 5T series, 880 utility series) still in use were in the MERDC scheme. I remember that it was a hard camo scheme to maintain. Areas of flaked paint or rust were corrected by hand painting with often ugly results. The new CARC (chemical agent resistant coating) paint coming into use was a three-color scheme (woodland) or single-color (desert) and any major CARC paint repairs needed to be done in an OSHA certified paint shop. Combat vehicles manufactured in MERDC (i.e M1 MBT, M109 SP howitzer, M110 SP howitzer) were given higher priority for repainting into CARC. Since the Army M60s were being phased out by M1s, I don't recall ever seeing an M60 series tank in CARC.

[@nonamesplease6288]

I go back even farther. I was never in the military, but I was a brat and a civilian contractor. I remember driving by all of the 1950s era Dodge vehicles in the base motor pool, all that lovely post war dark olive drab. One day I drove by and they were all this funky camo. Of course, within a year, having repainted them all, they were replaced with Goats and CUCVs, another topic altogether. Got used to the colors, but moved on before they changed to the current 3 color NATO. But I remember that day like it was yesterday.

[@baltazarsoto5409]

That you Tank Museum for finally doing an excellent video about the tank I served on when I was a Tank Platoon Leader. Outstanding presentation. No doubt you are the finest tank museum in the world. David Willey is particularly excellent in his narration. Keep up the good work. I salute you.

[@doughudgens9275]

Question: what are your thoughts on a 4 tank platoon versus a 5 tank one? Do you know why they changed? Which is better?

[@657449]

Thanks for the memories. M48 in Vietnam and M60 in West Germany.

[@voltor3956]

Did you encounter enemy tanks in Vietnam or it was mostly work against infantry and IFVs/APCs?

[@657449]

@@voltor3956 Mostly infantry in road ambushes. We provided base security at night and ran convoys during the day. We also took along the Vietnamese infantry when we went off road looking for enemy base camps. The original purpose of the tank was to support the infantry .

[@raymondmartinezjr7718]

I served on the M60A1, 2nd Armored Division at Ft. Hood 1972-75. We knew our limitations, but good tank crews and lots of training made the difference.

[@bobmatthews3186]

In the mid 1980s, my local NY National Guard base had an M60 armored unit. On certain Sunday mornings, the guard unit would drive their M60s through my city neighborhood on their way to a practice ground outside the city. There's nothing like being shaken - literally - out of bed at 07:00 while several 50+ ton tanks drive down a 4 lane street.

[@SomeRandomHuman717]

Several corrections: Other than the M60A2, the M60 series did NOT have a powered commander's cupola. To my knowledge the M60 series never had a centralized NBC overpressure system. It did have a forced-air central filtration system that fed pre-filtered air thru hoses in the tank to each crew station, which in turn connected to the vehicle crewman's version (M25A1) of the individual soldier's "gas mask." This version had a cylindrical cannister filter in the carry bag with the hose hookup to connect to the vehicle and a hose led from the cannister bag up to the rubber face piece.. The M17 series masks for non-vehicle-crew soldiers had the filters built into the cheek pouches of the rubber face piece of the mask. Other significant notes that were not mentioned: The M60A2 series' powered commander's cupola had a "target designate" feature similar in concept to that deployed on the M1A1/A2 with CITV. The commander could use his own optics in the powered cupola to acquire a target, and then upon hitting the target designate button, slew the main gun to the cupola's azimuth, which would help the gunner identify the target more quickly. The M60A3's TTS (tank thermal sight) was generally considered by crews to yield a much better "picture" that the first gen thermals on the original M1 series, and the M60A3's ruby laser seemed to yield more accurate ranges than did the early M1's YAG laser. The original M60's M73 and early M60A1's M219 coax machineguns were the bane of every tank crew's existence--they were at best problematic and at worst "single-shot machineguns." Loaders, gunners, and commanders rejoiced once the FN-derived M240 coax was deployed. Likewise, the M85 commander's cupola machinegun was the subject of many cursewords, with only the most knowledgeable TCs and unit armorers able to make them run reliably. (HINT: regularly replace with new ALL seven or eight operating springs and it will pump out belt after belt without a hiccup.) The M60 was the Sherman of the Cold War---never the best tank, but it's best "ability" was "availability."

