truly badass

this thread is just for enjoyment and is an exploration of things truly bad ass concerning military . you will not be able to comment on postings but there is a comment and suggestions section in Al's surplus and souvenirs
thank you for your time and support
alxone

The Flamethrower
flamethrower, which brought terror to French and British soldiers when used by the German army in the early phases of the First World War in 1914 and 1915 (and which was quickly adopted by both) was by no means a particularly innovative weapon. The basic idea of a flamethrower is to spread fire by launching burning fuel. The earliest flamethrowers date as far back as the 5th century B.C. These took the form of lengthy tubes filled with burning solids (such as coal or sulphur), and which were used in the same way as blow-guns: by blowing into one end of the tube the solid material inside would be propelled towards the operator's enemies.
The flamethrower was inevitably refined over the intervening centuries, although the models seen in the early days of World War One were developed at the turn of the 20th century. The German army tested two models of flamethrower - or Flammenwerfer in German - in the early 1900s, one large and one small, both developed by Richard Fiedler.
The smaller, lighter Flammenwerfer (the Kleinflammenwerfer) was designed for portable use, carried by a single man. Using pressurised air and carbon dioxide or nitrogen it belched forth a stream of burning oil for as much as 18 metres.
Fielder's second, larger model (the Grossflammenwerfer), worked along the same lines but was not suitable for transport by a single person, but whose maximum range was twice that of the smaller model; it could also sustain flames for a (then) impressive forty seconds, although it was decidedly expensive in its use of fuel.
Having tested the Flammenwerfer in 1900 the German army deployed it for use in three specialist battalions from 1911 onwards.
It was put to initial wartime use against the French in the south-eastern sector of the Western Front from October 1914, although its use was sporadic and went largely unreported.
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The first notable use of the Flammenwerfer came in a surprise attack launched by the Germans upon the British at Hooge in Flanders. Springing forward at 0315 on 30 July 1915 the Germans made effective use of the portable Flammenwerfer, with gas cylinders strapped to the back of the men responsible for using the instrument, a lit nozzle attached to each cylinder.
The effect of the dangerous nature of the surprise attack proved terrifying to the British opposition, although their line, initially pushed back, was stabilised later the same night. In two days of severe fighting the British lost 31 officers and 751 other ranks during the attack.
With the success of the Hooge attack, at least so far as the Flammenwerfer was concerned, the German army adopted the device on a widespread basis across all fronts of battle. The Flammenwerfers tended to be used in groups of six during battle, each machine worked by two men. They were used mostly to clear forward defenders during the start of a German attack, preceding their infantry colleagues.
They were undeniably useful when used at short-range, but were of limited wider effectiveness, especially once the British and French had overcome their initial alarm at their use. The operators of Flammenwerfer equipment also lived a most dangerous existence.
Quite aside from the worries of handling the device - it was entirely feasible that the cylinder carrying the fuel might unexpectedly explode - they were marked men; the British and French poured rifle-fire into the area of attack where Flammenwerfers were used, and their operators could expect no mercy should they be taken prisoner. Their life expectancy was therefore short.
The British, intrigued by the possibilities offered by flamethrowers, experimented with their own models. In readiness for the Somme offensive they constructed four sizeable models (weighing two tons each), built directly into a forward trench constructed in No Man's Land a mere 60 yards from the German line.
Each was painstakingly constructed piece by piece, although two were destroyed by shellfire prior to 1 July 1916 (the start of the Somme offensive). The remaining two, each with a range of 90 yards, were put to use as planned on 1 July. Again highly effective at clearing trenches at a local level, they were of practically no wider benefit. Their use was consequently abandoned.
Similarly the French developed their own portable one-man Schilt flamethrower, of a superior build to the German model. It was used in trench attacks during 1917-18. The Germans produced a lightweight modified version of their Flammenwerfer, the Wex, in 1917, which had the benefit of self-igniting.
During the war the Germans launched in excess of 650 flamethrower attacks; no numbers exist for British or French attacks.
By the close of the war flamethrower use had been extended to use on tanks, a policy carried forward to World War Two. Flame-throwing equipment, albeit somewhat refined, continues in use to the present day.
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The Flamethrower, Portable, M2-2
Empty weight: 43 pounds
Filled weight: 68 pounds
Fuel capacity: 4 gallons
Range: 20-40 yards
Fuel type: Gasoline
Propellant: Nitrogen
Burn time: 10-20 seconds

Flamethrowers were first developed by the US Army Chemical Warfare Service in 1940-41. The early models were undependable and cumbersome. Testing continued and the M1 flamethrower was introduced into service in early 1942. This weapon was first used in combat by Marines of the 2nd Engineer Battalion on Guadalcanal in January 1943.

The M1 used gasoline or a mixture of gasoline and diesel fuel and used hydrogen as its propellant. This caused too-rapid burning of the fuel, which was mostly consumed just beyond the nozzle and meant the operator had to approach to within 10-15 yards of the target. Another problem was that the flame tended to roll off the target.

Testing continued on improved delivery methods for flame weapons. In 1942, the Chemical Warfare Service developed a revolutionary concept–a thickening agent for gasoline. This agent, called napalm, improved the range, tightened the flame stream, and increased target effect. The M1 flamethrower was modified for use with napalm in 1942. The improved model was standardized as the M1-1. This weapon was used in the Pacific campaigns of 1943— early 1944. Though it was better then its predecessor, the M1-1 was still not a completely satisfactory weapon.

In late 1943, the 1st Marine Division received some M1-1 flamethrowers just prior to the New Britain campaign. The legendary Marine, LtCol Lewis "Chesty" Puller, observed a demonstration of the new flamethrower. Afterward, he asked, "Where do you put the bayonet on the damned thing?"

In the summer of 1944 the M2-2 flamethrower was introduced into service. This weapon was first used in combat on Guam and was subsequently employed in all Pacific campaigns. The M2-2 offered improved reliability and a better ignition system than previous models. It still had drawbacks–it was too heavy and had a high silhouette. This model used nitrogen as its propellant.
The Marine Corps realized the tactical value of the flamethrower. The D-series Marine division had 24 flamethrowers, all organic to the divisional engineer battalion. By 1944, the F-series division carried 243 flamethrowers into combat, spread throughout the division. Each Marine regiment was assigned 81 flamethrowers.

