Ontos M50A1

[mussie]

Ok it was to modern for AH but dam its a cool little tank.

Have a look here for more info

The Ontos was a relatively light weight tracked armoured fighting vehicle that was designed in the early 1950's to destroy the main battle tanks of this era using the firepower from its six 106mm recoilless rifles.  Its diminutive size, 12 ½' long, 8 ½ ' wide, crammed three crewmembers into a compartment slightly higher than 4'.  It served the US Marines from 1956 until the bulk of them were dismembered in 1970.  Its service to the Marine coincided with the Corps's use of the 106mm recoilless rife.

 

Part of the test included the firing of all six guns at once.  The test vehicle was taken to the Aberdeen testing facility that had been built for the testing of the 106 recoilless rifle.  No one envisioned the effect of six of these weapons going off at once, least of all the people who designed the testing facility.  The back blast from the firing knocked bricks out of a nearby building and knocked the rear windows out of several cars.

The Ontos carried the beehive round that sent out a hundred darts per firing to clean out a jungle of its enemy.  There was no other weapon that could clear a jungle for a depth of a ¼ mile like the 106mm recoilless rifle using the beehive round.

[Krusty]

ever heard of "smurfy"? Well that's sugly! Silly/Ugly!

Interesting image though, lol!

[mussie]

Ugly Yeah Silly NO

see here

http://ontos.homestead.com/ms3.html

If it weren't for Ontos intervention, we would have lost what little cover we were able to hold onto at that particular time of the battle.
Granted, they were light and at times a hindrance to the big boys, but all-in-all I don't think you will find a true Marine grunt that didn't appreciate an Ontos or two hanging around.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by mussie
its a cool little tank.

Knew a Marine lieutenant who had commanded a platoon of Ontoses.  He was not impressed with their reliability.

If I recall correctly, Frank Rizzo wanted the City of Philadelphia to buy two of these, back when he was police commissioner.  For crowd control.

Wilson Goode did him one better a few years later.  Who needs an armored unit if you already have a city air force?

- oldman

[OntosMk1]

Huh, What? Someone say my name