[@TimothySielbeck]

I find it odd about the M-85. During my 4 years I never saw one the wasn't anything but reliant. I did see many Scouts (I was in Cavalry units) find many different ways to keep their M-2s firing.

[@furmanmackey5479]

Having served on both the M60A1 and first generation M1 I must say you got it right!

[@tanker335]

The hose for the filtration system was our A.C. We'd tuck it into our BDU's.

[@SlinkyTWF]

@@tanker335 Wish we'd have thought of that.

[@SlinkyTWF]

Our M60 cupolas were definitely NOT powered. It was manual crank all the way.

[@jimwatson2755]

Love this, retired National Guard tanker. Served on the M48A5, M60A3 and M1

[@brianferguson7840]

One of the "tankiest" looking tanks ever !😉😉😋

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

That and the Centurion…

[@TS-mo6pn]

I was in a unit in West Germany that had the M60A3. Always thought of it as an improved King Tiger. I mean, look at the two side by side.

[@socaljarhead7670]

Archetypical for sure. A tank is supposed to look like the M60.

[@Eirik36]

I always loved the square look of the m26/m46

[@Republikaner1944]

Finally we could hear about this iconic Cold War warrior.

[@nickwilkinson7728]

I worked on these in the seventies as a 63H tank mechanic, I still remember the Continental AVDS17902DR V12 air cooled engine. I could work on that tank as if it was yesterday. Good memories. :-)

[@markcollins2666]

A 63H as well, with the 1'st and 2'nd AD. At 67, I'd need another look at the TM, not exactly yesterday. Or good times. In 2'nd AD, they had a policy of keeping 90% of vehicles off the deadline list, at all times. Which meant working overtime. Which meant working until midnight, whenever the 90% standard wasn't met. "You had Rolling Stones tickets for tonight? So sorry, BACK TO WORK!!!" 63H was eventually done away with, replaced by civilian contractors.

[@malik740]

I always have the impression with Mr. Willey that he could probably go on for another hour or two and while it gives a feeling of a 'rush' it doesnt leave the impression something noteworthy was missed. I really enjoy all your hosts styles and I think its a great resource you have there!

[@jeffsaxton2051]

During an IPMS sponsored visit to Fort Knox in the Spring of 1978, our tour group of eight people each got a chance to drive an M60 at the driving range. I was 16 and-a-half, and didn't even have my driver's license yet. A memory to treasure!

[@dawnrogers5829]

Sept. '78 was when I reported to Ft. Knox as a new enlistee.

[@edremy1]

Served on M60A3 TTSes in the California National Guard back in the early 90s. They were pretty creaky but when we trained against active duty folks on a couple of occasions they were surprised how quick the 60s were since all they had heard was that they were slow dinosaurs compared to the M1s. I have fond memories of laying out a sleeping bag on the (warm and very large) back deck and looking up at the desert stars

[@TheRangerBob]

Served as a gunner on the M-60 (1966-69, 3rd ID, 4/64 Armor, West Germany). Our unit received a couple of A1's toward the end of my tour. Overall, the M-60 was a reliable and accurate weapon. I recall hitting target frame 2x4's with IR sighting at over 1,500 meters.

[@clydedopheide1033]

I spent 8 years on M60s before moving on to M1s, and I loved this tank. Had to be careful though, lots of pointy places in the turret that would bite you if you didn't pay attention.

[@desmosoldier]

Great tank. I started on the A3. I preferred the TTS over the M1's TIS and the turret was roomy enough to string up a hammock at night. :)

[@samb7652]

Yep .. once thought I could screen movies on the loader side...

[@austinbunyard3284]

I think the british 105 is one off if not the most successful tank guns

[@lairdcummings9092]

It's an amazing gun; hard-hitting and extremely accurate - you don't always get both features in the same weapon.

