Quote:
Originally Posted by Botnst
Yeah, that's it. We carried a shipload of them. IIRC they were an aluminum alloy and had gas engines. Like a candle waiting for ignition.
We'd steam along at about 5 kts, ballast down to about 1-3ft in the well deck and lower our tailgate. Those guys would take a run across the well deck and bob off the tailgate into the wake. Sometimes they'd be 4-5 seconds under water. Must've been a long 4-5 seconds. Would be a hell of a ride all buttoned-up and sloshing around as they circled and formed-up before going ashore in a wave. I understand there's a lot of sea-sickness. What between the puking and rocking and air-tightness, I'll bet those grunts were fighting-mad just to get out!
One time they asked if any of us wanted to go for a ride (we were anchored but it was still off the tailgate and ashore at Vieques). I wanted to but couldn't get off watch. Too bad.
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They just replaced this vehicle w/ a bmf. There is a show on the History Channel right now about the new one. Twin turbo diesels and a fully slick underside when the tracks retract. The new model also has a 30 mm cannon and can carry 17 marines + crew. It is as fast as a regular tank on land and can ski at 30 knts. Old ones had a 10 mi range in water and 30 on land. New one is 50 in water and 200 on land.
06-04-2007, 09:44 AM
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