Humvee with recoilless rifle info needed

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:09 pm

Anyone have links/pics/info on humvees with recoilless rifles operating in iraq? I'd like to know the crew compliment, how they are used, when they are used, crew positions during operation and a picture of one firing if possible.

thanks

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:31 pm

and btw i found pictures of a LAVs with a bright orange thing on the back of the turret. Is this some kind of recognition feature for friendly troops?

http://www.combatindex.com/hardware/ima ... 25_104.jpg

http://www.combatindex.com/hardware/ima ... -25_68.jpg

and is this tracer fire coming from the Lav or is it something else?

http://www.combatindex.com/hardware/ima ... 25_110.jpg

Hollywoodkbl · Post by **Hollywoodkbl** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:45 pm

Looks like some kind of flare to me. Cool picture though.

don · Post by **don** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:19 pm

Ferg,
The orange reflective is makeshift friendly recognition. I have never seen a recoilless mounted in the back like the BBI humvee and did not see any mounted anywhere on a humvee in Iraq. In fact I have yet to see one being used in a photo from Iraq. (I would love to see one if someone wants to prove me wrong).

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 7:33 pm

Well this same question was posed on the missing-lynx message board and the answer is: no.

There are no hummers in iraq mounting a recoilless rifle....in fact there are no humvees mounting a recoilles rilfe period.

So i guess what we have then is a convertible humvee and a recoiless rilfe that can be used seperately for something else. I believe they were used in vietnam so it would be good for that...

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:01 pm

I have always doubted using a 106 on a Humvee, especially firing over the cab. I have been looking for pictures and haven't seen such a mount. I wish someone would show me up.

The 106 is a direct fire weapon with a crew of four men. In firing, the gunner sits on the right leg of the tripod mount facing the side of the weapon. He looks in a telescope sight with two wheels in hand, traverse and elevaton. Firing is by a knob in the center of the traverse wheel. He pulls the knob up to fire the .50 cal spoting rifle. It has a 10 round clip of .50 cal tracer white phosferous (spelling) rounds. The .50 cal round has the same projectory as the 106 found. When the guinner sees the .50 cal rounds hit his target, he pushes the knob down to fire the weapon.

The second man stands by the breech, loads the 106 round, closes the breech, hits the gunner when he is satisfied nobody is within the triangle shaped back blast area behine the gun. the black blast area is FATAL to anyone in it and can go out 100 to 150 feet.

The third man unpacks the 106 rounds and hands a round to the breech guy.

My experience was with a 106 mounted on a M-151 or M-38A1 and the fourth man was the driver. After the second round was fired, they all jump on the jeep and scoot.

The 106 was a shoot and scoot weapon. After two rounds there was such a cloud of dust that it was like a signpost that said, Here I am, say hello to my little friend.... with a mortar.

I love the 106, scored expert with it by shooting paper tanks with the spotting rifle. What you hit with the rifle you hit with the big 106 round.

Whats not to like.

TTT

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:18 am

i read on the internet last night that green berets used hmmwv's mounted with 106mm recoilless rifles in the liberation of kuwait city. Can anyone verify this? I also found a picture of an experimental humvee with a 106 mounted in the back but the mount was different (not just sitting in the bed but on a special pedistal and the windscreen and other remnants of the cab had been completely removed. I dont think you'd want any of the cab present as the backblast could damage it and a bit of the blast might ricochet off of it and injure the crew.

I also read that during the war in Angola the South African army, when using the 106 recoilless rifle, preferred to use it dismounted from their wilys jeeps. I found this surprising as i figured the same, that they'd want to get out of the area as fast as possible after firing, but it was very specific about it being used off loaded from the jeep and there were even a couple of blurry pics showing it being fired from the ground.

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:23 am

Here are a couple of pics with humvees firing recoilless rifles. Not used in Iraq but it appears it is an export option..

http://www.network54.com/Forum/message? ... 1110374282

An interesting tidbit about the 106mm recoilless rifle: It's actual caliber is 105mm but it was designated 106mm to discourage the use of standard 105mm ammunition with it. The recoilless rifle's ammunition being highly specialized to it.

