M29 Weasel video, variants?

cluttonfred

cluttonfred

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I came across this neat OSS briefing film referenced in the Wikipedia article on the M29 Weasel.

200px-M29_Weasel_3.jpg


The 10 minute video--worth the wait, I promise--includes some discussion of the various alternative approaches to travel across ice and snow that were evaluated as well as a lot of footage of the vehicle in action. I think I want one for Christmas! ;)

Does anyone know of any prototype or proposed variants of the weasel, perhaps armed versions? The video mentions use as a prime mover...maybe towing a mortar or pack howitzer on skis?
 
The Australian Antarctic Division used Weasels extensively in Antarctica until the 1960s. Their variants had hard shelters on top of them. Perhaps if you did a search for them?
 
Here a paper about the Weasel written in 1945:

Weasel

You can read it online (or download every single page). Not sure it contains details about variants, I did not read it (it is not in my favourites list), but at least there is a sketch of the 8-rollers prototype.
 
The Americans sure did put a recoilless rifle on just about everything in WW2... didn't they?
 

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  • M29C Weasel with 75mm M20 Recoilless Rifle.jpg
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I thought that tradition had started in Vietnam (see below) but I suppose GIs were asking "what can we attach this too" since the very first recoilless rifles were issued.
mule.01.png
 
The Riffles were mainly (for the Americans) the 105 mm recoilless rifle, it was based on captured models of the German 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40. Almost all countries used the American one, except for china which made their "type 36 variant".
 
ArmchairSamurai said:
The Americans sure did put a recoilless rifle on just about everything in WW2... didn't they?
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Was it the Americans, or the French 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie on their Crabe version of the M29C during the Indochina war?
 
dan_inbox said:
Was it the Americans, or the French 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie on their Crabe version of the M29C during the Indochina war?
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The French were a big part of the Indochina war and they used the weasel (french version Crabe) which the war evolved into the Vietnam War. The central fact of French involvement in Vietnam was the persistent seven-year effort to re-establish French colonial rule. They used the M18 recoilless rifle (American supply) and the M20 recoilless rifle (American supply).
All of the amphibious AFVs used in Indochina were of US origin. One, the M29 Crab was not originally an AFV at all, but was extemporized into such during the delta campaigns.
M29C "Crabe" (Weasel)
Weight: 2.5 tons
Crew: 2 (plus 2 passengers, or up to 100lb of cargo)
Length: 16ft (4.88m)
Width: 5ft 7.5ins (1.71m)
Height: 4ft 5ins (1.35m)
Armor: none
Armament: None originally, but various were mounted including 0.3in MG, 7.5mm FM 24/29 and 0.5in MG (sometimes 2 MGs were carried). There were also vehicles carrying 60mm mortars, or recoiless rifles (57mm or 75mm).
Engine: 65hp petrol
Top Speed: 33mph on land, 3.5 knots afloat
 
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riggerrob said:
That looks more like the Canadian Armored snowmobile/artillery tractor that was built in small numbers during WW2.
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Hullwise, yes, but the Canadian Armoured Snowmobile had four large roadwheels and no idlers, not the Weasel like running gear of the T106.
 
German Bundeswehr had similar problems in 1960s.
There Airborne forces need amoured light vehicle,
Since they use this the Kraftkarren in short Kraka.
640px-Kraka_Typ_640.jpg


sadly it took until 1980s, but they got little nasty tankette: the Wiesel AWC
640px-Wiesel120mm.jpg
 

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