Description
U.S. Army Technical Manual Change 1, TM 9-1240-314-34 for M36 Tank Periscope, September 1966
This U.S. Army publication is Change 1 for the M36 Tank Periscope maintenance manual TM 9-1240-314-34. Issued in September 1966, it updates the original technical manual dated June 23, 1964. This listing is for the Change 1 update only. It is not the complete base manual and does not include an M36 periscope, periscope mount, infrared equipment, weapon, tank, or other optical components.
Purpose of Change 1
Army change publications corrected, replaced, or added selected information after a technical manual entered service. Change 1 was intended to be filed with the June 1964 base manual so maintenance personnel could keep their working copy current. The update does not replace the complete original publication and should be used with TM 9-1240-314-34.
About the M36 Tank Periscope
The M36 was a tank commander’s optical sight used for observation and fire control from inside the armored cupola. It combined a wide unity-power observation window with separate magnified daylight and active-infrared viewing bodies. Illuminated reticles and elevation and deflection controls allowed the periscope to be aligned with the commander’s cupola-mounted .50-caliber machine gun.
Construction and Features
The M36 was a modular instrument built around a head assembly, daylight body, infrared body, elbow assembly, reticle equipment, electrical connections, and boresight controls. It was supported in the M119 Periscope Mount, which included an armored cover and adjustable headrest equipment. The separate viewing bodies allowed the commander to select daylight or infrared operation.
Vehicle Application
The M36 was used as a commander’s periscope on the U.S. Army M60 and M60A1 tanks. Army vehicle manuals identify it as an observation and fire-control sight for the cupola-mounted M85 .50-caliber machine gun. The M36 was also documented later for the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, which used an M60-series chassis.
Historical Background
The September 1966 update dates from a period of rapid growth in U.S. Army night-fighting technology. The M36 used an active-infrared channel with an infrared light source, giving commanders a way to observe and aim in darkness. The later M36E1 introduced passive night vision that could use available light without depending entirely on projected infrared illumination. Newer editions of TM 9-1240-380-34 eventually carried maintenance coverage for both the M36 and M36E1.
Publication Details
This original military change publication documents an early update to the Army’s maintenance program for the M36 commander’s periscope.
- Publication type: Technical Manual Change 1
- Manual number: TM 9-1240-314-34
- Change number: Change 1
- Change publication date: September 1966
- Original manual date: June 23, 1964
- Official subject: Periscope, Tank: M36
- Federal Stock Number: 1240-980-9291
- Base manual type: Direct-support and general-support maintenance
- Equipment role: Tank commander’s day-and-night observation and fire-control sight
- Night-vision type: Active infrared
- Associated periscope mount: M119
- Primary vehicle applications: M60 and M60A1 tanks
- Later documented application: M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
- Item included: Change 1 update only
Collector and Research Value
This Change 1 publication is a specialized addition to a U.S. Army technical-manual, military-optics, or armored-vehicle collection. It helps document how maintenance instructions for the M36 were revised after field experience and is useful for M60-series research, museum displays, and the study of Cold War infrared fire-control systems.
Ideal For
This publication is well suited for collectors, restorers, museums, and researchers who own the original June 1964 manual or study American tank optics.
- Completing an original TM 9-1240-314-34 manual
- U.S. Army technical-publication collections
- M60 and M60A1 restoration research
- M36 periscope maintenance research
- Cold War infrared-optics displays
- Tank fire-control system collections
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .1", Approx weight .1lbs.
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