M60A3 NATO 3 color bumper #'s

The tan rectangle w/black stenciling was/is pretty standard on 3-tone NATO camo vehicles.  Unless you have evidence otherwise, that is what I would go with.

Regular Army M60A3TTS tanks weren't in the NATO 3 color, we used a modified 4 color MERDC scheme without the tan squiggles and larger black areas.

The reason why a lot of 3 color NATO M60A3 tanks do not have bumper numbers is because they belonged to National Guard ECS (Equipment Concentration Sites) and not to individual units. Different units would draw these vehicles for their annual training.

We used the tan blocks on the front and the two small access plates in the back were painted tan with black bumper numbers. Different units may have placed the numbers in different spots. I've seen them on the back fenders, but back fenders didn't last very long and were a sign of a stateside unit that didn't do a lot of quality maneuver time.

Gino & Rob thanks for getting back to me.  I'm going with the tan blocks that you both mentioned.  I'm kind of committed to the NATO 3 color camo scheme as I will be presenting the gift this weekend (procrastination is a way of life for me)but the modified MERDC for the TTS A3's is good info.  

The retiring Soldier I'm giving this gift to was with C Co. 5/73 AR (194th Armor BDE) at Fort Knox in the mid 80's (if his ERB is correct) would unit designator be:

"194 triangle 5 triangle 73"  or just "5 triangle 73" ??       

I found a blog on the web from a SSG that was in that unit during that time frame but the few photo's with the A3's showed no bumpber #'s (one pic. did seem to confirm NATO 3 for those tanks at that time though (non TTS?)

 

Gents, thanks much for your insight

 

v/r

Gary

Ah, the "slave brigade" that existed to support the Armor School. They marched to the beat of a different drummer in terms of markings and camouflage. Their vehicles spent a lot of time being used by enlisted and officer tankers in training and carried a variety of non-standard schemes. They did have pretty ones set aside for displays at graduations, change of command ceremonies, open houses and just about any public event on Knox. Non-TTS A3s were virtually non-existent in the US Army. They were all retrofitted with the new sight shortly after fielding. Not sure with what their marking standards were. I know a lot used "ACX" for Armor Center. I'd go with what you guessed.