[@rogerkidd2121]

The baton has been passed to the Rheinmetall Rh-120.

[@herosstratos]

The invention of the L7 gave NATO defense a rigid back bone.

[@timsmith5335]

I think the Rheinmetall begs to differ

[@MrNigzy23]

To be fair, you can argue that Rheinmetall have a different philosophy in their gun barrels, they capitalised on smoothbore weapons whilst Royal Ordnance went the rifled way. The rifled barrel for the tank days seem to be coming to an end, not due to performance it needs to be said but due to logistics. The L30 series on the CR2 is still capable of going toe to toe with the M256 for example! A rifled barrel still holds the record for the longest tank on tank knock out! :D But the L7 is pretty much the father of modern sleeving, every single tank manufacturing plant in Nato practically had a license for the L7 and from the sheer amount of them produced, they taught small arms manufacturers a lot during the Cold War, which lead us to the 120mm series!@@timsmith5335

[@BELCAN57]

The Amvets hall in my hometown of Agawam, Massachusetts has an M60 located in a position of honor. BTW, Agawam is the hometown of General Creighton Abrams, the namesake of the M60's replacement.

[@battlejitney2197]

First tank I crewed (loader and driver) was the M60A3. What a beast. I loved it. Not as sexy and speedy as the M1A1 I later commanded but something about the M60 and that good old diesel engine just generates nostalgia in me.

[@bobhsohi704]

Me too M60 with the proper diesel

[@johnberryhill8106]

Loved the M60A1-A3 ! Was incredibly deadly firing from a short halt and in a defensive position. TONS of room for munchies and sodas on those long field problems and gunnery even with full combat loads.

[@vanpearsall]

Proper name is Pogi bait

[@Eloso3135]

I spent my first 5 years on M60A1 and later M60A3. We never got an NBC overpressure system, and the Tc’s cupola was not powered, also we did not have a halon fire suppression system. I didn’t see halon until the M1A1. Otherwise a great video. I still love the old girl.

[@genegleason4987]

You are correct , only NBC item was gas particulate that plugged into the tankers gas mask.

[@christineshotton824]

I've always had to shake my head at US government attitude towards war from 1945 - 1950. It was "Conventional forces are outdated. In any future war we'll be using atomic bombs." "Sir, war has broken out in Korea." "Well, we're certainly not going to use atomic bombs, how's our conventional force looking?"

[@frostedbutts4340]

Using nukes in Korea was pretty seriously considered.

[@christineshotton824]

​@@frostedbutts4340 I think you get my point.

[@frankleespeaking9519]

Hindsight 20/20

[@phil20_20]

New generations are still thinking we're going to fry everything anyway.

[@hobbyfarmer62]

Many nations believed atomic weapons would render conventional force out dated before they figured out radiating the planet to a point humanity cannot use was kind of dumb.

[@rodneyhirsch2340]

Was at fulda 1979 to 82. M60a3. Never missed at gunnery practice. Very accurate. Commander was at Vietnam, said the Sheridan was a piece of crap Missiles were even worse. Would go out barrel and fall on ground. Bad day would turn around and come back at you.

[@tootired76]

My mount from 1978 to 1981. M 60A1 Rise/Passive. One of my platoons' crews could get off 3 rounds in 9 seconds!

[@Bill23799]

I served in the US Army in the late 70's and 80's . I was stationed in West Germany for three years. I was not a tanker but I did have a chance to visit one of our units on the border with East Germany. They were equipped with M-60A1 tanks without commander cupola. They also had M-113 APC with TOW launcher on top that held two missiles.

[@TS-mo6pn]

That would be the M901 Improved Tow Vehicle (ITV).

