U.S. Army Gun Trucks (Vietnam)
What is a "Gun Truck"?
A gun truck is an armored vehicle with one or more crew-served weapons, typically based on a military truck. Gun trucks often have improvised vehicle armor, such as scrap metal, concrete, gravel, or sandbags, added to a heavy truck.
Improvised? Yes, the U.S. Army did not have an official "gun truck" in its inventory of vehicles or mechanized weapons. Gun trucks were created as early as World War I, but this webpage focuses on Vietnam improvision.
Vietnam Highlands: Army Transportation Convoy Ambushed Daily
During the Vietnam War, it was the mission of the US Army Transportation Corps to ferry supplies from the coastal ports of Qui Nhon and Cam Ranh Bay to inland bases located at Bong Son, An Khe, Pleiku, Da Lat, and Buon Ma Thuot. The logistical requirements of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) were huge, and 200-truck convoys were not uncommon. These convoys were tempting targets for Vietcong (VC) guerrilla groups, who often sprung ambushes in remote areas.
One unit that often fell victim to such attacks was the 8th Transportation Group, based in Qui Nhon. Two dangerous stretches of Route 19 between Qui Nhon and Pleiku became the VC's favorite kill zones, the "Devil's Hairpin" in An Khe Pass and "Ambush Alley" below Mang Yang Pass as incidents occurred there on an almost daily basis. National Route 19 runs across Vietnam roughly in line with the 14th parallel north
Transportation Security
Providing security for convoys proved virtually impossible, as the Military Police units whose task it was did not have the manpower or equipment to secure the whole highway. Other military combat units only controlled the stretch of road within their designated checkpoints. Much of the way, it fell onto the transport units to provide themselves immediate security. At first, they did this with armed jeeps, but these rapidly proved inadequate in the face of improved VC and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam weaponry and tactics. |

On September 2, 1967, a particularly devastating attack killed seven drivers, wounded 17 and destroyed or damaged 30 trucks. To remedy the obvious vulnerability of the supply convoys, a "hardened convoy" concept was implemented, protected by a new type of security vehicle. This gun truck, as it became known, was based on the two-and-a-half-ton cargo truck (also known as a "Deuce and a Half", which was protected by a barrier of sandbags, and armed with two M60 machine guns. Hardened convoys were smaller than previously, being composed of only 100 trucks, and their security detail was increased until there was one gun truck for every 10 transport trucks.
The Need for Better Protection: The Improvised GunTruck
Despite the increased security, transportation units still came under attack, forcing the gun truck units to improve the design of their vehicles. The two-and-a-half-ton trucks were underpowered, and the addition of armor and weapons slowed them down, leading to their replacement by M39 series 5-ton 6×6 trucks that formed the basis for larger gun trucks. The improvised nature of these vehicles meant they varied considerably in appearance. They were given colourful nicknames such as "Ace of Spades", "Deuce is Wild", "Cold Sweat", "Iron Butterfly" or "Pandemonium" that were often painted on the sides in large letters.
Despite the increased security, transportation units still came under attack, forcing the gun truck units to improve the design of their vehicles. The two-and-a-half-ton trucks were underpowered, and the addition of armor and weapons slowed them down, leading to their replacement by M39 series 5-ton 6×6 trucks that formed the basis for larger gun trucks. The improvised nature of these vehicles meant they varied considerably in appearance. They were given colourful nicknames such as "Ace of Spades", "Deuce is Wild", "Cold Sweat", "Iron Butterfly" or "Pandemonium" that were often painted on the sides in large letters.
Their armament consisted of various combinations of weapons including M60s, .50-calibre machine guns, and XM 134 miniguns. Anti-aircraft weapons such as the quad mount .50 cal. machine guns were also used until 1969 when the truck companies had three-to-six-gun trucks each.
Gun Truck Design and Weapons: The gun truck design evolved with a four-sided gun box bolted on the outside of the truck bed, then an inner steel wall was added, with a space between each layer, to provide protection against anti-tank rockets. Because of the shortage of steel kits, the M113 armored personnel carrier hulls were mounted on the bed of a five-ton truck, thus providing all-round protection for the crew. The last design of gun box had the steel wall mounted inside the bed of the truck instead of outside. Despite their aggressive names, gun trucks were strictly defensive weapons, being used only for convoy escort and perimeter defense duties.
Gun Truck Design and Weapons: The gun truck design evolved with a four-sided gun box bolted on the outside of the truck bed, then an inner steel wall was added, with a space between each layer, to provide protection against anti-tank rockets. Because of the shortage of steel kits, the M113 armored personnel carrier hulls were mounted on the bed of a five-ton truck, thus providing all-round protection for the crew. The last design of gun box had the steel wall mounted inside the bed of the truck instead of outside. Despite their aggressive names, gun trucks were strictly defensive weapons, being used only for convoy escort and perimeter defense duties.
In all, an estimated 300 to 400 trucks were transformed in this way.[10] Senior officers saw the 5-ton gun truck as a temporary solution until enough V-100 armored cars arrived. However, by 1970 it became obvious to all - except the Military Police - that the V-100 was a death trap if the armor was penetrated. Furthermore, the V-100 had problems with its power train. So the gun trucks continued to serve until the last American truck company was inactivated in South Vietnam in 1972. With the end of the Vietnam War, the need for such vehicles disappeared and most were either scrapped or returned to cargo carrying. One truck, an M54 named by its crew "Eve of Destruction," (pictured above) was brought back intact and is on display at the Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, Virginia.
Gun Truck Videos
Below are a few You Tube videos that provide great insight into the story of the gun trucks, their personnel and attacks they endured while protecting the convoys they were assigned to.
Click on the video to play or click on "Watch on You Tube" link to view on your PC or other device.
Click on the video to play or click on "Watch on You Tube" link to view on your PC or other device.