Accurate Armor M114 CRV ARVN 1964

In the Dio, The m114 will have a broken track on the right side and the crew trying to get fixed. Problem disguised.

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I like the way you think Greg, I may have to get my hands on a blow dryer to get more sag in the track, and I might just mix up some mud ( baby powder and paint), ARVN troops practiced concealment with brush liberally on their armor and afv’s so there’s that to consider . . . there are about 29 vehicles I’d like to represent on this display . . . I can’t even imagine posing figures, say 5 per wagon, to create a true diorama, it would be neat though.
Thanks for checking in, love your idea . . . I can just visualize jacks and come-alongs with cheater pipes and wrenches, whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Cajun :crocodile:

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Go for it! Will be amazing…

My first time posting on a forum… These pics sure bring back memories. I spent 19 months in Korea 1967-68 with the 10th Cav stationed near the DMZ at Camp Kaiser. We used these 114A1’s for most of our recon. We sometimes used M-38 and M-151 Jeeps. The M-114s were the Hot Rods at the time. Our track mechanics would disable the engine governers and we could hit 60 MPH cross country. One of the weaknesses of the 114s were the sectioned tracks. They would mostly break at the section joints when the driver used “pivot steer”. You had to be really careful in sandy soil as it would pack in around the road wheels and snap the track as you pivoted. Somewhere I have pictures of my assigned 114 (A-22) with it’s original camo paint job. If I can find the pictures I’ll post them here. I would love to build one of these kits but unfortunately they are out of my price range. Thanks for the memories.

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Chuck @Tophand welcome aboard brother and thanks for your comments, definately reccomend waiting for Takom to release their issue of the M114 series, I feel your pain regarding the kit price, Hobby Fan has an M501 HAWK loading tractor that I want b-b-b-bad but justfying that payout . . . well, Hawk Hill may not happen here . . . or will it, hmmm.

Cajun :crocodile:

You might be interested in this coming release from Takom:

Will also be available in the A1E1 variety:

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One expensive kit or 3 - 5 less expensive ones …
it’s the same dollars except that you need to cluster them in one case.
Convert it to Cokes or cans of beer to figure out how long you need
to be drinking water to finance that HAWK loading tractor :grin:

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I think I’m gonna need a bigger peice of plywood . . . AND hit the lottery, my fantasy went “Apocalyps Now” surreal when Masterpiece Models came out with their Program 5 riverine craft . . . can you imagine!

Cajun :crocodile:

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That brings up the part about how many helicopters do you plan to have crossing the beach?
apocalypse now helicopter scene - Google Search

Now getting those Stetsons in 1/35th, that’s a problem.
image

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It depends how many you need…

H.P.

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I must correct myself, as there was one lonely M107 located in Chu Lai long after the U.S. was gone. It was parked right next to the striped awning of the MAG 13 PX. Seems like I read or heard that the ARVN used a few M48a2 gas engine tanks.
gary

contrary to popular belief; you did not wear the yellow scarf or Stetson hat outside the wire. There was a bounty on them. Wanta say $25, and that was big money to the average local VC folks. You always look the same without rank on your uniform. We’d get on you about that unless we didn’t like you.
gary

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You mentioned the M-48a2 tank. Our 10th Cav line platoons each had 3 of the M-48a2c type with a 90mm main gun and the gas engine. Each platoon had one of these with a searchlight co-axially mounted on the main tube. We used these tanks for “Searchlight Patrol”. The tank would be set in a certain position to augment our nighttime foot patrols. If a foot patrol heard or suspected some movement they could call and have the tank light up an area. Of course the tank would have to change position after a light sweep. Our TOC woulld have assigned at least three positions for the tank on any given night. We flushed out many infiltrators this way. Hmmm… that might make a pretty good diorama. The Korean DMZ- what a life a lifetime ago.

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This is good stuff Chuck @Tophand, I enjoy hearing different tactics and maneuvers for Armored Cav units, I know we’d all like to see you get a blog build started for a dio on the DMZ . . . scouts out!

Cajun :crocodile:

The 3/4CAV had several M48a2’s, but have also read that they were upgraded to the later power packs. Makes sense as it would make refueling much easier. Think the 69th Armor had several as well. Never saw a gas engine in a track up north. The only thing that used Mogas was 1/4 and 3/4 ton trucks. Other than that it was stoves in the mess tent and the generators.

When I think Korea, I think cold! Every 48 that I saw had a search light. Some didn’t work, but most did. There were two styles.
gary

Yeah Gary, it got really cold. The night of the Pueblo “incident” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/uss-pueblo-captured it was a -40 wind chill and gusty winds. We went out on a “cocked pistol” alert (if it’s within the south tape, shoot it). As I recall we were alerted at about 3 PM and moved out a little before 4 PM. I was lucky to be assigned a foot patrol. Most of the guys on observation/listening post got frostbitten that night. We came off of alert about 6 AM the next morning. I can remember not being able to feel my feet and legs and hugging my M-14e2 cause I couldn’t feel my hands. The mechanics had been up all night keeping the vehicles running cause everyone thought the balloon was going up. Sorry for mucking up the thread with this stuff.

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Back in the middle of January 68, They came around and needed five or six guys to go to the nuclear weapons school in Korea. Being a genuine FNG; my name was one the list, but got bumped by a guy thinking it was just another R&R. It was raining about an hour and a half every morning south of Chu Lai with a temp climbing into the mid to high nineties. A whole lot better than twenty five degrees at Ft. Lewis!
Those guys all missed the start of Tet, but every one of them came down with a bad case of pneumonia!!
At my VFW Post there is a board with various photos of guys over seas. Lots of Vietnam stuff, and even a couple right out of the Sand Box. There is one picture that just gives me the creeps. Taken right near the DMZ in Korea one night. Two kids in their twenties huddled together in a minus forty degree temp!! Snow everywhere, and it’s dark outside. He told me when it was taken, and I told him it was close to a hundred degrees near the II-Corp border that time of the year! Guys on the DMZ got combat pay back then, and a minus forty degrees wasn’t worth it!
gary

I missed out on the combat pay. I arrived in country in April 1967 and the 10th Cav was mostly doing DMZ patrols out of McBryar Base Camp, just a touch south of the DMZ south tape. McBryar duty was shared monthly between all three line troops (A, B, and C). With the rise of North Korean aggression that spring (see The DMZ War), a political decision was made to close down McBryar and have each Troop work out of their own compound at Camp Kaiser (about 5 miles south of McBryar). With the closing of McBryar, there went the combat pay even though each Troop’s mission remained the same with increased frequency. Politically, the powers that be couldn’t be blamed for fighting on two fronts and Viet Nam was much bigger. Old men start wars, young men fight them.

I’ve been thinking about the DMZ diorama. Maybe a searchlight M-48a2 backed into a slight defilade with panchos spread over the engine compartment (lessen the IR signature) and thick brush with no trees (to much artillery fire during the Korean War). There just wasn’t any tall trees north of Seoul.

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Hi Robin,

first and foremost. TO ALL!

Enjoy the Christmas days and a Happy New Year.

I have ordered these beauties one month ago!

Yes, I know! In real life M114/M114A1/M114A2 couldn’t meet the expections, underpowered. Our U.S. Army partnership battalion, 3rd-64th Armor, scout plt, at Schweinfurt used M114A2 till 1975. I was told by the platoon sergeant, the powerpack was a chevy bus motor. Don’t know if its true! 2nd-30th Infantry used the M114A2 till 1977.

I like the M114A1 and M114A2. Brings back nice memories!

Hank

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you as well :champagne: :sparkles: :confetti_ball: