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.

M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (Army and Marine Corps)

The M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank (heavy tank) entered U.S. service in 1980, a lighter and more versitile tank that emerged from the cancelled MBT-70 and XM803 tank programs. With a series of variants and technology upgrade packages, the M1 Abrams continued to serve the U.S. and allied countries well into the 21st Century.

See United States Tanks After World War II for information about the development history of the M1 Abrams MBT and its variants.

The M1 Abrams models are summarized in this table:

	M1/M1IP	M1A1	M1A2	M1A2 SEP
Length:	32.04 ft	32.04 ft	32.04 ft	32.04 ft
Width:	12 ft	12 ft	12 ft	12 ft
Height:	7.79 ft	8 ft	8 ft	8 ft
Weight:	61.4/62.8 tons	67.6 tons	68.4 tons	69.5 tons
Max speed:	45 mph	41.5 mph	41.5 mph	42 mph
Main gun:	105mm	120mm	120mm	120mm
Crew:	4	4	4	4

In addition to the 120mm main gun, the M1 Abrams is armed with a .50 cal. machine gun and a 7.62mm machine gun.

Crew of an M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank behind the tank commander's M2 .50-caliber machine gun (left) and the ammunition loader's M240 7.62 mm machine gun. The driver is seated below the turret. June 1981.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup: