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SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

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This Hummer was part of 1/11th ACR's (B Trp I believe) while deployed to Iraq. Whenever a civilian vehicle would interupt a convoy and not leave the convoy, the drivers were told to ram them out of the way to avoid vehicle suicide bombers. This led to easy damage to the fiberglass noses of the vehicles. Since the Iraqi army was being "demilitarized", many of their tanks cannon barrels were being torched off the tanks. A smart use for these homeless barrels was to weld them to the front of the Hummers as new bumpers for Ramming purposes. The soldier told be the body of the vehicle would buckle before that tube would bend.
This Up-armored HUmmer has an M240B MG mounted up top,(out of view) along with the crews weapons which are spread across the hood for a pre-movement inspection. This would also be done after a movement to ensure nothing was lost. There appears to be 2 M4 Carbines on the left, a 240B MG across the windshield, a M249 SAW in the middle of the hood, and two M16A2's on the right of the hood.
Orange cones were for impromtu road blocks/inspection. The tape over the turn signals was to change the night time look of the Hummers coming down the road, as to try and fool the insurgents. Didn't work since you could tell the Hummers distinctive sound a ways off and they always rode in small convoys. I'm sure the crew would rather have been in their M1 but this is what they got.

Dirk · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Interesting photo - thanks for posting Smile

Correct me if I'm wrong - Shotgun shells to the right ?

What's troops in the field saying about the M240 ?

Best regards

Dirk

SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:54 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Shotguns were used but mainly by troops doing door to door searches. This crew had none. The 240B is a bad mo-fo! I have fired and carried an M60 back in the 80's, but the 240B rocks! When it cuts loose the noise along should scare the enemy away. Everyone I've talked to likes it. Pretty accurate as well.

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Cool pic, interesting modification.

I can't help but wonder what the reaction of those same troops preferring an M1 would be to doing much the same mission in an M151A1/A2 gunjeep?

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Jeff,
Any pics of the OSVs over there? Or is that just a long-standing urban legend?

Neil

SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:09 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

The motorpool is full of OSV's right now, they never went. There was some scuttle-butt here about it before the deployment, but it never went anywhere. Insurgents aren't stupid, and they would have figured out real fast that those OSV gun barrels didn't shoot back, except with a laser and a puff of smoke. The whole idea of taking them was silly. It was bad enough that the mortar platoon had to take its M1064A2's, yep, A2's! While most of the Army has A3 models, the NTC, 11th ACR still has the A2's because we are primarliy a "training" post. Thats why we had M551 Sheridans until about a year and a half ago.

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Thanks for giving us the ground truth on that one. That rumor never seemed to die...

BTW, I spent a night on Hill 781 during the Division Capstone Exercise (DCX) in 2001 - thats my one claim to fame!

Neil

Roy_A_Lingle · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:39 am Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

"I can't help but wonder what the reaction of those same troops preferring an M1 would be to doing much the same mission in an M151A1/A2 gunjeep?"

I don't wonder about the troops, I wonder about the Press and the American public. During Vietnam, neither one of those groups cared about any of us.
Strange how times have changed. I think the current group of troopers have General Abrams to thank for a lot of that change other wise it's just possible the M151 would be over there.

My 2 cents,
Sgt, Scouts Out! Neutral

Doug_Kibbey · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

- Roy_A_Lingle

I don't wonder about the troops, I wonder about the Press and the American public. During Vietnam, neither one of those groups cared about any of us.

Roy,
I'm not convinced the press cares about the troops now, apart from how any bad news is good news when you want a catchy headline. Not that I advocate a return the the M151, but if better equipment comes from closer scrutiny, I suppose their motives can be overlooked.

Color me "cynical"....

SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: HUMMVEE tank barrel bumper

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This would be the result of no tank barrell bumper when ramming a vehicle out of your way. A 1/11th mortar platoon Hummer fender that didn't fare to well after only minor contact. Those brush guards are only good for brush, anything else and the bend like a pretzel.

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