Personnel carrier M113 KrKw

The US development is, or was, used in forty different variants in more than fifty countries. In addition to the original conception as an armored personnel carrier (MTW), depending on the variant, it fulfills a wide variety of functions, e.g. as an ambulance (KrKw) shown here.

The Bundeswehr procured around 4000 vehicles up to 1985 and used them with the army with a wide variety of equipment kits. With the adaptation to German requirements (e.g. German labeling, radio system, smoke grenade launcher...) the armored personnel carrier received the designation M113 G.

The first 1132 vehicles still corresponded to the US model with a carburetor engine. From 1965 all new MTW M113 were delivered with a diesel engine, the 3400 copies purchased up to then were converted from 1974. The type designation changed to M113 A1 G.

At the end of the 1980s, there were further increases in combat value and performance. The new versions received the designations M113 A2 G and A2 G EFT. The latter had two external tanks (EFT) at the rear of the vehicle. The upgrades and conversions eventually made the M113 so heavy that it was banned from swimming operations. The baffle at the front of the vehicle, which had become superfluous, was replaced by a storage basket.

The Bundeswehr has also used the M113 as an ambulance since the late 1970s. As a protected vehicle, it was intended to ensure the transport of the wounded, in particular for the Panzer and Panzergrenadier troops. He quickly turned out to be much too sluggish in the terrain and the tanks had to wait for him again and again. The M113 KrKw reached its limits at the latest when it was actually deployed with the armored combat unit Kosovo. The motorization was not sufficient for the mountainous terrain.

The M113 KrKw was in service in Augustdorf with various associations from 1979 to 2010.