I was on a M551 Sheridan in 1969-1970. G troop 2/11 ACR. G18. We had two 50 cals and carried mostly canister rounds with only a few HE rounds. These were considered reconnaissance vehicle. Each platoon had three Sheridans along with six M113s, called ACAVS. I believe the sheridans had a turbo, but the m113 didn't.
It wasn't designed to fight other tanks. It only weighs 17 tons and has a few inches of aluminum armor. Good enough vs small arms, but who bothers to shoot at tanks with small arms? So many of today's weapons are designed to kill tanks, and the Sheridan is easy to kill.
It all comes down to weight vs mobility. The 551 wasn't exactly over-powered as is was. Extra armor also might make it less air portable, so not so great a trade off. Still I guess it could be done.
I rode in one a couple times when I was tasked to the OPFOR as a replacement Cav Scout .... I was Dragon Team, Ops Grp @ NTC, we ran Live Fire and were a guerrilla unit for Force on Force ..but sometimes us lower enlisted worked with 11th Cav when they didnt have enough guys.
This brings back some memories! I was a cav platoon leader in A 1/3 ACR in the 1970s. Each platoon had a "tank" section consisting of three M551s. Looks like the fording skirts have been removed from the vehicle in the video. Ours were present, but full of rips and tears. One of my M551s still had bullet holes in it from its service in Viet Nam. During annual qualification, we'd fire a single Shillelagh missile from each M551. Firing even one conventional 152mm round would knock the launcher sights out of calibration. The front two road wheels on each side would come right off of the ground when a round was fired! Since we often had no training ammunition, we trained with service HEAT rounds. The joke at the time was that the M551 was designed to be air dropped, once, and that it had quite a large bursting radius. NEVER stand in front of a running armored vehicle. Guys got killed this way.
True story, when we came back to the world, we re grouped the 1st Cav at Fort Hood Texas. Our CO always volunteered us for every field exercise that came along. The Sheridan has a big rubber plug that keeps the bore clean, it also has a tank of compressed nitrogen called a bore evacuator that blows the bore clean after firing. We picked up every tarantula we could find and put them down the bore and replaced the rubber plug. When we had a bore full of spiders we pulled up to the CO’s tent while he was gone, pulled the plug and hit the bore evacuator and filled his tent full of tarantulas! He didn’t volunteer returning combat vets for many field games after that!
Thank you for your service sir! This one still runs, doesn't look as pretty as it did as it rolled out of the shop, but still looks nice. Still take it out and exercise it a couple of times a year. If you're ever in the Los Angeles area, look us up.
I lived on one in 1970 for over a year. 2ND /11 ACR G TROOP G18. Lots of fire power with 2 -50 cals. and main gun 152mm. These units were designed to float, but never had the opportunity to try. Those were the days my friend, I thought they would never end.
I worked on the Fire Control of the Sheridan of the 6th ACR when they were at FT. Meade. Great tank to drive. Used to test drive them at Camp Picket when the Cav went there for training.
@@lllz9800 the m551 isn't really a tank, it's an AR/AARV. It's classified as a light tank, air droppable buy parachute and was designed to swim, don't know if I'd want to do that in something that weighs 30000 lb. Was meant to shoot and Scoot. It's a pretty fast little vehicle
As a cadet, I did three weeks of CTLT training with A 3/73 AR, during the summer of '88. I jumped an M3 Grease Gun into an ARTEP after our platoon of 4 Sheridans were heavy-dropped. All of the vehicles survived the jump, but by the end of the field problem, only one was still running. Three years later, I returned to the 82d, as an artillery second lieutenant in DESERT STORM. One time, my HMMWV sunk up to its wheel wells in loose sand. After a night of sleeping under the stars, we were pulled out of our predicament by a Sheridan from 3/73. Good times!
I supported that particular tank during the Gulf War in the 82nd Airborne 3rd 73rd Armor. The D company 3rd platoon 4th tank on the back. That tanks company was formed during the gulf war and removed not long after from the Battalion. Weird to think they went right to storage for 20 years so fast, but of course it started. We took care of them real good.
I was the Gunner for D34!. Dco 3/73ar "Outlaws". We took them to Ft Polk for the last time stripped them down and they were supposed to put mock kits on them for JRTC OPFOR. They made me torch off all grenade launchers before we signed them over. 93-97. We towed a tank for the Deactivation ceremony. And that driver must have never driven a tank LOL. Disney Barracks fun times!
I drove one at the NTC in 1988-1989, They were modded to look like BMPs and T72s. Those things were such junk, breaking down and running-away all the time. You guys who served in them in combat have some real stones!
Keep in mind that they'd been wore out two or three times already by the time they got to NTC. I was fortunate with mine....she was one of the ones that came from 3/73 when they deactivated and I picked her out.
That would be a scary thing. Thank you for watching my video and thank you for your service. If you're ever down in the South El Monte area look us up, only open Saturday and Sunday as of now
I was mis-assigned on one of these for about 6 months (73-74) ...until they re-discovered my real MOS and was reassigned. The automotive system was the only thing that worked really well, I personally had one up to 50 MPH! 3 Sqd. 12th CAV FRG ...Thx for the memories!
Correct, no flotation devices, There are three M551's here at the American Military Museum, tankland.com/. This is the only one that runs, the others are hulls with final drives only, some interior parts. They were range recoveries years ago. No grenade launchers, they are rare as hens teeth, but, we are working on replicating them. We do have the .50 cradle but just to not keep it on the track. Visit the Museum FB page to see this track running again and some of the other things being worked on. I retired and am now there working on things to get them up and running. facebook.com/americanmilitarymuseum/
Great little vehicle. You could lieteraly fix it with bubble gum and bailing wire. I remember using safety pins for linkage pins for a quick fix in the field. Just wish restorers would pay attention and restore it accurately. I was waiting for the torque converter to blow watching the vid, lol.
