M103 and M60 tanks - USA: books - history and technology

M103 Heavy Tank, 1950-74 (Osprey)

The T43 design represented the pinnacle of U.S. Army tank engineering of the late 1940s. The heavy tank proved fairly popular with its crews, who above all respected the powerful armament it carried. The outbreak of war in Korea brought a rush order in December 1950 which led to a complete production run of 300 vehicles.
After 1951, the Marine Corps alone retained confidence in the heavy tank program, investing its scarce funds in the improvements necessary to bring about its fielding after a hurried production run in midst of the 'tank crisis' of the year 1950-51. The eventual retirement of the M103 in 1972, over 20 years after manufacture and after 14 years of operational service, demonstrated the soundness of its engineering. It may have been the unwanted 'ugly duckling' of the Army, which refrained from naming the M103 alone of all its postwar tanks. For the Marine Corps, it served the purpose defined for it in 1949 until the automotive and weapons technology of the United States could produce viable alternatives.

This book describes the development, technology, variants and use of the M103 Heavy Tank.

Contents: Introduction - Design & Development - Operational History - Variants - Bibliography - Index.

M60 Tank - US Cold War MBT (Legends of Warfare)

NEW

The M60, a stalwart in the US military from 1960 until its phased replacement by the M1 Abrams post-Operation Desert Storm, saw production exceeding 10,000 units. Numerous M60 tanks persist in service with foreign militaries today.

This book stands as the most exhaustive photo reference for the M60, boasting 340 black-and-white and color images. These photographs not only showcase design intricacies but also narrate the tank's combat history.
Dedicated chapters meticulously cover the M60, A1, A2, and A3 models, along with diverse auxiliary vehicles utilizing the M60 hull. Providing a comprehensive visual exploration, this volume encapsulates the enduring legacy and evolution of the M60 tank.

M60 Main Battle Tank 1961-91 (Osprey)

Entering service in the early 1960s, the M60 tank was in production for 23 years and formed the backbone of US Army and Marine armoured units during the Cold War. Over 15,000 were built in four basic models: the M60, M60A1, M60A2, and the M60A3. Although the M60 had been phased out of US Army service by the time Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, M60s were amongst the first Allied tanks to enter Kuwait City with the US Marines.

This book examines the design and deployment of the M60, a very widely used vehicle that is still in service today.

Contents: Introduction - Design and Development - Operation History - Variants - Colour plate commentary - Index.

Sagger Anti-Tank Missile vs M60 Main Battle Tank : Yom Kippur War 1973 (Osprey)

The 1973 Yom Kippur War rewrote the textbook on the tactics of modern armored warfare. Unlike the previous major Arab-Israeli war of 1967, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) faced an enemy that had invested heavily in modern Soviet weapon systems and tactics.

Using detailed colour artwork and insightful analysis, this book explains how the effective use of the Soviet-supplied AT-3 Sagger (9M14 Malyutka) anti-tank missile allowed small Arab tank-killing teams to destroy Israeli armor at an astonishing rate.
It also analyses the tank that opposed it, the US-built M60A1, which had to fight for survival against the Arab Saggers, and shows how in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights, the IDF quickly learned that firepower and infantry/artillery cooperation were the keys to their survival.