[@amandastevenson4948]

Obviously Red Storm rising didn't happen😅 plus yes the marauder was another wire-guided platform

[@Joe45-91]

My dad was with the 1st around Nuremberg in the mid 70s as a driver

[@genegleason4987]

All m60series tanks had a cupola in American service . The Israelis may have taken the cupola off theirs . I know they took the cupola off the M48’s they had. We did the same to the M48a5’s

[@shawncarnes9471]

As an Army Guardsman during the late eighties, I served in the 185th Armor Battalion out of California. Back then we had the M60A3s, and I really enjoyed driving that tank. I transferred to the 143rd Field Artillery Regiment just before the 185th started getting their M-1 Abrams, but that is a story for another time.

[@canadiancorporal3501]

I am a Canadian veteran and I would like to thank you for all these videos... My grandfather and his brothers served in WW2 as well my great grandfather served in the first world war at vimy ridge... Again thank you so much...

[@viniciusdomenighi6439]

I really wanted to see you talking about this tank! Thank you very much for the video, I'm a fan of the museum's work. History must be preserved and taught.

[@John-lp8me]

Always had a soft spot for this beast, especially as a Marine. So glad to see this venerable Cold Warrior, the M60, get some long overdue love and appreciation. Fantastic content and well done as usual! Happy Holidays from the US.

[@marcusarilus]

She is a Great tank Served on a M60a3 for 2 years in 1980's

[@dukesofdevon]

Nearly 40 mins! What a christmas treat!

[@dukeallen432]

Solstice reason for season.

[@simonfrederiksen104]

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has announced that it will upgrade its aging fleet of M60A3 Patton tanks with new engines.

[@frostedbutts4340]

Yikes. You'd think it would be more efficient to ask the US for some surplus Abrams

[@gabrielmalaguti5512]

​@@frostedbutts4340As far as I know the deal for new(-ish) build M1A2Ts is still on. Might have changed since the last time I looked.

[@simonfrederiksen104]

@@frostedbutts4340 It's basically a question of cost/efficiency. Taiwan isn't "tank country" and a Chinese force invading probably won't send in masses of tanks so it actually makes sense to keep the M60 around - a cost effective reaction force - They'll do well against your average Chinese tank while Taiwan can spend money on more costly and state of the art items like drones in all shapes and sizes to wreck an invasion fleet or keep arty on the Chinese coast busy.

[@residentgeardo]

What a great episode! The M-60 has an incredible history. I loved the footage of the tank being used in Europe.

[@user-ek3em5km5r]

well done. i spent a few years in one with the armored cav. m60 a3. all before the Abrams came out. as a young man, I was in awe

[@randyhavard6084]

If I had the money to own a tank, the M60 would be the one for me.

[@bobhsohi704]

Me too I love the M60 sorry the Marine Corps got rid of Tanks

[@anotherzingbo]

When I was a kid I loved the M60 because it had a turret on top of its turret and it looked a bit like the Action Force tank.

[@williampaz2092]

With all of the upgrades it is STILL an effective MBT to this day.

[@No1harris_98]

I’ve always liked the look of the M60’s just looks so perfect. (Especially the RISE/TTS)

[@Northerndon3514]

joined the US Army in 1978, started on the M60A1went through all the variations to M60A3 with thermal, then into a few variations of the M1 before ending my service. Lots of memories in this episode

[@Mike-tg7dj]

That is true, we didn't go hot. As a cavalry scout on an M551A1 AR/AAV with C Troop 1/4 ACR with the 1st ID (forward) in Böeblingen outside of Stuttgart. Our life expectancy if the balloon went up was about 6 hours at best.The Cold War, I think that there are a lot of folks were happy they were there. Ironically, our motorpool is now a parking lot for area PX and the US.Marines have taken over Panzer Kaserne. My how times change.

[@pauldietrich6790]

I was stationed there at Panzer K from 78-80., with the 701 MT. loved seeing them ground hop those and the 88. As well as the movements down to the Bahnhof when they went to the ranges. I was with the signal maintenance and had a few jobs troubleshooting the comm systems on those...

[@remcodenouden5019]

Getting Tank Museum ads on Tank Museum videos just hits differently

[@Dhannibal01]

My first duty station after basic and AIT at Ft Knox, Ky was a tank unit in the 1st AD, 3/37 Armored Reg in Erlangen, West Germany back in '72-74, we had a couple of M-60s and the rest of the six tank platoon was M-60-A1s. This video was like a trip down memory lane for me, I'm 72 now, thanks for the memories.

