The Marines were participating in Operation Southern Scimitar, with the intention of removing insurgents from the area. The program was initiated to increase survivability, reliability, and bring down the operational and support costs.
Electrical and electronic systems with high failure rates were upgraded, and corrosion control was improved, decreasing the operational cost per vehicle. Additional procurement began in , with vehicles needed to field the additional companies. The changes gave the vehicle a new A2 designation.
The upgraded suspension consists of improved shocks, struts, torsion bars, drive shafts, and steering knuckles. The turret upgrade utilizes electric power to traverse, replacing the hydraulic system. The Marines first have to calibrate the sights on their small-arms prior to going on real-world operations, February 2, DoD performance.
In February , a contract was awarded to General Dynamics to produce the LAV-A2s, with multiple variants, the first of which was accepted on October 12, The last of the LAV-A1 variants within the inventory will be upgraded as they are rotated from maritime prepositioning ships.
The vehicles were evaluated by Alpha Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, in order to develop maintenance and operating procedures as well as defining vehicle modifications needed for Australian use.
By , all vehicles were completed. The red kangaroo painted on the hull is nearly impossible to make out on this vehicle due to the caked-on dirt. A bright orange fabric panel can be seen directly behind the turret; this piece of equipment is a signal maker, utilized to alert coalition aircraft that the vehicle is friendly.
Due to lessons learned from earlier operations in Iraq, the new vehicles incorporate additional armored plating for the hull and turret for improved protection from IEDs, as well as updated optics and suspension. The crew is conducting a patrol with Dutch troops near the village of Chora.
CAF 22 vehicles for the Australian Army, plus required that all Phase 2 vehicles be brought up to Phase 3 standard. The Phase 3 upgrades included an integrated laser rangefinder, electric turret drives, improved thermal sights, and upgraded suspension. Canadian armed forces eventually purchased vehicles with two separate surveillance kits envisioned Battle Group Kit and Fixed Brigade Kit.
First and foremost, the Coyote is not amphibious; the vehicle was procured without a trim vane and twin propellers.
Second, the troop compartment at the rear of the hull in Marine Corps LAVs is utilized as a surveillance compartment by the Canadian Coyote. Instead of 4—6 troops, the compartment is occupied by a single surveillance operator. The LAV utilizing the Fixed Brigade Kit uses a sensor module mounted on an electrically operated telescopic mast, elevated from the left troop compartment with the hatch in the open position.
The mast can elevate the sensor suite 33ft above the vehicle. The surveillance equipment consists of a thermal imager, battlefield surveillance radar, day or night long-range camera, and laser rangefinder.
The second variation the Battle Group Kit utilizes surveillance sensors mounted on a tripod. The system is manportable and can be deployed yds from the vehicle. The sensor suite consists of a laser rangefinder, long-range TV camera, and a thermal imager. This system allows the crew to detect small-arms fire, providing information on the caliber, bearing, and range of the incoming rounds.
The Saudi government eventually placed an order for 1, LAVs. The variant similar to the Marine Corps requirement which failed to reach production due to funding issues was finally ordered in by Saudi Arabia.
Their non-combat role in the early stages was to allow freedom of movement for Americans living in Panama. When H-Hour came with the beginning of Operation Just Cause on December 20, , the conflict became hot and combat operations to hunt down Noriega commenced. Ten four-man scout teams were assigned to the unit: three teams per platoon, plus one assigned to the headquarters section.
This mission provided security for US citizens, and property, and enforced the Panama Canal Treaty. Initial missions consisted of reconnaissance, US Army convoy escorts, and mounted and dismounted security. The mission was followed by a night swim of the canal under complete radio silence and blacked-out conditions. Then on August 8, Operation Westward Ho began. Marines sent a reinforcing platoon to free the blocked vehicle. Key personnel from the unit accompanied Company B on routine vehicle patrols during their last missions.
The route passed through four major towns. The PDF were given five minutes to clear the roadblock. Gaskins, ordered his LAV drivers to button up and gunners to ready their machine guns.
As the company passed through the roadblock, a Panamanian pickup truck rammed an LAV-L, puncturing the right front tire. The LAV-L continued on past the roadblock and was repaired in a matter of minutes. The lead vehicle drove through a locked fence at the station and started to receive smallarms fire. Its coaxial and pintle-mounted machine guns provided cover for the scout teams.
