JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry W. Jewell) (02/11/91)
From: "Larry W. Jewell" <JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU> I need some information on a weapon used in the 'Nam. It was an armored, tracked vehicle with six recoiless rifles, (75mm or 105mm, not sure which) three to a side. I'd like the designator of the vehicle, and which units used it (I'm interested in the period from '70 -'71). I think this unit also used the same rifle setup on a jeep. E-mail will be answered if VM let's me (I HATE this mcahine). [mod.note: It's the M50 Ontos. I'll leave it to someone else to provide full details. - Bill ] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Larry W. Jewell JEWELLLW@PURDUE.VM.CC
major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) (02/12/91)
From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) > From: "Larry W. Jewell" <JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU> > > I need some information on a weapon used in the 'Nam. It was > an armored, tracked vehicle with six recoiless rifles, (75mm > or 105mm, not sure which) three to a side. > > I'd like the designator of the vehicle, and which units used > it (I'm interested in the period from '70 -'71). I think this > unit also used the same rifle setup on a jeep. > > > [mod.note: It's the M50 Ontos. I'll leave it to someone else > to provide full details. - Bill ] Your talking about the Ontos - with 6 106mm Recoiless Rifles mounted on it. Used by the Marines as a direct support anti-tank weapon. It was mounted on a light tracked vehicle - the same platform as the old SPAT. (Self-propelled Light Anti-Tank Gun) [I think I saw some of these with the Marines on Okinawa (circa '63)]. I believe the Ontos was used in Vietnam, too (Danang?). The design flaw on the Ontos was kind of comical - 6x 106mm Rifles could put out some awesome firepower - and the vehicle gave some crew protection. But, someone had to get outside and reload each rifle!!! The 106mmRR jeep-mounted was the basic anti-tank weapon in the army for a long time. It was a very good weapon and accurate. I fired the 106 a few times at Ft Benning. The gun had a .50 spotting rifle with tracer rounds - coaxialy mounted with the main gun - the 'trigger' was actually the 'hub' of the elevation wheel on the side. The gunner sat on the left side - lay the sight crosshairs on the target - pull out to fire the spotter gun - when the tracer hit the target - push in to fire the main gun - if you were 'good' the whole sequence took less than one second = bam! BAM!!. And then get the hell out - the recoil(less) backblast produced a huge white blast of smoke - nice target. The 106's went away with the advent of the anti-tank guided missiles. Still, they were fun to fire. mike schmitt