Com-Central.net

ran across some more nam pics.
figured doug, roy, ole top, et.al might have observations, stories, comments...

there is something in one of the photos that i hadnt realized was happening, a candid moment indeed...

shawn

alright, y'all clue this idiot in, are the pics too large to post or what?
and how do y'all get that little icon thingy by your name?
looks like many of you have become very familar with this format,
i am getting to like it as well, i'll get it...

shawn

Someone help this guy. Everyone knows I'm not computer literate enough to help!!!

Hi Shawn! Hi Folks!

The is part of the problem. Both photos have the same address.

"http://www.com-central.net/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10617"

I take it those two photos have been uploaded to the Com-Centrol Photo gallery?

If so, need someone else to help there. I am still working on uploading from my PC to photobucket.com then to here.

Sgt, Scouts Out!

Heres your photos Shawn. For 'those' OLD TIMERS....

Hi Shawn! Hi Folks!

Thanks Dontos for figuring out the correct links.

Just a few things I noticed:

Top Left ACAV.
Check out what the three troopers at the rear cargo hatch are setting on. That looks like a 2x6 board at the back edge of the opening. My first ACAV had a board fitted like that. Not a safe thing to do when it comes to hitting land mines.

Top Right ACAV.
Radio antenna in front of the right M-60 machine. Could be a Platoon Leader or Company/Troop Commander vehicle.

Second ACAV on left side.
Looks like the TC is cleaning off the engine grill area after a mad minute of firing.
Trooper on the ACAV on the far side is.............

Sheridans at the bottom.
Same vehicle in both photos, check out the surf board damage and the jumper cable to the right of the driver. Vehicle must be having a starting problem. Nice thing about diesel engines, once you get them turning over, you don't need electrical power except for the radio and intercom system. Also that vehicle still has part of the base for the searchlight bolted to the gun mantle. Searchlights didn't last very long once a Sheridan started playing bull dozer and busting brush.

Lower Right Sheridan photo.
ACAV behind the Sheridan. Is it just me or does that vehicle look like it has a cupola off a M-48 tank on it? Is so, that vehicle would be a Zippo.

Nice photos Shawn. Are their your Dad's?
Sgt, Scouts Out!

hello roy,

and 2 questions, what is a safer way to ride, sit on the deck completely?
i couldnt imagine having your legs dangling in the inside the vehicle to be a good thing when hitting a mine.

the pissing pic--
the tc's tub, the back of it, has had some additional skirting/aprons added to the sides of the hatch area, was that common?
i know it is the camera angle but i almost thought he was sprinkling the tc in that first track... but he isnt...




no, but i believe the book i got them out of may be his. it is an older vietnam photo book. i was trying to find photos of the M551 that either you or doug had posted online here previously and in my search ran across these photos in my "stash" of stuff. i am putting together an M551 now.

i would like to model every nam era vehicle my father has photographed.
that will take me a few years.

shawn
oh, if you dont mind sharing them, if you have any sheridan pics might a take a peek at them??

Hi Shawn! Hi Folks!

- SHAWN

what is a safer way to ride, sit on the deck completely?

The problem with using a board to sit on is the blast wave from a landmine will blow streight up and then you fall streight down and into the vehicle. If the vehicle has been set on fire, you will get burned. This one is a lesson I learned the hard way.

- SHAWN

i couldnt imagine having your legs dangling in the inside the vehicle to be a good thing when hitting a mine.

If you are setting on the edge of the rear cargo hatch, no problem. The blast wave will come up and expand sideways some as it clears the top of the hull. That will, generally, push a person and their legs up and away from the vehicle with a landing on the ground somewhere off the rear or side of the M113.

Two thing to remember about legs.
1. NEVER hang them over the side. A blast wave will cut them off at the edge of the armor. That applies to arms also.
2. TCs riding in the M113 cupola, NEVER put any part of your body inside the turret ring. It was very common for a vehicle hitting a larger type land mine for the cupola to fly off. If your feet for example, where resting on the grab bar that is just under the hull top and in front of the TC's buttoned up position, the flying cupola will cut your legs off and leave your feet resting on that grab bar.

- SHAWN

the pissing pic--
the tc's tub, the back of it, has had some additional skirting/aprons added to the sides of the hatch area, was that common?

I have only seen photos of different sets up. The only type I remember seeing on 11th ACR vehicles was the standard ACAV kits.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

- Roy_A_Lingle

Two thing to remember about legs.
1. NEVER hang them over the side. A blast wave will cut them off at the edge of the armor. That applies to arms also.
2. TCs riding in the M113 cupola, NEVER put any part of your body inside the turret ring. It was very common for a vehicle hitting a larger type land mine for the cupola to fly off. If your feet for example, where resting on the grab bar that is just under the hull top and in front of the TC's buttoned up position, the flying cupola will cut your legs off and leave your feet resting on that grab bar.


Sgt, Scouts Out!

Ayup, well said. If you view a few of my pics where hosted at the VHPA site, you'll see several ARVN (in a joint op) on the vehicles dangling legs over the side (against emphatic advice against doing so). After a while, you just give up....

Several ACAV's, including mine, used a (semi) padded board across the cupola hatch on which to sit and your feet would fit more-or-less comfortably on the forward cupola ring. You could turn the cupola with your feet, when necessary.

Gotta' go...still in France and the meter is running on this here computer....

Here's a little non-Vietnam ACAV armor!
From March 22.

Since they haven't made M113 shield kits for awhile I'm supposing these are Vietnam era add-ons:

- mike_Duplessis

Here's a little non-Vietnam ACAV armor!
From March 22.

Since they haven't made M113 shield kits for awhile I'm supposing these are Vietnam era add-ons:

Our M88A1s and M106A2 mortar tracks had them in Germany in the late 80s-early 90s.

Incidently, if you read the caption on the above picture, the Army identifies it as an M2 Bradley, lol!

Although I can't offer a link or a snapshot, the Canadians installed ACAV kits on their Tracks in the early '90s in Bosnia/Croatia. This is definately a modification to the normal clean top M113.

Hey All

M113 Flamethrower !!

....Found this photo over on 173rds Website. Its from "FIREBASE 173" newspaper dated 31 March 69.



FIREBASE 173 dated 31 Mar 1969


Don

Don,
Did you miss this one for Jeff? Same Issue:

To add to Roys notes, the third picture of the ACAV has the exhaust turned forward. Guess that meant less smoke for the occupants.