This is "The American Armoured Foundation's Tank and Ordnance War Memorial Museum, Danville, VA. M551A1 deployed in Desert Shield/Storm. Markings: 3rd Battalion 73 Regiment, Co. B, 2nd platoon, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division."
D 17 Cav Assigned to 199th LIB , 69-70, Lost one to Mine (IED ) 155 round with C 4 Boost, tore Hole in In Engine Compartment, and Center Fuel Tank leaked out all Fuel February 13 , a Friday Day before Valentine's day ?? number Two Took RPG's , TC , cupola Area Abandoned at Site, had No more Main Gun Ammo 50 went to Single shot Coax Destroyed Top cover (Inop ) 16 's 79's Welcome to Infantry , April 1 st 1970 , April fools day ? Still better than Walking, Loved driving , just not Armored enough, Remember it was Air Droppable , Floated ,And Ran at 43-45 MPH,Go for it !
Similar, The 113 variants we have here at the Museum are 6V71 Detroit Diesel, The M551 is 6V71T powered, turbo charged. I do not know if the newer versions/variants of the 113 are the "T" engine.
I owned one for 3 days. Bought it at a scrap auction and then turned it over to an outfit that makes movies. I didn't try to start the engine! ;-) ;-) ;-)
No lasers, shoots 152 mm conventional round and a sheleighly guided-missile. It weighs around 34,000 pounds and is capable of a little bit over 40 miles an hour. It's powered by a 6V 53 Detroit Diesel 2-stroke blown turbo charged engine
After reading some of the comments, I decided to respond on the safety of the Sheridan. Although it isn't RPG proof., the side is designed to absorb an RPG hit before it actually penetrates the interior. If you look at the turret , you will notice the sharp angles which are designed to deflect RPGs. I think this M551A1 was ahead of its time.
How is the side armor designed to absorb RPG hits? There's not any ERA or slat armor on it and it uses thin aluminum armor. Angled armor certainly helps minimize penetration but it's never a guarantee especially when the armor is very thin
Good question. What you see is a flat side that is aluminum sheeting about an eighth inch thick.. and behind the aluminum is urethane about ten inches thick. When hit be an RPG, the outer skin starts the burn out of the RPG before it actually penetrates the tank.
***** Hmm... I'm assuming it didn't work too well as the other Sheridan veterans claim to have seen many Sheridan's destroyed by both RPG's and mines. Likewise, if that system worked well, I would think it would be used today instead of slat armor or ERA. I know for example that the Israeli "Zelda" variants of their M113 with the "toga" applique armor, did not always do a very good job of stopping RPG penetrations. That was a major reason why only heavy APC's were used in the 2006 Lebanon war. Even many of those heavy APC's (Achzarit, Puma, Nagmashot, etc...) were penetrated by PG-7VR tandem rounds, RPG-29 rockets (also tandem warhead rounds), and some of the heavier Russian and Iranian made ATGM's. For all of those reasons, I'm a bit skeptical that the Sheridan's armor reliably stopped older PG-7 rockets used during the Vietnam War.
@@warrengray7256 i know this is a long time to respond, but no, the side of a sheridan could not withstand an RPG hit, RPG is a shaped warhead, perfect for knocking out sheridans. as i wrote above, i was a crewman on an opfor one that was knocked out in vietnam by an rpg, killed 2 crew. It is not even considered a light tank but a scout vehicle/support.
i was a crewman on an OPFOR one at NTC..1/52 Infantry. Got an Army Superior Unit Award out of it...and i got medivaced...lol fun vehicle, fast, but it broke down all the time. my engine went out(my 6th one in a year), and the mechanics and i worked on putting in a new one all night because we had a mission that morning. well, the mechanics forgot to put in cotter pins connecting the transmission to the engine, that morning with no sleep i started the mission, about 6 hours and 5o miles into the battle, i was going down hill, the engine seperated from the transmission and snapped the brake lines, now what made this all worse, my commander had ok'd me to drive it, even though the seat belt did not work..well, Murphys Law slapped me..no control down hill, my sheridan ended up in a anti tank ditch, 3 of the torsion bars broke and i was thrown out of the hatch, landing head first on the only rock within 50 feet. lol...long story short, i compressed my spine and for 2 weeks as a 19 year old, i was using a walker...lol. My sheridan was the 13th made and it was knocked out in Vietnam with an RPG hit center of hull. if you sat in the drivers seat, and looked over your right shoulder, you could see the tapered up hole and the foam inside the armor plates. This vehicle had so many issues...someone painted the antichrist symbol on front and it stayed. hahaha...i constantly complained about the transmission, but they never changed it, i know way too much about this track. i also broke my hand on the T-bar on the back deck, my bud dropped it on my hand...I was so happy to get orders to Germany after doing 14 rotations at NTC. Got on the fun vehicle from then on...The Bradley.
nope that's just startup from something that has been sitting for ever. That tank sat in one spot for 20 plus years and after it fired it backed out of its spot, did a 180 and moved into the shop for paint and Servicing. Now when it starts it doesn't smoke quite as bad
There must still be a lot of these old Aluminum Warriors lying around. I suggest we refurbish them and team them up with the equally old M-113 APCs. They should be great for patrolling the Mexican border!
Surprisingly there's not many of these left. Later in their lives they were used for OPFOR training and then sent off to ranges to be used as targets. We have 4 at the Museum, two that are totally stripped no nothing inside no power pack no nothing, and two that have power packs one is missing the turbo and then this one that runs. It'd be nice to get the other one running too.
pull the fuel shut off over your left shoulder. that will kill the engine every time. ran the Hell out of M-551s with the OPFOR, 1/73rd Armor from 1984-86. Steel on Steel.
2:00 a run away I have a BUNCH of old 2 stroke Detroit's you pull the emergency stop and cut off the air that's the first thing other than oil level you check on one before starting it I wonder if that guy could even get enough cO2 into the intake to kill it kids fooling with one around here removed the flap to put a turbo inline It took me a few minutes to get to there shop after they called me asking what to do as it was screaming away no cO2 there it stayed together some one crimped the fuel line killed it as I arrived close call but shows they will take a lot of abuse before blowing up .
