M113 US APC

[kiwi]

Before we got the LAVs I think we used the M113's . Were these carried in our C130 Hercules ? Is the Airfix M113 suitable for a model of one of ours , does it need modification and what colour were ours ?

[Bruce]

A quick Google has turned up this - looks fairly useful:
antipodeanarmour.blogspot.co.nz/p/new-zealand-m113-fov-modelling-notes.html

[kiwi]

Thank you for that link , clearly there is more to this than I realised . I was looking for something to put with an RNZAF C130 model .

[phil]

You need a Scorpion, they had a display they did on a number of occaisions with the herc landing and the scorpion rolling out the back.

There is even a 1.72 scorpion available too, made by ACE.

[kiwi]

Jul 17, 2012 19:18:48 GMT 12 phil said:

You need a Scorpion, they had a display they did on a number of occaisions with the herc landing and the scorpion rolling out the back.

There is even a 1.72 scorpion available too, made by ACE.

Yes , I don't know why I thought an M113 was what I needed , though I did see an aluminium one was considered . I was not aware of the ACE kit of the Scorpion . I do have an Airfix Scorpion will this do ?

[nige]

Hi kiwi, the M113 & C130 combo would be apt - 4x M113's were deployed to East Timor on 20/09/1999 (via RNZAF C-130's to Darwin, then via RCAF C-130's into theatre) with Victor Company, RNZIR, to hastily assist with the Australian forces then in theatre. A further 21x M113's were deployed via sea shorty afterwards.

If you haven't read it, seek out a book via your library or TradeMe on NZ's deployment to ET called Operation East Timor, a fascinating insight into the preparations and operations there involving the 3 services.
www.amazon.com/Operation-East-Timor-Zealand-1999-2001/dp/0790008238
Also this might be of interest?
www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CF162/CF162.appd.pdf

According to Army sources elsewhere the M113's 50 cal's fired shots in anger in ET and as well as their NZ Army deployment to Bosnia in the 1990's, the M113 has played a useful part in NZ Army operations overseas.

PS - other good ANZAC websites with pics/schemes of M113/variants & other vehicles including the Scorpion.
anzacsteel.hobbyvista.com/Armoured%20Vehicles/cambraidayph_1.htm
kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com/
kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com/unprofor.htm
kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com/qasdn.htm

[kiwi]

Thanks for all that , I had started to find some of it , they became more colourful and we hung a lot of stuff not in the kits off them . From what I can see both these vehicles could be modelling projects in their own rights , and I had thought they would just be put them together and paint them green ! Though I think that is basicly how they both started out .

[classicman]

Yes we airlifted the APC's in the C130 quite often. It was a tight fit, but fit they did.

Was a standard part of the two ship air show routine. Got a big fright when I took one into Waiouru airstrip once. There was massive pressure to deliver it and the weather was truly awful, but when we landed there was no one to meet us and no one qualified to drive it off. Looked like an unscheduled nightstop in Waiberia until the loadie found a grunt who had driven one once in the past! APC off, and we got out of there just before the weather socked right in.

[Dave Homewood]

Haha, Waiberia, very appropriate, I hadn't heard that nickname before.

[kiwi]

It is a nick name that has been around for years , my young fella used to use . I arrived there late one afternoon , it was snowing and a Maori guy probably in his forties walked into the gas station in shorts , a woolen singlet and bare feet , they breed them tough up there !