Scout team member Corporal Garreth Isaak lost his life during the firefight; he would earn the Silver Star posthumous for his actions. The company turned to Peredes Headquarters. The 1st and 3rd Platoons cut all access into the city of Arraijan.
After the teams were in position, a previously slow-moving civilian vehicle accelerated towards the LAVs. The FAST teams opened up on the vehicle, killing the driver. A second vehicle attempted to escape the Marine perimeter, with little success. An estimated — enemy troops garrisoned the headquarters, which consisted of four buildings surrounded by a 6ft concrete wall with firing ports. The forces tasked to secure the buildings included 31 dismounted Marines. Two LAVs approached the roadblock side by side at top speed while firing their 25mm main guns — the Panamanians quickly abandoned their position.
After the A-7 strike, the Marines assaulted the headquarters, and heavy fire from their LAVs soon pummeled the buildings into unrecognizable piles of rubble. The speed and agility of the wheeled LAV made it a champion in Panama City with high speed and mobility over the assortment of improved and unimproved roads.
The crews faced little opposition as they reached their objective, as the majority of Iraqi Forces had retreated back into Iraq. The crew of this particular LAV attached a small American flag to one of their antenna masts.
During the ground war, fratricide was one of the greatest dangers facing coalition ground forces. Vehicles were also adorned with bright orange signal panels to alert allied air crews that a vehicle was friendly.
Marine Corps camouflage schemes during Desert Storm varied from the traditional NATO scheme to vehicles painted in a solid coat of tan.
This particular vehicle had green portions of the standard NATO scheme painted over with tan to better adapt to the environment.
After taking Kuwait by force, Iraqi forces looking to defend their newly acquired territory began constructing a defense network of barriers, minefields, and fortifications 1. To secure their border, the Saudis had constructed their own series of earthen barriers 16ft high years before the Iraqi invasion took place.
The task force organizational structure was established by Lieutenant Colonel Clifford O. Observation Post Four OP-4 had a main building with two tower structures. At the time of the attack a platoon of Marines from the 1st Recon Battalion occupied the post. The platoon had a 5-ton truck and three HMWWVs situated in a horseshoe berm used as their rallying point.
Marine spotters utilizing night-vision scopes located 30 enemy vehicles moving towards their OP. Immediately the Recon platoon called for an airstrike. An airstrike failed to stop the Iraqi advance, and the enemy vehicles entered the range of smallarms fire from the observation post. The recon Marines stopped one of the approaching tanks with an LAW rocket.
Captain Pollard spotted the enemy formation at hrs, and put his crews on full alert. Myers instructed the company commander not to take action until the enemy made clear its intentions. As the firefight between the recon Marines and Iraqi armor started, their intentions could not have been clearer. Once the Iraqi armor came within range, the LAVs opened up and immediately knocked out an Iraqi tank.
The stricken tank burned brightly, creating a reference point for other LAV crews. Three T tanks engaged the recon Marines, who were now nearly out of anti-tank munitions. DoD By hrs, main gun fire from Iraqi tanks forced the Marines occupying the post to abandon their defense. He halted the platoon and instructed the crews to fire TOW missiles at the advancing Iraqi armor. The explosion that erupted confirmed some initial success; one of their vehicles, however, an LAV-AT, had been hit as well in the exchange.
Marine fire destroyed a second T soon after, which in turn stalled the Iraqi advance, giving Company D time to regroup. This tactic also outlined the enemy vehicle for air support within the area of OP The battle had now lasted nearly two hours. The lead A pilot radioed that he intended to drop a flare for the forward air controller FAC to use as a reference to get the section back on target. The flare fell directly behind an LAV The FAC gave the position of a T to the northeast when a huge explosion ripped through the platoon.
The first battle for OP-4 ended soon after the second friendly fire incident. Iraqi forces tested both OP-5 and OP-6 during the battle. Captain Thomas P.
The situation turned hot at hrs when Iraqi artillery targeted OP After an initial artillery barrage lifted, an Iraqi mechanized assault began.
While Vietnam is usually perceived as an infantry war, with US forces deploying by helicopter, the long supply lines that led to their inland bases had to be traveled by ground vehicles.
