“Defence has contracted SAAB Bofors Dynamics for the supply of the M3 84mm Carl Gustaf anti-armour support weapon,” Mr Combet said.
“These new weapons provide an increased direct fire support capability and will be employed by the Infantry, Special Forces and RAAF Airfield Defence Guards.
Soldiers will appreciate the weight savings afforded by the M3 Carl Gustaf anti-armour weapon”.
Many years ago, last century, in the mid 60s, I was attending an Anti Tank course at the old Infantry Centre at Ingleburn, NSW and being instructed in the handling, maintenance and firing of the 106mm Recoilless Rifle.
Near the end of the course, the Senior Instructor, Major Name Forgotten called us together and told us we were the chosen few. The Army were looking at the Carl Gustaf anti tank weapon (M1, I presume) and had literally borrowed one from the Swedish Ambassador. Along with the weapon came two rounds; a High Explosive Ant-Tank (HEAT) round and a flare (from memory of 200,000 candlepower) We were to fire these rounds with high ranking officers witnessing the event as a pre-cursor to actually conducting a user trial.
I was elated, I drew one of the straws but elation turned to dismay when I then drew the flare! “I’m an infantryman, not a light technician”, I muttered to my mates, who couldn’t care less. I toyed with the idea of using it aggressively as in a 200,000 candlepower missile aimed directly at a target would light up my life and ruin the enemy’s day. At least he wouldn’t be able too see clearly for a while!
The Sergeant was onto me though and I did what any smart soldier would do in the circumstances and fired the star shell into the heavens.
Better blind obedience than stoppage of leave, particularly when I was in love with one of the Railway Hotel ladies and Friday night was leave night!
From day one we called it the Charlie Gutsache and noted with cynicism, some years later, that even after a successful user-trial we couldn’t use the weapon in South Vietnam because the Swedes were against the war.
Now, I note, that major Western armies are all buying it – yanks included.
I wonder if the flare round ever got to be used aggressively – hope so!
I loved firing them, but always looked around for the guy from Anti-armour platoon to give it back to when a move was afoot.
Illum rounds fired on a high trajectory also had a tendency to singe ones legs and blast debris quite significant distances.
A rather wearing experience when required to fire a couple of dozen illum rounds a night.
It seemed incongruous to call “BBDA CLEAR” when the back of the beast was pointing towards the planet.
That said they made the ‘66’ look like a piece of junk and were wonderfully accurate out to 500 metres plus.
Kev Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
You are dead right about the BBDA. I recall when we were at Singleton Lt Col Oxley (5RAR’s 1st CO) came up to see us and arrived in a LR. We were firing and loaded for the next round. We ceased fire and the NCO saluted and Oxley said “go on”. We would have loved to do it as he was about 25 m behind the 106 and a very weird CO but the NCO thought of his career and explained.
Damn!
Bob Reply:
March 10th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Didn’t the diminiutive M72 have a BBDA of about 48 feet as well? You have to wonder if some officers received the same or even similar training to the working end of the Battallion.