Exhibit of the Month - Dec. '24
05.12.2024
As exhibit of the month - November 2024, we would like to introduce you to the M88 recovery tank, which will be exhibited in the MGS - Military History Collection Augustdorf in the near future.
M88 recovery tank
The M88 recovery tank is being taken to its “restoration hall.” We expect to be able to present it in its “correct” color in its final location in 2025.
The M88 recovery tank was the Bundeswehr's second recovery tank after the M74. It was based on the chassis and parts of the M48 Patton and M60 tanks. The M88 was developed in the 1960s and introduced worldwide in large numbers. The Bundeswehr introduced 125 M88s under the name "Bergepanzer 1" from 1962 and decommissioned and partly sold in the 1990s. The original M88 was introduced in 1961, the M88A1 in 1977.
The original M88 was a 12-cylinder petrol engine with 48 litres of displacement and was turbocharged to 1050 hp. Top speed was around 50 km/h. The three fuel tanks held 1700 litres of petrol, which was just enough for a range of 50 to 100 kilometres in difficult terrain.
From 1985 onwards, the vehicles were converted to diesel operation.
The current colour scheme of the M88 A1 is unusual. The vehicle was used in Vietnam and the colour is called “Forrest Green”.