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Posted on 07/13/2004 12:00:10 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 The Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota (BMP-1) was first built in the early 1960s and seen in public in November 1967 at a Red Square parade. It was called the M-1967 and BMP by NATO before its correct designation was known. The BMP represented an important shift from the concept of an armored personnel carrier to an armored infantry combat vehicle, combining high mobility, effective anti-tank weapons, and armored protection for carrying troops. The BMP is significantly smaller than Western APCs and has considerably greater firepower. The BMP-1 was innovative in that it allowed the infantry being carried to fire their personal weapons from within the vehicle whilst remaining protected by armour. To do this firing ports and vision devices were provided for each infantry soldier. Thus the BMP became the first Infantry Combat Vehicle. The BMP-1 carrys a crew of three to eight. The BMP replaced the BTR-50P and complements the BTR-60PB in first-line motorized rifle units.  BMP-1 A combination of effective antitank firepower, high mobility, and adequate protection made the BMP a formidable addition to the inventory of Soviet motorized rifle units. Designed to suit the demands of high-speed offensive in a nuclear war, it carries a 73mm, 2A20 gun with maximum rounds of 40 and maximum range of over 7,000 ft. Its 73-mm main gun fires a rocket-assisted, fin- stabilized HEAT projectile with an effective range of 800 meters medium (capable of successfully engaging tanks at ranges up to 1,300 meters) and is equipped with an automatic loader. The main armament of the BMP1 is unusual, in that it fires the same ammunition as the RPG-7 infantry rocket propelled grenade launcher. A launching rail for the AT-3 Sagger antitank guided missile is located above the gun for longer range antitank capability (up to 3,000 meters).  The BMP is a fully armored amphibious infantry combat vehicle (AICV). Its low silhouette hull has a sharp sloping front with a conspicuously ridged surface. A centrally located, extremely flat, truncated cone turret mounts a 73-mm smoothbore gun and a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun. A launching rail for SAGGER missiles is attached above the gun. The 290 hp, water-cooled, 6- cylinder diesel engine is located at the right front, while the driver's hatch is at the left front, directly in front of the commander's hatch which mounts an IR searchlight. The gunner's hatch is on the left side of the low turret roof. To the rear of the turret there are four large hatches in the roof of the troop compartment, as well as two large exit doors in the rear. There are four firing ports in each side of the troop compartment and one in the left rear door. The suspension has six unevenly spaced road wheels of the PT-76 type, with three track support rollers and a front drive sprocket.  The BMP is amphibious, propelled through water by its tracks rather than using the waterjet propulsion of the PT-76, and has the range and speed necessary to keep up with the fast-moving tanks it normally follows in offensive formations. The BMP has a three-man crew, including the vehicle commander, who becomes the squad leader when the infantry passengers dismount through the rear exit doors. However, vision blocks and firing ports in the sides and rear of the troop compartment allow the infantrymen to fire assault rifles (AKM or AK-74) and light machine guns (PKM or RPK-74) from inside the vehicle on the move. The troops also carry the RPG-7 or RPG-16 AT grenade launcher and the SA-7/ GRAIL or SA-14 SAM, either of which can be fired by a passenger standing in a rear hatch. When buttoned up, crew and passengers have NBC protection in the pressurized and filtered hull, which allows them to operate regardless of the outside environment.  The BMP is equipped with an infrared searchlight, periscopes, and sights for night operations and has a capability to make its own smoke screen by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifold. Because of the extreme vulnerability demonstrated by the BMP in the 1973 Middle East war, there has been extensive debate in the Soviet Army as to how this vehicle should be used in battle. The BMP has relatively thin armor (maximum thickness 19 mm in the hull, 23 mm in the turret) which provides protection against .50 caliber armor-piercing rounds only over the 60° frontal arc, and the vehicle is extremely vulnerable to ATGM and tank fire. Due to the compactness of the vehicle, critical areas such as the engine compartment and ammunition storage area (on the right side), fuel cells (in the rear doors), and the troop compartment are located in such a manner that penetration anywhere on the vehicle normally will result in a mobility, firepower, or personnel kill.  Because of limited capability to depress the main gun, the BMP is unable to engage tanks and APCs from good hull-down positions, and so is very vulnerable to enemy fire when it exposes itself to engage targets.  Although the turret can traverse 360 degrees, the main gun and coaxial machine gun must be elevated to clear the IR searchlight on the commander's cupola, creating a dead space for both weapons between 10:00 and 11:00 o'clock. This limitation could be a serious problem during an engagement since an automatic cutoff on the electrically operated turret halts movement until the gun is elevated.  The BMP can maintain its top speed (70 km/h) for only short periods of time because of the high amount of vibration and the possibility of transmission failure. Due to the complicated loading mechanism and the lack of stabilization, it is not possible to accurately fire the 73-mm gun or the coaxial machine gun while on the move over rough terrain. The BMP must be stationary when firing and tracking the SAGGER ATGM. The SAGGER is difficult to reload and cannot be reloaded at all under NBC conditions. The land navigation system must be zeroed every 30 minutes.
