Interesting M38A1 photo

Kendall · Post by **Kendall** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:13 pm

Found a photo at the Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks. Tried posting a link, but can't seen to get it to work. Go to www.carlisle.army.mil/usamhi/index/htm and do a search of "Jeep" on the Digitized Material link. Does anyone know the purpose of the thing in the front of this jeep? It is captioned "Specially equipped jeep, Vietnam, 1968."
Kendall
http://ahecwebdds.carlisle.army.mil/aww ... =1&awdid=2

Post by **wesk** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 12:13 am

http://www.carlisle.army.mil/AHEC/USAMH ... Search.cfm

http://ahecwebdds.carlisle.army.mil/aww ... &awdid=476#

It's a mine sweeper. They were more common on the M151 series over there.

bluewatersailor · Post by **bluewatersailor** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:41 am

I'd like to see the photo, but get "session expired" and a request to log in, but I am not a registered user of the site. Can you post the photo here? David

Thunderbird712 · Post by **Thunderbird712** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:01 am

Pretty much the same concept that is being used today to combat IEDs on the MRAPs. Saw these guys going out in Iraq all the time and have seen pictures of the aftermath of hitting an IED. Not sure how I would feel driving in an A1 doing that!! Although I guess they didnt know any better back then. Wonder when MRAPs will hit the surplus market

whydahdvr · Post by **whydahdvr** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:38 am

We had the exact same vehicle and set-up when I was in Iraq 2009-10 with the 101st EN BN. We did route clearance and ground assault convoys (GAC) with these leading the way. We also had "Buffalo's" which look kind of like a road grader with articulated arms and sniffer devices on the front. They would smell out IEDs, pick up the command or det wire, and push the explosive aside.

Texbillhs · Post by **Texbillhs** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:44 am

I worked on a minesweeper project in Vietnam - 46th Eng Battalion, Long Bien, 1969. Ours was much like the pictured truck of the current army, sets of rollers (discarded truck wheels and tires) on the frame ahead of drive vehicle with shear pins - we tried a 10 ton semi tractor, armored, a deuce and a half, armored and a 290 Clark earth-mover. I wish I could find that M38 photo to see if it was like ours, which I was under the impression rollers were our invention. The reason for rollers was the Cong were using what today are called IUDs that were explosives triggered by a dry-cell with a simple switch - 2 boards with aluminum foil - when the weigh of a tire mashed the top board down on the bottom board - BOOM.

There used to be in those days, magnet detecting minesweepers mounted to jeeps - real high tech things, but that weren't worth a tinker's ass finding homemade IUD's

If this picture of yours is a M38 it will confirm M38s were in Vietnam - so far I heven't seen a picture of one there - There were Japanese and Indian jeeps - Mitsubishi's and Mahara's, which sort of look like a M38

Texbillhs · Post by **Texbillhs** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:52 am

If anyone is able to open that jeep photo - please copy it and put on this thread

Post by **wesk** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:18 am

It's a PDF file and overstamped with the Army Historical unit logo so not a real great photo. The M151 was also modified for that role and Chet Krause had one in his collection at Iola.

Texbillhs · Post by **Texbillhs** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:19 am

thats the magnetic one - there was quite a control system in the jeep - for the minesweeper and a remote control for driving the jeep from a long ways behind.

whydahdvr · Post by **whydahdvr** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:35 am

I think that rollers have been used since WWII, in various forms. And I even think I remember seeing a picture of a WWI tank with some sort of anti-mine device on the front.

Texbillhs · Post by **Texbillhs** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:48 pm

I remember WWII photos of tanks with a scarfer like thing mounted ahead - as I said I haven't seen any rollers till ours - not that the idea is anything wild. I designed a roller system with segments on springs - if one segment blew, if it wasn't damaged, it would re-set (unlike the original shear pin design) also the small segments were independently suspended and would conform to the roadbed. That Afgan era one pictured is somewhat like my design only it only has 2 segments - it appears to be an automatic re-setting design.

Texbillhs · Post by **Texbillhs** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 1:54 pm

looking closer I think there is 3 segments, overlapping - the 3rd in the middle behind the other 2

whydahdvr · Post by **whydahdvr** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 2:13 pm

Correct, and I think there is a version with one roller followed by two - modern-era machines of course. Also, they rollers are able to be steered. As the driver turns the wheel, the rollers articulate to also turn on the road, like a road wheel. These are also coupled with the ECW systems, like CREW - our electronic countermeasure systems. Makes for a pretty good way to forestall IED's, EFP's, etc.
In Iraq we saw a gradual trend away from command wire to remote det via cell phone or PIR, and then back to some combination of command wire or cell phone det with PIR, especially for the EFPs.

Post by **wesk** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:11 pm

I prefer the system often illustrated with a nite vision view of the IED planting crew followed quickly by a mini-gun shot that makes the IED crew vanish rapidly in many small parts.

willysmjeeps.com

Interesting M38A1 photo

Interesting M38A1 photo

M38A1 - MINESWEEPER - CAN'T SEE THE PHOTO

I worked on a minesweeper project in Vietnam

i can't get to that photo

thats the magnetic one