The 8th and 48th Transportation Groups were responsible for hauling supplies through the long, dangerous roads of Vietnam, and they often found themselves the target of ambushes, attacks, and sniping. In response to this, vehicle crews began to arm trucks with machine guns and armour them with sandbags. Written by a Vietnam veteran, this book traces the development of these gun trucks from the jury-rigged originals to the powerful armoured vehicles that appeared later in the war.
Biographical Note. Gordon L. Fuel tanks often remained unprotected — these actually proved difficult to ignite by small-arms fire. The problem with sandbags was that they absorbed rainwater, making a 40lb sandbag about one-third heavier.
Even without added water, dry sandbags equal 5,lb, almost three tons. This weight drastically reduced the transportable cargo weight and space and placed greater strain on engines and transmissions, and cooling and suspension systems.
Sandbags were quickly worn out by foot traffic, while vehicle vibration shook them apart, so they had to be frequently replaced. Vibration actually shook dust from the bags, fouling weapons and making life miserable for the crew.
Some trucks had 0. These were usually double-walled, with 12—14in between them. Often the inner wall was made of pierced steel planking PSP 15in x 10ft or solid M8A1 lightweight landing mats The space was filled with sandbags, adding a great deal of weight. It was rare that the plate was actual armorhardened steel. Thicknesses included, 0. The hull was held in-place by turn-buckle-tightened cables. King Cobra mounted a. Some APC gun trucks mounted a single. The cab doors, back, and windshield were armored.
Excessive weight and top-heaviness caused most to be withdrawn in , although a few remained in use in I CTZ. The only armor was a front panel with angled wing panels to the side.
An M60 was often mounted on the forward panel. Each truck also carried an M The machine-gun shield was frequently removed to allow easier and faster reloading and barrel changing. Spare barrels were carried forward. Some transportation units acquired M55s, but usually mounted them on 5-tonners. Like more conventional gun trucks, the cargo bed was paved with round ammunition cans, often over a layer of sandbags.
It was an example of an early woodsided gun box truck. It would have double wooden walls filled with sandbags.
This truck mounted a. The double-spaced armor back-filled with the afore-listed items was effective in stopping bullet penetration and in dispersing the blast of RPG and recoilless gun shaped-charge projectiles. Even the filled ammunition cans affected the blast and seldom detonated themselves.
Many trucks used thicker armor, especially if actual hardened armor was available, and dispensed with the double walls, providing more space within the gun box. Gunners needed sufficient room to traverse their weapons to the full extent and not interfere with each other.
Sometimes single-wall gun boxes had small vision ports cut in them, but these were found to be unnecessary. Seats removed from other vehicles were often fitted in the gun compartment.
Most gun boxes were rectangular, but a few were hexagon-shaped with a small rectangular extension for another machine gun; these proved to be too confining. The gun box did not always fill the cargo compartment.
The gun box floor was usually thinner steel plate or planking, or a combination of both. As with projectiles, a mine detonation would not explode the ammunition. Steel plating might be added to the cab floor, doors usually with a vision slit , and the sides of the engine compartment — here they were often removed because they caused engine overheating.
Add-on armor kits were developed in the United States and sent to Vietnam in September They were used, but were not well liked. They included four or five 0.
The ports were considered unnecessary and were sometimes installed upside-down with the ports at the bottom over the steel cargo bed side panels. Windshield plates with small windows were provided and had pull-down steel covers with small slits, but they restricted vision and were also little used.
From new doors and windshields were fitted with 2in thick bulletproof glass. The window panels were fitted in brackets and could be easily replaced. Gun shields were not used as they restricted vision. Electrical and intercom systems were retained. Most were withdrawn by They were usually fitted with the bow forward, but the APC hull was nose heavy and a small number were mounted with the bow to the rear, placing much of the weight over the rear wheels.
The MA1 hull was made of aluminum armor: front, rear and top — 1. The top cargo hatch remained open to allow access to other guns. The crews generally wore steel helmets and body armor. It is sometimes claimed they shunned such protection, this being based on accounts of bravado and photos taken in bases and marshalling areas. Gun truck armament Armament was scrounged from various sources, the most common being rebuilt guns turned in by combat units.
