Those Wild Wonderful Tracks of Vietnam Part 2-Army of the Republic of Vietnam

In 1962 the US military started supplying the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) with M113 APC. As causality rates among gunners in early engagements rose, the ARVN started adding armor to help protect the crews.




Locally produced shields were made for the main gun, there seem to be many slight variations due to these shield being produced in local workshops.




M76C turrets were added to some vehicles to increase firepower and increase crew survivability. In the second picture, the Track appears to be carrying sections of a locally designed AVLB.



An M18 Recoilless Rifle with a custom shield replacing the Commanders M2.




Armored Helicopter Seats added to the top deck. from the number of antennas this would be some sort of command track.


M113 AVLB of local design.



An ARVN M132 Zippo with side shields.


ARVN ACAV with unshielded M1919A4 in back. I like the rice pot hanging from the rear.


An ARVN M577 with shielded on top.


This appears to be an ARVN Track with M76C Turret, M2 .50 with shield in rear hatch and is either been up armored or is carrying some sort of steel plate/sheeting/ or sand channels.


This one is a bit of a mystery. An ARVN M132 Zippo with a M60 added to the turret or just behind it on the deck. There is a M2 .50cal located on the rear, the rear hatch looks to bifold to the sides(?)...so a M132 Zippo built/rebuilt on a M106/M125 hull???

-BadMoon

Great stuff Bad Moon.
There is a goo deal of WTF goign on in that last pic!

very nice thanks

You have located and put together a great collection of photos. Wonderful!

I just recently read Snedeker's The Blackhorse in Vietnam. He claims the US came up with the ACAV variant of the M113. I read elsewhere (can't remember where; maybe in Starry's Armored Combat in Vietnam), that the ARVN did it as you mention and as the photos show....as almost a field expedient.

Those cooking pots are often mentioned in accounts of ARVN units. Infantry on the march as well as those troops with vehicles. Have to cook that rice!

Tom

"This appears to be an ARVN Track with M76C Turret, M2 .50 with shield in rear hatch and is either been up armored or is carrying some sort of steel plate/sheeting/ or sand channels."

Great find - I have read about this but you seldom see photos of it: this is actually rigged up to provide protection against RPG strikes - note that the metai strips cover the side all the way up - for getting a track out of mud you wouldn't necessarily need something that wide.

ARVN M132 with stand off armor...

-BadMoon

Bad Moon, you must have a photo of every variant of M113 ever made!

Tom