Flyhistorisk Museum Sola · Other exhibits
NM-116
The NM-116 is a Norwegian tank destroyer from the mid-1970s. NM stands for Norsk Modell
(Norwegian Model). It is a rebuilt American tank designated M24 Chaffee. The tank was introduced towards the end of the Second World War. Its main armament was a gun with a calibre of 75 mm. In addition, it was equipped with two built-in machine guns with a calibre of 7,62 mm and one roof-mounted heavy machine gun with a calibre of 12,7 mm. Like most tanks from the Second World War, it had a crew of five.
The M24 Chaffee was developed towards the end of the Second World War and was used by American forces in Europe from November 1944. Between April 1944 and August 1945, just under 5000 examples of the tank were produced. After the war, it served in a large number of countries around the world.
The Americans continued to use the tank during the Korean War (1950–1953). It was also an important part of the armoured forces of many NATO countries in Europe in the years immediately after the war.
NORWEGIAN SERVICE
Until 1955, the Norwegian Armed Forces received a total of 141 M24 Chaffee, most of them as part of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. The tanks were organised into squadrons and were used, among other things, for point defence of air bases. Each squadron usually consisted of three troops, with four tanks in each troop. Often, one troop with four tanks was kept at high readiness as a combat-ready element of the point defence of the air bases. These tanks were known as airfield troops. Their task was to resist an enemy attack on the airfield until the rest of the squadron and other mobilisation units in the surrounding area were ready to engage in the defence.
In Norway, M24 Chaffee remained in service as a tank until the 1960s, when it was replaced by more powerful tanks with better armour, firepower and mobility. They were replaced by the American M48 Patton and the West German Leopard 1, which were much larger, heavier and more modern tanks.
From the beginning of the 1970s, 72 of the old M24 Chaffee were rebuilt and modernised with, among other things, a new drivetrain, a new main gun and new sights. The crew were reduced from five to four and the two built-in machine guns with a calibre of 7,62 mm were replaced with a built-in heavy machinegun with a calibre of 12,7 mm. As a result of the conversion, they were reclassified from tanks to tank destroyers and received the designation NM-116. The vehicles had such weak armour and relatively small main gun that they could no longer be regarded as true tanks. The NM-116 remained in service until the early 1990s.
Specifications
- Type
- Tank destroyer
- Entered service
- 1975
- Length
- 5,5 m
- Width
- 2,8 m
- Height
- 2,6 m
- Weight, empty and max
- 18 300 / 20 000 kg
- Engine
- Detroit Diesel 6V-53T
- Engine output
- 260 hp
- Top speed
- 47 km/h
- Range
- 300 km
- Crew
- Commander, gunner, loader, driver
- Arment
- 90 mm gun, 2x 12,7 mm heavy machine guns
- Country of origin
- Norway
- Number used by the Armed Forces
- 72
- Service period in the Armed Forces
- 1975 –1993
- Museum number
- FMU.064492
