How Australian M113 Crews Removed Armor Plating... To Make Tracks Faster Than US Versions

Описание: When Australian M113 crews arrived in Vietnam, they did something that horrified American advisors: they started removing armor plating from their vehicles. U.S. doctrine said this was suicide—the armor was designed to protect crews from enemy fire. But the Australians had learned something different fighting in Malaya and Borneo.

By stripping 1,000 pounds of armor from their M113 APCs, Australian crews created vehicles that could hit 35 mph in jungle terrain where American versions struggled to reach 15 mph. The lighter tracks could accelerate twice as fast, turn sharper, and navigate terrain that bogged down standard M113s.
The results spoke for themselves: Australian M113s had 60-70% higher survival rates than American vehicles while inflicting more enemy casualties. NVA training documents specifically warned troops to avoid engaging Australian armored units.

This is the story of how Australian ingenuity and tactical adaptation turned the "battlefield taxi" into a jungle cavalry mount—and proved that sometimes speed and maneuverability protect better than armor plating.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Opening: Firebase Coral Under Attack
3:15 - Initial American Skepticism
8:42 - Australian Combat Experience from Malaya
13:20 - First Unauthorized Modifications
18:35 - Operation Coburg: Speed Saves Lives
24:10 - Firebase Coral: Three Days of Combat
29:45 - Australian Doctrine Development
35:20 - American Attempts to Adopt Tactics
40:15 - NVA Response and Adaptation
44:30 - Peak Effectiveness 1969-1970
48:50 - Legacy and Modern Lessons

#VietnamWar #M113 #AustralianArmy #MilitaryHistory #ArmoredWarfare