Normally, we just used U-bolts. The “U” portion went over the rail, then the ends went through a couple holes drilled in the ammo box, and nuts attached from the inside.
Ken
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Many times the attachments were ad hoc. You went with what you could make work. I know in Desert Storm we bolted the large ammo cans to the rear finder. Drill some holes and bolt it on.
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I’ve also seen a few pics with these round cans on the rear fender. What are these ? Oil cans ? Also simply bolted directly to the tank ?
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These are 5 gallon oil cans. One for 5W and one for 10W. There are also five gallon cans on the bustle rack, but are not round.
Oil for the tanks actually come on these round cans.
They are usually held on with a strap.
Ken
I know… 
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Hmm, I cant’s see any straps in either picture ?!
The 5 Gal. can of oil is held in place because it’s in the space between the air filter box and the mounting point for the fender, which is just big enough to hold the can without it moving.
We still usually used a strap, just in case.
On top of the oil can is a pour spout and a small folding handle. On the tank, just inboard of the fender, is the rear lifting eye. The strap goes from the handle to the lifting eye.
Ken
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The 5 gallon can held oil so it would not have holes put in it. My unit seldom saw those cans. The HQ platoon put out 55 gallon drums of 10 and 30 weight oil and we filled our jerry cans with them. We kept our jerry cans on the turret side racks and added 2 extra racks on the bustle rack for water cans. The water cans were stowed in the tank in the motor pool to keep them from walking away.
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Sgt Willoughby, from 1/37th?
No I didn’t make E5 until I PCSed to Fort Stewart 5/32nd Armor. In Germany I was in 1/11th ACR in Fulda. You knew a Sgt Willoughby? I thought we were rather rare.
Yep, popular last name.
Sorry for bringing this up again, but there’s another question/“problem”; does anybody know, what has been stored into these ammo protective tubes ? And: have they been repainted (at least in some cases) ? As far as I know the original color of these things was black ?!
Thanks !
Roger
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Rolled up maps for us, C1/37th Armor. Odd that these are outside, we kept ours in the turret. We could actually strap them in a ammo rack, as we were an M60A2 unit
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The tubes were originally OD. If you saw black ones, they had been repainted.
As for what was in them, usually maps. They are too small to hold personal gear or spare parts.
Ken
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