Armored Fighting Vehicles Version M5 (it is a tradition now)

[dgorsman]

Those look like ridiculously narrow tracks.  Not that the vehicles are super heavy, but how can those be useful on anything other than hard ground?

Oh, and does the term 'airmobile weapons carrier' sound a little like 'omnivehicle'?

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Oh, and does the term 'airmobile weapons carrier' sound a little like 'omnivehicle'?

TBH, it immediately calls to mind a self-propelled, heavily armed cell phone tower.

[DoctorMonkey]

Those look like ridiculously narrow tracks.  Not that the vehicles are super heavy, but how can those be useful on anything other than hard ground?

Oh, and does the term 'airmobile weapons carrier' sound a little like 'omnivehicle'?

But the German is so much more... German... at least according to Google Translate - Luftfahrzeugwaffenträger

[Fat Guy]

Ah, the German language. If a word has less letters than the actual alphabet, it's considered short.

[truetanker]

If I throw a Wunderbar into the air, is that the same thing?

TT

[kato]

Those look like ridiculously narrow tracks.  Not that the vehicles are super heavy, but how can those be useful on anything other than hard ground?

The requirement for cross-country ability of the Wiesel was to be "equivalent to an Iltis", the then-current 4x4 jeep in service.

They are not intended to move significantly on the ground by themselves, instead being transported to a theater by helicopter or truck - requirement: two fitting on the back of a standard 10-ton truck. They would then be used locally within a limited range envelope. In deployments so far - Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan - they have consequently been used for patrols within the immediate vicinity of bases.

The Wiesel's precursor in the Bundeswehr was this:



'Truck, 0.75-ton Type 640' also known as "Kraka" for "Kraftkarren" - "power carriage". In service ca 1974 to 1991, the medical transport version a bit longer. Built by Faun, the same company as that artillery portee carrier on the last page. Like the Wiesel was also available with a TOW launcher or in various utility variants. Originally there was also a variant with a 106mm recoilless rifle, replaced by the TOWs.

But the German is so much more... German... at least according to Google Translate - Luftfahrzeugwaffenträger

"Luftbeweglicher Waffenträger" actually. Formal abbreviation "LuWa", since the Bundeswehr abbreviates everything.

[Ruger]

Ah, the German language. If a word has less letters than the actual alphabet, it's considered short.

Could be worse. Could be Welsh, where it could be that long and have no vowels.

 :D ;D

Ruger

[DoctorMonkey]

"Luftbeweglicher Waffenträger" actually. Formal abbreviation "LuWa", since the Bundeswehr abbreviates everything.

I'm just pleased I didn't say something rude in German by mistake

Could be worse. Could be Welsh, where it could be that long and have no vowels.

 :D ;D

Ruger

Ah Welsh, a language that looked at the Latin alphabet, went "we want to make this sound (sound of gargling phlegm)" and looked around for ways to do it, opting for things like "LL" and thinking that because it is called "double u" it should be a vowel


I keep meaning to try to work out how Welsh and Irish work, partly so I can work out how to say people's names Niamh - clearly pronounced Neeve

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Could be worse. Could be Welsh, where it could be that long and have no vowels.

 :D ;D

Ruger

[Daryk]

What's with the anime pose of the soldier in the background of that Kraka? ???  ;D

[kato]

I think he's taking a photo with his cell phone, it's an exhibition piece...

[PsihoKekec]

Given that he is wearing the old monochrome uniform, I'd say this is before the cellphones.

[ANS Kamas P81]

Clearly that means he's a time traveler in disguise.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Then where's his scarf?

[Elmoth]

He has it tucked in the pocket with his sonic screwdriver

[DOC_Agren]

Ah, the German language. If a word has less letters than the actual alphabet, it's considered short.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Love it

[kato]

Given that he is wearing the old monochrome uniform, I'd say this is before the cellphones.

Looks rather like washed-out Flecktarn to me...

[Sabelkatten]

Given that he is wearing the old monochrome uniform, I'd say this is before the cellphones.

I think he's simply carrying something over his right shoulder.

