Author Topic: Crew Served Weapons  (Read 14218 times)

Online Jeffry Fontaine

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Crew Served Weapons
« on: November 28, 2016, 02:11:45 PM »
A place to discuss crew served weapons normally seen in use and organic to infantry units for direct and indirect fire support.  Crew served weapons such as the mortar, recoilless rifle, machine gun, and anti-tank guided missile launcher systems and associated equipment. 

I needed a place to post this little gem that I found today while reviewing a rather old book on ammunition. 
What caught my eye in the attached image was:
1.  It is a WOMBAT 120mm RR weapon
2.  Ammunition is correctly displayed with the individual rounds still inside of the container with just the base of the cartridge exposed for access. 
3.  The gunner is peering through an not often seen A/N TVS-5 Crew Served Weapons Night Vision Sight (aka "Starlight Scope"). 

Feel free to add other crew served weapons to the topic for discussion. 
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2016, 08:55:34 PM »
Is that a spotting rifle mounted above the RR? The one in the background is a little more apparent.

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2016, 09:35:19 PM »
Yep, just part hidden by the scope.
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2016, 02:15:53 AM »
fit a couple of these to some vehicles: 

XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (was originally developed under the OCSW or Objective Crew Served Weapon project but cancelled in 2007):



It was 25mm.
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Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2017, 07:05:50 PM »
Is that a spotting rifle mounted above the RR? The one in the background is a little more apparent.


M-8C Spotting Rifle
http://www.warboats.org/mst2bremmer/stoner_ord_notes/stonerhtml/RECOILLESS_RIFLE.htm

If suitably motivated, the spotting rifle cartridges can be made from cut-down .50 cal Browning brass.

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2017, 02:10:45 AM »
M-8C Spotting Rifle <snip> If suitably motivated, the spotting rifle cartridges can be made from cut-down .50 cal Browning brass.


If suitably motivated the M8C Spotting Rifle would be replaced with a laser rangefinder and a suitable auto-ranging weapons telescope to adjust for elevation/azimuth :)
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2017, 01:39:46 AM »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2018, 10:09:32 AM »
Posted primarily for the TOW wedged into an MRAP turret, but also for Grunt-level innovation.
https://taskandpurpose.com/5-battlefield-innovations-that-came-from-the-rank-and-file-troops/

#5 can also be down with the old ALICE pack and 750 rounds 7.62NATO belted in the main compartment for the M60. Ask me hows I knows dat.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2018, 10:12:01 AM by Story »

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2019, 05:46:44 AM »
Both found via the "Shitty Technicals" subredit on reddit. LINK!

Greek patrol boat armed with M40 recoilless rifle, 1980s


SOURCE


Mortar bike


SOURCE
« Last Edit: July 07, 2019, 04:34:31 AM by ChernayaAkula »
Cheers,
Moritz

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2019, 01:28:23 AM »
That Mortar bike is cool.
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2019, 04:07:46 AM »
It looks like this 1/35 product from Zvezda:


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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2019, 05:37:11 AM »
Shoot and Scoot...


Also do not forget the French Vespa 159 TAP (Troupes AéroPortées) that is armed with a 75mm Recoilless Rifle used as the seat for the rider.

More at Wikipedia:
« Last Edit: May 17, 2019, 05:38:44 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2019, 02:36:19 AM »
It looks like this 1/35 product from Zvezda:




Exactly and here is the box:



Nice find Frank.

You can also see much more on these in this pdf:  http://www.russianiron.com/eafranke_ural/Part%20XVII%20Motorcycle-Mounted%20Mortars.pdf - BTW can someone tell me what is shown on the  Landing “Excelsior” page?

I really like this idea.  It seems so elegant.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2019, 02:44:57 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2019, 02:43:03 AM »
Taking the above concept further, one idea I have had planned for years (and which I believe I have mentioned before) is to do a model of a West German Cold War (probably set in a '70s/'80s scenario) anti-tank motorcycle side car arrangement using something like a MILAN ATGW in the side car.  The idea being that the team would operate in a short and scoot style way keeping ahead of Soviet tank hordes...
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2019, 03:02:11 AM »
In a similar vein:

Hungarian WW2 motorcycle with antitank rifle sidecar:



Soviet M72 motorcycle with anti tank rifle:



Swiss Soldiers with 2.4cm (24x139mm) Tankbuchse 41 Semiauto Antitank Rifle in tow:

« Last Edit: May 18, 2019, 03:14:37 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2019, 03:09:41 AM »
Last image is actually Swiss Soldiers and that is a Swiss 2.4cm (24x139mm) Tankbuchse 41 Semiauto Antitank Rifle.  Html has video and history.