In combat, assault groups were formed with flamethrowers, demolition men and BAR men. They used a technique sometimes called "corkscrew and blowtorch" to destroy Japanese emplacements. Various methods were used in this tactic. BARs would suppress enemy positions with a heavy volume of automatic fire while the flamethrowers approached to within effective range. Then, flame was used to wipe out any pockets of enemy resistance.

After the enemy position was neutralized, demolition men would use explosive charges to destroy the emplacement, typically a cave mouth. Since flamethrower operators had to approach very close to enemy positions, effective suppressing fire by BARs and riflemen was critical. Flamethrower operators were extremely vulnerable to enemy fire since they effectively had a napalm bomb strapped to their back.

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"We kept up a steady fire into the pillbox to keep the Japanese pinned down while the flamethrower came up, carried by Corporal Womack from Mississippi. He was a brave, good-natured guy and popular with the troops. He was big and husky… [and] I was glad we were on the same side.
Stooped under the heavy tanks on his back, Womack approached the pillbox with his assistant just out of the line of our fire. When they got about 15 yards from the target, we ceased firing. The assistant reached up and turned a valve on the flamethrower. Womack then aimed the nozzle at the opening made by the 75mm gun. He pressed the trigger. With a whoooooosh the flame leaped at the opening. Some muffled screams, then all was quiet.…
Amid our shouts of appreciation, Womack and his buddy started back to battalion headquarters to await the summons to break a deadlock somewhere else on the battlefield–or lose their lives trying. The job of flamethrower gunner was probably the least desirable of any open to a Marine infantryman. Carrying tanks with about seventy pounds of flammable jellied gasoline through enemy fire over rugged terrain in hot weather to squirt flames into the mouth of a cave or pillbox was an assignment that few survived but all carried out with magnificant courage."
With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa
E. B. Sledge
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STUBBY

Brave Soldier Dog of The 102nd Infantry

The story of STUBBY actually starts with the beginning of the Great War in Europe. From 1914 to 1917 the French, Germans and others struggled with each other for control of France and Europe. In April of 1917 America finally entered the war and mobilized its National Guard forces.

The 1st Connecticut from the Hartford area and the 2nd Connecticut from the New Haven area were sent to Camp Yale in the vicinity of the Yale Bowl for encampment and training. It was during this phase that two important things occurred. The 1st and 2nd could not muster the required number of forces between them to form a fully manned regiment of 1000 + so they were combined. The 1st and 2nd with nothing in between became the 102nd Infantry and was made a part of the 26th (YANKEE) division of Massachusetts. It was also around this time that STUBBY wandered into the encampment and befriended the soldiers. In October 1917 when the unit shipped out for France, STUBBY, by this time the "UNOFFICIAL - OFFICIAL" mascot, was smuggled aboard the troop ship S.S. Minnesota in an overcoat and sailed into doggy legend.

Times were not good in France, the American Expeditionary Force was looked upon as second class soldiers, not to be trusted without French oversight and trench warfare combined with deadly gas took a toll on both the men and their spirits.

STUBBY did his part by providing morale-lifting visits up and down the line and occasional early warning about gas attacks or by waking a sleeping sentry to alert him to a German attack.

In April 1918 the Americans, and the 102nd Infantry, finally got their chance to prove their mettle when they participated in the raid on the German held town of Schieprey, depicted here in an original oil painting, by John D. Whiting, that hangs in the 102nd Regimental Museum in New Haven. As the Germans withdrew they threw hand grenades at the pursing allies. STUBBY got a little over enthusiastic and found himself on top of trench when a grenade went off and he was wounded in the foreleg.

This occurred in the vicinity of "Deadmans Curve" on the road outside Schieprey so named because to negotiate the curve vehicles had to slow down making them an easy target for German artillery.

After the recapture of Chateau Thierry the women of the town made him a chamois blanket embroidered with the flags of the allies. The blanket also held his wound stripe, three service chevrons and the numerous medals, the first of which was presented to him in Neufchateau, the home of Joan of Arc.
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The medals and accoutrements displayed on Stubby’s Left side

3 Service Stripes Yankee Division YD Patch French Medal Battle of Verdun 1st Annual American Legion Convention Medal Minneapolis, Minnesota Nov 1919 New Haven WW1 Veterans Medal Republic of France Grande War Medal St Mihiel Campaign Medal Purple Heart Chateau Thierry Campaign Medal 6th Annual American Legion Convention
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In the Argonne STUBBY ferreted out a German Spy in hiding and holding on to the seat of his pants kept the stunned German pinned until the soldiers arrived to complete the capture. STUBBY confiscated the Germans Iron Cross and wore it on the rear portion of his blanket for many years. The Iron Cross unfortunately has fallen victim to time and is no longer with STUBBY but many of his other decorations and souvenirs remain and are displayed with him today.

STUBBY was also gassed a few times and eventually ended up in a hospital when his master, Corporal J. Robert Conroy, was wounded. After doing hospital duty for awhile he and Conroy returned to the 102nd and spent the remainder of the war with that unit. STUBBY was smuggled back home in much the same way as he entered the War, although by this time he was so well known that you have to suspect that one or two general officers probably looked the other way as he went aboard ship to sail home and muster out with the rest of the regiment.

Oddly enough this not the end of the story, but rather in some ways the beginning. STUBBY became something of a celebrity.

He was made a lifetime member of the American legion and marched in every legion parade and attended every legion convention from the end of the war until his death. He was written about by practically every newspaper in the country at one time or another. He met three presidents of the United States Wilson, Harding and Coolidge and was a lifetime member of the Red Cross and YMCA. The Y offered him three bones a day and place to sleep for the rest of his life and he regularly hit the campaign trail, recruiting members for the American Red Cross and selling victory bonds.

