I have an inordinate fondness for a few non-mainstream vehicle types in any variation of Twilight: 2000‘s setting. In particular, armored recovery vehicles and combat engineer vehicles are interesting to me in a way that MBTs and IFVs aren’t. They (generally) can’t withstand the same level of damage that a dedicated combat vehicle can, but they offer some level of crew protection beyond sheetmetal and they carry ancillary equipment that’s useful.
With that in mind, today’s post looks at the M88 armored recovery vehicle – specifically, the M88A1 version that would have been most prevalent in the Twilight War. The original M88 was a fuel hog. The M88A1 received the engine of the M60 MBT, which had lower horsepower but more torque and better fuel economy, as well as upgraded hydraulics for its recovery equipment. The majority of the original M88 production run appears to have been upgraded to the M88A1 standard by 1982, alongside additional new production of the same spec.
(In the second edition timeline – and presumably the first edition as well – the modern M88A2 HERCULES never came to be. Its role instead was filled by the M5 Abrams ARV, as depicted in the American Combat Vehicle Handbook. In our history, the prototype of what might have become the M5 lost a 1987 trial against what was then called the M88A1E1.)
The M88A1’s Twilight War service was fairly broad. Many nations that bought M47s, M48s, or M60s also procured M88s. In American forces, it served with both the Army and the Marine Corps. Most armor units that went to war with M60s included one M88A1 per company (or cavalry troop) maintenance section, as did artillery and ADA batteries equipped with self-propelled guns, mechanized infantry companies, and combat engineer units – basically, any unit with AFVs lighter than Abrams chassis. Additional ARVs were concentrated in maintenance and recovery sections of battalion HQs and higher echelons.
By the end of 1997, commanders had begun to collect their remaining ARVs and other combat engineering and recovery heavy equipment into combined engineering units. Generally considered more valuable in their recovery role than as makeshift AFVs, and ill-equipped for conversion to the troop carriage role, few M88A1s were assigned to front-line combat. All became targets, though, and crews added a variety of improvised armor augmentations and weapon mounts in the hope of increasing their survival rates.
Conversion of the M88A1 is fairly easy, as I can start from the second edition stat block in the ACVH. Modern online sources do list some discrepancies, particularly in the onboard fuel supply, but that’s easy enough for napkin math. Just for the hell of it, I also included M88 traits for that fringe-case CONUS game that digs a non-upgraded original out of a forgotten National Guard armory:
The 4-person crew is composed of commander, driver, mechanic, and rigger. The latter two have no combat roles, effectively being passengers, but each position has its own roof hatch, so they can stand up to fire small arms from partial cover. I’ve been unable to substantiate GDW’s claim that the cabin includes four passenger seats for the crew of a disabled AFV under tow.
Speeds given are for normal movement. The vehicle can tow up to 45 tons at half speed. Two M88A1s in tandem are required to safely tow a vehicle above that weight, such as an M1 Abrams-series MBT.
Beyond the numbers, the M88A1 has four interesting pieces of equipment worth noting for game purposes.
Winch: Front-mounted, 60-meter cable, 41-ton capacity. Treat the winch as a component in the penetrating/cargo hit location with Reliability 5.
Crane: A-frame boom, stowed on top of the vehicle but forward-facing when elevated for work. Can reach up to 2.5 meters in front of the vehicle, with a maximum lift of 7 meters. It’s intended for lighter vehicle recovery (think truck or APC as opposed to MBT) or changing major components (like engines), but can be used for other construction tasks in a pinch. 60-meter cable, 23-ton capacity (drops to 5 tons if the dozer blade is not in use to stabilize the vehicle). Treat the crane as a component in the non-penetrating/external stores hit location with Reliability 4.
Dozer blade: Front-mounted, full width of the hull. Primary designed function is to stabilize the vehicle when winching but can also be used for light earthmoving, including carving out hull-down fighting positions for vehicles. Treat the blade as a component in the non-penetrating/external stores hit location with Reliability 5.
Auxiliary power unit (APU): Can provide limited electrical power without use of the main engine. This enables battery charging (both for the vehicle’s own batteries or other devices), as well as use of the hydraulics that drive the three items described above. Consider this a 5-kilowatt generator (“large” for fourth edition purposes) that consumes 15 liters of fuel per shift (doubled for alcohol, of course). For damage purposes, treat the APU as a component in the penetrating/cargo hit location with Reliability 3.
At the referee’s discretion, appropriate use of appropriate equipment may provide bonuses or reduce the construction time for base facilities. I’d say a fully-functional M88/M88A1 reduces the time for building defensive works from a day per hex to a shift per hex. Most of the other base facilities in the 4e Player’s Manual won’t benefit as much from earthmoving and winching capabilities, but I’d still call it a +1 bonus for anything requiring heavy construction work.
Finally, while few vehicles will have their original TA-50 by 2000, the nominal loadout for an M88A1 includes two sets each of basic and vehicle tools, an assortment of towing and rigging equipment (spare cables, pulleys, hooks, etc.), a couple of portable fire extinguishers, stowage for four 20-liter jerrycans (two water, two engine oil), and 1,500 rounds of belted .50 BMG for the M2.