Pershing Weapon System

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Crabtree

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I came across these three "U.S. Army Pershing Weapon System" prints at a garage sale yesterday. I thought they were really neat. I know there are a lot of veterans on this forum and I thought some might find them interesting. Please feel free to share any info.

I've read a bit this morning online about these missiles. I can't find anything about the artist Phil Colprit or the prints. They say "U.S. Army Pershing Weapon System" across the bottom. They measure 18" x 22". I figured they'd spice up the man cave a bit. Anyway, $3 each I had no choice...

Facts per wikipedia: MGM-31 Pershing
2 stage missile in use by the U.S. and West Germany from 1960 to 1986
Actual production ceased in 1969
Weight - 10,236 pounds (over 5 tons)
Length - 34 feet
Range - 460 miles
Speed - Mach 8
Payload was a W50 thermonuclear warhead
Number produced - 24 launchers and 754 missiles

Eventually replaced by the MGM-31A Pershing IA and then the Pershing II



....my follow up post with the images was deleted. My apologies for whatever rule was broken. I certainly didn't think they were offensive images?
 
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The "TOP SECRET!" stamped in red on each page will really add to the man-cave atmosphere. I'm guessing the spy who originally owned them has passed away uncaught leaving a few things laying around the house. You have made an interesting find.
 
Photos probably aren't a good idea until it's verified the documents have been declassified.
 
1974 & 75 I was assigned to an ordinance unit in Germany. Our job was supply and maintenance of the nuclear warheads for the Pershing. Needless to say it was an easy assignment. We weren't gonna do anything unless WW III broke out.
I was just a mechanic and never actually laid eyes on one of the things.
 
-db- said:
Photos probably aren't a good idea until it's verified the documents have been declassified.
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Actually, these are not documents...they're prints suitable for framing. Two are done with water colors and one appears to be a stylized photo, or some such artsy photo. They are no more detailed or top secret than the 100's of other images if you google "pershing weapon system" images. I suspect they were once recruiting office decor.

I uploaded the pics to my private album per forum rules. Perhaps a moderator could let me know what happened? I'm wondering if the post was deleted accidentally by me. No big deal. Like I said, I thought some folks who like this sorta thing might find them interesting.
 
I spent three years training enlisted men on maintenance of several Land Combat Missile Systems including the Pershing and Sergeant. There were actually three versions of the Pershing: I, Ia, and II. It was finally phased out in the 80's as part of an arms reduction agreement with the USSR. At one time there was a static display of all of the Army's Land Combat and Air Defense missiles at Redstone Arsenal, AL. I'm not sure if that display is still in place or not. Probably everything associated with the Pershing system has long been declassified with the possible exception of the warhead.
 
Try again. I think the pic post did not include the minimum number of characters and got zapped while I was editing.
 

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n4zov said:
Probably everything associated with the Pershing system has long been declassified with the possible exception of the warhead.
Click to expand...

There's a wesite called pershing missile "dot" org. They are a group dedicated to the following per their website: "PershingMissile.org provides information, pictures, video clips, news articles and a lot more about the history of the Pershing Missile System and the people that served with it." Neat history.

Oh yeah, on that site you can download the 132 page "Techinal Manual/Operator's Manual" for these systems....so I would say declassified.
 
R Crabtree said:
There's a wesite called pershing missile "dot" org. They are a group dedicated to the following per their website: "PershingMissile.org provides information, pictures, video clips, news articles and a lot more about the history of the Pershing Missile System and the people that served with it." Neat history.

Oh yeah, on that site you can download the 132 page "Techinal Manual/Operator's Manual" for these systems....so I would say declassified.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link! To say the least, that brings back some memories.
 
P2

Wasn't uncommon back in the 80's to run into Artillery folks who handled nuclear weapons. There was an incident when the propellant went off and killed some soldiers.
As I recall, about the time I was stationed in the Netherlands, President Reagan started putting the P2 systems in West Germany. The Soviets were really upset.
I worked in a targeting cell, and during exercises (like Abel Archer) we would look for Soviet headquarter elements, assembly areas etc. these were prime Lance targets. During exercises involving the COMNORTHAG the Soviets would shoot Scud chemical missles into our assembly areas-and COMNORTHAG would order "selctive nuclear release"- that would end the exercise. .
 
R Crabtree,

My grandfather Philip S. Colprit did those. He's done paintings for the Pentagon and for NASA. I have a winter scene he had painted for me hanging in my dining room. If one day you no longer want them can you please contact me? [email protected]

Thank you and good find :)
 
Another slice of our country's history. Sooner or later,
everything you need to know will show up here on the Forum! TACC1
 
The Pershing II blew up south of Helibron, at Camp Red Leg. My Engineer unit was south of Heilbron in the town of Ludwigsburg and we ended up on alert and pulled security until they found out what happened.
A quick history lesson, the Germans were furious that we placed nuclear capable missiles in the country, but the fact was that nuclear weapons were there ever since the end of the war. My unit used hand emplaced nukes, so called atomic land mines. Great thing about them was if the order to NOT use them came we could go back and disarm them if we had the time to get there. Great in theory, we practiced our "Skills" throughout the nation and the Germans never knew about us. Our nukes also got taken out of the inventory due to the Salt II treaty at the same time as the Pershings.
 
See Avatar the shoulder patch of the 56th FA BDE PERSHING.

I was a Pershing Communications Specialist.

