- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle.
- Yes, as an event vehicle.
- Yes, as a squadron vehicle.
- Yes, as a premium vehicle.
- No
- 1.7
- 2.0
- 2.3
- 2.7
- 3.0
- I said no.
This is a super obscure field modification by the ARVN to mount an M8 Greyhound turret onto an M113 ACAV.
NOTE: This is literally the only picture of it that i can find and there is very little information and documentation about it so most of this will be my speculation.
History
The M8 Greyhound was used extensively by the French Expeditionary Corps during the First Indochina War (1946–1954) for road security, convoy escort, and reconnaissance missions. After the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu and their withdrawal in 1954, the newly formed Vietnamese Armor Command inherited the M8 fleet along with much other military equipment. Unfortunately, most of the equipment was WW2 secondhand and in poor condition. Due to this and tactics that focused on defense, poorly coordinated AFV forces, most were often used as “mobile” pillboxes.
With the arrival of American advisers in early 1956 the existing South Vietnamese armored units were reorganised as per American doctrine into armored cavalry regiments with the M8 serving as a recon unit. With the introduction of M113 in early 1962, the ARVN failed to exploit its mobility, shock action and firepower. At first the U.S. intended the M113 to be a “battle taxi” to transport infantry. Gradually, with experienced, the ARVN developed their own, more aggressive doctrine. They fought mounted and used the M113 in a tank role, only dismount after the enemy was overrun. This tactics was later on adopted by American forces and gave birth to the ACAV.
With the introduction of the M113 and other armored units, alongside the high attrition rate, the M8 was gradually phased out, mostly used for backline security and convoy security.
With a shift in American military doctrine from defensive tactics to aggressive “search and destroy” operations, the ARVN ordnance personnel experimented with many configurations which included mounting the M8 Greyhound turret onto an M113. This was an attempt to increase firepower, as the 37mm M6 gun, even though obsolete, could still fire M2 canister shot. This should make the M113 highly effective for anti guerilla role, such as clearing ambushes and fortified positions in dense jungle terrain. Given the time period of the mid 1960s, the chassis used would have been the M113A1.
The crew would consist of three: a driver in the hull and a gunner and commander in the turret. It seems the turret was completely carried over with the 37mm M6 gun but the .30 cal was removed. With the added weight of the turret and a higher CoM, the M113’s amphibious ability would have been highly affected. Ammunition would have included M51B1 APCBC, M63 HE, and M2 canister shot. The vehicle should have been able to carry at least 16 rounds in the turret and possibly 40-50 more in the hull. The exact fate of this specific vehicle and the number of these conversions built are unknown due to the lack of documentation.
Specification
Dimensions: 4.86x2.68x3.1 m
Weight: 12-12.3 tons
Crews: 3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner)
Engine: Detroit 6V53T, diesel 275 hp (205 kW) 2226
Transmission: Allison TX-100-1 3-speed automatic
Speed: 42 mph (68 km/h)
Suspensions: Torsion bars
Armor: 38-12mm
Turret Traverse: 14-20°/s
Elevation: -10°/20°
Armament
1x 37mm M6 (M51B1, M63, M2 canister)
In game
This would be at least 2.0-2.7 with decent survivability as it had plenty of empty space and engine layout that gonna eat shells. As the both the chassis and turret are already in game it shouldn’t be too hard to implement, albeit with some speculation specifically of where the ammo rack would be.
Sources
Vietnam Tracks: Armor in Battle, 1945-75 by Simon Dunstan
Armor in Vietnam, A Pictorial History by Mike Guardia
M113/M8 The Hard One To Catch! - Reddit
