Gan truck

Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War , the tasks of the United States Transport Corps included delivering goods from the ports of Quinyeon and Kamran to bases located far from the coast: Ankhe, Pleiku, and others. The needs of the American troops were great and convoys of two hundred trucks were not uncommon. Such huge caravans were an excellent target for the partisans of the NLFU who organized ambushes in remote areas.

One of the units often attacked was the 8th Transport Group, based in Quignon. The section of the route between Ankhu and the Mang-Yang pass was called “Ambush Alleys” among the military personnel, since incidents on this site occurred almost daily. ^[one]

Effective protection of convoys was almost impossible, because the military police , whose task was to protect the convoys, did not have sufficient forces and means to control the road network. Other units controlled only certain sections of roads in the areas of their deployment. Thus, for most of the route, transport units had to ensure their own security. At first, armored jeeps were used to solve this problem, which, however, soon demonstrated their lack of effectiveness.

During the attack of September 2, 1967, the losses were especially great: 7 drivers were killed, 17 people were injured, 30 trucks were destroyed or damaged. After that, to reduce the vulnerability of automobile convoys, the tactics of “reinforced convoys” were introduced, the key element of defense of which was an armed truck - a gan-truck. The base for this machine was a 2.5-ton truck, protected by sandbags and armed with two 7.62 mm M60 machine guns . The reinforced convoys were small, in the convoy - no more than 100 cars, 1 gan-truck for every 10 transport vehicles provided sufficient protection for the caravan. In the event that the convoy was ambushed, the gan-trucks had to quickly advance to the area under attack and crush the enemy with fire.

It was soon necessary to refuse to protect the car with sandbags, because during frequent rains the sand absorbed a lot of water, which led to the overloading of the whole car. Sandbags were replaced with armored plates removed from the broken equipment. The crew of the gun truck consisted of a driver, two machine gunners and a commander, sometimes the crew also included a grenade launcher with a 40 mm M79 hand grenade launcher .

On November 24, 1967, during a battle on the "Ambush Alley", a group of gun trucks managed to repel the guerrilla attack quite effectively. During the battle, 6 transport vehicles were lost, 4 armed trucks were destroyed or damaged, several people were killed and wounded. However, the attacker was forced to retreat, losing 41 people dead. ^[one]

Although the security of transport convoys increased, attacks on caravans continued, forcing work to improve the design of armed trucks.

The carrying capacity of 2.5-ton trucks was insufficient: after installing armor and weapons, the car turned out to be heavy. Therefore, in the future, five-ton machines began to be used to create gan-trucks. Since armed trucks were improvisations created directly in units, their design and appearance were different. Often, gan-trucks got colorful proper names, which were written in capital letters on the sides: "The boss got angry", "Cold sweat", "Iron butterfly" or "Hell".

Various systems were used for arming the trucks: 7.62 mm M60 machine guns , 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns and 7-62 mm M134 multi-barrel machine guns . In addition, the Bofors 40mm automatic anti-aircraft guns or the 12.7mm M45 Quadmount four -machine guns were often used .

The sources of weapons and armor plates for the gun tracks were various, often they were removed from damaged equipment that was transported during the return flights to the coast, sometimes weapons and armor were obtained in units of the South Vietnamese army . To provide protection against cumulative anti-tank missiles, some gan-trucks were equipped with a kind of spaced reservation : the armor plates were placed one after the other and connected not closely, but with a certain gap. There were cases when the body of the M113 armored personnel carrier was mounted on the chassis of a five-ton truck, which provided the gang-truck crew with protection similar to that provided by the armored personnel carrier itself.

American troops in Vietnam used gan-trucks exclusively in defensive actions: to guard automobile convoys in motion and to organize guard duty at the units' locations.

Gan trucks had many flaws. The additional weight of armor and weapons led to increased fuel consumption during the operation of the machine, the resource of the overloaded chassis was reduced, the additional equipment mounted on the car made it difficult to access the units to be repaired.

The states of automobile transport divisions did not provide for specially assigned security carriage crews, so the diversion of servicemen into the gang truck crews created a shortage of drivers of transport vehicles.

The service of the gank truck crews was regarded as important, ensuring the safety of the entire unit, the soldiers who made up the armed truck teams were respected by their colleagues. ^[2]

According to various estimates, from 300 to 400 trucks were converted into gan-trucks. ^[2] These vehicles were considered as a temporary solution to the problems of defense of transport caravans, but the Transport Corps did not receive a sufficient number of Cadillac Commando V-100 armored personnel carriers intended for use in convoy convoys. Therefore, gan-trucks were used until the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam in 1973. With the end of the Vietnam War, the need for gan-trucks disappeared. Most of them were either scrapped or turned into ordinary transport vehicles. One of them, created on the basis of a five-ton three-axle truck M54 And called "Eve of Destruction" (Restoration is Coming), was restored and exhibited at the Museum of the US Army Transportation Service , Fort Eustis , state of virginia .

