"M113s - ACAV and otherwise...." Topic

Virtually all of the pics/videos I can find show M113s with a 50.cal and two LMGs – including footage of M113s advancing with a lot of infantry around and between the vehicles. Was the 50 cal/2 LMG format pretty much universal or am I just seeing a less-than-representative selection of footage/photos?

I was in the 11th ACR in Vietnam and most M-113 had the ACAV package. So the TC sat in a cupula with a 50. Two M-60s were mounted on each side of the vehicle and, ideally, a crewman with an M-79 and or M16 covered the rear. ME? Most of the tour I was underground repairing mess kits. H

Cheers Ferd45231. My wife's M113s are all ACAV models from Corgi and – in my role as rulewriter/scenario maker I'm trying to figure out what range of applications/kit we need to consider. Was it a usual ACR practice to dismount 'passengers' to fight?
I've read that ARVN units used their 113s more as AFVs in the earlier part of the war since the bad guys had yet to acquire better A/T weapons.

Aside from the mortar carriers I do not remember anything more common than the ACAV. I believe the Aussies carried some different application. The 11th would dismount but usually carried ARVN (especially RF/PF – rough puffs) and American troops. There is a great book, Black Horse Riders by Keith, which describes a troops of the 11th with a company of US infantry coming to the relief of surrounded US infantry. Should give you a good idea of tactics. Also recommended is Mounted Combat in Vietnam by Donn A Starry. He was the Col. of the regiment during the first half of my tour and gives a very complete picture. As for the ARVN the battle of Ap Bac might give you some insight in the early part of the war. H

Much obliged!

ACAVS fought from the vehicle. Besides the .50 and the two M-50s, there was usually a guy with an M-79 grenade launcher as "tail gunner."

Those that were not ACAVs, just armored personnel carriers APCs), had the .50 HMG only. Their purpose was to transport troops to the battlefield where they would bail out of the back, fight on foot and have some covering fire from the .50. At least until the gunner got picked off as there was usually no armor shield on the APC version, unlike the ACAV version.

There can always be variations to all of this.

Tom

From what I recall I have read in the past it was actually the ARVN that first developed what would become the "ACAV Package" after the experience at Ap Bac where a number of 113 gunners got picked off because they had no protection above the deck of the 113.

Thanks for then help everyone!