In 1921 General Blackjack Pershing who was the supreme commander of American Forces during the War pinned STUBBY with a gold hero dog’s medal that was commissioned by the Humane Education Society the forerunner of our current Humane Society.
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Stubby being decorated by General Pershing
Stubby, Dog Hero of 17 Battles, Will March in Legion Parade. With the arrival of the District of Columbia delegation of the American Legion tomorrow will come the mascot of the A. E. F, Stubby, the dog hero of seventeen battles, who was decorated by General Pershing personally. Stubby served with the Twenty-Sixth Division and saw four offensives, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Aisne- Marne and Champagne Marne. The medal that was pinned on the dog hero by General Pershing is made of gold and bears on its face the single name "Stubby", and is the gift of the Humane Education Society, sponsored by many notables including Mrs. Harding and General Pershing. The Times-Picayune Sunday, October 15, 1922

So famous was he that the Grand Hotel Majestic in New York City lifted its ban on dogs so that STUBBY could stay there enroute to one of many visits to Washington. When J. Robert Conroy went to Georgetown to study law, STUBBY became the mascot for the football team joining a long list of Georgetown Hoya’s. Between the halves he would nudge a football around the field much to the delight of the crowd.
This little trick with the football became a standard feature of the repertoire of Georgetown mascots throughout the 20’s and 30’ and is thought by some to be the origin of the Half Time Show.

Stubby the Georgetown "Hoya"

HERO DOG HOTEL GUEST Majestic Lifts Ban for "Stubby" Decorated by Pershing. For the first time since Copeland Townsend acquired the Hotel Majestic the hard and fast rule prohibiting dogs in the hotel was waived yesterday for "Stubby" the famous mascot of New England’s veteran Twenty-Sixth (Yan- kee) Division, who arrived there en route to Washington. At the capital they will be unofficially attached to American Legion headquarters while his owner, J. Robert Conroy of New Britain, Conn., completes his vocational training courses at Georgetown University. New York Times, Sunday, December 31, 1922

In 1925 he had his portrait painted by Charles Ayer Whipple who was the artist to the capital in Washington, D.C. That portrait currently hangs in the regimental museum in New Haven.

In 1926 STUBBY finally passed on. His obituary in the New York Times was three columns wide by Half a page long. Considerably more than many notables of his day.

He was eulogized by many from "Machinegun Parker" his old regimental commander to Clarence Edwards the wartime commander of the 26th Division. They all mourned his passing.

His remains were preserved and presented for display purposes to the Smithsonian.

THE HARTFORD COURANT Sunday January 25, 1998 Stubby’s Legend Revived By Visit to State Armory BY ROBERT J CONRAD Courant Staff Writer
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Stubby, the hero war dog, is back in the state. A wondering mongrel, Stubby latched onto the 102nd Infantry regiment of Connecticut and accompanied it across the major battlefields of the Western Front in World War 1. He was a nothing dog who became a hero and was honored by three presidents. Now, Stubby’s mounted remains are back, dug out of storage from a museum in Washington. At the annual dog show of the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard next month, Stubby will be honored with the opening of an exhibit that will remain at the state armory for three years. "He’s kind of the unofficial grandfather of the war dog" said Col. Thomas P. Thomas, the National Guard officer working on the exhibit. Web Note: Stubby is currently on loan to the CTARNG from The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE National Museum of American History, Armed Forces Collections , Washington, D.C. Stubby will be returned to the Smithsonian in August, 2003.
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In 1978 he was the subject of a children’s book titled STUBBY – BRAVE SOLDIER DOG.

More recently he has figured prominently in a book tracing the 15,000 year history of the canine race.

Although "Stubby" is widely regarded as the Grandfather of the American War Dog he was not the first by any means. Dogs were commonplace during the Civil War as companions for the soldiers and during the Spanish-American War, "Jack Brutus" became the official mascot of Company K, First Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. "Old Jack", as he was known, was considerably bigger than STUBBY and fortunately the Connecticut soldiers never got the chance to try to smuggle him anywhere since they basically spent the War encamped at various places here in the states providing coastal defense from Maine to Virginia. "Old Jack" died of spinal troubles and constipation in 1898.
Dogs were formally used during World War II, Korea and Vietnam in such roles as guards, and patrolling scouts but whether the dog is employed in a formal program or not you can be sure that wherever there are soldiers in need of comfort and companionship there will always be a faithful dog nearby.

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Stubby as seen today in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Private Leo Major from Quebec
Private Léo Major was a soldier from Montreal in the Regiment de la Chaudiere in ww2. He was one of only three Canadian soldiers in the British Commonwealth to be awarded the distinguished conduct medal . He is the only Canadian to have been awarded the honour twice (Bar to the DCM).

The Allied Landings In France

On D-Day during a Reconnaissance, he captured alone a German Armored Vehicle (a Hanomag). The vehicle was full of German communication equipment (along with secret German Army codes).
Days later, during his first encounter with an SS Patrol he killed 4 soldiers, however one of them managed to ignite a phophorous grenade.
After the grenade burst, Leo lost an eye. The Medical doctor told Leo '"My friend the war is over for you. You are going back to England" Astoundingly Leo replied defiantly "No Way!, Sorry but I have a war to finish". He refused to be evacuated.
He was a scout and a sniper and insisted that he needed only one eye to sight his weapon. According to Leo, "I looked like a pirate".

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Holland Summer 1944


[edit] Battle of the Scheldt

Leo single-handedly captured 93 German soldiers during The Battle of the Scheldt in southern Holland. During a Roconnaisance, whilst alone, he spotted two German troops walking along a dyke. Ambushing them, he meant to take them prisoner. The German garrison, upon seeing this, thought their commander was surrendering to the Canadians, and surrendered themselves.
Leo marched back to camp with nearly a hundred prisoners. For this event he was chosen to receive a DCM. He declined the invitation to be decorated however, because according to him' General Montgomery (who was giving the award) was incompetent and in no position to be giving out medals.


