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Infantry, Fort Benning, Ga
Date taken: February 2, 1950
Photographer: Ralph Morse
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https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...80_large-1.jpg
Infantry, Fort Benning, Ga
Date taken: February 2, 1950
Photographer: Ralph Morse
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...fb_large-1.jpg
3rd div, Audie Murphy's crew...
Pay attention, in six months it might save your life.
Looks like a M18 57mm Recoilless Rifle in the foreground.
I'd say so too...neat little rig.Quote:
Originally Posted by fjruple
I was once Range OIC on a 106mm RR range, the 57's big brother mounted on a Jeep... wow, what a weapon! You could make a guy off the street a gunner in about 15 minutes it was so easy to use. 50 cal. spotting rifle with explosive ammo and a round central trigger... sight on the target, pull the trigger out to fire the spotter, adjust your aim until it hit, mash the trigger in to fire the 106. Boom, a dead tank. Wow!
I drove M113 for 106 platoon before they got the TOW missiles. Yes, they were something, but heavy to manhandle. They were a weapon we should have kept for local destruction of whatever the company commander wanted to destroy. Too quickly they were relegated.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Seijas
Our anti-tank capability in the Engineers were the M67 90mm Recoilless Rifle. What a beast! Normally we would use the subcaliber device first to get everyone use to the gun crew drills of loading and unloading. Then use the full bore 90mm rounds. I remember ours had the mount for the AN/PVS-2 starlight scope. I can't imagine shooting that thing at night it would light up the area like a Christmas tree. The other thing I remember the 90mm rounds were highly corrosive and the gun had to be cleaned several times after use and we had to maintain a log on the number of rounds used.
My only exposure to those was in January of 1975 when we went to Ft Wainwright AK to train with Charlie Airborne. We lugged those around enough to know they were uncomfortable. I think we shot them with a sub cal in 7.62?Quote:
Originally Posted by fjruple
While in Alaska I had fired the 90 with sub-cal devices several times for orientation. Then there came a time when we were allowed to fire surplus live rounds and I had a chance to fire one. I laid next to the gun with my body at a 45-degree angle as I had with the sub-cals. When I touched off the trigger I found myself lying in front of the gun with a totally numb right leg. Lesson learned!
BEAR
A lot of brass visited the 106 range, my favorite trick was to pile a dozen ammo boxes 10 yards behind a gun and fire it... toothpicks! The back-blast was truly awesome.
Army MULE and the 106
Attachment 125025
Bob-- I remember seeing the 106mm during an orientation at Ft. Benning OCS in 1976. We were sitting the bleachers when they cut lose with the gun. It picked several folks up off the bleachers. They did the same thing you stated blowing empty wooden crates to tooth picks. The good days when things were so much simpler.
Did any of you ever have to sweep the firing pad(if you used one) clear of unburned cordite? It was piled and touched with a match. Burned fiercely like mortar increments or arty charge bags, very bright and always a post ex crowd pleaser.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Seijas
Once I was tasked with training and firing four other soldiers with the AT4 anti-tank rocket. I'd never even seen one before so I sat down and read the book cover to cover. They had to fire from a pit, not a prepared position. After instructing the four I fired them one at a time. As it was a pit and I needed be close we hunkered down and got friendly. I talked the firer through the steps of preparing the rocket and they fired when ready. The first three went great, right on target, the last one I let my left leg drift out a bit. When the soldier fired my left leg was pummeled and it went numb. Lesson learned. But the guy completely missed the blasted target.Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR