M32 Recovery Vehicle (Sherman Tank)

[fasttruck]

Hope you have good transportation support to get it out of the field. Moved target vehicles with and without track or only one track and they will be a challange, one without track on road wheels like yours is harder to control and has a habit of going through trailers with wood floors. Does your station have a m 1000 ?

 

[Capt Pat]

There's one sitting sinking into the ground at Sam Winer Motors in Akron, Ohio also (matter of fact there is a Sherman doing the same thing as well as an M-5, but thats another story) Maybe those folks have some various parts left too The one sitting there is fairly complete, but nobody can talk them out of it for love nor any amount of money.

 

[ChoLargo66]

Capt Pat, Thank you for the information...

 

[ChoLargo66]

fasttruck:

We have an M88 (Hercules) Vehicle Recovery and HET Truck Tractor with a trailer to go and get it...and of course a few chains to secure the load. I will let you know how was it when the mission happend, we are still waiting for EOD to clear the area for us to go and pick it up. Thank for the information!

 

[ChoLargo66]

Sir, that is one serious project you have. Good luck and like Wreckerman said you have come to the right place. Is the motorpool going to help out at all?

Good Luck and keep up posted with picks!!

Atomic:
Our MP is down range and our DOL has said to me that they do not have the funding to help me out. This one is going to be done by someone out there... Thanks!

 

[ChoLargo66]

Check down at Ft Sill they have a Sherman Recovery Vehicle sitting there that needs repair !!

M813A1:
Can you be a little bit more specific on where, I have a couple friends station there and they can go and check it out for me and obtain the information I need. Thank you!

 

[Baron3-6]

Hi, came across this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents. I'm in the same profession as you and have about 4 years working on historical armor as a museum volunteer at Ft. Knox (back when the museum there still had its tanks).
The good news is you have a good BC who wants to preserve history and you also have an example of an early M32 (early M4A1 Sherman hull).
Bad news is the amount of work to even bring this vehicle to completed exterior for display is probably not feasible given budget and lack of parts. You'd need tracks, road wheels, rubber for existing road wheels, etc. Granted, if you have a good welding shop, some things like the recovery boom and engine access panels can be mocked-up.
Personally, if it were my BC, I'd make one of the three following recommendations:
1. Haul it in, give it a good coating of correct OD paint and stars. Display it in front of the motor pool as-is. Let the unit paint their insignia on it, personalize it. Maybe "Recovery or Death" on the side....
2. Do the same as above, but retain the hulk as a training aid for M-88 training. At least then the old girl is serving a purpose.
3. Contact the post museum curator. It could be some other army museum is needing parts for an early Sherman and has an "extra" M32 they'd be willing to trade. Trading of vehicles between museums happens, especially if a unit is willing to help with hauling / recovery. There are fairly complete M32's floating around out there as gate guards that might be obtained if your BC is ****-bent on having one on his yard. They don't attract much attention as they don't have a main gun, but are cool none the less. I've always wanted to see a fully operational one actually doing a recovery. The M32's seem to survive at a higher rate because they out-lived other Sherman type vehicles in service.
Hope this helps! If you need anything, private message me.

 

[cuchoramone]

Hi

A very interesting project. I haven’t got two cents, only one.

In FORT SNELLING MILITARY MUSEUM, there was one. Literally they said : "once used for target practice, now for parts”.
I think is a M32B1.

I have a doubt with the M32s. I’ve seen lots of pictures of them and ...
it’s strange ... the rear ventilator and the auxiliary generator fuel cap..., I cannot see them.
Does anyone know if they were removed because the turret was too wide?

 

[nedpa64]

When I was stationed at Grafenwoehr in the early '80's they had received around 10 of these back from Belgium. They were depot rebuilds taken from war reserve. We drove them downrange for targets!

 

[135gmc]

The one at the Fort Snelling Museum might still be there -- for a little while longer. The 88th has closed the museum as a cost saving action, and equipment is being moved to other Army museums and to other locations.