[marauder648]

Not AFV's but French Troops on exercises pre WW1, it appears to be a mixture of African and North African Colonial Troops aka Zouave's as well as Chasseur's and Dragoon's.









There's some more pics here - https://bantarleton.tumblr.com/post/622068587401756673/the-french-army-on-manoeuvres-just-before-world  and just looking at them, even compared to the army of the time, they look dated. Ready to refight the Franco-Prussian War rather than WW1.

[marauder648]

Of course this was largely an exception and most French troops wore uniforms like this



Interestingly the Cuirassiers kept their breastplates, after they already had switched to the light blue/grey uniforms and wore Adrian helmets
But instead of polishing them they painted them like their new helmets. Although they stopped wearing them later in the war.

[DoctorMonkey]

Those pictures look more like Napoleonic Wars rather than the era of Napoleon III!


Still, the cuirassiers are now armoured troops so that sort of counts for this thread

These days the cuuirassiers tend to ride their armour - the LeClerc (image from Wikipedia)

[marauder648]

Those pictures look more like Napoleonic Wars rather than the era of Napoleon III!

Aye the only things that changed it seems were the weapons, with more modern rifles and a lack of sabres. Although saying that - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuXFSmhS_1c&t  Sure this isn't a WW1 weapon but dat 'bayonette'!

[DoctorMonkey]

Aye the only things that changed it seems were the weapons, with more modern rifles and a lack of sabres. Although saying that - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuXFSmhS_1c&t  Sure this isn't a WW1 weapon but dat 'bayonette'!

Pokey pokey!


That looks very Australian in a "that's not a bayonet, THIS is a bayonet" way!


Although the Baker Rifle of c1800 had a "sword bayonet" and I believe the successor "rifle" regiments (now The Rifles) use the term "swords" instead of "bayonets" (they also spell sergeant as serjeant) as the weapon was shorter than a normal musket and to avoid them being over-reached by musket-wielding Frenchmen

[kato]

Of course this was largely an exception and most French troops wore uniforms like this

Most of the pictures seem to be colourized versions of photos taken ahead of the 1913 Bastille Day parade, i.e. these are their parade uniforms - not their regular duty uniforms. At least the ones with the Senegalese tirailleurs.

The blue-grey uniforms were the duty uniform for most troops outside line infantry and cavalry. That particular one in your picture was the version of Mountain Infantry Troops. Earlier uniforms (1870s and such) tended to be a dark blue instead, which was with some troops still seen in WW1.

And of course in practice French WW1 uniforms tended to rather look like this in practice off the parade ground:

[qc mech3]

I agree, the first pics are troops preparing to go on parade explaining the flashy uniforms.

Marauder show what the ideal setting was for WW1 and Kato the actual one.

The worst part is that the french army was the same in WW2  :-\

[Fat Guy]

Bradley Replacement?



Raytheon and Rheinmetall are offering the Lynx IFV.

[DoctorMonkey]

This is apparently an Italian WW2 wheeled recce vehicle called the SPA-Viberti AS 42 Sahariana, I know nothing about it except it appears to look cool

[Fat Guy]

Learn about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPA-Viberti_AS.42

Best pictures I could find that show the interior are models unfortunately.





Damned if it doesn't look like they took the concept of the SAS Jeep and scaled it up.

[kato]

Damned if it doesn't look like they took the concept of the SAS Jeep and scaled it up.

It's actually more of a scale-down:

The AS.42 is based on the AB.40 armoured car, removing the superstructure above wheel level and moving around some stuff. Hence why the engine is at the back and the driver is seated in the middle.

Operationally they worked alongside and partially replaced the AS.37, a light truck converted from the TL.37 artillery tractor. These trucks would transport an infantry platoon among 4-5 vehicles, with a pair of AS.42 assigned with heavier weaponry as fire support. Armament for the AS.42 actually used in Libya (which was only about two dozen) was usually a 20mm gun, even if there were tests with larger weapons.

[Colt Ward]

While it would suck . . . sort of smart to use water jugs as AP single use 'armor' on the sides of the vehicles.  Just do not get in a firefight away from a resupply source.