Today in WW II: 21 May 1942 Sinking of the Mexican tanker Faja de Oro by German submarine U-160, off Key West, precipitates Mexican declaration of war against Nazi Germany.

M-103 Heavy Tank

The M-103 (T43 in prototype) was authorized in 1952, the first US heavy tank. The design was not very successful, especially its underpowered engine. It served as a back-up tank destroyer until replaced in 1963 by the M-60 Patton Tank. Only 200 of these M-103s were produced.

The M-103 was armed with a 120mm main gun plus two .50 cal. machine guns. It weighed 62.5 tons and was powered by the Continental AV 1790-5B gasoline engine used in the M47/M48 series tanks.

T43/M-103 at 4th Infantry Division Museum, Ft. Hood, TX, 2 December 2005. Photo: Courtesy of Bob Pettit.