@culz It's to modern to be implemented into WoT, if it was it would either be Tier 9 or tier 10 light tank. And a 152mm derp isn't gonna do much in a Tier 10 fight.
It would serve well as a tier 6-8 IMO, it did show good service, but just got phased out in the Korean, and Vietnam wars, so it would not be too modern, they have done newer tanks I believe, like the Chinese, and some Russian tanks are just as, or more modern than this, so it would be a good choice, i would save up credits ;-)
AjackLee4 The Type 74 STB-1 is actually the newest tank in WoT. But tier 6 and 8 with a 152mm derp? I'm sure you are joking, KV-2 is tier 6. And a fast light tank going around with a 152mm derp would require some serious nerf at even tier 8. It's better fit as Tier 9, I wouldn't want WG to nerf the damn thing to oblivion.
All the WOT speculation on every tank video on youtube is hilarious. If it were implemented, it would be able to defeat the armor on every ww2 era tank in the game due to its HEAT rounds. And that doesn't even mention that it has the capability to fire the shelligah ATGM.
Darksidethreefour I am pretty sure it would be defeated before it could even fire its plastic gun by a puny Panzer II firing gold ammo. And there are no ATGM in WoT
Thanks for the video, brings back some distant memories. Tank must be 50 yrs old now looks and sounds good ! We had them in Bad Hersfeld Germany 3/11 ACR L Troop 75-77 along with the M113A1 personnel carriers . Drove it, loaded it, gunned it. Cold war border patrol , NATO maneuvers called Reforger, Wildflicken and Grafenvwohr . When that big gun went off the whole tank rocked and shook. Loader had to hug the turret wall when it fired because the gun recoiled about 2'. And besides the top mounted 50 cal. it had a 7.62 coaxial machine gun in the turret capable of 750 rounds per minute with 2 alternate barrels in case one got hot. Take a look at some live fire: th-cam.com/video/NurGf1zkEB0/w-d-xo.html
Did an units ever attempt to rig up some spaced armor plates, chainlink fences or anything think like that to detonate the rpg warheads away from the main armor? It would seem to me that a vehicle like this could still be effective if, after it is dropped, it is eventually rigged up with either slat armor or ERA.
Claudia SMITH They did offer it to the U.S. Army airborne forces to test out in combat in Iraq. But that offer sadly was declined probably from massive pressure from the defense companies associated with its competition, the Stryker based MGS wheeled sysetm. Both in my opinion are not ideal as infantry support weapons in urban combat environments as they have a long barrel that while great for anti-tank work, is horrible in tight alleyways that an armored vehicle will find itself within an urban combat scenario. The short-barreled assault gun of the Sheridan was ideally suited for this. It's armor however was not. Hence why I think that the M551 Sheridan system or something similar could still be VERY useful in urban combat if it was updated with slat armor or ERA. Because of its short-barrel it can easily rotate its turret in tight alleyways. Furthermore its heavy caliber 152mm cannon, when firing HE rounds, was incredible destructive and much more accurate compared to calling in an air-strike or 155mm indirect artillery. This is the same reason why it baffles me that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers got rid of their old M728 CEV's that had MASSIVE 165mm demolitions guns on them. Granted they couldn't keep up with the M1 Abrams tanks. However, you would think that logically they would have put those cannons onto a M1 turret and chassis. Short-barreled demolitions guns are ENORMOUSLY useful as infantry support weapons where tanks can't quite get into the right position (due to their long barrel length) and where their cannons or ammunition aren't ideally suited for demolition work. Ideally there should be a turret that mounts something like the 165mm demolition cannon along with a coaxial 30mm auto-cannon and a 7.62mm coax as well (and 12.5mm OWS or on the commander's cupola). The French AMX-30 tanks has a similar system so its not unprecedented. Need to add anti-tank capability? Simple. Follow the lead of the Russians and simply mount ATGM launchers on the sides of the turret (in armored containers) all in a modular weapons sighting/fire-control system that can be adapted and software updated for various weapon systems. The Russians are actually FAR FAR ahead of the U.S. when it comes to dedicated urban warfare armored systems along with both infantry support systems and even anti-infantry tank support armored vehicles. The latest Russian innovations are quickly leaving the U.S. in the dust as far as armor development goes in my opinion.
I'm pretty sure there's two u's in museum. IRS kind of important if you want to look credible. I'm just saying. I think that was the first objective in the course on public history that I took at the University.
It was actually sunk in the ground about 4 in. It was a little tough to get it to relieve itself from the holes but after that it work good. Went to the shop after that and had a good going over. It has since been running quite frequently. This track was actually recorded for Timaya models for the sound of their latest tank release
i was in the 3rd inf. div. 3 / 7 cav . armored tanks M60 a-3 and also Sherridain tank 1977 to 1983 Schwienfurt ,Germany , camp colburg border station ! commies never made a move on are watch
Bad Armor, But we corrected the problem with the gun. If you fired a conventional round, you could not get a missle go light. Solution--was to place a piece of cardboard off a c-ration box on top of the printed circuit boards close the lid, you were good to go after that. The printed circuit boards would vibrate loose if you did not have the cardboard in place. That is how 1/9 Cav kept all 27 of their operational 77-80.
Hey Cliff this SFC Barry Robinson A & B Troop 1/9 Cav. I know what you’re talking about I was on bravo 27 at Alpha 27 and I was also with the troop when we finally turned in our Sheridans in late 79 to pick up A1 rise tanks The funny thing was all 27 Sheridans drove to the turn-in point without breaking down 10 of the M60 A1s broke down driving back to the motor pool I was on the Sheridan for nine years total. Back in 1968 I was selected to go to the Sheridan turret mechanics course at Fort Knox when it was still a concept tank. 1972 I was selected to be an instructor with 2nd Armored Division 2/1 Cav Squadron. We were an AIT Crew stabilization training unit. First of its kind. Even with all its flaws I think the concept of this vehicle was ahead of its time.