The Iraq War

During the Iraq war, an attack on a caravan near Nasiria in March 2003 demonstrated the vulnerability of transport convoys: 12 US troops were killed and five were captured, including Jessica Lynch , who later became known as a war hero. ^[3] Subsequently, transport convoys were considered by Iraqi partisans as “easy targets” and were repeatedly attacked. This led to the fact that the gan-trucks again found their application. The first gan-truck models mounted on the basis of five-ton M939 trucks appeared in August 2003.

In April 2004, the leaders of the 375th transport group of the US Army Reserve and 812th transport battalion organized a temporary unit - 518 company of gun trucks. The company received 35 HMMWV army all-terrain vehicles and five M939 trucks, which were converted and equipped with body armor and 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns. Since many units of the US Army and National Guard Reserve carried out reorganization of their convoy security systems on their own, a special company of gun trucks was deemed unnecessary, and the unit was disbanded in April 2005. ^[4] The use of improvised combat vehicles built by the forces of the units gave a reason to criticize the administration of George W. Bush for the lack of the necessary equipment in the army. ^[5] Congressman Duncan Hunter , chairman of the Military Commission of the House of Representatives of the US Congress , has put forward a proposal to begin production of standardized gun tracks. The idea met with the resistance of some senior officers.

However, the congressman's proposal was accepted, and an armored corps was designed at the Livermore National Laboratory , which received the unofficial nickname "Hunter Box" in honor of the initiator of the development ( Eng. Hunter Box ; can also be translated as "hunting lodge"). During the development, the experience of the Vietnam War was used. The Hunter Box is designed to be mounted on a chassis of a five-ton truck. The hull design uses armored steel, composite materials, bulletproof glass , the converted car is equipped with two or four large-caliber machine guns. ^[6]

The prototype was assembled in March 2004 and arrived in Iraq in July 2004, after which small-scale production began: by July 2005, 35 “boxes” had been manufactured. By September 2007, 100 kits had been produced for the conversion of vehicles for the contingent in Iraq and 18 for use in Afghanistan. ^[7] The Hunter Boxes were recognized by the army. Some military experts criticize them for insufficient protection against defeat from above, it is indicated that vehicles equipped with these kits become unstable, but during the military application these shortcomings did not appear to be significant. ^[eight]

Additional reservation kits are also made for standard all-terrain vehicles HMMWV. The military welcomes the increased security of the vehicle, but the additional weight negatively affects the dynamic and speed characteristics of the converted HMMWV, whose maneuverability is inferior to that of guerrilla vehicles.

World War I and 1920-1930s

In 1916, truck-based makeshift armored vehicles were used by British troops and police during the suppression of the Easter Uprising in Dublin .

Armored trucks were created and used in the initial period of the war in Spain.

World War II

During the Civil War in Spain, republican formations in large numbers used artisanal armored cars ( tiznaos ) based on trucks, buses, tractors and cars.

The Royal Air Force trucks and militias, hastily armed in 1940 to repel the alleged German invasion, were called “ armadillos ” ( Eng. Armadillo ) and were used until 1942. Even “mobile bunkers ” “Bizon” were built protected by concrete.

In the summer of 1941, at the Izhora plant in Leningrad, “GAZ-AA” trucks were partially armored to protect the city, and in early 1945, Danish resistance fighters in a single copy created an armored car V3 based on Ford AA .

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  Spanish bus tyssnaos. Madrid, 1936

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  English "mobile dot" Bison at the Bovington Tank Museum

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  Erzac armored car V3 Danish Resistance

The War in Indochina (1945-1954)

A certain number of armored trucks with installed weapons were used by the French army and the Foreign Legion during the war in Indochina (1945-1954) ^[9]

Arab-Israeli war of 1947-1949 Israeli armored vehicles

At the beginning of the Arab-Israeli war of 1947-1949. Arabs did not achieve significant success in attacks on Jewish settlements and neighborhoods and chose the tactics of attacks on communications connecting Jewish settlements, the main target of the attack was transport on the roads. In response, the Israelis began to practice the movement of vehicles between settlements in convoys: the convoy was accompanied by pickups with members of the “notrim” ^[10] , who were armed with small arms.

However, such protection soon proved to be insufficient: the Arabs with dense fire and mines disabled the Notrim vehicles, after which they destroyed the convoy cars without interference. To counter attacks effectively, armored vehicles were required.

