M151a2

[Scott Bentley]

43719 = 74-09204

I'm still hunting for info, but it was disposed at CFB Calgary.

More to follow....

Scotty

[Scott Bentley]

Ed,

Unfortunately, your CFR no longer exists in the "good" EDR Viewer database that shows Unit/VMO History and Repairs/Mods completed.

Hopefully you can post up a picture, as i'm curious to it. The Body I used for my project was a 1 SVC BN mule, so I suspect yours was a cousin to mine being from Calgary.

Scotty

[Ed Storey]

Scotty:

Thank you for fishing out the 'needle in the haystack', the vehicle in question 74-09204 is a M151A2 with TOW and is in the CWM collection in Ottawa. It has recently been restored and is now on display in the Lebreton gallery. Here is an image of it in the 'shop' before going out on the floor.



I actually have a photoraph of 74-09207 that I took outside of the CANEX in CFB Wainwright during RV85.

[Ed Storey]

I guess the big question is, "How many M151A2s with TOW did the CF use?"

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by edstorey

I guess the big question is, "How many M151A2s with TOW did the CF use?"

That explains why I couldn't find any detailed info on it. Its a TOW MUTT. I'll go back and check the other M151A2 ECC's to see what I can find. Whats interesting is that in the EDR Viewer, that CFR was listed as a "Normal" M151A2 ECC. Makes me wonder if these were converted from normal 151s in Canada, or purchased from the US with the TOW system already mounted.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say there were not too many. Couple of dozen at most. I can check the Database for the number of Iltis that had the TOW. My gut instinct is that the Iltis TOW probably replaced the M151A2 TOW one for one. In all my time during the Iltis days, I rarely saw the TOW versions.

What I find interesting is that including the picture of that one from the museum, that is a total of 3 x TOW M151A2 that I have seen that are un-cut.

Steve H (a TOW version owner) and I were tossing around the idea that it seems a higher percentage of TOW versions survived un-cut, from what we suspect was due to them being around later than "normal" versions. Just a thought.

Scotty

[rob love]

There was an installation instruction for the tow launcher kit and the ammunition supp kit. This would lead me to believe that the Mutts were modded for TOW. As I recall, the TOW mutts were retained a bit longer in service waiting for the Iltis variant to be made up. I also believe they were primarily an Airborne asset. Around this neck of the woods, TOW was initially in the cargo hatch of the M113, and in 88 we went to the TOW under armor (TUA).

I have the data summary for the TOW kit and AMMO kit, but they do not give the total numbers, but rather just the total of 935 for all the MUTTs purchased.

[Scott Bentley]

Looking in the EDR Viewer, there were a grand total of 10 TOW Missile Iltis and 10 TOW Missile M151A2. They went surplus in late 88 to early 89.

Apparently there was a one and only Cable Layer M151A2 as well in Valcartier at some point also.

Bit of irony here though, the Serial Number and CFR for CWM's TOW MUTT and the one in the picture from RV doesn't show in the Database. Hmm.....

I'll keep digging when I get more time.

Scotty

[Craig S.]

Looking at the ECC 121411 for M-151A2 TOW Launcher's, it shows a total of 9 listed. I would guess there were more that may have "disappeared" when old CFR's became newer equipment. Ed's RV'85 pic of 1 PPCLI CFR#09207 is at the top of the listings. Cheers,

Craig

[Jason Ginn]

Originally Posted by edstorey

Scotty:

Thank you for fishing out the 'needle in the haystack', the vehicle in question 74-09204 is a M151A2 with TOW and is in the CWM collection in Ottawa. It has recently been restored and is now on display in the Lebreton gallery. Here is an image of it in the 'shop' before going out on the floor.



I actually have a photoraph of 74-09207 that I took outside of the CANEX in CFB Wainwright during RV85.

I have confirmed the serial number on this vehicle and it is in fact 43710 CFR 74-09207.

The same truck Ed took an image of in 1985! How cool is that!

Ed and Clive Thank you so much for this! Your efforts documenting Canadian military vehicles over the years are very much appreciated and this would not have been possible without your forethought and efforts.

Ed, I don't know if you ever figured that one day you would run into that truck again but imagine that you're now quite glad that you thought to snap a pic of it!