I want to model a specific M1A1HA from Company D, 3-66 Armor during Operation Desert Storm, named “DAMAGE INC.”
I have the Verlinden Wamachines No. 8 which has this picture of it:
Hello,
welcome to this forum! You have chosen an interesting tank. Sadly, it’s the only photo of it I know of. It belongs to the 1 Infantry Division, so I assume the marking style should be similar to other units of this Division like 2-34 AR, 3-37 AR. They have a “Chevron code” like the one below:
4x belongs to 2-34 AR, 5x to 3-37. I have found several pictures of tanks with 3x like the one below, but have been unable to identify the Battalion for these vehicles, as the quality of the photos is lacklustre.
As for the 7x for TF3-66, it’s possible but in the same book, there is an HQs Bradley of 3-66 with a 90 on it.
I know, this might not help you much, but it’s all I know for about this unit. Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable will help you out!
3/66 AR was in 2AD(FWD) from mid-1988 through the closing of Lucius D. Clay Kaserne just north of Bremen. 1 combat brigade that was part of NORTHAG. I has in HHC mortar platoon from 1987-1989 and left the army after that but yes most of the brigade was attached to 1ID. We got to Germany just in time for Op Free Lion so you might find some bumper codes in a book on that. Below you can see an example of a bumper code on the 1/41 Bradley but for Delta 3/66 AR it would be 2△(FWD) 3-66△ and D-??. The M577 is one of the 2 mortar platoon FDC tracks with Sgt. Mo in front of it.
@Lukas: Thanks for your input.
I have seen the “90” battalion code on the HQs Bradleys too.
I was wondering why a tank battalion would have Bradleys in its HQ Co…
Bradley A-33 of 1-41I has 71 as battalion code, see here:
As this Bradley is from TF 3-66 my guessing is that the M1A1´s from this TF also have 7X as battalion codes…
I found pictures of two A-Co M1A1 from 3-66 (TF 1-41) here:
They have 91 as battalion code.
Paul, thanks for sharing your memories and pictures with me, they are great!
Usually, the TF vehicles kept their parent Bn ID #s. When units task organize, the Bn ID # does not change. The 1-41 IN Brads would still have the 70 series, while the M1A1s still carried the 3-66 AR Bn ID number of the 90 series.
HHC at least for armor battalion has/had the cooks, medics, commo, mechanics pls 2 tanks for CO and XO (I think), scout platoon with probably M3 Bradleys x 6 (?) and the mortar platoon with 6 x M106 (at the time) and 2 x M577. Scouts are 19 series MOS just like tankers. Sometimes the scouts would pair up with some tanks in what they would call a wolf pack.