A Sheridan is not a tank, it is a Airborne Assault Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AAARV) and not a tank. In a Tank vs Tank shoot out, the Sheridan does not have the long distance range for the HEAT Round and it takes too long to fire the Shillelagh Missile. At 27 tons the Sheridan lacks the armor protection which the M60 Series had. The 152mm Round shook and rocked the Sheridan backwards lifting up to the 3rd Road Wheel before coming down hard. The Main Gun recoil was deadly and would smash your arm if it was not clear of the recoil path. The majority of Sheridan's in my Troop broke down going out of the gate on Alerts back in the 70's. The Army fazed out the Sheridan switching over to the M60A1 Rise Passive Tank which was a Tank and not a AAARV.
Ernie Runyon SPent 5 years in 1-50 Inf (M), 2AD at Hood, 73=78, always stared at Sheridans in the motor pool that were doing neutral steer 360 degree spins. We couldn't get the M113s to do that...... 551s were really noisy tho.
Wow, Very nice. I think you have our twin. We just restarted ours that had sat for to long. Search uTube link Ltwh8hx2_bM I'll have to come down and see this place..
One day in may 1970, we shot 21 rounds of cannisters, 4700 rounds of 50 cal. Kicked ass, and road that back out of Cambodia. !1 th ACR 70 to 7! It brought me home.
I was on a M551 Sheridan in 1969-1970. G troop 2/11 ACR. G18. We had two 50 cals and carried mostly canister rounds with only a few HE rounds. These were considered reconnaissance vehicle. Each platoon had three Sheridans along with six M113s, called ACAVS. I believe the sheridans had a turbo, but the m113 didn't.
I was there with you G- 38, Redfox
Sheridans do have a turbocharged engine.
I was an M-551 gunner from 76-79. E trp, 2/3d Armored Cav. The Sheridan was a lot of fun as long as nobody was shooting back.
+SunPower Guru Hello, why you say that? Is it really that bad?
It wasn't designed to fight other tanks. It only weighs 17 tons and has a few inches of aluminum armor. Good enough vs small arms, but who bothers to shoot at tanks with small arms? So many of today's weapons are designed to kill tanks, and the Sheridan is easy to kill.
SunPower Guru Thank you for your time!
+SunPower Guru Would it be possible to fit some ERA plates on that tank so it can take an RPG hit or at least be a little more resistant than it is?
It all comes down to weight vs mobility. The 551 wasn't exactly over-powered as is was. Extra armor also might make it less air portable, so not so great a trade off. Still I guess it could be done.
Nice to see....I used to drive one of them back in the 90's when the OPFOR used them...SN 0376 was my tank....odd that I still remember that lol
I rode in one a couple times when I was tasked to the OPFOR as a replacement Cav Scout .... I was Dragon Team, Ops Grp @ NTC, we ran Live Fire and were a guerrilla unit for Force on Force ..but sometimes us lower enlisted worked with 11th Cav when they didnt have enough guys.
@@ryanpeck3377 when were you there? I was there 94-97. Had alot of fun running about with the scroats doing TOC panty raids lol.
This brings back some memories! I was a cav platoon leader in A 1/3 ACR in the 1970s. Each platoon had a "tank" section consisting of three M551s. Looks like the fording skirts have been removed from the vehicle in the video. Ours were present, but full of rips and tears. One of my M551s still had bullet holes in it from its service in Viet Nam. During annual qualification, we'd fire a single Shillelagh missile from each M551. Firing even one conventional 152mm round would knock the launcher sights out of calibration. The front two road wheels on each side would come right off of the ground when a round was fired! Since we often had no training ammunition, we trained with service HEAT rounds. The joke at the time was that the M551 was designed to be air dropped, once, and that it had quite a large bursting radius.
NEVER stand in front of a running armored vehicle. Guys got killed this way.
tsmgguy i
152mm better than the 120mm cannon of abrams
@@firesky9114 ummm not by a long shot
Alpha Troop ...msg fm Col Henne: Blood and Steel, Col CW Plummer.
Coolest squadron, I thank all for cross sabers.
C-Trp 1/3 72' Donna Anna fired missile hard target...missile bounced off turned around came right back at tracker, hit a gama goat. UP!
True story, when we came back to the world, we re grouped the 1st Cav at Fort Hood Texas. Our CO always volunteered us for every field exercise that came along. The Sheridan has a big rubber plug that keeps the bore clean, it also has a tank of compressed nitrogen called a bore evacuator that blows the bore clean after firing. We picked up every tarantula we could find and put them down the bore and replaced the rubber plug. When we had a bore full of spiders we pulled up to the CO’s tent while he was gone, pulled the plug and hit the bore evacuator and filled his tent full of tarantulas! He didn’t volunteer returning combat vets for many field games after that!
That is pretty funny my friend oh, I would love to have seen his face
Madlads
This 6v53 is pure masterpiece😍
Was with 4th Battalion 68th Armor 82nd Airborne early 80's. Spent a lot time on the Sheridan.
Thank you for your service sir! This one still runs, doesn't look as pretty as it did as it rolled out of the shop, but still looks nice. Still take it out and exercise it a couple of times a year. If you're ever in the Los Angeles area, look us up.
I served with the 4/68th Armor 82nd Airborne, 1983 to 1985 I was turret rat on those little guys
I lived on one in 1970 for over a year. 2ND /11 ACR G TROOP G18. Lots of fire power with 2 -50 cals. and main gun 152mm. These units were designed to float, but never had the opportunity to try. Those were the days my friend, I thought they would never end.
G TROOP 2nd of the 11 ACR. Redfox 38. Remember you Sam Grey, we made it home!
I would not want to rely on them floating too long with all my inspection hatch seals missing !!!
Rode with the dark horse !!!
Running good after having sat for 20 years. You guys did a good job.
I was on the Sheridan March 87-Nov 89. Thanks for the video. Great memories.
