Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974
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#1: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Doug_Kibbey, Location: The Great Satan PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:10 pm
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...after tearing up Checkpoint Charlie first, apparently. Sounds a little like our experience at Ft. Knox in '72, but with potentially more serious consequences. Thankfully the officer on the other side of the border had a level head about this during the event and recovery.

Anybody ever hear about this incident? Before most of you guys' time except for a handful of us here like Roy, Oldertop and myself. News to me...

Story and pics about 8/10th's of the way down the page...(Start where the pic is of him holding the baby)

berlin-brigade.de/honor/honor6.html
#2: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Dontos, Location: Vine Grove, KY PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:40 pm
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I lived in Germany ( as a dependent) from July 1973 thru May 1977.

I had heard ' a rumor' of this,(or a similiar story) and the reasoning it never be came public knowledge was that the Russian & East Germans had abandoned their combat vehicles, at the sight of the American tank driven by some 'crazed' American.

There was another GI snapped /'run away' which tried to cross a bridge over the Rhine, he miscalculated and plunged into the River. It caused all river traffic to halt since it came to rest in the navagation lanes. I believe the individual drowned. I remember photos (somewhere) of the tank being lifted by barge-mounted cranes, out of tthe river.

More memories....
Don
#3: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Doug_Kibbey, Location: The Great Satan PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:43 pm
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- Dontos
I lived in Germany ( as a dependent) from July 1973 thru May 1977.

I had heard ' a rumor' of this,(or a similiar story) and the reasoning it never be came public knowledge was that the Russian & East Germans had abandoned their combat vehicles, at the sight of the American tank driven by some 'crazed' American.

There was another GI snapped /'run away' which tried to cross a bridge over the Rhine, he miscalculated and plunged into the River. It caused all river traffic to halt since it came to rest in the navagation lanes. I believe the individual drowned. I remember photos (somewhere) of the tank being lifted by barge-mounted cranes, out of tthe river.

More memories....
Don


We've seen that pic here and I have them saved on my HD somewhere. I think that was an M60 or M48.
#4: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Roy_A_Lingle, Location: El Paso & Ft Bliss, Texas PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:56 pm
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Hi Folks!

After sliding down to the article about the run away, check the photo on the right side of the unit crest. Look at the track block on the right (driver's point of view) side of the tank on the right. Mr. Green

Sgt, Scouts Out!
#5: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Doug_Kibbey, Location: The Great Satan PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:36 pm
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- Roy_A_Lingle
Hi Folks!

After sliding down to the article about the run away, check the photo on the right side of the unit crest. Look at the track block on the right (driver's point of view) side of the tank on the right. Mr. Green

Sgt, Scouts Out!


At first I thought that was an illusion, like some track leaning up against something, but now I see it's only about four block in that pattern. I wonder if it was some emergency repair/replacement and somebody didn't have time to get the orientation sorted out, like during this incident? He mentions the "Ft. Knox Rope Trick", but there's a pic of guys using track jacks, for instance....what's up with that? You don't use track jacks if you haven't broken track....
#6: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: piney, Location: Republic of Southern New Jersey PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:41 pm
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excuse my ignorance but , What briefly and in general is the
"Ft. Knox rope trick" mentioned in the article? Confused
#7: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Dontos, Location: Vine Grove, KY PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:30 pm
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- Doug_Kibbey
- Roy_A_Lingle
Hi Folks!

After sliding down to the article about the run away, check the photo on the right side of the unit crest. Look at the track block on the right (driver's point of view) side of the tank on the right. Mr. Green

Sgt, Scouts Out!


At first I thought that was an illusion, like some track leaning up against something, but now I see it's only about four block in that pattern. I wonder if it was some emergency repair/replacement and somebody didn't have time to get the orientation sorted out, like during this incident? He mentions the "Ft. Knox Rope Trick", but there's a pic of guys using track jacks, for instance....what's up with that? You don't use track jacks if you haven't broken track....


If the track is thrown off, you need to break track, manuever the tank on the layed out track, then use a rope to thread the track back on. If enough slack, one might be able to use rope as track jack (tied to center guide), thus enabling the end connectors to be hammered back on. Center guide can then be attached with the removal of rope.

I don't know if this is what is meant, but it is possible. "Ft Knox rope Trick' ?! (WTF ??)

Sounds like someone just made that name up 'on the fly'. Sorta like 'Gavin' Rolling Eyes Mr. Green

No such thing, but makes for good press.... (!!?)

Sorry for the 'G' word Mr. Green
Don
#8: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-197 Author: Doug_Kibbey, Location: The Great Satan PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:38 pm
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I agree with Don...I'm thinking that, from his pic with the trackjacks (and that funny pic Roy pointed out), the poster (not being a tanker and posting about an event thirty years in the past) has gotten some details wrong and the tank broke it's track. Usually using a rope involves using the rear sprocket as a capstan to pull track over the front idler wheel or something like that.

There might also have been some damaged track blocks and they had to improvise (in a hurry, considering where they were) to get under way again. That might explain the funny track block arrangement (if it's the same tank) in the pic Roy called our attention to in the earlier post. No tanker with time on his hands would have done that intentionally, but if you were in a hurry to get out of E. Germany.....
#9: Re: Stolen M60A1 crashes Checkpoint Bravo into E. Berlin-1974 Author: Joe_D, Location: Razorback Country PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:53 pm
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Howdy Everyone,

I don't think any of the pictures except the still taken from the news report are of the tank in this incident. Anyone who's done time on an M60 will know the first thing that tears up when crashing through stuff are your rear fenders, they tend to turn up when crap gets caught up in the track. In the still you can see the right rear fender is already bent upward. Once ran over an old car and it hung on the track and started to climb onto my deck, screwed up my fender, sand sheild and the support bracket. A lot of these tanks on display have jacked up rear fenders and sponson boxes because they never replaced the steel support bracket when they bent after throwing track. I think the backward T97 track might have been done intentionaly or was some guys not paying attention. To do that on this tank you'd have to break track twice where they are located. Seen M1 crews do the same with the old 156 track. One guy said he did it that way to know where to start and stop walking track.

About the "rope" trick. Got me, not sure what they are talking about. I know just because you throw it doesn't mean you have to break it all the time. If your lucky you can just loosen the track tension and shove rocks, track blocks, or chock blocks in it and get it to roll back in between the road wheels. Easier on an M1, the bloody M60 sprocket had a center guide channel like the M88 making it hard to pop in, you usually had to take out 3-5 center guides in a row so it would track on to it. Maybe the guy meant the "Fort Knox Rope-a-Dope" ???? refering to this little trick.

Joe D
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