- Yes
- No
Porborkhor 105 Attajhon - Royal Thai Army’s improvised Artillery Truck
Hi and welcome to my 49th suggestion, which is about the Thai Bofors 105mm on M-Series half-tracked, hope you like it.
First of all:
- This is a suggestion for a Vehicle we could see in game at some point in the Future , that doesn´t mean next Patch or somewhere in the near Future
- Feel free to share more Information and / or correct me if something is wrong
- Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here
Basic Background
In the late 1970s, the Royal Thai Army wanted to purchase 105mm and 155mm caliber self-propelled artillerys, likely M108 and M109 models, from the USA. However, this request was rejected for various political and military reasons.
As a temporary solution, the United States proposed transporting the artillery pieces by air instead of delivering them overland. But this method was not practical due to a lack of suitable transport aircraft. The RTAF only had four CH-47 Chinook helicopters and three C-130 Hercules aircraft that could be used to transport big guns. Additionally, this method would have been costly, vulnerable to enemy air defenses, and dependent on aircraft that were also needed for other purposes.
Therefore, the Royal Thai Army was forced to find an alternative solution to improve the mobility of its artillery. The solution was to develop their own self-propelled artillery vehicles by mounting 105mm Bofors howitzers on M-series half-tracks.
In 1981, after four prototype vehicles were completed, the Lopburi Artillery Center conducted tests in a joint exercise with the 4th Cavalry Battalion. The tests were successful, which lead to the granting of additional funding for the production for additional vehicles. Additional half-tracks and 105 mm L/22 Bofors howitzers were collected, but these were only sufficient for one battalion. Therefore, the project was switched to converting existing hulls into Porborkhor 105 Attajhon units.
The Porborkhor 105 Attajhon Overall
The Porborkhor 105 Attajhon (or its full name: “ปืนใหญ่เบากระสุนวิถีโค้งขนาด ๑๐๕ มิลลิเมตร อัตตาจร, ปบค 105 อัตตาจร”) was a self-propelled light artillery with a 105mm gun that was used in the Royal Thai Army. The vehicles were developed based on US half-track platforms such as the M2, M3 and M5 and retained the basic shape of the original vehicle. The crew consisted of the driver and commander located at the front, while the rear infantry compartment was replaced by the Bofors howitzer. A total of four crew members operated the gun(s) in the open rear of the vehicle.
The main gun, a modified 105mm Bofors L/22 howitzer, was mounted in the middle of the halftrack. The howitzer could fire M1 and M67 high-explosive as well as M60 smoke granates. The vehicle had a total ammunition capacity of 40 rounds and a rate of fire of 3-6 shots per minute.
In addition to the main armament, the Porborkhor 105 Attajhon had two machine guns: a 12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun on the right side and a 7.62mm M60 machine gun on the left side. These were each operated by a machine gunner who sat at the back of the vehicle.
The vehicle was powered by a 147 hp Cummins 8-cylinder water-cooled V8504C engine. The vehicle weighed a total of 9,5 tons, providing mobile and versatile support for infantry units and light armored targets.
Thanks for your time, hope you liked it
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]
Sources:
Links
"รัชต์ รัตนวิจารณ์" ท้าวทองไหล: รถกึ่งสายพาน M3/M16 ในกองทัพไทย
Porborkhor 105 Attajhon - Tank Encyclopedia
Half-Track Personnel Carrier M3 Multi-Purpose Armored Personnel Carrier
Book / Other:
Thailand Royal Army Weapon Systems Handbook Volume 1 - IPB USA (2009)
List of Suggestions of ASEAN region