An interesting photo from 2008, Iraq; USAF Security Forces doing perimeter watch with a modified M113.
A user history that goes all the way back to the Vietnam War.
4 comments:
Anonymous
said...
If those are what I think they are, in the rectangular boxes welded on at the midline of the hull, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that thing. Even as a friendly!
Australian APCs in Vietnam often carried a minigun ammo box full of Claymores on top of the cab, which were used to establish a perimeter defence when harbouring overnight.
A very unfortunate incident occurred during Operation 'OVERLORD' in June 1971. A minigun ammo box full of Claymores, which had been stowed curved side downwards (THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY), was unluckily hit by an RPG with devastating effect killing 9 personnel on board the vehicle.
Not a deficiency of the APC; just misfortune of war illustrating the devastating firepower of the Claymore mine.
Another anecdote re the versatility of the M113 APC. During Vietnam War operations, the US Army had a base named 'Bearcat' not far from Phuoc Tuy Province. The perimeter may have been about 1 kilometre square with all vegetation cleared out to 100 metres or more allowing clear fields of fire.
There were 3 APCs based there armed with a 6 barrel 20mm Vulcan cannon and the cab loaded with heaps of ammunition, much of it HE (the APC version was M163). When any movement was detected in the jungle beyond the cleared fire zone, the APCs would front up adjacent to the location, line up abreast and lacerate the vegetation with high density cannon fire. Just AWESOME!!!
4 comments:
If those are what I think they are, in the rectangular boxes welded on at the midline of the hull, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that thing. Even as a friendly!
Love the smell of Claymores in the morning.
Australian APCs in Vietnam often carried a minigun ammo box full of Claymores on top of the cab, which were used to establish a perimeter defence when harbouring overnight.
A very unfortunate incident occurred during Operation 'OVERLORD' in June 1971. A minigun ammo box full of Claymores, which had been stowed curved side downwards (THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY), was unluckily hit by an RPG with devastating effect killing 9 personnel on board the vehicle.
Not a deficiency of the APC; just misfortune of war illustrating the devastating firepower of the Claymore mine.
Another anecdote re the versatility of the M113 APC. During Vietnam War operations, the US Army had a base named 'Bearcat' not far from Phuoc Tuy Province. The perimeter may have been about 1 kilometre square with all vegetation cleared out to 100 metres or more allowing clear fields of fire.
There were 3 APCs based there armed with a 6 barrel 20mm Vulcan cannon and the cab loaded with heaps of ammunition, much of it HE (the APC version was M163). When any movement was detected in the jungle beyond the cleared fire zone, the APCs would front up adjacent to the location, line up abreast and lacerate the vegetation with high density cannon fire. Just AWESOME!!!
See these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M113_armored_personnel_carrier
http://library.enlisted.info/field-manuals/series-2/FM44_16/4161CH.PDF
Post a Comment