The First DCM

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In February 1945, Leo was helping the padre loading the corpses from a destroyed Tiger Tank into a Bren Carrier. After they finished loading the dead bodies, the Padre and the driver seated themselves in the front whilst Leo jumped on the back of the vehicle.
The carrier took off, but didn't go very far as it had struck a tank mine. Leo remembered a loud blast followed by his body being thrown into the air and smashing down hard as he landed on his back.
He lost consciousness and awoke after two concerned Medical officers asked him "Are you OK?" He simply replied "Is the padre all right?" They didn't answer, but loaded him on a stretcher and onto a truck for a very bumpy ride to a field hospital 30 miles away, stopping every 15 minutes to inject morphine to remove the pain from his back.
The Doctor was not encouraging as they told him that his back was broken in three places, with four broken ribs and both ankles broken.
Again they told Leo that the war was over for him. They didn't know Leo because he let them take care of him for a week while he contrived a way to escape from the hospital.
A week went by and Leo had the opportunity to flee. He managed to get a ride from a passing jeep that drove him to Nijmegen, where he had previously met a family there.
His stay with the family was close to a month. Leo went back to his unit in March, 1945. In the beginning of April, the Regiment de la Chaudiere were approaching the city of Zwolle , which presented strong German resistance.
The Commanding Officer asked for two volunteers to recon the German force before the artillery began firing at the city. Léo and his good friend, Willie Arseneault, stepped forward to accept the task. They knew that there was big risk during this mission, but accepted it none-the-less. Leo and Willie, not wanting this beautiful city destroyed, decided to try and capture the city of Zwolle alone, though they were only supposed to recon the German numbers, and attempt contact with the Dutch Resistance .



Around midnight Willie was killed by German fire; he made just enough noise to make the Germans open fire, giving away their position. Enraged, Leo killed two of the Germans, but the rest of the group fled in a vehicle.
He decided, more than ever, to continue his mission alone, and to avenge his fallen comrade. He entered Zwolle near Sassenport and came upon a Staff Car. Leaping out of the shadows, he captured the German driver, and led him to a bar where an Officer was taking a drink. Inside he found that they could both speak French, and Leo pretended that he had an army at his back - he even gave the German his gun back.
He then proceeded to run throughout the city firing his machine gun, attacking and capturing German troups (about 10 times during the night he capture groups of 8 to 10 German soldiers, escorted them out of the city and giving them to the French Canadian troups that where waiting in Zwolle vicinity. After giving his prisoneers he returned to Zwolle to continue his mission) throwing grenades and making so much noise that he fooled the Germans into thinking that the Canadian army really had surrounded them, and was entering the city. 4 times during the night he had to force his way into several house to get some rest. Stumbling upon an SS H.Q., he got into a quick but deadly fight with eight ranking German officers - four were killed, and the other half fled. By then, at 4.30am in the morning an exhausted Leo found out that the Germans had retreated.
Zwolle had been liberated, and the Resistance contacted.
Leo then set about collecting his dead friend, Willie, and took him back to the Van Gerner farm until regimental reinforcements could carry him away. He was back at camp by 5 am. For his actions, Leo received the Distinguished Conduct Medal.


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The Korean War And His Second DCM

Leo Major fought in the Korean War, where he won another Distinguished Conduct Medal for capturing and holding a key hill (hill 355).
This position was in the hands of the Third US Infantry Division when the 64th Chinese Army made a decisive artillery barrage.
Over the course of two days, the Americans were pushed back by elements of the Chinese 190th and 191st divisions. The Americans retreated, leaving everything behind (Food, weapons, vehicles, etc).
They tried to recapture the hill, but without any success, and the Chinese had moved to the nearby Hill 227, practically surrounding the US forces. In order to relieve pressure, General Dextraze brought up an elite scout and sniper team led by Leo Major. Wielding sten guns, Leo and his men silently crept up the hill, surrounding the Chinese. At a signal, Leo's men opened fire, panicking the Chinese. By 12.45am they had retaken the hill.
However, an hour later two Chinese Division (the 190 and the 191) counter-attacked. Leo was ordered to retreat, but refused and found scant cover for his men. There he held the enemy off through-out the night, though they were so close to him that Leo's own mortars were practically raining down on him.
For three days, Leo's men held off multiple Chinese counter-assaults, until reinforcements arrived. For his actions, Leo was awarded the Bar to the Distinguished Service Medal.
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According to General Dextrase Leo Major should have received at least 11 DCM for is action in WW2. For Gen. Dextrase he was the best allied soldier period. He was by himseft a one man army.
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LOCKHEED P-38L LIGHTNING

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P-38 Lightning Development
The P-38 was originally conceived as an advanced, high-performance twin-engine interceptor. On Feb. 11, 1939, Lt. Ben Kelsey set a coast to coast record of 7 hours, 48 minutes in the sleek prototype Lightning, but crashed while landing. Despite the accident, development continued and the first of 13 service test YP-38s flew on Sept. 16, 1940. Early model P-38s experienced turbulent airflow over the tail and problems at high dive speeds, known as compressibility, but later modifications corrected these difficulties.

The first major production version was the P-38E, which had a 20mm cannon rather than the earlier 37mm cannon. Production of the E began in September 1941 and 210 were built. The next version, the P-38F, introduced pylon racks that could carry either bombs or droppable fuel tanks, greatly extending its range. Production of the G began in August 1942, followed by the P-38H in May 1943, which had a more powerful version of the Allison V-1710 engine.

The P-38J, introduced in August 1943, was considerably improved over earlier models. It had better cockpit heating (a notable problem on earlier models), more efficient cooling for its engines, a flat bulletproof windscreen, additional fuel in the wings, and increased maneuverability.

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P-38 Lightning in Service
The versatile Lightning performed many different missions during World War II, including dive bombing, level bombing, bombing through clouds, strafing, photo reconnaissance and long range escort. It first went into large-scale service during the North African campaign in November 1942, where the German pilots named it Der Gabelschwanz Teufel ("The Forked-Tail Devil"). When the Lightning began combat operations from England in September 1943, it was the only fighter with the range to escort bombers into Germany.