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I remember reading about 10 to one odds in armor but we could take out 9 before they reached our FEBA. Someone pointed out that would still leave 1 to take out your tank.
Thanks HiJinx.
I notice the first source has one translation and the second source used the one Matt and you mention.
I didn't know which was correct so I just used whatever each source used.
LOL! Looks like one of the BATF vehicle crews used at Waco.
Evenin', sir...MUD
Thanks for all the pics of our Polish Ally.
You can see the effect of the Soviet AK series on the Beryl design.
1,300 being converted. I'll bet Finland likes that deal. Don't suppose you'd want any slightly used Strykers? ;-)
LOL! That's the problem, alright!
The other problem is that in those days we in the Army assumed we would not have air supremacy and the Air Force would be busy during the first days of a war taking on the Sov air force. So, we'd have to do the job mostly by ourselves without the help of all those airborne tank killers that helped so much in Gulf War I & II.
Happy "Treadhead Tuesday" . . . is it Friday yet?
Interesting read . . . particularly the part about how an amphibious BMP was proven vulnerable in an middle East (desert) war. But what do I know? (Not much).
Hey, I gotta question.
INCOMING!
propelled through water by its tracks rather than using the waterjet propulsion . . .
How do the "tracks" move a heavy vehicle like this through water?
. . . and Sam . . . sorry.
Hello FReeper Foxhole. Today I burried my uncle, an 86 year old World War Two veteran. I always knew he was in the war but I never knew the details until they came out during his memorial.
United States Air Force Colonel Jack Large was a B-24 navigator in Italy from 1943 to 1945. The name of his outfit was the "Black Panthers" and I learned they flew at least 50 missions. Jack told me years back that his aircraft bombed the big monestary in Casino and I have watched documentary films about that battle.
VFW Post 2121 in Greeley, Colorado did an excellent job with a 21 gun salute and full military honors.
Since many people here on the FReeper foxhole have excellent memories and references of military history I wish to ask for your help in finding out more about Colonel Large's outfit and history.
I seem to remember that after 25 missions one was sent home. I don't know how many missions my uncle flew, but I am curious about it. Now that he is gone I am kicking myself for not getting him to tell me the history when he was alive. To all of you who know a WWII vet, please try to learn the history first hand from them before they are all gone. I thank God for his generation and the great country they gave to us.
God Bless America.
Mach Six!
Hey! My dad had a lot of Gaz Bojowy when I was a kid, especially when my mom made sauerkraut. :-)"
The Beryls don't look quite as "primative" as the AKs.
I read that at that time the Berlin garrison was to hold out as long as possible and tie up as many Soviet troops as they could. The rest of the in place units were to buy time until the Reforger units could arrive and deploy. Not a real envious job description
Evening w_over_w.
All the infantry fighting vehicles suffer from the same lack of armor. Their main job is to get the infantry squad to the battle so they can deploy and then provide some support for the troops on the ground. None are really intended to be used as "Armor". Problem is infantry tend to like the "protection" afforded from small arms fire RPGs, Tanks and other IFV's can take them out relatively easy.
Not sure about the tracks and water. Unless they had some kind of "kleats" to act as oars it wouldn't seem to be able to move it very fast.
LOL! No reason to be sorry, Snippy and I are interchangeable. :-)
Thanks Matt. Glad you didn't go with the Mirage, you know what they say:
"What do you call a french fighter jet in Iraq? A mirage"
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