Description
Technical Manual Change 1 (TM 9-1220-223-15) for M17 Indirect Fire Plotting Board June 1963
This Technical Manual Change 1 for TM 9-1220-223-15 covers the M17 Indirect Fire Plotting Board and is dated June 10, 1963.
The publication is an official update to the operator, organizational, field, and depot maintenance manual issued on May 31, 1961. It is a change notice rather than the complete base manual.
Historical Significance
The M17 Plotting Board is a portable fire-control instrument used to determine the range and azimuth from a weapon position to a target. It combines known weapon-to-observation-post information with target-location data reported by the observer.
The instrument supported artillery and mortar fire-direction personnel before digital fire-control systems became widespread. Its gridded base, rotating azimuth disk, scales, and central pivot required careful cleaning and handling to preserve plotting accuracy.
What This Manual Covers
Change 1 revises the first-echelon periodic maintenance requirements for the M17 Plotting Board and its M72 Carrying Case.
The notice specifically:
- Updates paragraph 26a of the original manual
- Supersedes the original Periodic Maintenance Checks and Services table
- Establishes a revised daily maintenance schedule
- Provides inspection points before, during, and after operation
- Requires the plotting board to be cleaned and kept dry
- Provides lubrication instructions for the pivot and pivot point
- Directs personnel to store the board in the M72 Carrying Case
- Provides special care instructions for extreme cold
- Provides cleaning instructions for dusty or sandy environments
The notice contains only the June 1963 revisions and supplements rather than replaces the complete TM 9-1220-223-15 base publication.
Key Features
- Official publication number: Change 1 to TM 9-1220-223-15
- Change publication date: June 10, 1963
- Original manual date: May 31, 1961
- Equipment covered: M17 Indirect Fire Plotting Board
- Related equipment: M72 Carrying Case
- Publication type: official technical manual change notice
- Primary update: first-echelon periodic maintenance schedule
- Published by: Headquarters, Department of the Army
Why This Manual Matters
Change 1 documents the revised daily care required to protect the M17’s plotting surfaces, scales, and central pivot. Dirt, sand, moisture, temperature changes, or improper storage could affect the condition and accuracy of this mechanical fire-control instrument.
The notice is also useful for bringing an original May 1961 TM 9-1220-223-15 manual up to its June 1963 revision level.
About This Manual
Published by Headquarters, Department of the Army in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1963, this is Change 1 to TM 9-1220-223-15.
It updates the maintenance manual for the M17 Indirect Fire Plotting Board issued on May 31, 1961. This item is the official Change 1 notice and is not the complete base publication.
Ideal For
This technical manual change is a strong fit for:
- U.S. Army technical-manual collectors
- M17 Plotting Board restoration projects
- Field artillery and mortar researchers
- Fire-direction center training collections
- Collectors completing a TM 9-1220-223-15 manual set
- Military museums and reference libraries
- Historians studying analog fire-control instruments
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .1", Approx weight .1lbs.
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