Gun Trucks

[Ronin]

[Ronin]

Was just thinking of some improvised tanks that were used in WWII.
The NI Tank (Russian: Танк НИ Tank NI, abbr. На Испуг, Na Ispug, literally ‘Bluff into retreat’, pronounced /ˈniː/), also called the Odessa tank or Terror Tank, was an improvised Soviet armoured fighting vehicle, based on an STZ-5 agricultural tractor, manufactured in Odessa during the early days of the German-Soviet War. More than anything this tank was intended to frighten and demoralize enemy positions that believed it to be an actual heavy armored vehicle.


NI-1 Diagram: 1 — armored hull, 2 — side armor, 3 — engine compartment, 4 — turret, 5 — fenders, 6 — track armor, 7 — machine gun armor, 8 — DShK machine gun, 9 — hook, 10 — toolbox, 11 — exhaust pipe, 12 — chassis beams, 13 — chassis front, 14 — tow hitch, 15 — idler, 16 — support roller, 17 — driving wheel, 18 — roller, 19 — DT machine gun

The Bob Semple tank was a tank designed by New Zealand Minister of Works Bob Semple during World War II. Originating out of the need to build military hardware from available materials, the tank was built from corrugated iron on a tractor base. Designed and built without formal plans or blueprints, it had numerous design flaws and practical difficulties, and was never put into mass production or used in combat. Despite this, it has become something of an icon of the New Zealand 'do it yourself' mentality.


The KhTZ-16 (Russian: ХТЗ-16) (after the Kharkov Tractor Factory; Russian: Kharkovskiy Traktorniy Zavod) was a Soviet improvised armoured vehicle of the Second World War, built on the chassis of an STZ-3 tractor[1]. The vehicles were built in Kharkiv until the factory was evacuated to the east, at which time production moved to Stalingrad. No less than 809 vehicles were planned, but no more than about 60 were actually built. Some vehicles were used in the fighting around Kharkov in October 1941, but were quickly lost.
The vehicle was operated by a crew of two, and armed with a 45mm anti-tank gun and a 7.62mm DT or Degtyarev light machine gun mounted in a fixed superstructure

[Ronin]

And one last one, cause I cant resist.

WWII Bedford truck with a WWI COW 37mm gun. (Automatic cannon fed from a 5 round clip)

[LBraden]

I think someone forgot to post one of the most sensible, realistic and ultra safe gun-trucks that the British have EVER made on their home soil....




and YES, that is concrete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison_c...armoured_lorry

[Webstral]

Then, too, there are the gunboats of the US Navy Infantry Battalion 2, known in its area of operations, San Francisco Bay, as Blue Two. Unlike the Gunryo, which has a very limited number of machine guns and a few mortars for its improvised gun trucks, Blue Two has the advantage of operating with support from the Navy base at Alameda. The selection of weapons is much better, and the availability of materials and technical specialists means that the various gunboats of Blue Two are well-designed, well-built, and well-armed [1].

Although the gunboats of Blue Two vary considerably in dimensions, armament, and draft, all combine direct fire weapons with indirect fire weapons. Usually, the gunboats of Blue Two have a principle gun or guns, such as a 25mm autocannon or twin-mounted .50 caliber machine guns. The primary gun usually is mounted in a full turret built for that purpose or a high-walled firing position with a gun shield for the crew. Secondary guns typically are M60 or M240B machine guns fired from pintle mounts behind gun shields. The most common indirect fire weapon is a 60mm mortar, although several Mk19 AGL are in use as well.

The troop carriers also carry a machine gun, but their role is not to engage in combat. The troop carriers of Blue Two are intended to put the naval infantry ashore, then withdraw while the gunboats provide direct fire support.


1 None of the gunboats used by Blue Two are custom-built. All are pre-Exchange vessels that have been modified.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Ronin

Was just thinking of some improvised tanks that were used in WWII.

<snip>

The Bob Semple tank was a tank designed by New Zealand Minister of Works Bob Semple during World War II. Originating out of the need to build military hardware from available materials, the tank was built from corrugated iron on a tractor base. Designed and built without formal plans or blueprints, it had numerous design flaws and practical difficulties, and was never put into mass production or used in combat. Despite this, it has become something of an icon of the New Zealand 'do it yourself' mentality.

The Right Honourable Robert 'Bob' Semple was my father's father's father (my paternal great grandfather (he's where I got my middle name from)). He was originally a miner from Ballarat in Australia, at which time he was also a fairly well-known bare knuckle prize fighter. That's why his nickname in the New Zealand Labour Party was "Fightin' Bob Semple". He was personally involved in the design and construction of the Bob Semple Tank, as in he drove down to the rail works where he used to work before becoming a cabinet minister, told the workers there what he had in mind and personally oversaw the project.

