Australian M113A1

Austarmycrest.gif (8966 bytes) Australian Military Vehicles Research

Before and After
Subtitle: A Few Notes on Current M113A1 Family Rebuilds and a Trial Modification
By Mike Cecil, Curator of Military Technology, Australian War Memorial

A recent visit to Bandiana Logistics Group (BLG) and the 4^th/19^th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse Regiment Vehicle Park at Puckapunyal yielded some interesting images. The vehicles pictured also have some interesting histories, and a brief summary of each vehicle’s history is provided in the captions. Australia has operated the M113A1 family of light AFVs since the arrival of the first APCs in early 1965. The fleet, which was built up over several years, reached over 800 vehicles at its height. The inventory has been reduced over the years by write-offs (particularly during the period of deployment in South Vietnam, when several were written off due to enemy action), and removal of a type from service, such as the 15 Saladin turreted M113A1 Fire Support Vehicles (FSV) and more recently, the Scorpion turreted M113A1 Medium Reconnaissance Vehicles (MRV).

BLG are responsible for, among other things, the rebuild line for the M113A1 family of vehicles in Australian service. It is here that vehicles requiring major overhaul are brought, many with damage sustained in service, or with modifications carried out at Unit level. They are stripped back to a bare hull, sand blasted, tested for cracks and tolerances, and then rebuilt using new or refurbished parts. Vehicles undergoing rebuild are completed to the current build standard incorporating all the currently authorised modifications. They come off the line at the end of the process looking brand new. The images from BLG provided here show a few of the vehicles awaiting rebuild, together with views of an M113A1 APC/LRV and an M125A1 81mm Mortar Carrier that have just been completed. Of particular note are the new type of front indicator guards, which have been altered from the coarse mesh type to a sheet steel, open fronted box arrangement.

The 4^th/19^th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse Regiment is a Victorian-based Reserve Unit that operates from a number of regional depots, such as Sale in Gippsland, and Kyenton in north central Victoria. Headquarters is at Simpson Barracks, Watsonia, a northeastern suburb of Melbourne. The Unit keeps a fleet of M113A1 vehicles for training purposes at their yard at the Puckapunyal Military Training Area. The vehicle pictured was being fitted for trials with a new prototype double jerrycan holder. If successful, the holder will become the officially authorised type for fitment to the M113A1 family. Again, a short history of the trials vehicle is provided in the caption.

	Plate 1: Typical of the vehicles awaiting assessment for rebuild is this APC/LRV, with Army Registration Number (ARN) 134148. This vehicle is one of the veterans of the fleet (the ARNs for M113A1s start at 134140), being amongst the first batch to arrive in Australia. It went to South Vietnam with 1 APC Squadron in 1966, and remained in-country until late 1969, when it was sent back to Australia for a much-needed rebuild and fitment of the T50(Aust) turret. It was damaged in early 1969 when an RPG penetrated low on the left side about 1.2 meters from the front of the vehicle. More lately, the vehicle has been serving with 3rd/9^th South Australia Mounted Rifles (SAMR).
Plate 2: Another vehicle after arrival at BLG’s storage yard, this time an M113A1 purchased post-1972 (these have five digit ARNs, while those purchased up to 1972 have six digit ARNs). This one has seen service with 2^nd Cavalry Regiment and more recently, with 1CSU’s MPs. The small black symbol on the side below the driver’s hatch is a wolf’s head, with the letters "XO" adjacent, and below the word "Wolfpack". The absence of the camouflage pattern on the trim vane is notable, as is the washed out colour of the brown camouflage paint.
	Plate 3: Stripped, sandblasted hulls waiting their turn at rebuild. The closer vehicle is a very early purchase, with hull number K57. The sponson reinforcement is visible along the lower edge of the upper hull toward the front, below the number ‘13’. This chassis number equates to vehicle ARN 134179, which arrived in Australia in early 1965. The far hull, number SJ0022B, equates to ARN 134308. Note the differences in the rear trackguards, and the absence of a web reinforcement in the upper corners of the rear opening of ARN 134308.
Plate 4: A three-quarter front view of a recently completed M113A1, in this case ARN 134356. This vehicle was fitted with its sponson reinforcement, visible along the bottom edge of the hull side above the first three roadwheels, while serving in South Vietnam in early 1970. It remained in-theatre until late 1971. More recently, it has been in service with 5^th/7^th Battalion (Mechanised).
	Plate 5: Rear right view of the same vehicle, showing the camouflage pattern on the left and rear of the vehicle. Note the single jerrycan holders on the rear: these are the current official fittings, although many Units change these to double holders. The rear tail lamp assembly is also of interest. It is a standard civilian ‘stop-tail-indicator’ combination housed in a sheet steel guard. These are in contrast to the original fittings that were the US Army standard stop/tail and blackout lamp of the 1960s.
Plate 6: Rear left view, showing the rear and left side camouflage pattern, and placement of the ‘Caution Left Hand Drive’ marking. The small cluster of words adjacent to the ramp hatch says ‘Warning Keep Handle Down When Door is Open’.
	Plate 7: Detail view of the new style front indicator guard, which replaces the coarse grid pattern visible in plates 1 and 2.
Plate 8: View of a recently refurbished M125A1 81mm Mortar Carrier, ARN 134417. This vehicle was deployed to South Vietnam late in 1968, and remained there until late in 1971, during which time it covered nearly 16,000 miles. The sponson reinforcement for both the left and right sponsons was carried out while in South Vietnam, though not at the same time. Although only recently rebuilt, the carrier has been in storage at BLG since the early 1990s.
	Plate 9: Side and rear view of the M125A1 ARN 134417. Compare the similarity of the camouflage pattern with that on the recently completed APC/LRV. Both are camouflaged to the same general pattern, but there are differences in the detail. Like most patterns, the officially promulgated pattern is to be used as a guide only.
Plate 10: At the 4^th/19^th PWLH vehicle compound at Puckapunyal, a RAEME craftsman fits prototype double jerrycan holders to M113A1 APC/LRV ARN 134724. These are being fitted for an official trial which, if successful, will see this design adopted for fitment to vehicles as they progress through rebuild, or as a modification at Unit level. ARN 134724 has previously seen overseas service in Somalia with B Squadron, 3^rd/4^th Cavalry Regiment, followed by a period at BLG before undergoing a complete rebuild.

Plate 11 - 12 Detail views of the trial jerrycan holder fitted to ARN 134724. The burnt area of paint is where the new footman loop has been welded to the hull. Note the use of the lower pair of bolts from the standard single jerrycan holder to hold the trials double holder. The layout of the small sign ‘Warning Keep Door Handle Down When Door is Open’ is evident in this clasp view.

Back to Australian index