Several small Israeli factories began producing improvised armored vehicles in late 1947, and as of January 27, 1948, 23 armored cars were in operation.

The requirements for a standard truck for booking were established - it was supposed to be a two - axle all - wheel drive truck Ford F-60S , with a carrying capacity of 3 tons. In practice, trucks of other brands were altered into armored vehicles, moreover, in some cases, four-wheel drive models (4 × 2) were used, as well as the chassis of five-ton trucks.

The Israelis did not have factory armor, which made them look for a replacement. The weight of solid iron sheets capable of providing protection against small arms fire was excessive and significantly exceeded the carrying capacity of the machine. The solution was found in the use of layered armor: between two sheets of iron 5 mm thick there was a layer of beech boards about 50 mm thick. Such armor was called "sandwich", which began to be used in relation to the machines themselves.

Сэндвичи, как правило, не имели вооружения на турелях и в башнях, огонь вёлся из ручного стрелкового оружия через бойницы в бортах. Первоначально броневики не имели крыши, что делало их уязвимыми от огня сверху и от ручных гранат, забрасываемых в машину через борт. Поэтому вскоре «сэндвичи» стали получать двух- или четырёхскатную крышу, сплошную, из металлической сетки или тканевую; с такой крыши граната скатывалась и взрывалась в стороне, не причиняя ущерба. Для метания гранат экипажем «сэндвича» предусматривалось два люка, которые открывались вверх вдоль гребня. Откинутые люки придавали машине характерный вид, за который импровизированные бронеавтомобили получил другое своё название — «бабочки».

Машины описанной выше конструкции применялись для охраны конвоев, в то же время изменяющийся характер арабо-израильского противостояния требовал бронетранспортёров, разведывательных и ударных бронеавтомобилей, в качестве которых использовать классические «сэндвичи» было невозможно, и с мая 1948 г. их производство было прекращено. Строившиеся в дальнейшем израильские импровизированные бронетранспортёры и ударные бронемашины имели другую конструкцию, более похожую на конструкцию боевых машин специальной постройки, с вооружением в башнях или на турелях, при их изготовлении использовалась броневые листы заводского производства.

Сальвадор

Работы по созданию бронированных машин для правительственной армии Сальвадора были начаты в 1968 году. В 1968—1969 годы на шасси 2,5-тонных армейских грузовиков REO M35 в центральных механических и авторемонтных мастерских армии Сальвадора («Maestranza») было построено 12 бронемашин « Rayo », которые летом 1969 года использовались в ходе «100-часовой» войны с Гондурасом . Опыт, полученный при проектировании и производстве броневиков «Rayo» учитывался в дальнейшем. Только в 1978—1985 годы в стране было выпущено свыше 130 ^[11] , или даже около 150 бронемашин — в основном, на шасси грузовиков («Magirus», MAN 630, 2-тонных «Unimog», 2,5-тонных M35, 5-тонных «Ford» и «General Motors», 7-тонных Magirus-Deutz 7-ton «Jupiter»), хотя несколько были изготовлены на шасси джипов (CJ-8, «Cherokee Chief» и др.) ^[12] . Они использовались правительственной армией , Национальной гвардией , полицией и частными охранными формированиями в ходе гражданской войны 1979—1992 годов .

Война в Афганистане (1979—1989)

Вскоре после начала боевых действий в Афганистане советские войска столкнулись с проблемой нападений на автоколонны со стороны афганских моджахедов . Это, безусловно, вызвало стремление в той или иной мере повысить защищенность экипажей транспортных машин. Для бронирования автомобилей, в первую очередь для бронирования кабин экипажа стали применяться бронелисты, снятые с подбитой лёгкой техники, был популярен способ защиты водителя при помощи бронежилетов , которые навешивались на двери. Помимо этого существовали комплекты для бронирования кабин грузовых автомобилей, выпускавшиеся серийно, промышленными предприятиями ^[13] . Вошли в обиход и грузовики с установленным на них вооружением: весьма часто практиковалась установка 23-мм спаренной зенитной установки ЗУ-23-2 в кузова автомобилей ГАЗ-66 , Урал-375 , КамАЗ -4310 и иных, вплоть до неполноприводных ЗИЛ-130 . Можно было увидеть грузовики КамАЗ и «Урал» с установленными в кузовах боевыми отделениями ранее подбитых бронированных машин с башенными установками пулемётов: 7,62-мм ПКТ или 14,5-мм КПВТ ^[13] .

Импровизированная боевая техника использовалась преимущественно при проводке караванов, как средство усиления, аналогично тому, как использовались «сэндвичи» в Израиле и американские ган-траки. Однако известно применение вооружённых грузовиков, «Уралов», вооружённых 14,5-мм пулемётом Владимирова или установкой ЗУ-23-2, защищенных при помощи бронежилетов и мешков с песком, в операциях спецназа по активному поиску и уничтожению караванов моджахедов, перевозящих оружие и боеприпасы ^[14] .

