Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1220-231-35) for XM15 Ballistic Drive September 1965 FSN 1220-071-5330
This Technical Manual TM 9-1220-231-35 covers the XM15 Ballistic Drive and is dated September 1965.
The publication is a depot-maintenance manual for direct- and general-support maintenance and includes repair parts and special-tools lists for the XM15, identified by FSN 1220-071-5330.
Historical Significance
The XM15 Ballistic Drive was part of the sighting and fire-control equipment used in the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle. The M728 combined armored engineering equipment with a 165 mm M135 demolition gun, and the XM15 kept the gunner's periscope coordinated with that weapon.
The drive reflects the mechanical fire-control systems used before modern digital sight controls. It transferred gun movement through a direct linkage to the gunner's optical equipment rather than computing a ballistic solution.
XM15 and the M728 Sighting System
The XM15 was a direct periscope drive with a temperature-compensating link, parallelogram linkage, and cross shaft between the 165 mm gun trunnion and the gunner's M32C periscope. This arrangement kept the periscope's line of sight moving with the gun as it elevated or depressed.
The M32C provided daylight and infrared sighting views within the M728. The XM15 formed the mechanical connection that allowed the periscope to follow the weapon, making proper adjustment and maintenance important to sight alignment.
What This Manual Covers
TM 9-1220-231-35 provides depot-level technical guidance for direct- and general-support maintenance of the XM15 Ballistic Drive. Its scope extends beyond parts identification to the inspection, adjustment, repair, and support of the drive and its mechanical linkage components.
The publication also includes repair-parts and special-tools information used to identify and support components required for higher-level maintenance of the XM15.
Key Features
- Official publication number: TM 9-1220-231-35
- Publication date: September 1965
- Equipment covered: XM15 Ballistic Drive
- Federal Stock Number: 1220-071-5330
- Maintenance scope: direct and general support depot maintenance
- Included reference scope: repair parts and special tools lists
- Vehicle application: M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle
- Weapon and sight relationship: 165 mm M135 gun and M32C gunner's periscope
Why This Manual Matters
This publication preserves the Army's higher-level maintenance guidance for a specialized component of the M728 sighting system. It gives collectors and researchers a focused reference for understanding how the XM15 and its mechanical linkage were inspected, adjusted, repaired, and supported.
It also documents an important part of Cold War armored fire-control design: a direct mechanical connection that made the gunner's periscope follow the elevation and depression of the 165 mm weapon.
About This Manual
Published by Headquarters, Department of the Army in September 1965, TM 9-1220-231-35 is a depot-maintenance manual for the XM15 Ballistic Drive. It covers direct- and general-support maintenance and includes repair-parts and special-tools lists.
It predates TM 9-1220-231-34P, dated April 1972, which superseded the portions of this publication devoted to direct- and general-support maintenance repair parts.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- U.S. Army technical-manual collectors
- M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle historians and restoration researchers
- Military museums and armored-vehicle reference libraries
- Fire-control and optical-instrument researchers
- Collectors studying Cold War depot-maintenance documentation
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .2", Approx weight .2lbs.
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