I worked on the Fire Control of the Sheridan of the 6th ACR when they were at FT. Meade. Great tank to drive. Used to test drive them at Camp Picket when the Cav went there for training.
But I do have to say the M551 has to be one of the best looking tanks.
yeah, it looks awesome, and somehow sci Fi
@@JigJoss Have a look at the T-64 lol
@@lllz9800 the m551 isn't really a tank, it's an AR/AARV. It's classified as a light tank, air droppable buy parachute and was designed to swim, don't know if I'd want to do that in something that weighs 30000 lb. Was meant to shoot and Scoot. It's a pretty fast little vehicle
@@m35a2ww shut up nerdp
This track was from my old unit. I was a scout in HHC 3/73 Armor from 86-88
As a cadet, I did three weeks of CTLT training with A 3/73 AR, during the summer of '88. I jumped an M3 Grease Gun into an ARTEP after our platoon of 4 Sheridans were heavy-dropped. All of the vehicles survived the jump, but by the end of the field problem, only one was still running. Three years later, I returned to the 82d, as an artillery second lieutenant in DESERT STORM. One time, my HMMWV sunk up to its wheel wells in loose sand. After a night of sleeping under the stars, we were pulled out of our predicament by a Sheridan from 3/73. Good times!
I supported that particular tank during the Gulf War in the 82nd Airborne 3rd 73rd Armor. The D company 3rd platoon 4th tank on the back. That tanks company was formed during the gulf war and removed not long after from the Battalion. Weird to think they went right to storage for 20 years so fast, but of course it started. We took care of them real good.
I served in 3/73 1990-1993
I was the Gunner for D34!. Dco 3/73ar "Outlaws". We took them to Ft Polk for the last time stripped them down and they were supposed to put mock kits on them for JRTC OPFOR. They made me torch off all grenade launchers before we signed them over. 93-97. We towed a tank for the Deactivation ceremony. And that driver must have never driven a tank LOL. Disney Barracks fun times!
it's a shame the 3/73 was broken up. great bunch of troops
I drove one at the NTC in 1988-1989, They were modded to look like BMPs and T72s. Those things were such junk, breaking down and running-away all the time. You guys who served in them in combat have some real stones!
As did I. It was common for mechanics to go section 8. Torsion bar repair hell
Keep in mind that they'd been wore out two or three times already by the time they got to NTC. I was fortunate with mine....she was one of the ones that came from 3/73 when they deactivated and I picked her out.
The sound of that Detroit spinning up and idling brought back a good many memories. :)
Did you work in GSMC Lima Ohio?
I was in the 116th armored cavalry Battalion and loved this Tank
Almost died in one of these at NTC/Ft. Irwin in 1998. We almost rolled off a mountain ridge at night but thankfully the driver saved it.
That would be a scary thing. Thank you for watching my video and thank you for your service. If you're ever down in the South El Monte area look us up, only open Saturday and Sunday as of now
Sweet baby! D34! Great to see it, swim barrier is gone, no chicken box, Old style grenade launcher mounts. Love serving on the Sheridan
I was mis-assigned on one of these for about 6 months (73-74) ...until they re-discovered my real MOS and was reassigned. The automotive system was the only thing that worked really well, I personally had one up to 50 MPH! 3 Sqd. 12th CAV FRG ...Thx for the memories!
I was in A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 12th Cav 1974-1977.
That tank was Platoon Leader's tank from 2nd PLT, Bco, 3/73 AR, 82nd Airborne Div sometime between 1991-1996.
IT LIVES! Well done!
I saw these at ft Knox when I was training in M60’s and thought they were cute.
I rewatch and notice this Sheridan is missing the search light and the flotation kit. It is also missing the grenade launchers and .50 cal mount.
Correct, no flotation devices, There are three M551's here at the American Military Museum, tankland.com/. This is the only one that runs, the others are hulls with final drives only, some interior parts. They were range recoveries years ago. No grenade launchers, they are rare as hens teeth, but, we are working on replicating them. We do have the .50 cradle but just to not keep it on the track. Visit the Museum FB page to see this track running again and some of the other things being worked on. I retired and am now there working on things to get them up and running. facebook.com/americanmilitarymuseum/
Looks about right, I drove one in the 11th ACR out of Fulda.
Tango Charlie 11, 😎
A good day was running 23 rounds of cannisters throw the main gun, and 33 hundred rounds of 50 down range. Cambodia was open season.
Great little vehicle. You could lieteraly fix it with bubble gum and bailing wire. I remember using safety pins for linkage pins for a quick fix in the field. Just wish restorers would pay attention and restore it accurately. I was waiting for the torque converter to blow watching the vid, lol.
It did seem as though the driver was driving with the brake engaged ...
Also drove them while I was at the Joint Readiness Training Center when it was in Arkansas from 88-90
I was there with you Sam Gray, Old G-38 Jumping Jack Flash. It's great to be home. We made it!!!
Thanks, Brave Rifles Blood and Steel, Col. C. W. Plummer, Ft. Lewis. AERO SCOUTS
I served with 1st Cav Div in Vietnam. We had these as scout vehicles. Very fast when governor is removed. Can be air dropped. They fire missles!
Yep they ran like a raped ape when you turned up the governor to about 3200 rpm from 2800.
I want one to keep people out of my yard!
right arm of the free west ! awesome
A tank that shoots high explosive shells heat shells and shoots guided missiles that is pretty badass tank
This is "The American Armoured Foundation's Tank and Ordnance War Memorial Museum, Danville, VA. M551A1 deployed in Desert Shield/Storm. Markings: 3rd Battalion 73 Regiment, Co. B, 2nd platoon, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division."
Sheridan/3rd ACR Ft Bliss 1974-76 ON THE WAY!!!!
Good to see the old dog running again. 3/12 cav.