The Lightning truly shined in the Pacific theater; seven of the top eight scoring USAAF aces in the Pacific flew the P-38. On April 18, 1943, the long range of the P-38 enabled USAAF pilots to ambush and shoot down an aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the planner of the Pearl Harbor raid and the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The P-38 became the standard USAAF fighter in the Pacific theater until the closing months of WWII.
The final production version was the P-38L, which could carry two 300-gallon drop tanks. Deliveries of the L began in June 1944 and continued until August 1945. Of the 10,038 P-38s built, 3,923 were P-38Ls.
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TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon
Engines: Two Allison V-1710s of 1,475 hp each
Maximum speed: 414 mph
Cruising speed: 275 mph
Range: 1,300 miles
Ceiling: 40,000 ft.
Span: 52 ft.
Length: 37 ft. 10 in.
Height: 12 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 17,500 lbs. loaded
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1963-U.S.A. M50 106mmSPMultipleRifle"Ontos"

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Armament: 6 - 106mm RCL R files M4QA1C
Armor: 13mm
Engine: Chrysler,V-8 petrol, 180 hp
Speed: 30 mph
Range: 150 miles
Crew : 3
Weight: 8.5 tons

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The Ontos Anti-Tank VehicleBy any measure, the Ontos was one of the most interesting things to come down the road of United States military armored development. The idea for this vehicle was born in the aftermath of World War II when the U.S. Army perceived the need for a new reconnaissance vehicle. Then it evolved into a tank destroyer for use with the Army on the nuclear battlefields of Europe. Next it was deployed in Marine Corps anti-tank battalions. The Ontos most significant contribution was in the Vietnam war, but in a role much different than the role for which it was designed. This is the story of the Ontos, officially the "Rifle, Multiple, 106mm, Self-Propelled M50 of the antitank company, infantry regiment, Marine Division."


The adaptation of the internal combustion engine to warfare brought about the removal of the horse from the battlefield. The reconnaissance mission formerly performed by cavalry remained. By the end of World War II, the motorcycle, jeep, armored car, and light tank all tried to fill the gap, all without complete success. A classified 1953 U.S. Army report noted:


There is an urgent and immediate need in our army for a vehicle similar in performance to the jeep, but at the same time affording some armor protection and greater cross-country mobility, for use by reconnaissance personnel, commanders, messengers, and liaison officers who are frequently exposed to small arms fire.


At that time jeeps and half-tracks were authorized in the command, scout, and support elements of the Army reconnaissance platoon. The Ontos was considered as a replacement. After considerable study the Army concluded that although the vehicle had outstanding cross-country mobility and armor protection, it had deficiencies in the areas of storage space, lack of speed, lack of range, and excess weight. Ironically, given the vulnerability of the M50 to enemy mines in Vietnam, the Army concluded these test vehicles "offered protection against atomic bombing."The Army decided to stick with its M38A1 half-ton trucks and M21 mortar carriers for reconnaissance platoon use.


During World War II, the Army embraced the tank destroyer concept, which called for the placement of large-caliber anti-tank guns on lightly armored carriages. These could quickly be moved to any area under enemy tank threat. This concept was never embraced by the Marine Corps to any extent. The tank remained the favored anti-tank weapon for the Marines in the immediate postwar period. In addition to duties as naval infantry, postwar planners envisioned a role for the Corps in any European conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Late 1940s war planning put the Marines into direct conflict with front-line units of the Red Army. In the Pacific War the Marines dealt with sporadic attacks by small Japanese tanks. In the future war Marine tankers would have to face a highly mechanized Soviet force equipped with large numbers of medium and heavy tanks.


Using tanks to destroy enemy tanks proved less than satisfactory in the Korean War: too often the weight of American medium tanks rendered them too roadbound. Both Army and Marine planners, cognizant of the formidable threat posed by Communist armor, returned to the World War II tank destroyer concept. In 1949 the USMC Armor Policy Board specifically noted "There is a requirement for a destroyer type tank to destroy hostile heavily armored vehicles . . . ."


As early as 1944 Army production and logistics considerations began to determine Marine Corps tank decisions. Although some of the USMC armor requirement was developed and produced by the Navy's Bureau of Ships (e.g., amphibious tractors or amtracs), the Corps came to fully depend on the Army for its tank procurement.In 1951, Marine Corps planners and engineers from the Allis-Chalmers Corporation began development of this new anti-tank vehicle. It would be built at the company's La Porte, Indiana, factory.
In 1953, Michigan Congressman Gerald R. Ford held congressional hearings for Army appropriations. When discussion turned to anti-tank capabilities, the testimony of Army generals was taken off the record and not included in the printed transcript.The public became aware of Ontos development only by mistake. According to a report in the New York Times dated June 26, 1953, the congressional testimony was classified secret. The newspaper noted "An entirely new weapons-carrying vehicle, nicknamed 'The Thing' but carrying the official designation Ontos, to be used variously, including as a mount for a new 'very high-powered' recoilless rifle and for a quadruple .50 calibre antiaircraft weapon against low flying planes.' Army officials expressed amazement and appeared appalled when copies of the 1,667-page printed testimony released by the subcommittee reached the Pentagon.
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The original M-50 Ontos emphasized firepower over crew comfort. The hull was derived from the T55/T56 series of tracked armored personnel carriers. It was powered by a six cylinder in-line gasoline engine, the General Motors SL 12340, which developed 145 horsepower at 3,400 rpm (this was later upgraded to a Chrysler V-8). This power source was coupled to a XT-90-2 transmission, which drove the front sprockets, which turned the tracks. Maximum road speed was 30 mph on improved roads. The Ontos had terrain navigation ability superior to tanks. Range was 190 miles on primary roads, 120 miles on secondary roads, and 50 miles cross country with a 47 gallon internal fuel tank. With fording kit installed the vehicle could cross streams as deep as 60 inches. This three-man vehicle weighed nine tons. It was not portable by any available helicopter although it could be air transported by R4Q aircraft. Two Ontos could be landed over the beach in a LCM-6 (Landing Craft, Mechanized).
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The main weapon consisted of six 106mm M40A1C recoilless rifles mounted on a central turret that overhung the hull on both sides. Built with simplicity in mind, this rifle was the same weapon used by infantry on a fixed mount. These guns could be fired individually, in pairs, or all at once. Fifty caliber spotting rifles were mounted on four of the recoilless rifles. Two of the recoilless rifles were equipped with a spotting rifle and sight and could be removed from the vehicle for use on ground mounts (these spotting rifles could not be fired from inside). The Ontos also had a .30 caliber machine gun. These weapons were externally and coaxially mounted and were fired electrically. Rate of fire was four aimed rounds per minute with all guns loaded. Average reload time was one minute.
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The trajectories of the spotting rounds and the 106mm rounds were very similar to a distance of 1,100 yards. Beyond 1,100 yards the trajectories differed, causing the effectiveness of this spotting system to decrease as range increased. The spotting rifle could not be used beyond 1,500 yards, necessitating the use of burst-on-target and bracketing techniques of fire adjustment at these greater ranges. High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) ammunition for the 106mm rifle would penetrate the armor of any known tank (16" of armor at 0 degrees obliquity). The Ontos' armor was one-half inch plate except for the floor, which was only 3/16" thick. The upper sloped armor would withstand all small arms fire, but was vulnerable to .50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Artillery airbursts could cause severe damage to the Ontos' guns and external fire control equipment.
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Frank Pace, Jr., Secretary of the Army during the Truman administration, initially supported the M50 for Army use. Pace noted, "if Ontos is there, tanks had better get the hell off the battlefield." Not everyone agreed with Pace. Others felt it was too lightly armored, underpowered, and incapable of sustained combat. The Marine Corps accepted the Ontos after the Army rejected it. The Marines did not have the specialized supply and maintainence capabilities of the Army, and Ontos was a simple vehicle. It had fewer parts than other armored vehicles. There was no heavy turret. The engine was a common truck engine found on various military and civilian vehicles. The fire control system was simple: according to Lieutenant Colonel E. L. Bale, Jr., a Marine instructor at the Army Armor School, the average Marine could master the system "as easily as he has the pinball machine in the local drug store."The Corps ordered 13 million dollars worth, about 300 vehicles. Production was to run for about one year beginning in mid-1956.
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The Ontos was quickly integrated into armored units of the Fleet Marine Force. Its first non-training deployment abroad came in July 1958. The Lebanon Crisis saw Marine Battalion Landing Teams (BLT) of the Navy's Sixth Fleet come ashore to stabilize the weak Lebanese national government. This 2d Provisional Marine Force included 15 M48 tanks, ten Ontos, and 31 LVTP5 amtracks (Landing Vehicle, Tracked). These vehicles provided general Force security and protection for armored patrols until a larger Army tank force could be sent from Germany. The Marines began reembarkation in mid-August.

