Quote:
Originally Posted by Pfor
Interesting information.
Until now, I had assumed that the M40 was authorized by TOE 7-18 Change 5 on 14 October 1954 rather than by 7-18R, since the R-series seemed to change precious little in most cases.
In any event, in 7-18R the M40 platoon was authorized 6 106-RR on jeeps in 3 sections of two.
(snip)
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Thanks for the enlightening info; my copy of 7-15 only shows up through change 4 dated 25 June 1954, I didn't realize there was a change 5. Since T/O&E 7-15 from September 1954 was the ATFA test, the very next T/O&E I saw was the February 1955 Revision. Thus apparently change 5 was issued as soon as the M40 106mm was standardized...still, fielding would probably have taken quite some time, as we weren't in a shooting war at the time. Assume field testing in CONUS using change 5 T/O&E for at least a few months before the first shipments sent overseas, perhaps December 1954 at the earliest, more likely summer 1955, but they would be available for deployment should either the Korean or European theater became hot. As far as Korea, R.P.Hunnicutt mentions in his book PATTON that terms of the armistice limited fielding of new equipment, hence their retention of M46 Pattons after they were declared obsolete in February 1957; this may indicate that 1CD and 7ID in Korea didn't receive the M40 106mm for some time, perhaps even after the Pentomic reorganization. Would you have any info on that? Thanks,
John