M113 'The Bucket'

[Maverick]

Steve,

I have no issues with your ideas regarding the Bucket. (BTW, I also served in them with a recon regiment here in Aus but serving with a given system doesn't necessarily mean 'expert' either).

Perhaps Greg's turret is 2-5 mm too far forward, but for the sake of the request (I mean M3 Turret on a Bucket sounds odd either way) I think the pic is acceptable to a degree.  I also checked the M163 model I have (we didn't have them in Service) and note that the turret is moved back with the top hatch removed.  Given that the whole issue is supposed to be a turret & dismounts, one would assume that the large hatch would still be present which would negate the SPAAG's turret position.  The turret footprint of the M3 is obviously larger than that of the vanilla M113's but once again, if one is looking for dismounts in addition to a turret, the turret would be mounted more forward than the SPAAG type.

Mav

[Maverick]

Steve,

Whilst I realise the Bucket was never designed to be a MICV, the idea had a degree of merit.  Obviously it couldn't hold anywhere near a full squad, regardless of whose army they were from without a stretch, but I kinda figured that was obvious.   My bad.

Regards,

Mav

[GINge!]

The M3 turret on the M113 uses the 4V53T engine with a supercharger. That means the engine compartment is smaller and farther forward. Thought everybody knew that?

[Maverick]

A later version of the FSV carried a Scimitar turret, but I believe Greg was trying for a MICV type vehicle with dismounts.  Neither FSV was designed for on-board infantry.

Regards,

Mav

[dy031101]

A later version of the FSV carried a Scimitar turret, but I believe Greg was trying for a MICV type vehicle with dismounts.  Neither FSV was designed for on-board infantry.

The 37mm-armed M113 was partially the result of my request on how GTX would imagine a modification that was produced by the South Vietnamese army.

I don't know if that modification was meant to carry dismounts or where exactly the turret was mounted, but neither the Stuart turret nor the Greyhound one strikes me as being that big......

[dy031101]

Well what do we know...... trying to find some M113 MRV pictures and I found this couple of ROCA M113 experimental modification with turret salvaged from retired M24......

According to the Chinese text, the engine was relocated to the rear.  The forward hull roof appeared to be lowered as well to reduce the vehicle profile......

Does anyone have any picture of the interior of the Australian M113 MRV?  Like the view looking through the rear door?

Thanks in advance.

[dy031101]

I would guess that all you'd see from the rear is the engine compartment.

If the above sentence was in response to my request prior, I was actually asking for Australian MRV (post was revised accordingly).  Sorry for not making it clear.

[rickshaw]

A later version of the FSV carried a Scimitar turret, but I believe Greg was trying for a MICV type vehicle with dismounts.  Neither FSV was designed for on-board infantry.

Regards,

Mav

Actually, they were.  The MRV had provision for two dismounts in the back.  There was a seat each side of the rear compartment by the ramp in the early versions.  I understand they were later removed.

[anthonyp]

The Bradley looks to become the defacto M113 replacement.  We're working on a bunch of variants right now, including a Mortar vehicle that the troops we've showed it to love.  Now only if we can get the Pentagon to buy it...

[Weaver]

The later FSV had the Scorpion turret (76mm) rather than Scimitar (30mm). No reason why you couldn't whiff up a Scimitar-equipped version though, after all, the Berlin Brigade had their FV432s with Fox turrets....

[rickshaw]

The later FSV had the Scorpion turret (76mm) rather than Scimitar (30mm). No reason why you couldn't whiff up a Scimitar-equipped version though, after all, the Berlin Brigade had their FV432s with Fox turrets....

This was actually proposed quite seriously in the early 1980s when they were designing the Scorpion turreted FSVs.  While the original role of the FSV was as a Fire Support Vehicle, in the HQ Troop of the Recce Squadron, the Scimitar turreted M113 was to be as a Recce vehicle within the Recce Troops of the Light Horse/Mounted Rifles Recce Regts.   Instead, they ended up redesgnating the FSV the MRV - Medium Recce Vehicle.  They decided that the lower utility of the Scimitar turret was such that it was cheaper and better to give every troop an FSV.

[ysi_maniac]

I DO love this version it's so cool 

[kitnut617]

Are these M113's

[dy031101]

I like it.

I DO love this version it's so cool 

The vehicle is said to be based on the M113A1 and was termed an "Amphibious Artillery Vehicle".

Gotta wonder if the M41 turret can fit in its place instead...... as an alternative to the M41D upgrade?

Are these M113's

M113-Lite  

Actually they are M113-1/2 Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle a.k.a. M113 C&R, which make uses of M113A1 components but are smaller.

[jcf]

Some Vietnam variations:

1) behind the ex-Malaya Canadian Ford Lynx is a partial view of an M8 Greyhound turret equipped ARVN M113, the only pic I've come across so far.

2) Interesting pic as the trailing vehicle is an XM734 experimental MICV conversion of the M113. The troops did not like the firing ports and preferred to ride on top, which was the normal practice.

3) M113 MTAB (Marginal Terrain Assault Bridge) twenty-five were sent to Vietnam in 1969.

4) Why the troops preferred to ride on top of the Bucket.

All from Vietnam Tracks : Armor in Battle 1945 - 1975, Simon Dunstan, Osprey/ Presidio 1982

A good book, get a copy if you can. I found mine a couple weeks ago as NOS (new old stock) in a Half-Price Books for $5.98.