[@jameslovelace8958]

I served from 1978-1985 on M60A1 and M60A3. I then trained on the M1A1. I love both tanks it was the best job I ever had.

[@stevenbrown8857]

Yet another fantastic video, watching the tank museum KZbin channel is like an Open University education on armoured warfare 😊

[@BHuang92]

America's first MBT and scored more tank kills in the Gulf War than the M1 Abrams, which proves that the M60 is very capable of punching above its weight!

[@jamesmosley1549]

I’ll be honest and say I never even realised these were still active in the first gulf. That’s some feat regarding tank kills

[@DB-ku7vu]

@@jamesmosley1549the marine m60s in desert camouflage and ERA blocks are sexy beasts

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

Punching at its weight you mean. The tanks it was facing in Iraq were the exact tanks it was designed to counter.

[@classicalextremism]

@@AWMJoeyjoejoe The implication of punching at your own weight is that you are trading blows evenly. Marines did not, do not. Those little crayon eaters are the devils own ushers - destroying over a hundred T-72s without a combat loss to tank fire in Kuwait. IIRC, the one M-60 write off was to a mine.

[@bluntcabbage6042]

@@AWMJoeyjoejoe M60 entered service a full ten years before T-72. Notably, during the Gulf War, M60s engaged Iraqi T-72s with great success. M60 was designed to counter T-55/54, not T-72. Later upgrades took into account the presence of T-72, but it was a retrofit of a vehicle not initially designed to fight enemy MBTs with layered composite armor and large caliber APFSDS munitions. That said, M60 did excellently when it was tasked with anti-tank duties in Iraq.

[@stevewheatley243]

Marine tanker here. M-48'S were good tanks too. I loved that 90mm main gun.

[@stephenbesley3177]

Centurion all day for me but the M60 and its predecessors deserve a nod.

[@steveh.5055]

My father was a commander in a nation guard armored recon company. He used to say that the M 60 was the best tank he ever worked with which included combat with the Sherman and M46 and peacetime use with M 47 - M48 as well.

[@lahma69]

This was such a comprehensive, excellent video that provided me with many insights I was not privy to. I really appreciate all of the hard work and dedication by the team at the Tank Museum. All of you really are a one-of-a-kind resource that is indispensable to the tank lovers of the world.

[@DeaconBlu]

Great video! I have friends that were M60 crew. You folks nailed every single point that All of them mention, and talk about. Thank you! 😎👍❤

[@kenbrown2808]

"we heard you like turrets, so we put a turret on your turret"

[@tensortab8896]

M60s, M113s, M16s, all those weapons that are so maligned, were so successful, used for so long, and still used today.

[@kaylzshter6153]

Ever since I was little (4 or 5) and saw one at a museum back in 1990 or so, the M60 has always been the quintessential image of 'tank' in my subconsciousness. I would draw all sorts of military vehicles, admittedly mostly aircraft, but my tanks always looked like the M60. I appreciate so much the people who put in the time effort and money to not only preserve this history, but to also freely educate those of us who are fascinated by it. Wonderful video!

[@timgeary1084]

Was in the Army in the 1970’s. M-60’s were in use, what impressed me was there size. I was tall enough to see the top tank treads. The ground shook when they passed by. They would crush trees.

[@dwightswift8727]

Great thank! Spent many years on the M60A3.

[@PeterK_53]

63C was my secondary MOS which is track vehicle mechanic and got to play around with the M60 at Ft Benning during training along with the M88 recovery vehicle, we had a blast playing in the mud

[@jerryprice5484]

I trained on the M-60 back in 1975 at Fort Knox. Being a tank buff I was very impressed by it's ride along with the sighting mechanisism and ballistics computer. I had joined the Mich. National Guard at the time so just prior to returning home I, along with other N.G. people had to take a quickie course on the M-48 which our units all had. My N.G. unit didn't get M-60's until the early 80's.

