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REVIEW
M32B1 Recovery Vehicle
barkingdigger
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ARMORAMA
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Posted: Sunday, June 03, 2012 - 08:34 AM UTC
Rick Cooper looks inside the box of the new Tasca M32B1.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
KoSprueOne
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Posted: Saturday, June 09, 2012 - 10:44 AM UTC
I just bought one and utilized this review to check the kit contents completeness. Looks OK

note: the review pictures do not show the clean looking 'hollow effect' guide teeth blades of the tracks. They are in shadow in the provided picture.




vonHengest
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Posted: Saturday, June 09, 2012 - 03:00 PM UTC
Now that you've mentioned it, I can just make them out Ko. The Tasca vinyl tracks have always been top notch on detail

I so can't wait to get mine, I sold both of my Italeri kits to get one of these beauties.
KoSprueOne
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Posted: Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 06:38 AM UTC
sold both kits?!?

yeah, this is my first Tasca kit and I'm impressed so-far




Headhunter506
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Posted: Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 08:35 AM UTC
Might make for an interesting diorama. When i was stationed at Illesheim, in the early 1980s, 1/13 Armor (M60A3 RISE-equipped) had a fully operational M32B1 which was actually taken on FTX's.
clovis899
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Posted: Monday, June 11, 2012 - 10:06 AM UTC
Ko,

Had to laugh at the photo comment! My wife says she didn't marry me for my photographic skills . It is always hard to get light everywhere you need it with these kinds of photographs. Has anyone tried a small LED flashlight? Just curious.

Joseph,

Do you have any pictures of the M32B1, that would be to cool!

Thanks,

Rick Cooper
vonHengest
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Posted: Monday, June 11, 2012 - 10:29 AM UTC
Ko: Have you seen them? You'd sell those things too te get one of these

Rick: LED flashlights aren't always powerful. Often you have to place the flashlight really close to the area that you want to light up, especially when other light sources are present. I've had the best luck with Maglite LED flashlights, avoid the the cheap ones especially the ones on little keychains with multiple bulbs. They are horribly unreliable.
Headhunter506
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Posted: Monday, June 11, 2012 - 03:01 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Ko,

Had to laugh at the photo comment! My wife says she didn't marry me for my photographic skills . It is always hard to get light everywhere you need it with these kinds of photographs. Has anyone tried a small LED flashlight? Just curious.

Joseph,

Do you have any pictures of the M32B1, that would be to cool!

Thanks,

Rick Cooper



I wish. I was assigned to 1/6 INF(Mech) and each unit had separate motor pools. We didn't do much visiting between the two. Everybody, from Bde Cdr. and down the food chain, was anal about cameras in the motor pools and on FTX's. From what I remember, there was an "Old Ironsides" patch and a 13th Armor unit crest painted on either the left or right sides of the vehicle along with "1st Bn 13th Armor" in Gothic script.
magicsub
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Posted: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 03:08 AM UTC
Great review.

Was this variant ever used by the soviet union?

I know that the M3 grant/lee recovery tank was used, so is there a possibility this one was as well?

Another question, how did the crew fire, load and aim the front mounted mortar?
KoSprueOne
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Posted: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:21 PM UTC
clovis899, Your pictures for the review are more than adequate. I just wanted to describe that particular detail of the tracks for anyone interested that didn't have the kit on their bench yet...

I haven't tried using an LED flashlight yet but have taken many pictures outside under direct and indirect sunlight.



vonHengest, I have 3 of those Italeri kits




barkingdigger
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Posted: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:45 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Another question, how did the crew fire, load and aim the front mounted mortar?



Given the layout, I assume a "volunteer" climbed out with a mortar round and stuffed it down the tube. It was a standard-issue 81mm mortar, so it was triggered by impact of the round on a firing pin in the base. I believe they were mainly for smoke rounds to add a little "fog of war" to the area to mask the recovery work from lurking snipers, so probably weren't used if there was active fighting going on too close.

Tom
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