Jungle vehicles?

Shadowalker

Shadowalker

Active member
What vehicles can be used in jungle fighting, or is it that it is only infantry can really fight? Did the US use many fighting vehicles during vietnam or are they complately useless? also are tracked vehicled better in this enviromnt than wheeled ones. thanks.
 
Anyone who's been in a totally untamed rainforest or jungle can tell you that you cannot use vehicles there. At best in the most forgiving places a motorbike will do.
I guess this is my experience in jungles with lots of hills. In a flat rainforest a bike could definately work.
For cars etc. you need a place with a road cut out.
So essentially you're on foot.
 
Yup, remember that the Japanese surprised the British in Singapore by passing through Malaysia with bicycles.... but I think they may have stuck to paths.
But still you could use a bike. But you better plan the route very carefully if you do.
 
I don't know about that guys. When I was in Vietnam there were lots of armored vehicles all over the place. Keep in mind that Vietnam is not all jungle. So I think there are actually two questions here.

!. Were there many fighting vehicles used by the U.S. in Vietnam?
Ans.: You bet. We had all kinds. Tanks:M48 Pattons, we supplied M41s to RVN units, M551 Shermans, M88, M578, and M51 Recovery Vehicles, and M278 CEVs come to mind. There may be a few more that I've left out.

2. Was armor useless in Vietnam?
Ans.: A big NO. Armor played a big role in VN. Have you ever seen the film of North Vietnam's final assault on Saigon? Yep, they rode their tanks into the city.

I was in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. You might think that because it was a mountainous and densely vegetated area that armor might not do well. Read this and let me know what you think
http://www.rjsmith.com/ben-het.html
 
As I said, only in the untamed, uncleared jungles are vehicles useless.
Once you have a trail, you can bring in vehicles. Also in tropical areas, not all places are just jungle, there will be terrain where armor etc. can be used.

So back the the point: can vehicles be used smack in the middle of a rainforest or jungle that is free of roads? Nothing bigger than a bike.
 
Shadowalker said:
What vehicles can be used in jungle fighting, or is it that it is only infantry can really fight? Did the US use many fighting vehicles during vietnam or are they complately useless? also are tracked vehicled better in this enviromnt than wheeled ones. thanks.
Click to expand...
That was the original post. The questions were:
1. What vehicles can be used in jungle fighting?
I named a few.
2. Is the infantry the only thing that can fight in the jungle?
Obviously not.
3. Did the U.S. use many fighting vehicles in Vietnam or are they useless?
I think I answered that.
4. Were tracked vehicles better than wheeled in Vietnam?
It depended on the specific situation.


Back to your point 13th... You posed yet another question.
can vehicles be used smack in the middle of a rainforest or jungle that is free of roads?
Click to expand...
Sure, there were some situations when armored vehicles could not be deployed but it wouldn't take much of a road to use a 1/4 ton on. Vehicles did not have to be driven in, many times they were airlifted to say a firebase on a hilltop in the middle of triple canopy jungle. We had no bicycles though ;)
 
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