Leprechaun! (Under development, your input welcomed!)

I am looking for any people involved in the incidents from that time period and any pictures of the modified APC with the quad on top.

Thanks

• Bob Bihari, "A" Company, 1st Bn (M), 50th Inf. 11:49:29 06/04/03
  

  Hi; I remember that day very clearly..( I was on the track directly behind the Quad when it hit the mine, #113 {or 413..we changed the track numbers about that time]). If I remember right, we were heading back to Uplift (not sure on this), but it was late afternoon, we were driving up a slight rise in the road, when the mine went off (think it was a command-detonated 250 LB bomb)...the track went straight up in the air, flipped, and landed upside-down, the quad unit blew 30-40 feet in the air, and landed a few yards away. Track started burning immediately, rounds cooking off..lots off fire going out from the other tracks (I remember a couple of old peasants being hit and med-evac'd out)...we only hung around for a little while, because it was starting to get dark, and the position was un-defendable (surrounded by hillocks/brush, etc) we pulled back (toward the coastline...but still in view of the track). Watched the track burn all night long..next morning, went back, pulled the track upright (they had to scrape the driver out of the hatch, nothing but bones in the back compartment..I thought there was only one man sleeping in the back when the mine went off..but not sure...only knew the driver...the quad crew were not with our company. Another bad day...
  I think two of the "loaders" were wounded a few days before the incident...I think they were wounded in the feet, because of the shields on the .50's...but I can't be absolutely sure. I remember the Gooks hated the quad...it was an awesome site to see when it was "working out"...ripped up a lot of real estate....but I don't remember working with it for a very long time (A company).
  That's about all I can remember off-hand.. Good luck with your efforts.......Bob Bihari "A"Co. 1/50
  2/68 to 5May-68 (WIA An Bao)
  

  
  

  • Dusters, Quads & Searchlights Association Historian 19:19:17 06/04/03
    Great first hand account of events. Thanks again to all responding. Still have a few questions:

    Does anyone have any idea where the name "Leprechaun" came from? Was there a name or artwork associated with the Quad or APC?

    There was reference to additional armor plating (2-feet high) added to the sides to protect the feet of the cannoneers. Does anyone remember any odd looking plating on the sides?

    Did the Quad have what we call "Bat-Wings", flat shields on the side of the turret in front of the ammo and cannoneers?

    Any idea how the quad was attached? Welded or bolted.

    Anyone with a picture?

    Thanks again,
    Paul K.

    
    

    • Bob Bihari, "A" Company, 1st Bn (M), 50th Inf. 20:53:16 06/04/03
      
      Hi Paul;
      I'll try to answer your questions as best I can...'been over 35 years, and I don't remember
      working with the quad for more than a few days / week before the mine incident...but here goes:

      Just how awkward did the configuration look?

      -Actually..it didn't look that awkward at all...I was never "in" the thing....but I was fairly close to it at various times..it didn't
      look any more unusual than a "duster" (Twin-40mm) or an "Ontos" (The Ontos, officially the Rifle, Multiple 106 mm, Self-propelled, M50, was an American light armored tracked anti-tank vehicle developed in the 1950s. It mounted six M40 106 mm recoilless rifles as its main armament, which could be fired in rapid succession against single targets to guarantee a kill.)

      Do you have any idea where the name "Leprechaun" came from? Was there a name or artwork associated with the Quad or APC?

      -No idea...The guys manning the Quad were not with the 1/50...though I know the driver was with 1/50 (KIA). I don't specifically
      recall any artwork...but that doesn't mean it didn't have any...even the track numbers (big white ones) got obliterated by dirt/dust
      very quickly when we were running off the "paved" roads

      There was reference to additional armor plating (2-feet high) added to the sides to protect the feet of the cannoneers. Do you remember any odd looking plating on the sides?

      -There were definitely gun shields on either side of the "bucket" (for want of a better word) that the gunner sat in ...If memory serves.. the gunner sat in some kind of pivoted cage, the four .50 guns on either side and above him...the loaders stood next to /
      behind the guns and changed ammo cans....there were "shields" in front of the loaders...but I can't remember if they were curved, or
      angled plate....but they were definitely not just a "barn door" (lousy description...wish I could draw a picture...)...
      I distinctly remember that just a day or two before the mine hit...the loaders got wounded in the feet because there was a gap
      between the bottom of the shields, and the top of the track... I was talking with my old driver, Wayne Sodam, a few months back and he seems to remember the loaders were shot in the head. We talked about the quad and had different memories. I think he knew the driver [Queen...I think] much better than I did since the drivers tended to hang together.

      
      Did the Quad have what we call "Bat-Wings", flat shields on the side of the turret in front of the ammo and cannoneers?
      -As I stated above....I seem to remember the shields being either curved...or angled plate welded together.....but I remember
      the gunner (guy firing the guns) sat very low in the cage...head about "crotch level" to the loaders)

      Any idea how the quad was attached? Welded or bolted.
      - I don't really know how it was attached because I was never in the track....but when the mine went off...that thing flew at
      least three or four stories (30-40 feet) in the air (like in slow-motion)...and I remember it was very easy to swing back and
      up and down when it fired....but I guess that was part of the quad "unit"...not the framework that attached it to the track..there
      were also lots of sandbags on top of the track (and inside most of the APC's because of mines)...sorry...if I had had a chance
      to get in it, or on top of it....I could give you a better description....again...Wayne might have gotten a better look.

      Do you know of anyone with any pictures of the APC/Quad?
      -Afraid I can't help you there....most of the "boonie rats" didn't have cameras with us....there were a lot of pictures of Uplift
      taken by the guys who spent time there...but Wayne is the only person I've communicated with (and him only recently) from
      the old 1/50....only know of two others that made it through 5-5-68 (Quint and Davis) from A co..and I haven't talked to either
      of them.
      Sorry I can't give you any more information....that's about all I can remember of the Quad (I vividly remember watching it in
      action though....amazing site watching all those .50 rounds and tracers literally tearing up the tree lines....too bad it only
      lasted a short time...awesome firepower.
      Good luck with your endeavor.....please let me know if I can help in any way.
      Take Care....Bob B.

      Paul:
      I didn't answer the question about the plates protecting the loader's feet...
      I really don't think there were...I seem to remember the top of the track was pretty
      "clean"...our tracks had the "Cav kits" on them with the .50 cal in an angled "tub"
      and shields on the two M60s on the sides...and piles of sandbags, flack jackets,
      and various "junk" all over the top....
      Just came to me after I re-read the message (I have a bad habit of sending
      e-mails, and THEN re-reading them....bad habit)
      Later...Bob B.