Some did not make it back, however, and were repaired by the unit armorer. There was no limit on reasonable spare parts requests. The number of machine guns varied from two to six, with three or four being common. Ideally the guns would provide degree coverage from multiple guns, especially covering the vehicle sides. Some trucks mounted a mix of. From , many mounted all. A Minigun might have replaced a.
Seldom was more than one Minigun mounted. Gun truck armament was not static; it frequently changed when crews were able to obtain additional weapons.
The truck Poison Ivy started off with three. More common configurations included The Private, with a twin. The weapon could generate an awesome amount of firepower, as evidenced by the spent cases, but required a six-man crew. When the M60s were found less than effective they changed to three.
APC trucks mounted a. The primary weapon was the stalwart Browning. It offered a 2,m range, although the standard handheld free gun mounting was usually only effective up to 1,m, but this was sufficient as most engagements were from —m.
It was seldom that pinpoint targets could be identified. The round belts were loaded with a mix of two incendiary, two armor-piercing-incendiary, and one armor-piercing-incendiarytracer or one tracer and four steel-cored ball rounds. Ammunition was held in a round metal box fitted on the left side of the gun. The gun weighed 84lb and was 65in long with a 45in barrel. A couple of spare barrels were carried and could be changed in a few minutes.
M2s were mounted on both single and twin mountings on gun trucks using the M31C pedestal or locally fabricated mounts. This was a power-operated mount on the M45 two-wheel trailer. A gasoline engine powered the electric motor traversing and elevating the guns. They proved to be an ideal defensive and suppressive fire weapon in Vietnam. Mainly used to defend bases, they were also applied for convoy escort. While all of the guns could be fired simultaneously, firing was normally undertaken alternating the two upper and two lower guns, allowing longer sustained fire.
These trucks were also armed with an M60 machine gun and an M79 grenade launcher and manned by a crew of six squad leader, gunner, driver, three ammunition handlers. The crew of six was difficult for undermanned transport units to supply, however.
Nor could the guns fire in the forward quarter arc because of the cab, a considerable gap in its field of fire. For effective convoy defense, degree fire was necessary. There is an old myth claiming it is illegal to use antiaircraft weapons against troops, including the. There is no regulation in the US armed forces that says this is illegal.
In fact, every US manual on air defense guns, including the. Absolutely nothing in the Hague Convention or other accords even remotely suggest it is forbidden. Miniguns were originally mounted in helicopter gunship chin turrets, so crews had to fabricate their own truck mounts. The 3. It is often claimed that gun truck crews shunned helmets and armor vests. This was true only in rare cases. As such its hood nose had a white band. A gunner fires an M79 grenade launcher at a sniper. Note the M60 on the hood.
He cannot speak on it, but can monitor radio traffic. Note the ample supply of 40mm M79 grenade launcher highexplosive rounds. The passenger seat has been removed, as was common to provide more stowage space. It had only been in the field since The gun threw out rpm up to 1,m. It weighed 23lb, was Ammunition was provided in round belts issued in two cardboard cartons in a metal can.
The two belts could be linked together and contained one tracer to four ball rounds. M60s initially armed gun trucks as they were readily available. It was soon found that they lacked the firepower necessary for ambush suppression, as they were not as effective as the. It was not long before crews began replacing their M60s with M2s. Some crews retained at least one M60 for close-in defense.
Some M60D helicopter flexible machine guns, with spade grips instead of a butt stock, were also used and sometimes fitted to twin mounts. The 7. The Minigun had a selective rate of fire of 2, or 4,rpm. The 4,round rate was impractical for ground targets and wasted ammunition. While firing the same ammunition as the M60 with the same penetration limitations, its insanely high rate of fire literally allowed it to chew through dense vegetation.
The volume of fire, the continuous streak of red tracers, and the chainsaw-like shriek of its voice had a distinct psychological effect. For so much firepower the Minigun was relatively compact, being The gun was powered by a 3. US military ground vehicles and helicopters used a volt electrical power system to operate the vehicle systems, radios, and other equipment. It tended to be temperamental and electrical malfunctions were common.
Gun truck crews built large capacity plywood or sheet metal ammunition boxes. The 40mm M79 grenade launcher was a valuable weapon and each gun truck carried at least one, often used by the driver, but any crewman could operate it.