Great grandad was a tall, imposing man, scary-looking in all the old photos on my dad's wall including one in which he stands in a pugilist's pose, stripped to the waist and with a big, handlebar moustache, photographed right before a fight. It's probably pretty obvious that I'm very proud that my paternal ancestor designed and built his own tank, even if it was a completely crap tank.

[dragoon500ly]

This thread has been a lot of fun! But one item that seems to be missing are the various bank armored cars. They are already armored to resist small arms fire, have the beefed up engine/trannie needed to move at a decent speed and are already fitted with firing ports that will accept rifles/shotguns/SAWs. They come in panel vans, dual rear axle and even in eighteen wheeler configs....and there are a lot of them available.

Just to name one company, Wells Fargo, they have over twenty ten wheel armored cars serving just the casinos in Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi. The major local bank, Hancock Bank, adds another dozen armored panel vans that service their various local branches. So some 32 armored cars, each capable of carrying a short squad, would give a militia the ability to move quite a few troops.

[bobcat]

and one cannot forget SWAT vans. many also have armored capability.(and built in weapons racks)

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by Targan

The Right Honourable Robert 'Bob' Semple was my father's father's father (my paternal great grandfather (he's where I got my middle name from)). He was originally a miner from Ballarat in Australia, at which time he was also a fairly well-known bare knuckle prize fighter. That's why his nickname in the New Zealand Labour Party was "Fightin' Bob Semple". He was personally involved in the design and construction of the Bob Semple Tank, as in he drove down to the rail works where he used to work before becoming a cabinet minister, told the workers there what he had in mind and personally oversaw the project.

Great grandad was a tall, imposing man, scary-looking in all the old photos on my dad's wall including one in which he stands in a pugilist's pose, stripped to the waist and with a big, handlebar moustache, photographed right before a fight. It's probably pretty obvious that I'm very proud that my paternal ancestor designed and built his own tank, even if it was a completely crap tank.

That's super cool. I just come from a long line of dirt farmers

[natehale1971]

My family goes back to the days the United States were just a bunch of seperate British colonies... Our anscetor Richard Dobbs Spaight SR was elected to represent North Carolina at the Constutional Convention, where he was one of the voices who pressured for the Bill of Rights before the Consitution went out of ratification. To make sure that the limits to the Federal Government wouldn't allow for a government to be able to take Rights away from the citizens. He also was the Governor of the State of North Carolina and served in the US Congress. A feat that his son Richard Dobbs Spaight JR accomplished as well. Our family also is amazed about the fact that Richard Dobbs Spaight SR. was killed in duel...

anther member of our bloodline was the Prime Minister of Beligum (the part of the family who spells the family name Spaak). Another had led a coup in Fiji... We had been told that part of the family living in the UK had a title and peerage... but we've not been able to confirm that.

Unfortunately (or fortuately) for us... our blood family isn't that large, and no matter how you spell the name, we're releated. and for some reason, people just can't seem to pronouce our name right!

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by natehale1971

Unfortunately (or fortuately) for us... our blood family isn't that large, and no matter how you spell the name, we're releated. and for some reason, people just can't seem to pronouce our name right!

I get that all the time with my last name, Mulcahy. Seems like an easy name to pronounce to me, but almost no one does. I know I'm getting old because, used to get it stick in people's head's what the pronunciation is, I just say, "Like Father Mulcahy on MASH." Today, almost no one under 30 or so has seen MASH or know what MASH is!

[Targan]

Originally Posted by natehale1971

Another member of our bloodline was the Prime Minister of Beligum (the part of the family who spells the family name Spaak). Another had led a coup in Fiji... We had been told that part of the family living in the UK had a title and peerage... but we've not been able to confirm that.

The clanhead of the Scottish clan my paternal bloodline belongs to (the Sempills) is a baron (the clan has held baronies and baronetcies for 3 or 4 centuries). My paternal bloodline has written records going back to the 1300s in Renfrewshire. The clanhold's primary seat, Castle Craigievar, is one of the finest and best preserved castles in Scotland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_Sempill

One of the Sempill Barons was the General in charge of the left flank at the Battle of Culloden, commanding the 25th Regiment, which went on to become the King's Own Scottish Borderers ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27...tish_Borderers ). My ancestors fought on the side of Robert the Bruce and subsequent Scottish kings including at the Battle of Sauchieburn, the Battle of Flodden Field and many battles in the Anglo-Scottish War during the 16th century as war band leaders and military commanders.

[Legbreaker]

*YAWN*
My great, great (add in a couple) grandfather was Count of Magdeburg up until about 200 years ago. Found himself supporting the loosing side in one of the many "squabbles" and met with a "hunting accident" while being "escorted" by two armed men he'd never met before.
My surname in old Germanic (from him) means "King".