Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual Change 1 TM 9-1240-313-34 for M32 and M32C Tank Periscopes, July 1965
This U.S. Army publication is Change 1 to field-maintenance manual TM 9-1240-313-34 for the M32 and M32C Tank Periscopes. Issued in July 1965, it updates the original manual dated June 8, 1964. This listing is for the Change 1 update only. It does not include the complete original manual, a periscope, optical assembly, mount, weapon, or tank.
Purpose of Change 1
Army change publications were issued to replace, correct, or add selected material in an existing technical manual. Change 1 identifies coverage for both the M32 and M32C periscopes and was intended to be filed with the original June 1964 manual. The update does not serve as a complete maintenance manual when used by itself.
Manual Coverage
The “34” suffix identifies the original publication as a field-maintenance manual. It supported trained personnel performing work beyond routine crew care, including inspection, troubleshooting, disassembly, cleaning, repair, assembly, optical adjustment, and final testing. Change 1 contains only the pages or instructions revised in July 1965.
About the M32 and M32C Tank Periscopes
The M32 and M32C were gunner’s fire-control periscopes designed for observation and direct-fire aiming. Their optical systems provided a unity-power view for wide, close-range observation and an 8-power sight for viewing distant targets. Army technical data records an 8-degree field of view for the magnified system and a unity-power field measuring about 30 degrees 32 minutes horizontally and 5 degrees 48 minutes vertically. The M32C configuration was part of the active-infrared night-fighting system used with compatible tank equipment.
Vehicle Application
The M32 periscope family is documented with M60 and M60A1 main battle tanks and infrared-equipped M48-series tanks, including the M48A3. Mounted for the gunner, the system helped observe terrain, identify targets, and aim the tank’s main armament during daylight or infrared-assisted night operations. Equipment and stock-number configurations changed over time, so this listing does not claim that every tank used the exact early FSNs printed for this update.
Historical Background
Change 1 was published during the Cold War as the U.S. Army expanded the use of night-fighting equipment on armored vehicles. Active-infrared systems used an infrared light source and a compatible viewing device to help tank crews operate after dark. The July 1965 update records an early stage in the development of the M32 family, which later grew to include the M32E1 and M32CE1. TM 9-1240-379-34 eventually replaced the June 1964 manual and its changes with updated support coverage for the expanded periscope family.
Publication Details
This change publication is identified by the following military manual and federal stock information:
- Manual number: TM 9-1240-313-34
- Change number: Change 1
- Change publication date: July 1965
- Original manual date: June 8, 1964
- Subjects: M32 and M32C Tank Periscopes
- Manual level: Field maintenance
- M32 Federal Stock Number: 1240-980-9288
- M32C Federal Stock Number: 1240-792-9068
- Later superseding publication: TM 9-1240-379-34
- Item included: Change 1 update only
Collector and Research Value
This Change 1 publication is a specialized reference for military-optics collectors, tank restorers, museums, and historians. It helps document how the Army revised technical information as the M32 periscope family and Cold War night-fighting systems developed.
Ideal For
This original military change publication is well suited for the following collections and research projects:
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M32 and M32C periscope research
- M60 and M60A1 restoration references
- M48-series tank research
- Cold War military-optics displays
- Armored-vehicle fire-control collections
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .1", Approx weight .2lbs.
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