Transportation companies were normally allotted only one per truck squad and one in the maint section, to total seven. They were used for reconnaissance-by-fire, blind-firing against concealed positions, and close-in attacks. The compact M79 was only 29in long and weighed 6. Machine guns could not be depressed sufficiently to engage the enemy at pointblank ranges.
These included handheld M60s, M79 grenade launchers with the high-explosive round armed at 14—27m, gauge pump-action shotguns firing buckshot, M14 or M16A1 rifles, and. Drivers were initially armed with M14 rifles and typically carried only five round magazines.
The bulky rifles were difficult to fire from inside a truck cab, but did achieve good penetration. In , drivers were issued M16A1 rifles with nine round magazines. They were easier to fire from cabs, but suffered from limited range and poor brush penetration.
Other weapons were occasionally mounted on gun trucks. These included 40mm automatic grenade launchers of various marks from Navy riverine craft, and one example mounted a Bofors 40mm M1 antiaircraft gun, and another a mm M40 recoilless rifle.
Communications Early gun trucks often lacked radios, but radio communications were quickly found to be critical. Arm signals, flashing headlights, colored smoke grenades, and simply responding to the sound of gunfire did not provide the close coordination necessary for convoy escort operations.
Providing a radio to gun trucks allowed them to communicate directly with the convoy commander, serial commanders, and other gun trucks. Usually one of the vehicles in the trail element support vehicles had a radio. Gun trucks often had direct contact with artillery units, scout helicopters, gunships, and FACs. They usually used standard handsets, but some managed to acquire earphones and voice-activated microphones.
Often a The rear interior of the Eve of Destruction displays its twin-fifty mount with two spare barrels in a rack and a 5gal oil can. The floor is paved with round. Note the inner wall panel and the crude blowtorch cutting on its edges. Viewing from left to right:. Sometimes the combat vehicle crewman CVC helmet was used with built-in earphones and voice-activated microphone. As gun trucks became more sophisticated, crews acquired intercom systems, sometimes using commercial components.
Crews outfitted themselves with water coolers, ice chests, Mermite insulated food containers kept ice for three days , duffle bags with personal gear, folding cots, and litters. Canvas tarps might be carried to erect a rain shelter over or beside the truck. Litters, besides transporting casualties, could be laid across the top of gun compartment walls side-to-side as bunks. Gun truck names Pocket patches were worn by some crewmen, here the Play Boys crew.
Such patches were completely unauthorized, but permitted owing to their encouragement of esprit de corps. The accompanying list is by no means complete, as there were an estimated — gun trucks. Paint schemes were sometimes transformed or modified with changes in the crew, especially with a new NCOIC aboard.
The armored car would be lowered into the boat by crane with its rear wheels fitting into the treadmill system. For the landing, the armored car carried a set of landing ramps on either side of the body that could be dismounted and used to transfer the armored car from the boat to the shore.
In August , the Marine Corps put the pilot King armored car through extensive trials including a test of the Landing Transport. One of the officers involved was Capt Earl H. One of the armored cars was driven to RIA in September for further trials that raised several concerns about some of its technical features.
The army preferred the AMC No. This unit did not see combat service in World War I, but the King Eight armored cars were used in various overseas deployments after the war as detailed below. The American Expeditionary Force did not deploy any armored cars in France in — However, the Quartermaster Corps suggested that armored cars would be valuable for convoy protection and base security and built a wooden mock-up of a suitable design in The Army request for the FY17 appropriation bill anticipated the purchase of 58 armored cars but instead, most of 15 Even though the US Army did not procure any significant number of armored cars during the war, development continued by several automotive firms.
Aside from the lengthened hull, it had a modified turret compared to the earlier RIA designs. It is seen here in Washington, DC. One of the most curious wheeled armored vehicles to emerge in was a Holt Tractor vehicle based around a three-wheel steam traction engine. Unlike agricultural tractors, the two main wheels were in the front of the vehicle and the small steering wheel was located at the rear. The two eightfoot sieve-grip tractor wheels were manufactured by the Hart Parr Company and were powered by two Doble steam engines using a drive train developed by the General Engineering Company of Detroit.
