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Anti Tank Vespa

en.wikipedia.org

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Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#51

Post by mcv »

red_admiral wrote: post #33
thriftwy wrote: post #31

I was seeing these Napoleonic depictions of artillery piece being transported on a donkey's back and never stopped wondering if they ever tried to fire directly from that poor donkey's back.

I think this is a good time to mention the elephant-mounted machine gun: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/elephant-mounted-machine-gu... That's a real WW1 thing, not an Age of Empires 2 cheat code.

According to the article, it wasn't a real thing, but only a publicity photo:

> It’s probably a publicity picture, not something the army would actually try to employ. The elephant would not respond well to the sound of that machine gun a few inches from his ears.

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#52

Post by mytailorisrich »

sofixa wrote: post #49
mytailorisrich wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

France had plenty of combat at the time but the other side rarely, if ever, had tanks.

The weapon in question, the M20 recoilless rifle, turned out to be ineffective against tanks (even against T-34s which by the 1950s were obsolete), but effective as close infantry support against stationary targets. So it could still have been used effectively against e.g. Vietnamese or Algerian positions.

Looks like it was used in Algeria, actually, according to this source:

"La Vespa 150 TAP o "Vespa Bazooka" como la llamaban algunos tuvo su bautismo de fuego durante la guerra de Argelia (1954-62), en que varios cientos de estas motos fueron desplegadas y utilizadas por las TAP y la Legión Extranjera." [1]

Googla translation:

"The Vespa 150 TAP or "Vespa Bazooka" as some called it had its baptism of fire during the Algerian war (1954-62), in which several hundred of these motorcycles were deployed and used by the TAP and the Foreign Legion."

I haven't found other sources, though.

[1] https://laescaleradeiakob.blogspot.com/2013/12/la-vespa-150-...

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#53

Post by stavros »

rob74 wrote: post #15
hyperific wrote: post #11

This must have inspired the Tuk-Tuk Boom Boom in Just Cause 2 and 4 https://justcause.fandom.com/wiki/Tuk-Tuk_Boom_Boom_(JC2) https://justcause.fandom.com/wiki/Tuk-Tuk_Boom_Boom_(JC4)

I'd rename it to Tuk-Tuk Boom, because from the looks of the (non-recoilless) cannon it could obviously only go "boom" once , after which the flimsy vehicle would be utterly destroyed...

But then does a tuk-tuk go "tuk" twice?

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#54

Post by rpmisms »

j-a-a-p wrote: post #32
rpmisms wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the blast from the missile after it leaves the tube, and the aerodynamic effects. I've fired a 9mm pistol from a moving motorcycle, and it's already tricky to maintain balance. Can't imagine this wouldn't end with the rider on the ground many feet away from the bike.

> I've fired a 9mm pistol from a moving motorcycle... I am curious, why would you do that?

Shits and giggles. I was careful and in a safe place, but most people shouldn't try that at home.

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#55

Post by fransje26 »

mzi wrote: post #12

In Sweden, like other developing nations, we had our soldiers cycling with their anti tank weapons (first picture): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_infantry

Versatile mobility while keep the troops fit. Nice!

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#57

Post by FFP999 »

trilbyglens wrote: post #19

All of you criticizing the mismatch of power between a Vespa and a tank simply do not understand the desperation felt by those living in countries occupied by the Germans during the war. In the 1950s Europe was poor, extremely traumatized, and people lived in fear of another war. This is a vehicle of desperation.

This reminds me of the contemporary use of e-bikes in Ukraine, which I understand is one of the many reasons that this war was not the curbstomp Russia seems to have expected.

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#59

Post by rpmisms »

meheleventyone wrote: post #27
rpmisms wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the blast from the missile after it leaves the tube, and the aerodynamic effects. I've fired a 9mm pistol from a moving motorcycle, and it's already tricky to maintain balance. Can't imagine this wouldn't end with the rider on the ground many feet away from the bike.

It’s a recoilless rifle, the exhaust gases go out the back so the net force on the rider and bike would be pretty low. It’s also designed for transport, with the rifle statically deployed on a tripod rather than firing in motion.

Yes, but the rocket is still being a rocket, and after it leaves the tube, it'll still toss a ton of exhaust at the bike. I know it's designed to be fired stationary, but this discussion is about the feature allowing it to be fired in motion in emergencies, which hopefully nobody ever did.

Re: Anti Tank Vespa

#60

Post by sofixa »

mytailorisrich wrote: post #52
sofixa wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The weapon in question, the M20 recoilless rifle, turned out to be ineffective against tanks (even against T-34s which by the 1950s were obsolete), but effective as close infantry support against stationary targets. So it could still have been used effectively against e.g. Vietnamese or Algerian positions.

Looks like it was used in Algeria, actually, according to this source: " La Vespa 150 TAP o "Vespa Bazooka" como la llamaban algunos tuvo su bautismo de fuego durante la guerra de Argelia (1954-62), en que varios cientos de estas motos fueron desplegadas y utilizadas por las TAP y la Legión Extranjera. " [1] Googla translation: " The Vespa 150 TAP or "Vespa Bazooka" as some called it had its baptism of fire during th…

Curiously the Wikipedia page in French mentions Algeria as well, but has no sources, and the official military archives have zero relevant mentions of Vespa, M20, scooter, bazooka, ACMA.
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