[@ROBERTN-ut2il]

MY BABY ! I started on the M60A1, transitioned to the M60A3 and graduated to the M1 and then M1A1. Has it really been a half century since the Basic Course at Knox?

[@MrHiBeta]

Misery and Agony. Two hills in Ft. Knox we marched over on the way to the ranges.

[@georgemcdonald3769]

19E for life! M60A3 TTS🐐

[@blatherskite9601]

The skill and professionalism of the Tank Museum presenters puts others to shame. This is superb!

[@ksw501]

My father was a tank commander in the US Army and drove the M48A1

[@AluVixapede]

Oh boy, one of my all time favorites

[@billvirrill5677]

My first vehicle as a Tank Commander in 1980, M60A1, in 1st Armored Division along the border in Germany with Czechoslovakia, durable and lethal. Fortunate to have been able to transition into M1 Abrams in 1982, must plagiarize the crew from Fury, “ Best Job I Ever Had “

[@jackbower8671]

Probably one of the most aesthetic tanks and highly competitive against the T72

[@Mechanized85]

M60 through M60A1 RISE (P) and M60A2 Starship, feeling it's not enough to deal with them, But giving on M60A3/M60A3 Passive and M60A3 TTS Patton Tank as their capability had, it's much really was competitive against T-64 & T-72 tank.

[@theromanorder]

Please do a video on the evaluation of tank veiw ports (and parascopes ect) and more evaluation of tank doctrine videos

[@riogsd669]

M60 did not have a whole tank NBC "overpressure" system. You connected your gas mask into a hose which pumped filtered air into the mask. So, individually, the crew had a form of overpressure but not the whole tank. As an aside, the gas particulate system which fed those individual hoses had a heater which was nice to use in winter time to heat mittens etc. The thermal sight which appeared on the M60A3TTS in the early 1980s was a huge and sudden technological overmatch compared to fielded Soviet tanks. TTS was fun to play with too! Excellent video and presentation! (I spent 4 years as an M60 tanker in Europe and the US)

[@mkat740]

M85 was also on the old model AAV and it was a super complicated MG to keep firing right without jamming. SO many pieces to it vs the regular 50 cal but if u greased the chute right it fired 1000 res a min and that's 400 more a min than 50 cal were so used to

[@coryhoggatt7691]

Its main problem was the internals weren’t sturdy enough to lift the ammo belt. It worked fine on high rate though.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

The Marines used the M60A3 during Desert Storm. Very effective.

[@coryhoggatt7691]

The Marines got a few M60A3s from the Army to replace M60A1s off MPS ships that weren’t able to be made serviceable in time for the ground war. About 2/3 of Marine tank companies had already transitioned to the M1A1.

[@SmedleyDouwright]

I saw one of these (M60) in an American museum. I was surprised how big it was compared to a T-72, which the same museum also had on display. Also, I noticed how sloped the lower hull is. It reminded me of a boat, but I don't think it would float. ;)

[@winstonchurchill1300]

Im pretty sure the m60 had wading kits for it so technically it could float lol

[@bluntcabbage6042]

I had that epiphany at the AAF Museum in Danville, VA (rest in piece, forever missed), M60 was a behemoth of a tank, barely smaller than the massive M103 that they also had there.

[@zeedub8560]

It definitely could not float, as a Captain in my Guard unit found out when he tried to cross Cow House Creek at Ft. Hood in flood stage. As I heard the story, "He sank. A tank." With some preparation it could do deep water fording, but only up to the turret ring, which had an inflatable seal. It couldn't go underwater with a snorkle like the T-72.

[@DeliveryDemon]

Keep in mind that Russian tank crews are typically smaller in stature than their American counterparts. As well as having different suspension systems. Russian tanks have the large road wheels with NO return rollers with only torsion bars. And American tanks had torsion bars, as well as shocks and return rollers. Hope it helped! And sorry for the paragraph

[@nanni-buyerofcopper]

Compared to the T54 the M60 is absolutely massive. The first time i saw a T54 in person i was shocked by how tiny it was

[@PhatboyHD88]

I was a driver of a M60 A3 , at FT Irwin California in the OPFOR… 1982 to 1984..

