War-Prac: Mighty M40A1 106mm Recoilless Rifle-In-Action!

U.S. Army Ranger & Historian Robert Black noted on the failed Dieppe amphibious raid in 1942 that: "Courage is no substitute for firepower". Yet American light, narcissistic infantry "hasn't got the memo" on this and insists it can SLAM-style foot fire & maneuver through any opposition despite the facts of real human war history shows time and time again that foot infantry assault have failed--including American ones--when pitted frontally against dug-in, fortified and alerted enemies.

The weak infantryman ego will simply NOT admit that it needs ANY kind of help--be it mobility, fire support--and don't even suggest armor protection! "Tanks are for pussies".

We suspect LTG Gavin, a great caring, human being and leader painfully aware of WW2 casualties due to the WW1 hubris knew American air-delivered light infantry needed lightweight assault gun fire support when he advocated recoilless rifles (RRs) on light tracked tanks as far back as 1947 in Airborne Warfare:

http://www.combatreform.com/airbornewarfare.htm

Recoilless rifle development in light of WW2 and Korean war debacles where we were out-gunned by the enemy on numerous occassions lead to the fielding of the AWESOME M40-series 106mm recoilless rifle which has had legendary battle-winning effects in places like the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Middle East and Africa. LTG Gavin's Ontos had 6 x 106mm RRs, jeeps and small M274 MULE platform trucks carried one and a M113 Gavin light tank/APC could easily carry one or a pair on a roof-mount.

http://www.combatreform.com/m113combat.htm

Yet, before even Vietnam's smoke had cleared, the uber-weak ego USMC had retired their Ontos when all they needed to do was shrink a mechanically superior M113 Gavin into helicopter-transportable size and fit it with multiple 106mm RRs. Infantry ego can't stand the sight of it needing help, so every time we face a determined foe we lose scores of men needlessly relearning Dieppe, Tarawa, Omaha and Iwo Jima beaches all over again.

We tried in 1995 in the aftermath of the Army Ranger "Blackhawk Down!" 1993 debacle to wake light infantry up to M113 Gavin use

http://www.combatreform.com/contingencym113gavins.htm

to include using 106mm RRs to create "ground spectre" capabilities that will be there for infantry even in bad weather which are really the German light tank STUG concept reborn.

http://www.combatreform.com/m113combat.htm

Seeing that the light infantry hates the heavy units and their tracks, we even advocated mounting the mighty 106mm RR on the pathetic Humvee wheeled truck at the measley cost of $6900 per kit:

http://www.combatreform.com/popguns.htm

Even a wheeled truck narcissist wagon as the mobility mount was not good enough; the 106mm RR offering decisive, battle-winning building and bunker-busting firepower STILL reminds the foot egomaniac he needed "help" and this bruises his ego too much. Its amazing we even have TOW ATGM-equipped HHC and Delta weapons company Humvees in light of this me-me-me attitude.

http://www.combatreform.com/itmaneuversabattalion.htm

A word about TOW anti-tank guided missiles. They "replaced" the 106mm RR based on the ANTI-TANK task being guided for greater accuracy/range, but TOWS ARE $$$ expensive. We could shoot $100 106mm RRs shells all day long and carry more of them in our M113 Gavins. Beehive flechette 106mm rounds are available that even "dumb TOW" with just a HE fragmentation warhead can't replicate since 65 meters are needed to arm from leaving the tube. We should have BOTH laser-aim assist 106mm RRs AND TOW ATGMs on M113 Gavins in the light infantry to act as mini-STUGs.

Want to know more about 3D Airborne Maneuver Warfare?

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http://books.google.com/books?id=RCWtHnYZ0LMC&pg

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• M113
• Gavin
• Blackhawk
• Down!
• 106mm
• recoilless
• rifle
• firepower

[KAMARADENN]

you're dead meat if you stand behind it.

[dynmicpara]

Don't stand behind a RR when the gunner calls out, "Backblast area clear!"

[vatoreaper]

good with anti tank duties but probably obsolete Against modern armour

[dynmicpara]

The primary need for INFANTRY HIGH EXPLOSIVE FIRE SUPPORT the 106mm RR would provide is against enemy infantry covered in buildings, bunkers and dug-in-positions--the Taliban don't operate the latest tanks

[tbilisicentral]

@dynmicpara true that, no need to waste an 80 grand Javelin on a tharget that a $100 round can handle. i always wondered, why did the NATO forces do not use the RPG-7 in fire support role, its effetive up to 800 meters, and there is plenty of ammo in a'stan. is it a political decision?

[dynmicpara]

@tbilisicentral Ego decision; there is a pro-American hubris bias against using enemy weapons.

[tehw000000t]

rpg 7 effective to 300m

rrs are badass btw

[ptins2000]

106mm Trained at Ft Polk, LA "Tigerland" '71 The back blast was a bitch!

[helterskelter416]

@vatoreaper

it was designed to kill main battle tanks. i think it can handle modern ARMOR.

[tbilisicentral]

@lostend1 you probably havent seen the demonstration of a 85/40mm PG7V HEAT round demolishing a sandbag bunker. it has a devastating effect on target. dont forget its loaded with couple of pounds of TNT. 40mm AGL cant penetrate the most common structures/walls encountered in a'stan (thick walled mud and clay huts) and iraq (reinforced concrete walls).Carl Gustav is not widely proliferated weapon, limited to US army Rangers and Marines only. the rest of the troops have AT4, if anything.

[lostend1]

@tbilisicentral @tbilisicentral There are a number of weapons that can fell the role of the RPG7 in the military, it is just that there is minimal need for armor piercing munitions in an insurgency. The M40A1 is still in U.S. inventory and is still in production, but not used outside reserve forces of U.S. Southern Command. Also the Carl Gustov and current 40mm grenade variants fill the roll of the RPG to various degrees, while disposable rocket launchers take the bunker busting ability.

[dekaneas71]

otherwise you are toasted

[MegaMurri]

HAL...please rewind

[KarbineKyle]

Nice! 5/5! My Grandfather, "Bernie", who retired a Colonel (Bird) fired those. The 106mm (105) RR's he fired may have been older models. He was in the 1186th TTU of the U.S. Army (Reserve). He fired every weapon in training (late 40's). Although he almost went to Korea, he was kept back. He's almost deaf, and he says it was because of firing the RR's all the time. His favorite was the 3.5in. Bazooka. He also fired the .50cal. Browning M2, Browning .30cal. Mortars, Rifles, & Hand Grenades, etc!