Marines got their chance to destroy tanks with Ontos in 1965 in the Caribbean. In April the Dominican Republic was sliding into civil war as reformers did battle with right-wing military forces. The 6th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Caribbean quick-reaction force, was ordered to ashore in order to evacuate civilians and reinforce security at the American embassy. A full company each of tanks, amtracs (LVTs), and Ontos were part of the landing team. The U.S. force took the side of the Dominican military. The rebel army posessed less than formidible armor capabilities. Before leaving in June, M50 HEAT rounds scored hits on an old Swedish Landsverk L-60 light tank and a French AMX-13 light tank. But it was halfway around the world in Vietnam where the Ontos mettle would be truly tested.

Ontos were organized in the Marine Division into Anti-Tank Battalions. Each battalion was composed of one headquarters and service company plus three anti-tank companies. Each of these latter companies contained three platoons of five Ontos for a total of 45 Ontos vehicles per battalion. Planned distribution in the Marine Division was for 15 Ontos (three platoons) for each of the division's three infantry regiments. Ontos companies, along with tanks and amtracs, landed with the 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Danang, Vietnam, in the first half of 1965. Within one year, both the 1st and 3rd Anti-Tank Battalions were ashore in Vietnam. Unlike the enemy in the Korean War, the Vietnamese Communist military forces possessed significant anti-armor capabilities in the form of recoilless rifles and rocket propelled grenades. The Ontos' thin floor armor (3/16") made it especially vulnerable to mines. Consequently, and as opposed to its designed role, Ontos spent a great portion of their time in static defense positions.

Initially Ontos units were deployed in defense of the Danang airfield. In August, 1965, the Marines began Operation Starlite, the first big battle of the war. At 0730 on August 17, tanks and Ontos rolled off amphibious landing craft (LCUs and LCMs) and made their way ashore south of Chu Lai in support of the assault companies. Later in the day a Marine armored column was halted when a M-48 tank was hit with recoilless rifle fire. The Viet Cong (VC) poured mortar and small arms fire into the Marine positions, quickly killing five and wounding 17. The Ontos manuvered to provide frontal fire and flank protection until enemy fire let up. The following month, in Operation Golden Fleece, a combined infantry-armor assault force including Ontos attacked a VC main force unit trying to collect a rice tax in a Vietnamese village near Danang. The enemy was forced to break contact and flee the area.

After establishing themselves at Danang and Chu Lai, the Marines built their third base at Phu Bai, in Thua Thien Province 35 miles northwest of Danang. Initially, defense at Phu Bai was provided by the 2d Battalion, 1st Marines (Reinforced) which had a platoon of M50s attached. It was not only the Marines who were expanding their forces in the northern part of South Vietnam: both the VC and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) also increased their forces, and both sides sustained heavy casualties. In late June, on Operation Jay, a large, heavily armed VC force ambushed a South Vietnamese Marine Corps convoy moving north on Route 1, the main north-south highway in Vietnam. At 0830 hours on June 29, the attacking force struck the convoy with mortar and recoilless rifle fire, quickly hitting ten trucks. U.S. Marines quickly sent reinforcements, including Ontos, to assist the SVN Marines. The VC force lost interest and tried to break contact. While crossing open ground, the M50 platoon opened fire and "obliterated a VC squad on a ridgeline with a single 106mm salvo." A M50 platoon commander even captured an enemy soldier. Over 185 enemy soldiers were killed in this action.
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Marines and their armor were deployed in I Corps, the northernmost of four military districts in Vietnam. An exception to this was Special Landing Force (SLF) of the Navy's Seventh Fleet, the strategic reserve for the Pacific Far East. The SLF was available for amphibious landings in South Vietnam. General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, decided to use the SLF to clear Viet Cong forces from the Rung Sat Special Zone south of Saigon. VC gunners were firing on ships using the river channel that supplied the Vietnamese capital. The result was Operation Jackstay, March 26 - April 6, 1966. The operation had limited success but not due to lack of ingenuity of the Marines, who experimented with riverine warfare techniques including mounting an Ontos on a LCM to provide fire support. Only 63 enemy were killed; however, the shipping channel was at least temporarily clear.