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:58 am

Aferg:

Your pics are great, I'd buy one........just to clear traffic ouit of my way.

As to your South African comments. the 106 mount was a tripod. It had one big wheel in front and the two legs clamped onto the fenders with a big lever locking the legs onto the vehicle. To dismount you grabbed the legs and pulled it off the vehicle, takes 10 seconds to lower the whole gun and mount to the ground and wheel it into firing position.

Keep in mind that it was designed to combat tanks. In combat nobody would notice the spotting rifle plinking away and once fired you want to leave the area because other enemy tanks, all with electronic range finders, are also in the area. In South Africa, as well as currently in Iraq enemy tanks to shot at are like hens teeth, so you would use the 106 against "soft" targets, without range finders looking for you, just mostly mortars or RPG's. Bad enough but the 106 can be used in a "stand up" fight.

When mounted on a M-113 they used a short pedestal mount, the same pedestal was used on the Mule when the 106 was used. Recoil is not terrific, what gets you is the noise and the black blast, so that the 106 can be used on a number of fixed mounts.

TTT

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 9:04 am

btw Glencoe makes a kit of a vietnam mechanical mule with a 106 mounted on it. The kit is advertised as 1/15 scale but is more like 1/19 and is very compatible with xd vietnam stuff. I have the kit and it's not bad..

You can usually find them pretty cheap on ebay ($10-$15).

Gunner · Post by **Gunner** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:46 am

Actually, there's one up right now for $10, Buy it Now...

Reasonable shipping, too, which seems to be a rarity these days. ($5.45 shipped to DC, with delivery confirmation).

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:23 am

Bought it.

Thanks very much for the tip.

I do love the 106, now for a 4.2" or 81mm mortar...............and a M-37 to carry it in with my 1st Cav markings. I'll be happy. If I kick the bucket my wife promises to bury me in the bed of my M-37 with most of my toys with me, arranged of course in size, 1:32,1:18,1:15,1:16 and 1:6. I tried to arrange my favorite movies to go with me but my kids screamed about "1941", "Sahara", "Kelly's Heros" and "The Longest Day". I didn't raise my three with no sense of the finer things in life. A fire, a big bag of popcorn and a classic war movie with an occassional side trip to The Military Channel. I'm happy.

Ain't life grand.

TTT

Gunner · Post by **Gunner** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:44 am

Glad to help!

sakuraba · Post by **sakuraba** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:50 pm

Threetoughtrucks wrote:I have always doubted using a 106 on a Humvee, especially firing over the cab. I have been looking for pictures and haven't seen such a mount. I wish someone would show me up.

The 106 is a direct fire weapon with a crew of four men. In firing, the gunner sits on the right leg of the tripod mount facing the side of the weapon. He looks in a telescope sight with two wheels in hand, traverse and elevaton. Firing is by a knob in the center of the traverse wheel. He pulls the knob up to fire the .50 cal spoting rifle. It has a 10 round clip of .50 cal tracer white phosferous (spelling) rounds. The .50 cal round has the same projectory as the 106 found. When the guinner sees the .50 cal rounds hit his target, he pushes the knob down to fire the weapon.

The second man stands by the breech, loads the 106 round, closes the breech, hits the gunner when he is satisfied nobody is within the triangle shaped back blast area behine the gun. the black blast area is FATAL to anyone in it and can go out 100 to 150 feet.

The third man unpacks the 106 rounds and hands a round to the breech guy.

My experience was with a 106 mounted on a M-151 or M-38A1 and the fourth man was the driver. After the second round was fired, they all jump on the jeep and scoot.

The 106 was a shoot and scoot weapon. After two rounds there was such a cloud of dust that it was like a signpost that said, Here I am, say hello to my little friend.... with a mortar.

I love the 106, scored expert with it by shooting paper tanks with the spotting rifle. What you hit with the rifle you hit with the big 106 round.

Whats not to like.

TTT

Thanks for this information. I have alot of toys and very little understanding of how they work. I ask my friend military/weapons related questions because he is kind of a gun-nut, but he isnt quite as knowledgeable. Neither of us have been in the armed forces. You helped me better appreciate my toy, I especially like the 50 caliber that is used to spot the rifle.