U.S. Sixth Army in the War:

[Matt Wiser]

An OB for the U.S. Sixth Army-which fought in New Mexico and Texas:

U.S. Sixth Army Order of Battle: 1986-1989


Peacetime HQ: Presidio of San Francisco, CA. Wartime HQ: Phoenix, AZ from Jan 1986-June 1987. Albuquerque, NM from June 1987-Aug 1987. Wichita Falls, TX from Aug 1987-June 1988. Austin, TX from June 1988-July 1989. Fort Sam Houston, TX from July 1989-end.


11th Airborne Division

III Corps:

1st Cavalry Division

23rd Infantry Division (Mechanized)

5th Marine Division

3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment


ROK Expeditionary Corps:

ROK Capital Division

ROK 9th Infantry “White Horse” Division

ROK 2nd Marine Division

ROK 5th Armored Brigade


X Corps:

4th Armored Division

40th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (CA NG)

14th Armored Cavalry Regiment

1st Republic of China (ROC) Mechanized Division


II Corps: Assigned to Sixth Army for LONG RIFLE and BORDER FURY

14th Armored Division

90th Infantry Division (Mechanized)

7th Infantry Division (Light)

9th Armored Cavalry Regiment

III Corps reinforced with 6th Armored Division for LONG RIFLE and BORDER FURY.

II Corps reinforced with 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) for BORDER FURY from V Corps.

[Poohbah]

II Corps was added to the mix for LONG RIFLE because III Corps was SERIOUSLY battered, and it was beginning to show.

Fifth Marine Division was understrength by about a regiment's worth. 2/26th Marines were in San Francisco doing ANVIL FURY, 1/28 was in corps reserve for refit and training with HOLE CARD (TENCAP terminals in the CP LAVs), and 2/27 had just gotten into one hell of a brawl in Stephenville (southwest of the Dalworthington Metroplex)--a Motor Rifle Regiment blundered into Stephenville (Ivan got lost and ended up 30 miles out of position), which happened to have 3/27 laagered up. Ivan proceeded to do a cavalry charge right into the center of town. General Estes (the Division CG) described it as "...making 2/28th Marines' initial assault into Clovis look like a shining example of tactical subtlety." (Ouch!) But 3/27 did get smacked around pretty hard (>25% casualties), and things got so confused that the opposing HQ elements ended up getting into a gunfight at the Sonic on 377. Bottom line on the Marines: about a regiment short to begin with.

The Americal was just worn out (several hard-fought engagements after PRAIRIE FIRE, plus their hand-me-down gear issued in '86 was ready for the junkheap--word was you could hear them coming from ten miles away just by the sound of the broken torsion bars in the M60s), so they needed to refit with the Division 86 TO&E. 1st Cav was supposedly in OK shape (for varying valuesof OK), but there was a consensus at Sixth Army HQ that III Corps as a whole needed to sit LONG RIFLE out and go into Army or even theater reserve to rest, refit, and integrate replacements.

Additionally, General Franks was getting tired, and Big Army wanted him at TRADOC to build on lessons learned (Big Army was less than happy with the-then incumbent at TRADOC, who had a knack for focusing on exactly the wrong issue).

[clancyphile]

One question on the M60 - since there were some that got 105mm M1 turrets and others got 120mm M1 turrets - did they have separate designations (M60A4 for the 105, M60A5 for the 120) or did they get the same designation?

[Wolfman]

IIRC, they were both the M60A4, with the gun bore appended to the end of the designation…

[Poohbah]

One question on the M60 - since there were some that got 105mm M1 turrets and others got 120mm M1 turrets - did they have separate designations (M60A4 for the 105, M60A5 for the 120) or did they get the same designation?

I think it was M60A4 across the board. Of course, the USMC effort to second-source the M60A4 was a complete trainwreck, so we never received any.

[Wolfman]

One question on the M60 - since there were some that got 105mm M1 turrets and others got 120mm M1 turrets - did they have separate designations (M60A4 for the 105, M60A5 for the 120) or did they get the same designation?

I think it was M60A4 across the board. Of course, the USMC effort to second-source the M60A4 was a complete trainwreck, so we never received any.

Train wreck, Poohbah? Say better: unmitigated disaster.

[clancyphile]

One question on the M60 - since there were some that got 105mm M1 turrets and others got 120mm M1 turrets - did they have separate designations (M60A4 for the 105, M60A5 for the 120) or did they get the same designation?

I think it was M60A4 across the board. Of course, the USMC effort to second-source the M60A4 was a complete trainwreck, so we never received any.

That doesn't seem pretty bright to me. How do you keep a 105 unit from getting 120 main gun ammo?

[Eaglenine2]

M60A4-105 for 105mm equipped and M60A4-120 for 120mm?

[Poohbah]

One question on the M60 - since there were some that got 105mm M1 turrets and others got 120mm M1 turrets - did they have separate designations (M60A4 for the 105, M60A5 for the 120) or did they get the same designation?

I think it was M60A4 across the board. Of course, the USMC effort to second-source the M60A4 was a complete trainwreck, so we never received any.

That doesn't seem pretty bright to me. How do you keep a 105 unit from getting 120 main gun ammo?

National Stock Number is different for 120mm ammo, and HEAT has a different NSN than HVAPFSDSDU.

[jemhouston]

Given the fact the Army could supply the correct ammo for the M-1 Rifle, M-1 Carbine, and M-1 Submachine gun in WW2, they could get the right ammo each tank unit.

Queston, I'm assuming each platoon only had one type M-60A4 in it, how far did that go, company, battalion, or up to division?

[Poohbah]

Given the fact the Army could supply the correct ammo for the M-1 Rifle, M-1 Carbine, and M-1 Submachine gun in WW2, they could get the right ammo each tank unit.

Queston, I'm assuming each platoon only had one type M-60A4 in it, how far did that go, company, battalion, or up to division?

They preferred to refit an entire division in one go (which explains why 40th Mech got the Abrams/Bradley makeover as early as they did, they were available), because division maintenance assets also needed to change out.

[James1978]

OOC: Why do y'all have such an aversion to just using M60A4 for the 105mm and M60A5 for the 120mm?

[Wolfman]

OOC: Inertia, I suppose.

[Johnnie Lyle]

OOC: Why do y'all have such an aversion to just using M60A4 for the 105mm and M60A5 for the 120mm?

OOC, the US Army didn’t use different As to differentiate Sherman turrets, hull or gun armament, so it has precident.

[mac1812]

OOC: Why do y'all have such an aversion to just using M60A4 for the 105mm and M60A5 for the 120mm?

To easy and makes sence. Can't have that.