[@howellchampagne3856]

My Army unit at Ft. Hood in the late 70s was using M60 A1s, A2s and something really new, The XM1.

[@neilgetty]

Was at ft.hood 1/67 A company m60a2 from 77 to 1980 1st platoon

[@asiangaming8409]

Human engineering is just pure magic, using plain static materials and turning them into moving giant objects,

[@memonk11]

I think like that when I fly.

[@scockery]

Not to be confused with the M60 machine gun. Not to be confused with what other uninspired designations the US military also uses. Not to be confused with the M-60 highway in Michigan or the M60 motorway in Great Britain. Not to be confused with Emma, 60, who post strong opinions on Lifetime movies.

[@Mechanized85]

there's no need to say it, just gave a nickname to that tank as M60 Patton, it's surely got clear thoughts about what is it.

[@nitzerebbhead]

I loved our M60s at the Fort Snelling Military Museum. Our primary A3 was our tow truck. That M60 equipped with a tow bar could move our immobile artifacts around when needed. We would have an open house once a year where we crushed cars for the crowds. Great content. The M60's engine is referred to as a "pack". The pack contains the transmission and engine all in one unit. We pulled the pack on an the A3 once and it was really simple as the splined drive shafts push into the transmission once the retaining clips are removed.

[@furmanmackey5479]

God, I loved my M60A1. "70 tons of rompin', stompin', steel!" as we called it back then. And yes, with four crewmen, combat loaded, fueled up, and with all the crew members "stuff", camo net, and tarp were crammed into the bussel rack, she tended to weigh in on the scales at 70 tons.....Just like the first generation M1 Abrams did....Even though the first-generation Abrams WAS taller than the M60A1 when all the radio antenna were mounted, and shared a fire control system with the M60A3. Come to think of it, from an old Tankers point of view I miss both of my old tanks but the M60A1 was, and remains, my favorite.

[@AHappyCub]

Me in War Thunder: "I believe in the M60, and the M60 believes in me"

[@alantoon5708]

Could trace its' lineage back to the WWII M-26. American tank development thru the M-60 was evolutionary. The M-1 was different.

[@OrtadragoonX]

Very different. The M1 and its sister (the Leopard 2) were clean slate designs that reused technology from the failed MBT-70 program. They shared nothing with their predecessors M60 and Leopard 1.

[@wj5611]

I say this every time I see you lot, and I’ll say it again, thank you to you fine folks that keep these incredible machines around and on display for us to learn about and appreciate. It’s easy to forget how much history would be lost without you guys. Truly, Thanks for keeping the armored legends of the world alive. What a gorgeous m60 :’)

[@tibivaslo]

It's definitely in my Top 5 favorite tanks of all time. Over 60 year service history. Amazing. Unique and effective.

[@James-xe3yu]

Missile and A2 turret was a fail.

[@TheREALWillemDafoe]

Give me a free tank.

[@KinoTechUSA69]

Get this man a free tank

[@evan8654]

You deserve it!

[@MrHiBeta]

4th Bde, 4th ID, Wiesbaden West Germany here. (78-82) 1-70 Armor was our tank battalion. Great unit.

[@andrewbarratt8551]

We're back in the hands of the master - fantastic presentation in what looked like a single take - fantastic work and thank you

[@Muddybagclean]

Jesus Loves You

[@FelineSublime]

One of my undergraduate professors was a commander on M60s in Germany during the 70s and part of the 80s. It will forever be his favorite assignment.

[@fredradatz9575]

I was a 1811 Usmc tanker from 62 to 67 2 tours in the Nam on M48a3 then in the ong on M 60 and M1a1 in Desert Storm love tanks

[@c.j.zographos3713]

I got to ride on M60s way back when, during my national service. It's great to see David talk about a vehicle I am vaguely familiar with.😎