From Fandom > Gun Wiki > 24 mm Tankbüchse 41





***added additional link on subject. - jjf
« Last Edit: May 18, 2019, 03:18:39 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2019, 03:13:28 AM »
Shoot and Scoot...


Also do not forget the French Vespa 159 TAP (Troupes AéroPortées) that is armed with a 75mm Recoilless Rifle used as the seat for the rider.

More at Wikipedia:


This is really small and I find the riding position amusing (look closely where the seat is):




One can theoretically get a kit of it in 1/35 too:



I say theoretically since it is a Azimut Limited Edition kit and thus nearly impossible to get any purchases from those thieves.
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2019, 03:14:58 AM »
Last image is actually Swiss Soldiers and that is a Swiss 2.4cm (24x139mm) Tankbuchse 41 Semiauto Antitank Rifle.  Html has video and history.

Thanks fo the correction - have now updated.
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2019, 03:16:48 AM »
The other "tell" was the helmets on the two soldiers :)
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #20 on: May 18, 2019, 03:26:03 AM »
More:

20mm Madsen:





Answering my own question above, it seams as though this was a 37mm anti-tank gun being trialled - potentially over 400 of these were actually made:



And one showing the earlier Mortar in use:



From 1917 - Matchless Motorcycle with Machine Gun intended for Russian Army but not used:




NYC Women's Machine Gun Squad Police Reserves 1918:



Ckm wz.30 mounted on a Sokol 1000 sidecar with handle and sights adapted for Anti Aircraft Use:

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #21 on: May 18, 2019, 03:28:25 AM »
Going back to the Hungarian one posted earlier, it seems there is an effort to produce a kit of this:



See here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dogtagminiatures/28mm-ww2-hungarian-army/updates
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #22 on: May 18, 2019, 04:08:27 AM »
The more manageable Solothurn S-18/100 20mm AT/AM Weapon chambered in 20X105B is also avaialble from CMK under their "Blitz" product line. 
Link: CMK (129-B35095) 1/35th scale WW2 Swiss Solothurn S-18/100 Anti Tank Rifle. 
Wikipedia > Solothurn S-18/100


CMK also offers a resin kit of the larger S-18/1000 that was chambered for the 20X138B cartridge with carriage/ground mount.  It has been hard to find since initial release.  I will say that it is a much appreciated improvement over the white metal kit that was offered years ago (company unknown) and the resin model kit from Criel Model of Italy which is a bit lean on details and also a bit too flimsy looking. 
Link: CMK (129-3140) 1/35th scale WW2 Solothurn 20mm Anti-Tank Rifle Solothurn S-18/1000 w/wheeled carriage.
Wikipedia > Solothurn S-18/1000 
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Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #23 on: May 18, 2019, 10:05:15 AM »
Anyone ever hear of a "Hell Cannon"?  Necessity being the mother of invention, it fires propane canisters filled with HE.
http://brown-moses.blogspot.com/2013/05/diy-weapons-in-syria-hell-cannon.html


See also https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2015/08/21/hell-cannons-from-minor-nuisance-to-major-threat-the-evolution-of-syrian-opposition-siege-artillery/

Firing video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd6_qZ_TJ5A

Since the real ones are made out of spare parts and scrap (with lots of variations) it would seem to be an ideal 1:35th scale subject.  However, the trepidatious can always get this 1:72nd scale kit https://internethobbies.com/products/ace-military-1-72-hell-cannon-syrian-artillery-kit

Offline dy031101

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #24 on: February 21, 2021, 10:43:51 AM »
It looks like a 9P135M launcher modified to fire the Malyutka missile.  I don't know but am interest in who came up with it.
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #26 on: July 20, 2022, 01:00:24 AM »
I'm putting this here as it seemed most appropriate:

2A42 30mm autocannon from a destroyed Russian BMD-2 IFV being added on an improvised mounting.

https://youtu.be/OaOO1JvnU7U - not sure about the barrel bending

Firing:

https://youtu.be/Wl2_rX3tEXs
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Offline perttime

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #27 on: July 20, 2022, 02:56:18 AM »
When I was playing with mortars they were still all infantry.
Heres a clip of a Finnish 120 mm mortar squad with the task to fire a 60 second / 12 round offensive burst. The first round goes at 1:07 into the clip. They have a snag with a loose charge bag and the timing goes a little wrong at the end, so they don't fire a round on 60 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFsYfOi42Mc

Online Old Wombat

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #28 on: July 20, 2022, 10:38:54 AM »
I'm putting this here as it seemed most appropriate:

2A42 30mm autocannon from a destroyed Russian BMD-2 IFV being added on an improvised mounting.

