M50 Ontos Tank Destroyer (1955)
The impressive-looking M50 Ontos had to be reloaded from outside of the vehicle.
At its core, the M56 was fitted with a common turret mounting six of the M40A1C recoilless rifles. Additionally, the top four 106mm mounts were fitted with 4 x 12.7mm (.50 caliber) heavy machine guns to act as spotters when aligning the main guns. The use of the spotting machine guns was directly after optical sighting was completed. The spotter machine guns were then fired to accurize contact. Shortly thereafter, the recoilless rifles could be fired with some degree of accuracy.
All weapon systems on the M50 were limited in ammunition-carrying capacities. The 106mm recoilless rifles were limited to just 18 projectiles spread across the six guns. The 12.7mm spotting machine guns were limited to just 80 rounds of ammunition. Not to be left high and dry against advancing enemy infantrymen, an additional 7.62mm machine gun was mounted to the top of the turret for self-defense.
Besides the limited ammunition situation, crew quarters once inside the machine were cramped at best. Additionally the weapon systems could only be reloaded from outside the vehicle, exposing the crew to dangerous enemy fire. The system saw action in South Vietnam and in the hands of the United States Marines. No longer in service with the Marine Corps, no replacement vehicle was selected to succeed the M50 Ontos on the modern battlefield, the assumption being that other weapon systems are more likely up to the task of tank destroyer than a similar self-propelled recoiless rifle design like the Ontos. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
M50 Ontos
Tank Destroyer
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Allis Chalmers - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1955
Production: 294
Focus Model: M50 Ontos
Crew: 3
Overall Length: 12.53ft (3.82m)
Width: 8.53ft (2.60m)
Height: 6.99ft (2.13m)
Weight: 9.5 US Short Tons (8,618kg; 18,999lbs)
Powerplant: 1 x General Motors Corporation Model 302 petrol engine generating 145hp.
Maximum Speed: 30mph (48 km/h)
Maximum Range: 149 miles (240 km)
NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None
Armament:
6 x 106mm Recoiless Rifles
4 x 12.7mm Machine Guns
Ammunition:
18 x 106mm projectiles
80 x 12.7mm machine gun rounds.
Variants:
T165 - Trial Vehicles of which 24 were produced; fitted with 6 x 106mm recoiless rifles.
T165E2 - Modified and improved T165 models.
M50 - Production Model Designation
M50A1 - Modified M50 Variant; fitted with Chrysler petrol engine over the original General Motors.
Operators: South Vietnam, Dominican Republic and the United States of America
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