ARMORED WARFARE: The Q-Truck in Iraq

Strategypage.com ^ | December 2, 2003 | Harold C. Hutchison

[Cannoneer No. 4]

December 2, 2003: The Q-Truck in Iraq- Army soldiers in Iraq are modifying their vehicles to carry additional weapons, usually the M2 .50-caliber machine gun (first used prior to World War II), the M249 SAW (a 5.56-millimeter machine gun), and the Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher (firing 40-milimeter grenade rounds). The crew-served weapons are mostly going on the Humvees, (no surprise there), but some are also being placed on the M872 Heavy Equipment Trailers. This might sound unusual, but the trucks are large, can carry a lot of ammunition, and guerillas in Iraq might not suspect they are armed at first.

Such things are not new. In Vietnam, M113 armored personnel carriers were equipped with extra machine guns. Jeeps and trucks were also augmented with extra guns and armor. The major objective in this case is to get the guerillas attacking the supply lines to go for what they thought was a supply truck. Once pulled in, they get more than they bargained for. It is the same principle used by the heavily armed and disguised Q-ships of World Wars I and II, which operated against submarines. The intention is to deter attacks by creating doubt in the mind of the guerillas as to whether the soft target is really as soft as it appears to be.

How well will it work? Remains to be seen. Some guerillas never adapted, and ended up getting wiped out. Others did adapt, and forced the occupation forces to develop new tactics to adapt to the guerillas’ adaptation. - Harold C. Hutchison

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Free Republic Treadhead Ping

archy; Gringo1; Matthew James; Fred Mertz; Squantos; colorado tanker; The Shrew; SLB; Darksheare; BCR #226; Imacatfish; Tailback; DCBryan1; Eaker; Archangelsk; gatorbait

[Cannoneer No. 4]

ping

[ken5050]

FYI

[lormand]

Guns Up!

[Darksheare]

Hmmm...
That'd be a surprise to some people.
Maybe that's what happened in Samarra yesterday?

[Blueflag]

ping

[First_Salute]

American "Rat Patrol" --- fitting.

[spokeshave]

"some are also being placed on the M872 Heavy Equipment Trailers. This might sound unusual, but the trucks are large, can carry a lot of ammunition, and guerillas in Iraq might not suspect they are armed at first. "

Not so unusual....there were heavily armed merchant ships in WWII mixed in with the convoys....gave the bad guys a nasty

[HiJinx]

Maybe that's what happened in Samarra yesterday?

Maybe, but I don't think so. After listening to all the analysis and trying to glean facts from the CPA and CENTCOM briefings, here's what I think about Samarra...

The Brinks delivery truck, after being hit on 5 consecutive runs, received a better armed escort than usual. The robbers, having been lulled by earlier successes and driven by a need for new cash, gambled on catching the convoy off guard.

We won, they lost.

[xzins]

Seems like sound thinking to me.

Reminds me of the W.E.B. Griffin books....I think the Lieutenants (Maybe Captains) where the hero hangs armor plates and 50 cal's onto his jeeps and trucks and rips through the N. Korea/Chinese forces.

We need to think in terms of a true offensive rather than a reactive offense.

I'm thinking a planned, thought-out, cordon and search of the entire country.

[HiJinx]

But to stay on topic...

What a surprise the litte sheet heads are gonna get the first time they try to pick off a supply convoy with no apparent escort!!!

[Darksheare]

*Chuckles*
And the press going ga-ga over the bodies disappearing.
*snort*

Still, THAT was a nice action.

[SAMWolf]

Bring back the Guntrucks!

[Darksheare]

"Today's YOUR lucky day!"
*bang*
Truck will open up with just about everything.
I'd love to see a pic of the look on the lead goatboy's face.
Especially if there's more than one truck.

[Darksheare]

Twin miniguns with 12,000 rounds total in the hoppers.. oops.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

ping

[Fee]

The South Africans and Rhodesians used chassis of dump trucks and build a steel basin on it with overhead armor, firing ports and windows. The heavy chasis and steel basin protected the driver/crew and passenger from landmines. RPG's could not stop them due to its immense size. The vehicles height gave the passengers a great view and line of sight for shooting down on their attackers. These things were called Rhino, Buffalo and other large animals, because they were large and ugly, but they got the job done. Time for DoD intel to dig up those vehicle blueprints from the defunct white Rhodesian and South African military.

[Prof Engineer]

I want one!

[SAMWolf]

Yeah! Being on the wrong end of Quad 50's can really ruin your day.

[BadAndy]

Aren't most of the casualties due to roadside bombs? We need more armor on the Humvees and trucks, not necessarily more firepower.