https://youtu.be/OaOO1JvnU7U - not sure about the barrel bending

Firing:

https://youtu.be/Wl2_rX3tEXs

That firing sequence is scary! :o

Needs more mass at the front. ::)
« Last Edit: July 20, 2022, 10:45:08 AM by Old Wombat »
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Offline Story

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« Last Edit: July 21, 2022, 04:28:05 AM by Story »

Offline Gingie

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #30 on: July 26, 2022, 04:55:15 AM »
When I was playing with mortars they were still all infantry.
Heres a clip of a Finnish 120 mm mortar squad with the task to fire a 60 second / 12 round offensive burst. The first round goes at 1:07 into the clip. They have a snag with a loose charge bag and the timing goes a little wrong at the end, so they don't fire a round on 60 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFsYfOi42Mc

I guess if you're not going to bother checking the sights and re-laying the mortar after every round...hope its well bedded in!


Offline perttime

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #31 on: July 26, 2022, 12:34:24 PM »
When I was playing with mortars they were still all infantry.
Heres a clip of a Finnish 120 mm mortar squad with the task to fire a 60 second / 12 round offensive burst. The first round goes at 1:07 into the clip. They have a snag with a loose charge bag and the timing goes a little wrong at the end, so they don't fire a round on 60 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFsYfOi42Mc

I guess if you're not going to bother checking the sights and re-laying the mortar after every round...hope its well bedded in!


They tend to be careful about getting the mortar bedded in.. And they check the sights and levels after every round.

Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #32 on: September 21, 2022, 12:33:46 PM »
« Last Edit: September 21, 2022, 12:54:30 PM by Story »

Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #33 on: December 02, 2022, 01:57:27 AM »
When you absolutely, positively have to irritate a target have a 400 round pan for your Lewis.


Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #34 on: December 09, 2022, 01:38:37 AM »
Czechoslovak experimental RPG with revolver 4 round magazine, 61mm, circa 1947 (Military history institute Prague - The army museum Žižkov)


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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #36 on: July 07, 2023, 01:10:34 PM »
Some WWII time guns seen at a museum last weekend:
https://sakylantalvijajatkosotamuseo.fi/the_museum_of_winter_and_continuation_war/

- 20mm double anti-aircraft gun made by the Finnish "Valtion kivääritehdas" (State Rifle Factory)
- 37mm Bofors anti-tank gun
- 75mm M1917 gun and Soviet 20mm anti-aircraft gun



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Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #38 on: November 10, 2023, 03:48:00 AM »
15mm BESA on a ground mount. Interesting as it shows the scale comparison to men.



Imagine being wedged into a Vickers turret with that thing
« Last Edit: November 10, 2023, 03:54:17 AM by Story »

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #39 on: November 10, 2023, 11:26:13 PM »
Not that bad, really. Could be a lot worse.

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Offline robunos

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #40 on: November 11, 2023, 05:50:47 AM »
15mm BESA on a ground mount. Interesting as it shows the scale comparison to men.




Imagine being wedged into a Vickers turret with that thing


I wouldn't be that bad, Looking at the gun in my edited picture, the trunnion is inside the green circle, and everything inside the blue circle would be removed, as this only seems to be needed for the tripod mounted version.






and on the tank, again, the trunnion is inside the green circle, so there wouldn't really be that much of the weapon inside the turret . . .








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Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #41 on: November 17, 2023, 03:25:07 AM »



Answering my own question above, it seams as though this was a 37mm anti-tank gun being trialled - potentially over 400 of these were actually made:
 


Tripped over this just now

https://topwar.ru/15502-37-mm-aviadesantnaya-ptp-obrazca-1944-goda-chk-m1.html





« Last Edit: November 17, 2023, 03:29:49 AM by Story »

Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #42 on: December 22, 2023, 10:04:50 PM »


Silly NorKs

Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #43 on: January 24, 2024, 08:55:21 AM »
Part of a discussion elsewhere about the King Howitzer (so started out as a land weapon), transitioned to a boat gun.
 http://gunneyg.info/html/KHp1.htm


Offline Story

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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #44 on: February 13, 2024, 06:14:45 AM »
Gunnery training turrets in North Africa. Note the .303 SMLEs as subcaliber trainers


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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #45 on: February 13, 2024, 06:31:43 AM »
Gunnery training turrets in North Africa. Note the .303 SMLEs as subcaliber trainers

Cool! That scene would make for an interesting little diorama  :smiley:
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Re: Crew Served Weapons
« Reply #46 on: February 13, 2024, 06:38:14 AM »
Sweden & Switzerland among others are still doing this to modern turrets.