M50 Ontos
In service 1956 - 1970
Six recoilless rifles bolted to a light tracked chassis. A US Marine Corps oddity that turned out to be a devastating bunker-buster in Vietnam.
Built byAllis-Chalmers
Development history
Ontos - Greek for "thing" - was designed as a cheap air-transportable tank killer for the Marines, firing six 106 mm recoilless rifles in salvo. The concept had serious drawbacks: the rifles had to be reloaded from outside the vehicle under fire, the back-blast was enormous and gave the position away instantly, and the armour stopped almost nothing. But in Vietnam the beehive and HE rounds proved extraordinarily effective against bunkers, buildings and infantry in the open, and Marines valued it highly during the fighting in Hue in 1968. All 297 were retired by 1970 with no replacement in the role.
Notable actions
- Vietnam War
- Battle of Hue