I was on the Sheridan A troop third Squadron 7 th United states Cavalry the third infantry Division
Thank you for your service! These are fun to drive they do scoot pretty quick. I cannot imagine firing something and feeling The Recoil
Cool, flying Sheridan, 1/3 ACR 72 Ft Bliss, TX. Thank you Cavalry 317
Thank you sir! She is still a runner, but we don't stretch her legs as often lately.
Cool tank
Awesome
D 17 Cav Assigned to 199th LIB , 69-70, Lost one to Mine (IED ) 155 round with C 4 Boost, tore Hole in In Engine Compartment, and Center Fuel Tank leaked out all Fuel February 13 , a Friday Day before Valentine's day ?? number Two Took RPG's , TC , cupola Area Abandoned at Site, had No more Main Gun Ammo 50 went to Single shot Coax Destroyed Top cover (Inop ) 16 's 79's Welcome to Infantry , April 1 st 1970 , April fools day ? Still better than Walking, Loved driving , just not Armored enough, Remember it was Air Droppable , Floated ,And Ran at 43-45 MPH,Go for it !
Did they fit you with belly armor ???
Ce char est il toujours utilisé dans l'US Army ?
It has an awesome gun >:3
I haven't been around a lot of M551s close up but drove M113s in the Army and they sound very similar running. Same or similar engine?
Similar, The 113 variants we have here at the Museum are 6V71 Detroit Diesel, The M551 is 6V71T powered, turbo charged. I do not know if the newer versions/variants of the 113 are the "T" engine.
m35a2ww it’s kinda cool to see you still on TH-cam , most of these older channels are abandoned
So do they have Sheridan's available for sale? :)
I owned one for 3 days. Bought it at a scrap auction and then turned it over to an outfit that makes movies. I didn't try to start the engine! ;-) ;-) ;-)
@@johnlepant6953 are they street legal, asking for a friend
@@itchypit6413 Beats me! I never drove it! ;-) ;-) ;-)
does it shoot guided missiles and have a sidewinder camo with a laser and a light?
No lasers, shoots 152 mm conventional round and a sheleighly guided-missile. It weighs around 34,000 pounds and is capable of a little bit over 40 miles an hour. It's powered by a 6V 53 Detroit Diesel 2-stroke blown turbo charged engine
@@m35a2ww i was joking but ok
Engines still run smoothly than most old russian tank
😑Esse veículo é surpreendente! A única coisa que deixava a desejar era a vulnerabilidade das suas lagartas.😕
After reading some of the comments, I decided to respond on the safety of the Sheridan. Although it isn't RPG proof., the side is designed to absorb an RPG hit before it actually penetrates the interior. If you look at the turret , you will notice the sharp angles which are designed to deflect RPGs. I think this M551A1 was ahead of its time.
How is the side armor designed to absorb RPG hits? There's not any ERA or slat armor on it and it uses thin aluminum armor. Angled armor certainly helps minimize penetration but it's never a guarantee especially when the armor is very thin
Good question. What you see is a flat side that is aluminum sheeting about an eighth inch thick.. and behind the aluminum is urethane about ten inches thick. When hit be an RPG, the outer skin starts the burn out of the RPG before it actually penetrates the tank.
***** Hmm... I'm assuming it didn't work too well as the other Sheridan veterans claim to have seen many Sheridan's destroyed by both RPG's and mines. Likewise, if that system worked well, I would think it would be used today instead of slat armor or ERA. I know for example that the Israeli "Zelda" variants of their M113 with the "toga" applique armor, did not always do a very good job of stopping RPG penetrations. That was a major reason why only heavy APC's were used in the 2006 Lebanon war. Even many of those heavy APC's (Achzarit, Puma, Nagmashot, etc...) were penetrated by PG-7VR tandem rounds, RPG-29 rockets (also tandem warhead rounds), and some of the heavier Russian and Iranian made ATGM's. For all of those reasons, I'm a bit skeptical that the Sheridan's armor reliably stopped older PG-7 rockets used during the Vietnam War.
Hey, I was 3/11 '74 to '78. Blackhorse!
@@warrengray7256 i know this is a long time to respond, but no, the side of a sheridan could not withstand an RPG hit, RPG is a shaped warhead, perfect for knocking out sheridans. as i wrote above, i was a crewman on an opfor one that was knocked out in vietnam by an rpg, killed 2 crew. It is not even considered a light tank but a scout vehicle/support.
Was on the " M48A3 " then some on the " M60A1 " Later " M551A1 " a tanker all the way .
Had 54 of them 4th 68th armor with 82nd airborne 76 to79.
Est il toujours utilisé dans l' US ARMY ?
i was a crewman on an OPFOR one at NTC..1/52 Infantry. Got an Army Superior Unit Award out of it...and i got medivaced...lol fun vehicle, fast, but it broke down all the time. my engine went out(my 6th one in a year), and the mechanics and i worked on putting in a new one all night because we had a mission that morning. well, the mechanics forgot to put in cotter pins connecting the transmission to the engine, that morning with no sleep i started the mission, about 6 hours and 5o miles into the battle, i was going down hill, the engine seperated from the transmission and snapped the brake lines, now what made this all worse, my commander had ok'd me to drive it, even though the seat belt did not work..well, Murphys Law slapped me..no control down hill, my sheridan ended up in a anti tank ditch, 3 of the torsion bars broke and i was thrown out of the hatch, landing head first on the only rock within 50 feet. lol...long story short, i compressed my spine and for 2 weeks as a 19 year old, i was using a walker...lol. My sheridan was the 13th made and it was knocked out in Vietnam with an RPG hit center of hull. if you sat in the drivers seat, and looked over your right shoulder, you could see the tapered up hole and the foam inside the armor plates. This vehicle had so many issues...someone painted the antichrist symbol on front and it stayed. hahaha...i constantly complained about the transmission, but they never changed it, i know way too much about this track. i also broke my hand on the T-bar on the back deck, my bud dropped it on my hand...I was so happy to get orders to Germany after doing 14 rotations at NTC. Got on the fun vehicle from then on...The Bradley.
