Canadian Ferrets 1975 CFB Meaford

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

The M813A1 5 Tons were brought into service in Jan 1976.

Thanks Ed...the grey matter is getting a little greyer these days. I thought that was the year.

[Ed Storey]

It is a Centurion, Canada did not get the Leopard until 1978.

[rob love]

I honestly couldn't tell which tank it was.If it were a Leo, then it would date the photo to 78, but it would be unlikely that a M152 and a Canadian Leo would be on the same ex.

[Robin Craig]

The gent who took the photos says it was 1975 but as he is human like the rest of us he could be wrong, I will ask.

I did put the year in the thread title

[jdmcm]

Not to hijack Robin's thread but does anyone have any more pictures or info on the M813 5 ton in Canadian service?

Thanks
John

[rob love]

I have CFTO's up the wazoo on both 5 ton fleets, including the modifications. Things like the Jake brakes were added in the early 80s, and required the box attached to the top of the hood for clearance.

I'll let you have a dig through when you come through this summer.

The M800 series 5 tons almost deserve their own thread.

[Mike Cecil]

100% sure it is Centurion, as Ed has said.

Tell-tale from the image (rather than the date of the image) is the loader's twin hatch doors opening fore and aft, and long sloping turret top forward of the hatches/cupola.

Leopard has a flat top turret with slight slope at the forward edge to the top of the mantlet, and the loader's hatch is a round cupola with a round single hatch that opens to the rear and lays flat parallel with the turret roof.

Interesting to me is that the Ferrets appear to be fitted with US type radios: was that the common/standard radio fit in CDN ferrets?

Mike