The principal armament was a 75mm M pack howitzer, based on the Vickers 2. There were machinegun barbettes on either side of the hull. This armament arrangement was apparently reconfigured at a later date, as a postwar Ordnance report describes the Monitor being armed with two 6-pdr guns and two machine guns. Although impressive in size, the design was mechanically feeble. During its first and only test at Aberdeen Proving Ground APG in , the front wheel bogged down after the vehicle had moved barely 50 feet.
This variety of olive drab was lighter than the more familiar olive drab adopted in —20 and used through World War II. Photographs of this vehicle show no evidence of any markings. There was familiarization training beforehand between Italian and American troops at the Italian machine-gun school near Barbarano, Italy, as seen here in early September This is a rear view of the vehicle and shows its large tractor wheels.
The 75mm M pack howitzer, seen here in the left foreground, was its principal armament along with machine-gun barbettes on either side.
This was the largest and heaviest wheeled combat vehicle built in the United States until the s. When the United States entered the Great War in , it had only a handful of armored cars along the Texas border, a scattered assortment of types with various state National Guard units, and a few more in testing establishments.
In , the Allied Commission discouraged the American Expeditionary Force from acquiring armored cars since the British and French armies had found them useless for trench warfare. Early armored cars had inherent mobility problems since they were usually built on commercial automobile or truck chassis.
They had poor off-road mobility as a result of the high ground pressure of their narrow tires, worsened by the several tons of armor added to the chassis.
High ground pressure meant that armored cars became quickly bogged down in soft soil such as mud, and so were road-bound for much of the war in Europe in — Besides the problems with the narrow tires, the spring suspensions on trucks of this period were inadequate when trying to cross shell-torn terrain.
The French and British views were reflected in US Army plans, which reduced the plans for armored-car production from previous years. It has no place at all in the present situation on the Western Front, and consequently we are merely making the models and being ready to build them if they want them.
A mock-up was constructed in France using wood rather than steel for the body. The Westervelt Board of examined future Army equipment needs and completely ignored the need for armored cars.
Since there was no American experience with armored cars during the war, the board turned to the experience of Allied armies. British use of armored cars in Palestine and Syria was noted, and the board visited the French 5e Division de Cavalerie at Vincennes. The French divisional commander enthusiastically predicted that armored cars would be the future of the cavalry. However, the report also noted the British argument that favored the use of a light cavalry tank instead of armored cars as it gave better cross-country performance.
Maj George S. Movement, not fire, is its primary weapon. The armored cars were in poor mechanical condition and the engines quickly overheated in the tropical conditions, forcing the crews to operate them without their armored engine covers.
With no spare parts available in the Caribbean, the armored cars became decrepit; the squadron was disbanded on May 4, Five armored cars remained on Haiti at least until before returning to the Marine barracks in the Philadelphia navy yard.
This montage shows the Ross patent drawing for his Landing Transport above, and a photo of the trial of the pilot of the King armored car on the Landing Transport on Chesapeake Bay in September Art Loder 20 remained poor. The King armored cars were so unsatisfactory that instead a platoon of Six Ton Tanks was borrowed from the Army for the China mission.
The King armored cars were finally authorized for disposal in Marine detachments overseas continued to request armored car support, for example requesting the dispatch of three armored cars to the Philippines in However, the Marine Corps budget did not permit such luxuries and no replacements for the King armored cars were forthcoming. A similar problem afflicted US Army units deployed overseas. The 15th Infantry Regiment, protecting the concession at Tientsin Tianjin China, was unable to obtain armored cars to help patrol the city.
Two of these were constructed at a local Chinese iron works. Although they could be armed with four machine guns and rifles, as often as not they were used to rescue missionaries and other civilians trapped by irate Chinese citizens throwing stones. Local American consular officials warned the garrison not to overreact to the Chinese actions, and the armored cars provided a method to carry out their missions without resorting to gunfire.
They were painted with a disruptive pattern of rectangles to hide the actual location of their view slits and firing ports. On his return, he instructed the US Army to conduct a similar exercise, and this began in the summer of at Camp Meade, Maryland. This revived interest in armored cars for the cavalry, primarily to conduct reconnaissance. The intention was to create an armored-car squadron for each cavalry division for a total of Each squadron consisted of a headquarters, HQ troop and three line troops each with 12 armored cars for a total of 36 per squadron.