The three here at the Museum were OPFOR targets, this is the only operational one of the three.
I can't say if the beginning demonstrates ESS or it's just fumes exhaust
nope that's just startup from something that has been sitting for ever. That tank sat in one spot for 20 plus years and after it fired it backed out of its spot, did a 180 and moved into the shop for paint and Servicing. Now when it starts it doesn't smoke quite as bad
Air borne tank made of aluminium alloys ?
Pretty much all aluminum, and not really a tank. Thank you for watching my video!
I was as Sheridan crew in the 7 th Cavalry
Thank you for your service! If you're close to South El Monte or ever get down this way come visit us.
Guru, I was 2nd Platoon. Which were you?
cool
There must still be a lot of these old Aluminum Warriors lying around. I suggest we refurbish them and team them up with the equally old M-113 APCs. They should be great for patrolling the Mexican border!
Surprisingly there's not many of these left. Later in their lives they were used for OPFOR training and then sent off to ranges to be used as targets. We have 4 at the Museum, two that are totally stripped no nothing inside no power pack no nothing, and two that have power packs one is missing the turbo and then this one that runs. It'd be nice to get the other one running too.
@@m35a2ww Well... so much for that bright idea!!
Say hello to my little friend.
That's about how fast MY Sheridan ran.............LOL
ooo she purr's quite nicely.... all though i gotta say that RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR sound Detroits make at high RPM can be bit of an ear rape.
Crew in a M551A1 in Germany third infantry div . 7th Cavalry
Круто)
pull the fuel shut off over your left shoulder. that will kill the engine every time. ran the Hell out of M-551s with the OPFOR, 1/73rd Armor from 1984-86. Steel on Steel.
2:00 a run away I have a BUNCH of old 2 stroke Detroit's you pull the emergency stop and cut off the air that's the first thing other than oil level you check on one before starting it I wonder if that guy could even get enough cO2 into the intake to kill it kids fooling with one around here removed the flap to put a turbo inline It took me a few minutes to get to there shop after they called me asking what to do as it was screaming away no cO2 there it stayed together some one crimped the fuel line killed it as I arrived close call but shows they will take a lot of abuse before blowing up .
2/2 armored cavalry regiment Bamberg - border patrol Coburg and hof 1975/1976
How can I buy it ?
This one is not for sale. We do have a hull with no power pack in it that might be sold...
I am a simple person, when I am bored I walk my tank
@culz It's to modern to be implemented into WoT, if it was it would either be Tier 9 or tier 10 light tank. And a 152mm derp isn't gonna do much in a Tier 10 fight.
It would serve well as a tier 6-8 IMO, it did show good service, but just got phased out in the Korean, and Vietnam wars, so it would not be too modern, they have done newer tanks I believe, like the Chinese, and some Russian tanks are just as, or more modern than this, so it would be a good choice, i would save up credits ;-)
AjackLee4 The Type 74 STB-1 is actually the newest tank in WoT.
But tier 6 and 8 with a 152mm derp? I'm sure you are joking, KV-2 is tier 6.
And a fast light tank going around with a 152mm derp would require some serious nerf at even tier 8. It's better fit as Tier 9, I wouldn't want WG to nerf the damn thing to oblivion.
***** Yes, exactly my point, thank you.
All the WOT speculation on every tank video on youtube is hilarious.
If it were implemented, it would be able to defeat the armor on every ww2 era tank in the game due to its HEAT rounds. And that doesn't even mention that it has the capability to fire the shelligah ATGM.
Darksidethreefour I am pretty sure it would be defeated before it could even fire its plastic gun by a puny Panzer II firing gold ammo.
And there are no ATGM in WoT
Love the Sheridan I want one but don't have your head out of that drivers hatch when they fire it without your goggles and your CVC helmet
Thanks for the video, brings back some distant memories. Tank must be 50 yrs old now looks and sounds good !
We had them in Bad Hersfeld Germany 3/11 ACR L Troop 75-77 along with the M113A1 personnel carriers .
Drove it, loaded it, gunned it. Cold war border patrol , NATO maneuvers called Reforger, Wildflicken and Grafenvwohr .
When that big gun went off the whole tank rocked and shook. Loader had to hug the turret wall
when it fired because the gun recoiled about 2'. And besides the top mounted 50 cal. it had a 7.62 coaxial machine gun in the turret capable of 750 rounds per minute with 2 alternate barrels in case one got hot.
Take a look at some live fire:
th-cam.com/video/NurGf1zkEB0/w-d-xo.html
Ahh yes
The americans first prototype tank
The wheels are still not like the looked like now
But this gun carries a 152mm gun
Main gun is powerful 152mm cannon
:l>> does it mean fear me and my team???:lL----;)
I want one
Got one for sale, but it's not a runner
I drove one of these in the Generals Rank, care to guess my name?
+sewwwwwwwww, Rolling Stone!
i wudnt ride that in a long range mission
Where is this???
American Society of Military History in South El Monte, Ca
American Society of Military History in South El Monte, Ca
American Society of Military History in South El Monte, Ca
American Society of Military History in South El Monte, Ca
American Society of Military History in South El Monte, Ca
3/4 Cav RVN 1969-70. Saw too many of these burn due to RPG hits and mines. Combustible propellant cases and combustible armor are not a good idea.
Did an units ever attempt to rig up some spaced armor plates, chainlink fences or anything think like that to detonate the rpg warheads away from the main armor? It would seem to me that a vehicle like this could still be effective if, after it is dropped, it is eventually rigged up with either slat armor or ERA.
+wigon Maybe they could get the cancelled M8 Buford Thunderbolt green-lit for production
Claudia SMITH They did offer it to the U.S. Army airborne forces to test out in combat in Iraq. But that offer sadly was declined probably from massive pressure from the defense companies associated with its competition, the Stryker based MGS wheeled sysetm. Both in my opinion are not ideal as infantry support weapons in urban combat environments as they have a long barrel that while great for anti-tank work, is horrible in tight alleyways that an armored vehicle will find itself within an urban combat scenario.