The prints are of the early transporters. By the time I was in the system the conversion from tracked to wheeled vehicles had been completed. The missiles were mounted on a semi-trailer called the Erector/Launcher which was towed by an eight wheeled 5 ton M757 truck.
 
Daughter was Ballistic Missal Technician on the Titan II for eight years. Spent the next sixteen years in C130's. I would ask her about things and all she would say is,
"Can't tell you Dad, took a oath of Secrecy"

She would have been one of the two to turn the key if it came to that.
 
My Field Artillery Officer Basic Course Class was the last one to have Pershing Missle Officers in it. We did the same "core" course, then they went to the missle part, and the rest of us went to the cannon part.
 
Pershing

Phil Colprit is my dad and I remember him painting these as well as many he did for the military and space program over the years. He did a lot of his work at home as well as at different companies that had government contracts. He is still with us and hasn't painted in years but would like to do some landscapes and seascapes. His artwork is all over the world and one could find it most anyplace. We have a lot at the house and it rotates on display.
 
HumorousSage said:
Phil Colprit is my dad and I remember him painting these as well as many he did for the military and space program over the years. He did a lot of his work at home as well as at different companies that had government contracts. He is still with us and hasn't painted in years but would like to do some landscapes and seascapes. His artwork is all over the world and one could find it most anyplace. We have a lot at the house and it rotates on display.
Click to expand...

They are really nice prints...your father is a talented man. Please send my regards from someone (one of many no doubt) who very much admires his work.

And welcome to the forum!
 
C_Colprit said:
R Crabtree,

My grandfather Philip S. Colprit did those. He's done paintings for the Pentagon and for NASA. I have a winter scene he had painted for me hanging in my dining room. If one day you no longer want them can you please contact me? [email protected]

Thank you and good find :)
Click to expand...

Email coming your way! They're yours...

eta...I wish somebody had pointed this post out to me. I just saw it today looking for something in my post history. I wish I had seen it sooner.
 
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Original oil painting signed Phil Colprit

Painting is of Pershing missile being fired from a mobile platform near a coastal area. Very detailed in realistic style.
Painting was property of my father-in Law Spillman N Fitzpatrick Jr (now deceased) who was a Pershing Missile Battalion Commander 1964 thru 1967 Schwaebisch Gmuend Germany.
My wife, his daughter, is now with the Central AR Veterans Health Care Center and this painting is hanging in her office which is an appropriate place for such an important depiction of US military history.
 
I'm a bit late seeing this post, but just wanted to add my two cents. Those were magnificent paintings and was good to see them go to the son of the artist.

All the Pershing information posted was correct ... I was a Pershing Missile Crewman in Neckarsulm, Germany in 1967-68 on the Pershing 1 Missile, which is the one depicted in the paintings. There was never anything classified in those paintings ... the warhead wasn't even in them, unless in the one not displayed. Dummy warheads were used all the time for public displays, which we did even in Germany. If you see one with a flat black warhead, don't look! And all the missiles were crushed long ago. :)
 
Not all. There are two remaining. They went to the Smithsonian. One was sent to Russia in exchange for an SS20.

Also the Pershing, Pershing 1A, and Pershing II have been mentioned. When the Luftwaffe's Pershings were range limited by SALT a single stage version of the P II was developed for them with about the same range as their P 1A, the Pershing 1B.
 
I see that I'm late the party as usual. Back around 2000 when I worked in Kuwait a set of classified M1 Abrams tech manuals was found at a Kuwaiti flea market.
 
Wow, an old thread, but here's my 2 cents. I was assigned to a maintenance battalion that provided direct and general support maintenance to 56th FA Brigade, back when I was a new 2LT back in 1977. One of the DS maintenance companies was up in Heilbronn and my particular company did general support maintenance for the M686/M757 transporters and the fire support computers.

Best of all, my future wife was assigned to HHB, 3/84 FA. She started out as a 31E and the battery commander's driver. Leter he convinced her to go to OCS.
 
In the early 80s as we began placing P2 missiles in Europe-President Reagan began a tremendous build up of force facing the soviets. Part of this was the ability to reinforce CENTAG / NORTHAG with 3rd Corps out of Ft. Hood. During exercises, as we would build up in the staging area-the soviets would launch chemical weapons to stop us-The Commander NORTHAG would get authorization for selective nuclear release- and part of that response was P2-By 1990 we (WE) changed the face of Europe-During REFORGER 1987 we walked the talk by bringing 3 Corps over- P2 was a huge threat to the soviets-I wonder if children are taught today that our nation (and NATO) brought freedom to Eastern Europe-by destroying the soviet monster.
 
jdh said:
When?

We had M686 trucks?
Click to expand...

She just told me I had the wrong battalion. She was in HHB, 1/81 at Wiley Barracks in Neu Ulm. She was there from 1979 to almost 1981.

I remember the M686 trucks because as a GS maintenance shop officer I had the unfortunate distinction of having one in my shop for almost two years, waiting on parts. Since the M757 tractor and the M656 were unique to the 56th FA Bde, parts weren't always easy to get and had long lead times.
 
I was in W Germany in the mid 70's. These were in our Division 3RD ID in Schweinfurt. I was part of a Nuclear Field Artillery Battalion. 1/10th
Yeah... our plan was to go to the Fulda Gap, launch a nuclear artillery round all of 7 miles...and bogggie as fast as we could in the other direction. I was always happy we did not have to execute that plan!
Nice prints Crabtree.. they bring back memories.
 
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