What is It?

[Greybeard]

Hello All,

Boy - what a mess.. I'd say this is a Auto-Shop attempt to utilize existing/captured components.. or maybe the motor-pool guys had too much time on their hands and needed a toy to play with...

1) - Turret assy from M48 - has to be early - no commander coupla or AA mount provision
2) - Suspension/running gear from a T-54/T-55/Comet??
3) - fenders and utilily boxes from a M41 Bulldog
4) upper hull looks like it has a hatch from a M-48, but the casting/weldment has to be original to the vehicle - vast portion of lower hull may be T-54/55/Comet - until you reach the mess at the rear
5) - Exhaust fixtures also based on the M41/M42 tanks
6) - that big 'ol box on the back??.. well, they ran out of money/ideas and had to enclose the powerplant with something.. looks like the powerplant didn't fit real well with the running gear anyway.. sticks out of the hull horribly
7) certainly a 90mm gun.. too short for a 120, too large for a 76mm..
8) note the extension above the hull deck for the turret to sit on.. bet it was added later when they figured out the powerplant wasn't going to fit.. looks like they welded the ring on top of the hull deck.. no way that the turret would rotate 360 sitting where it ought to be..

** if it looks like this on the outside, wonder what the fighting compartment looked like.. - or even if the crew could work in there??

Don't think the UK would have built this.. would be an insult to their techology of the early 50's that resulted with a marvelous 105mm gun, and the Centurion platform..

Just my 2 cents worth..

:) Greybeard