The short-barreled assault gun of the Sheridan was ideally suited for this. It's armor however was not. Hence why I think that the M551 Sheridan system or something similar could still be VERY useful in urban combat if it was updated with slat armor or ERA. Because of its short-barrel it can easily rotate its turret in tight alleyways. Furthermore its heavy caliber 152mm cannon, when firing HE rounds, was incredible destructive and much more accurate compared to calling in an air-strike or 155mm indirect artillery.
This is the same reason why it baffles me that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers got rid of their old M728 CEV's that had MASSIVE 165mm demolitions guns on them. Granted they couldn't keep up with the M1 Abrams tanks. However, you would think that logically they would have put those cannons onto a M1 turret and chassis. Short-barreled demolitions guns are ENORMOUSLY useful as infantry support weapons where tanks can't quite get into the right position (due to their long barrel length) and where their cannons or ammunition aren't ideally suited for demolition work.
Ideally there should be a turret that mounts something like the 165mm demolition cannon along with a coaxial 30mm auto-cannon and a 7.62mm coax as well (and 12.5mm OWS or on the commander's cupola). The French AMX-30 tanks has a similar system so its not unprecedented.
Need to add anti-tank capability? Simple. Follow the lead of the Russians and simply mount ATGM launchers on the sides of the turret (in armored containers) all in a modular weapons sighting/fire-control system that can be adapted and software updated for various weapon systems.
The Russians are actually FAR FAR ahead of the U.S. when it comes to dedicated urban warfare armored systems along with both infantry support systems and even anti-infantry tank support armored vehicles.
The latest Russian innovations are quickly leaving the U.S. in the dust as far as armor development goes in my opinion.
I'm pretty sure there's two u's in museum. IRS kind of important if you want to look credible. I'm just saying. I think that was the first objective in the course on public history that I took at the University.
Museum, yup, you are correct! One of the volunteers edited that and that's the first time I have seen that little boo boo
OK BUT CAN YOU MAKE IT FLOAT
All the manuals say it can float but I don't know that I would want to put 31 tons in the water with a little rubber balloon around it!
Hmm track looks a little dead also, but that is to be expected after that much time
For not running 20 yrs. seems like the track was rusted up solid with all the RPM's the driver gave to even make it crawl !!!
It was actually sunk in the ground about 4 in. It was a little tough to get it to relieve itself from the holes but after that it work good. Went to the shop after that and had a good going over. It has since been running quite frequently. This track was actually recorded for Timaya models for the sound of their latest tank release
@@m35a2ww Cool , I hated it when the track froze to the ground in winter time !!!
Could the main gun take out a T-72?
jason ojeda yes
i was in the 3rd inf. div. 3 / 7 cav . armored tanks M60 a-3 and also Sherridain tank 1977 to 1983 Schwienfurt ,Germany , camp colburg border station ! commies never made a move on are watch
Bad Armor, But we corrected the problem with the gun. If you fired a conventional round, you could not get a missle go light. Solution--was to place a piece of cardboard off a c-ration box on top of the printed circuit boards close the lid, you were good to go after that. The printed circuit boards would vibrate loose if you did not have the cardboard in place. That is how 1/9 Cav kept all 27 of their operational 77-80.
Good job , I had a suspicion that circuit boards were malfunctioning because of the 152mm Jolt at times but didnt figure it out !!!
Hey Cliff this SFC Barry Robinson A & B Troop 1/9 Cav. I know what you’re talking about I was on bravo 27 at Alpha 27 and I was also with the troop when we finally turned in our Sheridans in late 79 to pick up A1 rise tanks The funny thing was all 27 Sheridans drove to the turn-in point without breaking down 10 of the M60 A1s broke down driving back to the motor pool I was on the Sheridan for nine years total. Back in 1968 I was selected to go to the Sheridan turret mechanics course at Fort Knox when it was still a concept tank. 1972 I was selected to be an instructor with 2nd Armored Division 2/1 Cav Squadron. We were an AIT Crew stabilization training unit. First of its kind. Even with all its flaws I think the concept of this vehicle was ahead of its time.
A Sheridan is not a tank, it is a Airborne Assault Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AAARV) and not a tank. In a Tank vs Tank shoot out, the Sheridan does not have the long distance range for the HEAT Round and it takes too long to fire the Shillelagh Missile. At 27 tons the Sheridan lacks the armor protection which the M60 Series had. The 152mm Round shook and rocked the Sheridan backwards lifting up to the 3rd Road Wheel before coming down hard. The Main Gun recoil was deadly and would smash your arm if it was not clear of the recoil path.
The majority of Sheridan's in my Troop broke down going out of the gate on Alerts back in the 70's. The Army fazed out the Sheridan switching over to the M60A1 Rise Passive Tank which was a Tank and not a AAARV.
excessive oil causes runaway, oil acts as fuel
Served as crewman 2/1 Ft Hood 1973. GO BLACKHAWKS!
Ernie Runyon SPent 5 years in 1-50 Inf (M), 2AD at Hood, 73=78, always stared at Sheridans in the motor pool that were doing neutral steer 360 degree spins. We couldn't get the M113s to do that...... 551s were really noisy tho.
For Ukraine 🇺🇦?
Wow, Very nice. I think you have our twin. We just restarted ours that had sat for to long. Search uTube link Ltwh8hx2_bM I'll have to come down and see this place..
One day in may 1970, we shot 21 rounds of cannisters, 4700 rounds of 50 cal. Kicked ass, and road that back out of Cambodia. !1 th ACR 70 to 7! It brought me home.
T49 ripoff?
T49 was essentially the blueprint version of this tank meaning t49 is essentially just the early/downgraded version of this
cardboard? NO ! loss of a working tank for want of cardboard ! Too bad they scraped them.
Nice Christian comment...
tank in which designers failed totally. Worst tank from what time.
Technically not a tank. Armored air droppable vehicle.