At the late 1970s when the Rhodesian Bush War was entering its final phase, the Rhodesian Security Forces (RhSF) were faced with an escalation towards conventional warfare when they learned that a mechanised built-up was being undertaken by the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) guerrilla organisation based in neighbouring Zambia with material assistance from the Soviet Union. Eventually, by mid-1979 ZIPRA had brought to strength a fairly sizeable armoured corps trained by Cuban advisers, which aligned five BRDM-2 reconnaissance armoured cars, six to ten T-34/85 tanks and fifteen BTR-152 wheeled APCs.[1]
To deal with the potential threat of a possible conventional ground invasion from across the border, the Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment (RhACR) was reorganized in 1978, being expanded to corps strength to include additional tank and mechanized infantry squadrons.[2] It soon became clear however, that the latter had to be provided with fast, more mobile troop-carrying vehicles (TCV) designed for conventional armoured warfare. The heavier locally tailored TCVs – conceived primarily for the counterinsurgency role – already in service with the Rhodesian SF were found to be not entirely suitable for the task so a lighter (and cheaper) alternative was sought.
Development
The Bullet was originally developed by the Rhodesian private firm Zambesi Coachworks Ltd of Salisbury (now Harare) to meet a requirement put by the Rhodesian Army for a low-cost mine-protected IFV mounted on a Unimog chassis capable of carrying 10 men. The first prototype was completed in late 1978 (open-topped in the original design).
General description
The second prototype presented in 1978 was a low vehicle which consisted of an all-welded body with a fully enclosed troop compartment built on a modified Mercedes-BenzU1100 Unimog 416 2.5 ton light truckchassis. The hull or 'capsule' was faceted at the sides and rear, and a sloping glacis at the front, designed to deflect small-arms' rounds, along with a v-shaped bottom meant to deflect landmine blasts. The Diamond-shaped glacis had a pair of built-in round headlights at the sides of the radiator grid, a large dual-split front windscreen and two smaller side windows. Access to the vehicle's interior was made by means of two medium-sized doors at the hull rear whilst two roof hatches placed at the top of the troop compartment allowed for rapid debussing plus eight firing ports, six in the hull sides and two at the rear doors.
Protection
The hull was made of ballistic 10mm mild steel plate; front windscreen and side windows had 40mm bullet-prooflaminated glass.
After being rejected, it ended the war as a training vehicle for the RhACR and it was shown to the editor of Soldier of Fortune Magazine, Robert K. Brown in early 1979.
^Touchard, Guerre dans le bush! Les blindés de l'Armée rhodésienne au combat (1964-1979), p. 70.
^Locke & Cooke, Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia (1995), p. 143.
References
Laurent Touchard, Guerre dans le bush! Les blindés de l'Armée rhodésienne au combat (1964-1979), Batailles & Blindés Magazine n.º 72, April–May 2016, pp. 64–75. ISSN 1765-0828 (in French)
Peter Gerard Locke & Peter David Farquharson Cooke, Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965-80, P&P Publishing, Wellington 1995. ISBN0-473-02413-6
Peter Stiff, Taming the Landmine, Galago Publishing Pty Ltd., Alberton (South Africa) 1986. ISBN9780947020040
Robert K. Brown, The Black Devils, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, January 1979.