However, because of a lack of funding and lack of armored cars, only two squadrons were activated and these had only a single active troop. It disappeared in —33 after its equipment was absorbed into the new 7th Cavalry Brigade Mechanized. The 3rd Armored Car Squadron was organized as a Regular Army Inactive formation with only a skeleton structure and no equipment.
In , the cavalry proposed activating seven more armored-car The T1 light armored car was a simple modification of a Pontiac automobile with the added protection of an armored windshield and armored cover over the radiator. The original configuration was fitted with two. It was redesignated as the T1 Scout Car. The original LaSalle T2 medium armored car was an unsophisticated design with a simple structure. The armored roof folded into the insides of the fighting compartment. It was armed with a pintlemounted weapon in the fighting compartment, in this case, an air-cooled.
This is the second pilot and it is seen here after its deployment with Troop A, 1st Armored Car Squadron. The two active armored-car troops in the late s were usually understrength and consisted of three platoons with a total of eight armored cars; personnel strength was two officers and 50 men each.
In , the Rock Island Arsenal began development of both a light and a medium armored car. The T1 was not an armored car in the contemporary sense, since its protection was limited to an armored plate over the radiator and an armored shield in place of the usual windshield. It was armed with two. The Army designation practice emerging at this time was to identify a test vehicle starting with a T Test prefix.
Variations of the basic design could be further identified by an E Experimental suffix such as T1E1. Finally, when the vehicle was standardized for army use, it was given an M prefix such as M1.
The system was confusing since many weapons would receive the same T1 or M1 designation. For proper understanding, the designation had to be employed along with the class of weapon such as M1 medium armored car or M1 rifle. This was a fully armored vehicle weighing 4, pounds. There were folding panels to cover the roof, but in practice these were left open to permit the use of the vehicle armament.
The vehicle weapon was mounted on a pedestal in the rear fighting compartment. Of the four original vehicles, two were armed with.
In August , the crews of the Provisional Platoon picked up two T1 light armored cars and four T2 medium armored cars in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and drove them to Fort Leonard Wood to take part in the maneuvers by the newly formed Experimental Mechanized Force. In the wake of the initial Experimental Mechanized Force maneuvers, the T2 medium armored car went through evolutionary development. The T2E1 of introduced an open-top turret and the T2E3 was a redesign to lower the overall height of the vehicle.
The cross-country performance of the T1 light armored car was inadequate because of high ground pressure and, as a result, RIA built a modified version in with thicker armor plate and larger tires, originally called the T3 light armored car. The T2E2 variant aimed at reducing the height of the series by lowering the rear roof as seen in this overhead view. C needed: a light armored scout car for uncontested shallow reconnaissance and liaison missions, and a better-protected armored car for contested deep reconnaissance missions.
As a result of this change in doctrine, the T3 was redesignated as the T1 scout car. In practice, the armored cars were assigned to the armored-car squadrons of the cavalry divisions while the scout cars were assigned to the cavalry regiments. Organizational responsibility for armored-car development was ambiguous. Ordnance was the recognized authority for tracked combat vehicles. It had been involved in the earliest armored-car designs from , but had shown little interest in the concept since On November 28, , the Quartermaster Corps released Specification which depicted olive drab as one of 24 standard colors for US Army use.
Some accounts indicate that the Quartermaster Corps derived it from the commercial Panama Pullman Green railroad color. The Spec. Through the inter-war years, US Army armored vehicles officially were finished in the same lusterless flat olive drab. However, in practice, they were usually finished in a gloss version of this paint. Unit markings at the time were prescribed in Army Regulation AR This consisted of the cavalry crossed sabers as the branch insignia, the squadron number above and the troop number below.
Cavalry units often used chrome yellow for these colors rather than the more common white, presumably because this was the branch color. In the case of this vehicle, the number was repeated on the upper right corner of the rear superstructure. They had two. The T6 was a reconstruction of one of the T7 medium armored cars with a reconfigured hull and new turret shape. It served with the 1st Cavalry Mecz at Fort Knox.
The controversy over control of armored cars raged for about five years.
0コメント