The following incident illustrates the vulnerability of the M50 to enemy mines. It was spring, 1966. An armored column supporting Company "K", 3/9 was returning to base camp near Danang. Three tanks and an Ontos went over a stream at a place called the Viem Dong Crossing without mishap. As the second M50 crossed, Platoon Commander Allen Hoof heard a "pop," turned rearward, and saw the upper half of the vehicle blown off the lower half, and lying upside down next to it. All three crewmen were wounded. Acting Ontos Commander PFC Greg Weaver was quickly removed from the vehicle but died almost immediately. The mine explosion, perhaps either command detonated or activated by a counter, caused the detonation of a 106mm round stored directly under the commander. This secondary explosion blew the turret off the vehicle and killed Weaver.[15]

Since enemy tanks were not a problem for Marines in Vietnam, Ontos use reverted to its secondary mission: providing direct fire support for infantry. By late 1966 problems with Ontos became evident. The supply of tracks was depleted, which caused breakdowns on operations. This caused a reluctance to utilize the M50. An even more important reason was several incidents of accidental firings of recoilless rifles which cost some Marine lives. This was an extremely serious problem for Ontos on convoy duty. These accidents were caused by overly tight adjustment of the firing cable allowing the firing pin to release prematurely. This adjustment was a crew responsibility and required a thorough understanding of the firing cable, sear, and trigger. These mishaps caused restrictions to be placed on Ontos' use.

By 1967 the Marines were fighting two wars in Vietnam. The 1st Marine Division engaged in counterguerrilla operations in the southern part of I Corps while the 3d Marine Division conducted mostly conventional war against NVA along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the north. As the Marines moved northeard to counter the NVA threat, Ontos and tanks provided important support. In May 1967, the 2d Battalion, 9th Marines (2/9) and 2d Battalion, 26th Marines (2/26) began Operation Hickory north of Con Thien. Fighting against enemy forces in well prepared bunkers and trenches was heavy. M50s, using the proper ammunition, proved to be devastating antipersonnel weapons. After the conclusion of Hickory, 2/9, accompanied by tanks and Ontos, was sent on a spoiling attack into the DMZ. On this operation the tracked vehicles proved more of a liability than a tactical asset as the terrain restricted them to the road. Instead of providing infantry support, the M50s and tanks required infantry protection against NVA rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack. Using these vehicles as ambulances to evacuate the wounded further reduced their offensive capabilities.

1967 saw the introduction of CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the Marines in Vietnam. The first models had a six-ton external lift capability. This meant an Ontos could be transported by helicopter if it was broken down into components with the hull transported externally. It could then be reassembled and operated at destination, given it a transportability beyond its design considerations. M50s could also go where tanks feared to tread (or should have): in a 1966 operation, tanks got stuck in flooded rice paddies. Ontos, with less ground pressure, were able to drag timbers up to the tanks without bogging down. In Operation Jay, mentioned above, The Ontos of B Company, 3rd Anti-Tanks were able to assist the SVN Marines because they could cross a pontoon bridge -- the only tracked vehicles light enough to drive to the operation. Ontos could go more places than many people thought possible.

In December 1967, the 1st and 3d Anti-Tank Battalions were decommissioned in Vietnam and their vehicles were attached to the tank battalions.1968 saw Ontos assume an important role in some of the heaviest fighting of the entire war, the Battle of Hue during the Tet Offensive. In February, 14 NVA battalions seized control of most of the city. The Americans and South Vietnamese faced the formidable task of retaking this important cultural center of the nation. The result was urban fighting unlike anything seen in the war. The attacking Marines had to take each building and each block one at a time. This close-quarter combat and low-flying clouds, coupled the desire to minimize damage to the city itself, meant there could be little reliance on artillery and close air support.

Four tanks from the 3d Tank Battalion along with a platoon of Ontos from the Anti-Tank Company, 1st Tank Battalion, joined the advance against strong enemy resistance. Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Cheatham, comander of 2/5, had reservations about using tanks. One tank sustained over 120 hits and another went through five or six crews. Infantry commanders liked the Ontos better. Cheatham described the M50 "as big a help as any item of gear we had that was not organic" to the battalion. Regimental commander Colonel Stanley Hughes went even further when he claimed the Ontos was the most effective of all the supporting arms the Marines had at their disposal. Its mobility made up for its lack of armor protection, noting that at ranges of 300 to 500 yards, its recoilless rifles routinely opened "4 square meter holes or completely knock[ed] out an exterior wall." The armor plating of the M50 was sufficient protection against enemy small arms fire and grenades. However, B-40 anti-tank rockets were a different story: an Ontos 1/1 was knocked out and the driver killed on February 7 while supporting the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. The essential role of tanks and M50s in the fighting is illustrated by the fact that Marines had to hold up their advance from time to time for lack of 90mm tank and 106mm Ontos ammunition.

The Perfume River flows through Hue. After clearing the south bank on February 11, the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines pushed north to clear NVA forces firmly entrenched in the 4-square-mile Citadel, location of the former Imperial Palace. USMC M-48 tanks and Ontos were placed under the command of the attached tank platoon commander. Tactically, the tank or Ontos commander, working with the infantry commander, would reconnoiter a particular target area, usually a masonry structure blocking the Marine advance. Returning to their vehicle, the tank or Ontos commander return to his vehicle, then move forward at full speed while the infantry laid down a heavy volume of fire. Upon reaching a position where fire could be directed on the target, the vehicle commander halted the vehicle, fired two or three rounds into the structure, then quickly reversed direction and returned to friendly front lines. Casualties among armor crews were high. On February 24, South Vietnamese troops finally dislodged NVA forces from the Citadel. By the time the battle for Hue was over, fifty percent of the city was destroyed.

Before, during, and after the Battle of Hue, the 26th Marine Regiment was fighting the North Vietnamese at Khe Sanh. Here the enemy tank threat was real: 17 days into the battle at Khe Sanh, NVA tanks helped overrun the nearby Special Forces camp at Lang Vei. Ten M50s from the 3d Tank Battalion were incorporated into Khe Sanh's defenses. They were sometimes used for reconnaissance but more often in static perimeter defense roles. Author Robert Pisor notes the Ontos at Khe Sanh had "enough flechette [anti-personnel] ammunition to pin the entire North Vietnamese Army to the face of Co Roc Mountain."

