M103 Heavy Tank 1950–74 (New Vanguard)

The booklet was very informative and answered a lot of questions. I saw one of these at the Paton Museum in Fort Knox, Ky. In the storage area (it still ran back then). I never got to get inside though. These booklets are some of the best available. I really wish Jane’s would publish booklets like this.

The M103 is the most obscure American tank of the Cold War era that actually entered production and saw operational service. Only a relative handful were built, they were used for only a short time by the US Army and longer by the US Marine Corps, and they never were exported or saw combat.LtCol Estes is the ideal author for a book about the M103. As a retired USMC tank officer and a historian, he is the recognized expert on the history of tanks and other AFVs in the US Marine Corps. The book follows the standard Osprey format for the New Vanguard series. Clearly Estes did a lot of archival research that explains why the US Army rejected the M103 and the US Marine Corps adopted it. The characteristics, merits and inadequacies of the M103 are described in a great detail. The collection of photographs and illustrations is excellent.On a minor note, I assume that the photos on p. 47 are of a young Lt or Capt Estes in an M103A2, and a much older LtCol (retired) Estes is a restored example of the same. However the caption for the photos is mistakenly copied from the previous page.Trivial quibbles aside, this is an excellent and interesting book, and a worthwhile purchase and read for anybody interested in the subject.

For armor enthusiasts, here's an oddity that the Army just all but gave up on, yet the Marines took it to its fullest potential. A rare heavy tank for the United States produced during the Cold War, it never actually saw battle, but it's medium derivative M48 90mm Patton version did in Vietnam and in other nations armies of this era. Never the less, the Marines fielded this behemoth from the 60's to the early '70's.This tank is most likely the pinnacle of the post world war II diecast designs before the advent of antitank missiles rendered them obsolete. Even so, the Marines insisted upon its full development as the Army's preference for the M60 series tank, didn't impress the Corps' enough in performance to this tanks' superior 120mm gun which could defeat its Soviet developed counterparts heavy tanks. The background history is of itself of interest to anyone who has a penchant for understanding how the US military carries out its research and development of its armor and the branches of services defining their needs. A good read with copious illustrations.

As a former officer Ken Estes knows his tanks. The M103 was the largest tank of the Cold War and the heaviest US production tank until later versions of the M1A1 Abrams. A big beast that was envisioned to be able to kill Soviet tanks from over 2000 meters. The US heavy tank programs suffered from changing directions and the lack of either a clear requirement of what they were to do or a strong desire for them by the using arm. Estes does a fine job of putting the M103 program in perspective. There were only a few of these tanks produced and fewer were deployed. The M103 never fired a shot in anger but did have effects on future tank development in the US. The book is well illustrated as are most Osprey titles. Certainly a good deal through Amazon. Recommended for tank buffs, military historians or modelers.

M103A1 and A2. This tank was primarily used by the USMC as the Army only had two battalions of them. The development is an interesting story of a normal tank program. We need something to match or overmatch the Soviet IS-III (and later T-10) heavy tanks. We take an excellent 120mm gun and design a tank around it, apparently without consulting any potential users. Test vehicles have some minor problems - over 700 of them. Army doesn't like them. USMC says it needs them in heavy support. We build a few. A really good account of an unusual US Army tank developed and produced between the M-47 and M-48 main battle tanks. Recommended.

My dream was to command a platoon of these awesome vehicles,only to arrive at Delta Co.,2nd Tank Bn.,USMC,just after they were shipped off and replaced with M48s! Anyhow,Estes does a fine job in a small book,and highlights the drawn out development that not only corrected the original design deficiencies,but turned the M103 into a fearsome weapons package.Yes,I would have liked some more photos of the Littlefield M103a2,but these are easily found elsewhere.I would also like a mention of how indirect fire techniques could be used with the 120mm,and just how much damage it could inflict.My only gripe with the book is that all artwork shows the track reversed,enough of an error to really stand out in a Tankers perspective! Still a bargain and a harbinger of a well done injection 1/35th kit for modelers?? Highly recommended,even with the track run error

Not a lot of books to choose from on this tank. You have Estes book, or R.P. Hunnicutt Firepower: A History of the American Heavy Tank , which is out of print and very expensive. This book has good historical narrative of the development and deployment of the 68 ton 120 mm beast. 300 were built, 80 of which went to the US Army, the rest to the Marines.I have other New Vanguard books, the 2 page centerpiece/cut away is what you'd expect - it does not show enough of the interior. Nor do the photos (there are 2 of the interior). This tank was very unique in US armor technology - it had two loaders. Why not a schematic of the inside, a top view, left and right side views? 7 of the 48 pages are color plates of the tank in US Army & Marine camouflage. Since they are all OD green, I'd rather see more of the interior.If you want a short, concise book on the history of this tank that saw limited action, this is a good place to start. Since all of the paint is essentially OD green or semi gloss green for the Marines, it's not going to be that helpful and certainly you can find photos on line that are in color, larger and show more details.

Born out of the shock of the Korean War, the M103 (or its T43 prototypes) reached service at a time it was no longer so actively required and slowly but surely moved off center stage with the arrival of the M60. Of the approximately 300 built, the majority went to the USMC and the only semi-active deployment they were ever engaged in was in the perimeter security role in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.Like other books in the series, the author attempts to package loads of material into a very compact package and in this he largely succeeds. The whole development history, the leading personalities involved in getting the project through to approval, the operational use in both US Army and USMC guise as well as the subsequent upgrades are all covered. And while you will get some info on the specific components used (primarily the gun and fire control system), this is perhaps the area with the least amount of coverage.The book also has quite some black and white photos as well as the customary colour plates and detail drawings, all executed to the usual high standard.On top of this you will also get some assessment of the tank's capabilities compared to its contemporaries (such as the M60, with which it later shared many of the mechanical components), especially concerning armour protection and firepower. The book does cover comparatively little in terms of first hand accounts of the tankers using it, though.So overall a good compact information source on a largely forgotten tank, and a very interesting start for someone interested in post WW2 heavy armour.

E' un libro a dir poco interessante! Anzi molto interessante. E' scritto in un inglese molto pulito e chiaro (specie per uno straniero!).Unica défaillance per me è che non ha una tabella con dati sulla protezione di questo 'mostro' . Quanto è stato scritto sul suo cannone a mio avviso è poco per un' arma così avvenieristica. A posteriori presenta due difetti:1): troppo lungo: probabilmente fabbricato ancora con acciaio non ESR2): Aveva un complesso proiettile + carica di lancio troppo pesante. Forse utilizzando una bossolo più corto e usando un propellente più 'vivace' qualcosa di meglio ( e quindi di più leggero) si poteva anche pensare che fosse possibilie fare.3). Il libro dimostra come gli americano dormano sugli allori sino al momento in cui una gragnuola di scoppole li sveglia di brutto! Sempre anticipare il pensiero del nemico! Mai aspettare che lui faccia la prima mossa!Galland5

The M103 tends to be overlooked, due to the small numbers built. This book is typical of the New Vanguard series and gives an informative view of the tank. If you are interested in US heavy tanks, it is worth the price.

I collected the entire series of american tanks, russian tanks, and some german tanks. I think that for a colelctor this purchase is mandatory, this feature is not so common in literature.

Excelente libro sobre el último carro de combate pesado norteamericano