External links
Rhodesian Mine Ambush Protected Vehicles 1975-80
Photos of the Bullet in service with the RhACR as a training vehicle in 1979
January 04, 2023
bullet, bullet, troop, carrying, vehicle, light, infantry, fighting, vehicle, developed, rhodesia, late, 1970s, based, body, mercedes, benz, unimog, light, truck, bullet, armoured, personnel, carriertypeinfantry, fighting, vehicleplace, originrhodesiaservice, . The Bullet Troop Carrying Vehicle TCV is a light 4x4 infantry fighting vehicle IFV developed by Rhodesia in the late 1970s based on the body of the Mercedes Benz Unimog light truck Bullet Armoured Personnel CarrierTypeInfantry fighting vehiclePlace of originRhodesiaService historyIn service1978 1980Used byRhodesiaWarsRhodesian Bush WarSpecificationsMass7 2 tonnesLength4 95 mWidth2 4 mHeight2 8 mCrew2 10Armor4 5 to 10 mmMainarmamentone 7 62 mm 12 7 mm or 14 5 mm machine gunsSecondaryarmamentpersonal weapons through gunportsEngineDaimler Benz OM352 turbo diesel120 hpPower weighthp ton hp tonneSuspensionwheels 4 4Operationalrange700 kmMaximum speed80 km h 60 km h km h Contents 1 History 1 1 Development 2 General description 2 1 Protection 2 2 Armament 3 Service history 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditAt the late 1970s when the Rhodesian Bush War was entering its final phase the Rhodesian Security Forces RhSF were faced with an escalation towards conventional warfare when they learned that a mechanised built up was being undertaken by the Zimbabwe People s Revolutionary Army ZIPRA guerrilla organisation based in neighbouring Zambia with material assistance from the Soviet Union Eventually by mid 1979 ZIPRA had brought to strength a fairly sizeable armoured corps trained by Cuban advisers which aligned five BRDM 2 reconnaissance armoured cars six to ten T 34 85 tanks and fifteen BTR 152 wheeled APCs 1 To deal with the potential threat of a possible conventional ground invasion from across the border the Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment RhACR was reorganized in 1978 being expanded to corps strength to include additional tank and mechanized infantry squadrons 2 It soon became clear however that the latter had to be provided with fast more mobile troop carrying vehicles TCV designed for conventional armoured warfare The heavier locally tailored TCVs conceived primarily for the counterinsurgency role already in service with the Rhodesian SF were found to be not entirely suitable for the task so a lighter and cheaper alternative was sought Development Edit The Bullet was originally developed by the Rhodesian private firm Zambesi Coachworks Ltd of Salisbury now Harare to meet a requirement put by the Rhodesian Army for a low cost mine protected IFV mounted on a Unimog chassis capable of carrying 10 men The first prototype was completed in late 1978 open topped in the original design General description EditThe second prototype presented in 1978 was a low vehicle which consisted of an all welded body with a fully enclosed troop compartment built on a modified Mercedes Benz U1100 Unimog 416 2 5 ton light truck chassis The hull or capsule was faceted at the sides and rear and a sloping glacis at the front designed to deflect small arms rounds along with a v shaped bottom meant to deflect landmine blasts The Diamond shaped glacis had a pair of built in round headlights at the sides of the radiator grid a large dual split front windscreen and two smaller side windows Access to the vehicle s interior was made by means of two medium sized doors at the hull rear whilst two roof hatches placed at the top of the troop compartment allowed for rapid debussing plus eight firing ports six in the hull sides and two at the rear doors Protection Edit The hull was made of ballistic 10mm mild steel plate front windscreen and side windows had 40mm bullet proof laminated glass Armament Edit A pintle mounted FN MAG 58 7 62 51mm NATO light machine gun could be fitted on the top roof Service history EditAfter being rejected it ended the war as a training vehicle for the RhACR and it was shown to the editor of Soldier of Fortune Magazine Robert K Brown in early 1979 See also EditCrocodile Armoured Personnel Carrier Hippo APC Gazelle FRV Thyssen Henschel UR 416 Rhodesian Armoured Corps MAP45 Armoured Personnel Carrier MAP75 Armoured Personnel Carrier Mine Protected Combat Vehicle Weapons of the Rhodesian Bush WarNotes Edit Touchard Guerre dans le bush Les blindes de l Armee rhodesienne au combat 1964 1979 p 70 Locke amp Cooke Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1995 p 143 References EditLaurent Touchard Guerre dans le bush Les blindes de l Armee rhodesienne au combat 1964 1979 Batailles amp Blindes Magazine n º 72 April May 2016 pp 64 75 ISSN 1765 0828 in French Peter Gerard Locke amp Peter David Farquharson Cooke Fighting Vehicles and Weapons of Rhodesia 1965 80 P amp P Publishing Wellington 1995 ISBN 0 473 02413 6 Peter Stiff Taming the Landmine Galago Publishing Pty Ltd Alberton South Africa 1986 ISBN 9780947020040 Robert K Brown The Black Devils Soldier of Fortune Magazine January 1979 External links EditRhodesian Mine Ambush Protected Vehicles 1975 80 Photos of the Bullet in service with the RhACR as a training vehicle in 1979 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bullet TCV amp oldid 1125805781, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
