Re: REALITY CHECK TIME!

----- Original Message -----
From: John Atkinson <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 11:29 PM
Subject: Re: REALITY CHECK TIME!

>
> --- Ryan Gill <rmgill@mindspring.com> wrote:
SNIP>
> > Hopefully the track doesn't start backing up just as
> > they've started
> > to debuss. That or neutral steer. Tracks that move
>
> Umm. . . have any of you guys ever gotten out of a
> goddamn track??
>
> The DRIVER is the one that lowers the ramp.  You
> cannot rapidly debus the vehicle without the driver's
> knowledge.  It's that way for a REASON, that being the
> one you cited.  You can go out the troop door, but
> that's not fast.  You can also jump out the troop
> hatch on the top of an M-113, but that's a bit risky
> under the best of circumstances.  I wouldn't do it
> unless the track was stopped.
SNIP
> John

According to the old David Isby book "Weapons and tactics of the Soviet
Army", the method for debussing from the BTR-60PB or PK (lacking a rear
exit) was to climb through the roof hatches then jump or roll off the
sides,
facing backwards and with the vehicle doing up to 15 km/h- "said to be
no
more hazardous than a parachute landing". Doesn't sound like fun.  Isby
notes that the Soviet Army considered 3% casualties on exercise
acceptable-
plenty more where they came from.