The Marine Corps began to deploy its forces out of Vietnam in 1969. Tank and amtrac units rotated early as fighting had ebbed in the Corps' area of responsibility. By this time the M50 parts supply was depleted and the 106mm rifle was about to be replaced by other weapons. M50 mechanics cannibalized disabled machines to keep others running, but after Hue the Ontos were worn out. Ironically, excess Ontos were given to Army forces (recall that the Army initially rejected the Ontos as being unsuitable for its requirements). These Army Ontos were formed into Company D, 16th Armor, for use with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The Army used its Ontos until they ran out of spare parts, then employed them in fixed bunkers. In the United States, the Marine 2d Anti-Tank Battalion was disbanded along with the 5th Marine Division. The last Ontos garrison was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It continued to operate until 1980 by which time it had one operational vehicle. Two others were used for parts.

Upon return to the United States, the tops of the vehicles were removed. Many of the chassis were sold for use as construction equipment or given to local governments for rescue work. One "platoon" of surplus M50s wound up in the service of the North Carolina Forestry Service for use as fire fighting vehicles. According to Vietnam veteran and former Marine Mike Scudder, Ontos today are scarce. In fact, there are more surviving World War I tanks than Ontos. Scudder should know: he bought the seven from North Carolina and is restoring two of them.

Was the Ontos a successful addition to the Marine Corps arsenal? The answer is quite simply, yes and no. The primary mission of the M50 was a tank destroyer. In the actual tactical environments in which it was deployed, there was little use for this ability.
Its secondary mission was the provision of direct fire support for the infantry. In this role the Ontos was underutilized. The reason, according to Major D. C. Satcher writing in The Marine Corps Gazette, is because, unlike artillery, air, and tanks, Ontos were little emphasized in Marine officer training. Ontos were never used in any tactics problems in The Basic School. Ontos crew did not have their own MOS. An Ontos officer normally served one tour with an M50 unit, then moved on. A weapons system that is under-emphasized will be underutilized.

Rejected in the beginning by the Army as a reconnaissance vehicle, it was used in this role by the Marines in Vietnam. The M50 could go places no other Marine armored vehicle could go. It had limitations. In addition to the problems previously noted (premature firing and vulnerability to mining), the recoilless rifles had to be loaded externally which meant the crew had to leave the protection of the armored hull in order to reload. The 106mm recoilless rifle is no stealth weapon: when fired, the tremendous backblast makes the Ontos' location visible to the enemy. Ontos crew had to ensure no friendly troops were in the large blackblast area when operating in confined areas.

There was no enemy armor for the Ontos to destroy in Vietnam. Still, Marines are famous for their ability to improvise, and enemy infantry were plentiful. The M50 was a formidible anti-personnel weapon. A couple of Ontos on the perimeter could decimate Communist forces attacking Marine fixed positions, a static role quite the opposite of its designed high-mobility anti-armor role. My favorite example of Marines ability to adapt to local tactical conditions is the mean streets of Hue City in February 1968. Not only good at destroying structures, Ontos were able to provide a "smoke screen" for infantry attacks: when phosphorus rounds were unavailable, "beehive" rounds (explosive shells filled with thousands of small darts) fired into masonry structures created a dust cloud that screened infantry movement. Marine infantry loved their Ontos. In Phase Line Green : The Battle for Hue, 1968, author Nicholas Warr describes how the M50 platoon pounded the enemy positions, accompanied to the choruses of "Get some!" sung by infantry holed up in houses, waiting to move forward. Fact is, even with its limitations, the Ontos was used and, to a considerable degree, used up in Vietnam, providing invaluable support for the Marines in I Corps.



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Lyudmila Pavlichenko
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The greatest female sniper of all time was Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko, an Ukrainian. She was born on 12 July 1916 in the small village of Belaya Tserkov (the name means "white church" in Ukraine. As a child, young "Lyuda" was a gifted student. She had an independent streak and was very opinionated. When she completed ninth grade, her parents moved to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. She found work at an arsenal where she was employed as a grinder. She also joined a shooting club and developed her talents as a sharpshooter. When the Germans attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a 24-year-old student at Kiev State University, majoring in history. Like many of her classmates, she rushed to join the military to fight against the Germans. The recruitment officer eyed her in amazement. She looked like a model, with well-manicured nails, fashionable clothes, and hairstyle. Pavlichenko told the recruiter that she wanted to carry a rifle and fight. The man just laughed and asked her if she knew anything about rifles. She pulled out her marksmanship certificate and proved it. Then the recruiter tried to persuade her to become a field nurse, but she refused. She joined the Soviet Army as a shooter, attached to the 25th Infantry Division. In August 1941, Private Pavlichenko scored her first two kills near the village of Belyayevka when her unit was ordered to defend a strategic hill. She worked with a spotter. Her weapon was a Model 1891/30 Sniper Rifle fitted with a P.E. 4-power scope. It was a 5-shot bolt action rifle which fired a 148 grain bullet at 2,800 feet per second, with an effective range of over 600 yards. Anyone who has ever fired a Moisin-Nagant can tell you that it kicks like a mule! Pavlichenko fought for over two and a half months near Odessa and recorded 187 kills. When the enemy gained control of Odessa, the Soviet Independent Maritime Army was pulled out and sent to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. In the fierce fighting, Pavlichenko was wounded by a mortar blast in June 1942. At this time, her score stood at 309. The Soviet High Command ordered the wounded sniper to board a submarine and leave Sevastopol. She was a heroic role model who had to be saved. Less than a month later, she became the first Soviet citizen to be received by President and http://soviet-awards.com/pixelspace.gifMrs. Roosevelt at the White House. Afterwards, she toured various American and Canadian cities to talk about her experiences.
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Guards Major Lyudmila Pavlichenko never returned to the fighting. As an instructor, she trained hundreds of snipers by war's end. On 25 October 1943, she became a Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, the Heroine returned to complete her studies at Kiev State University. From 1945 to 1953, she was a research assistant of the Chief HQ of the Soviet Navy.Sheparticipated in numerous international conferences and congresses. She was also active in the Soviet Committee of the Veterans of War. Lyudmila Pavlichenko died on 10 October 1974 at age 58 and is buried at the Novodevichiye Cemetery in Moscow.
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