Приднестровье

В ходе войны в Приднестровье по меньшей мере один ган-трак на базе самосвала «КрАЗ» использовался силами ПМР ^[15]

Russia

Практика использования вооружённых грузовиков практически без изменений пришла в Чечню, где такие машины использовали и используют подразделения Министерства обороны, МВД, Федеральной пограничной службы. Автомобили оснащаются крупнокалиберными пулемётами или установками ЗУ-23-2; для защиты водителя и десанта используются бронежилеты, мешки с песком, брёвна, снарядные ящики, броневые детали, снятые с подбитой или выработавшей ресурс техники. Нередко машины получают собственные имена: «Бизон», «Батяня», «Бешеный».

Помимо машин, переоборудованных с использованием подручных материалов, существуют комплекты заводского изготовления, при помощи которых серийный автомобиль может быть переоборудован без использования специального оборудования и без существенных переделок базовой машины; таким комплектом является, например, локальная защита производства ОАО «Муромское тепловозостроительное предприятие». Используются также серийные грузовики оснащенные бронированием в условиях завода-изготовителя или иного специализированного предприятия ^[16] .

Бронированные автомобили продемонстрировали свою эффективность в условиях войны партизанского типа, характерного для вооружённого конфликта в Чеченской Республике. Описан случай, когда экипаж оснащенного бронезащитой «Урала» не только не понёс потерь от огня автоматов Калашникова, попав в ночную засаду на узкой улице, но и сумел уничтожить нападавших ^[17] .

Сирия

После начала в 2011 году войны в Сирии , бронированные машины кустарного производства используются подразделениями правительственных сил и антиправительственных вооружённых формирований.

Ukraine

В ходе конфликта на востоке Украины (2014 г.) бронированные машины кустарного производства используются подразделениями правительственных сил (в частности, добровольческими батальонами «Азов» и «Николаев») и антиправительственных вооружённых формирований .

Cinema

• Фильм Безумный Макс-2 . По сюжету фильма община людей перебирается из района захваченного бандитами, в другое место. В качестве боевого транспортного средства используется тягач с цистерной, который был частично бронирован, оборудован таранным бампером, на прицепе находились несколько вооружённых бойцов.
• Такой же тягач, а также грузовик с импровизированной бронёй и огнемётом на крыше используются группой выживших под руководством Клэр Рэдфилд в фильме « Обитель зла 3 ».

Television

• Постройка различных импровизированных броневиков на шасси гражданского транспорта — частый сюжет сериала " Команда «А» ".

Компьютерные и настольные игры

• Вооружённый грузовик — неотъемлемая часть армий и быта расы орков в вымышленной вселенной Warhammer 40,000 .
  • Различные варианты вооружённых грузовиков повсеместно используются армией орков в настольных играх Warhammer 40,000 и Epic 40,000 .
  • Различные варианты вооружённых грузовиков повсеместно используются армией орков в компьютерной игре Warhammer Epic 40,000: Final Liberation .
  • Юнит бронегрузовик ^[18] используется армией орков в компьютерных играх серии Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War .
• Ган-траки обычно представлены в большинстве шутеров и стратегий реального времени, если в них фигурирует какая-либо повстанческая или партизанская организация (примеры — «Техникал» из «Command and Conquer: Generals», пикапы с пулемётами или гранатомётами из ArmA II).

• Autocannone — итальянские версии ган-траков времён Второй мировой войны
• Техничка — пикап оснащённый различным лёгким вооружением вроде ПТРК и пулемётов.

• Leysin, Uri. Butterflies and other armored trucks in the War of Independence (Neopr.) . War Online.Ru. Date of treatment January 6, 2011. Archived on February 28, 2012. The history of the use of improvised armored vehicles in Israel.
• Moiseev V. Russian "gantraki": from Afghanistan to Chechnya (Neopr.) . Courage.Ru (2002). Date of treatment January 6, 2011. Archived on February 28, 2012. The experience of using armed trucks in Afghanistan and during the hostilities in the Chechen Republic.
• Alov A.N., Belogrud V.V., Zaitsev A.N. “Batyana”, “Bison”, “Marusya” and other armed cars in Chechnya // MilitaryCom: Military commentator: Sat .. - 2005. - No. 1 (6) . Archived on August 17, 2009.
• Scherbakov V. The Pentagon remembered the experience of Vietnam // Independent Military Review. - July 11, 2008. The experience of using gun tracks in Vietnam and during American operations in the Middle East is described.