The M113 has become as much a recognisable part of the US military
machine at war as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois and M16 assault rifle.
Earning its stripes in the jungles and highlands of Vietnam, it
became the most widely armoured vehicle of the campaign. Such was
its prowess that the Viet Cong gave it the nickname Green Dragon on
account of its ability to go virtually anywhere. Its
ground-breaking aluminium hull gives the M113 a relatively low
weight of 12ts, this allows it to be easily transported by air and
gives it an amphibious ability. The design was also easy to modify
and can carry a range of support and indirect fire weapons. From
mortars to ballistic missiles, the M113 spawned a progeny of useful
and innovative vehicles. The base M113 is lightly armoured and safe
against only the lightest of small arms fire and shell splinter. As
a result a range of up-armour packages have been used in the past,
from sandbags to complex applique armour. 80,000 M113s of all types
have been produced and are in use with over 50 countries, making it
one of the most widely used armoured fighting vehicles to be
produced. Indeed such was its popularity that the US bought their
final M113s in as late as 2007. The M113 was designed and developed
by the Food Machinery Corporation (FMC) to replace the heavier and
less reliable steel-bodied M59 and M75 armoured personnel carriers.
It was specifically designed to be lighter, air-portable and have
amphibious capability. Carrying a crew of two, driver and
commander, who manned the M113's only weapon, a .50cal machine gun,
the M113 would transport 11 soldiers into combat before withdrawing
to the rear. Powered initially by a V8 petrol engine the M113 would
be continuously up-engined throughout its frontline and subsequent
rear support lifespan. Changes included improved suspension, smoke
dischargers and externally fitted fuel tanks. Other changes have
included armoured commander's turrets and slat armour. This
LandCraft title looks at the M113s development where the FMC sought
to utilise its chassis into as many roles as possible, from smoke
generators to flamethrowers. The book also looks at how the M113
was adapted for use by numerous overseas customers and how these
are upgraded to suit local conditions. Finally the title looks at
the M113's changing roles in the more sophisticated contemporary
battlescape and how it's still providing service in theatres across
the world in a variety of roles, both combat and support. For the
modeller there is nothing more important than the little things and
this image-rich section of Land Crafts M113 title delivers the
goods. Filled with crisp photos that show the M113's many details,
combined with helpful accompanying text, forms an enviable visual
guide for the enthusiast and modeller alike.
General
Imprint: |
Pen & Sword Military
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Land Craft |
Release date: |
2021 |
Authors: |
Ben Skipper
|
Dimensions: |
297 x 210 x 10mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
64 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-5267-8977-8 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-5267-8977-9 |
Barcode: |
9781526789778 |
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