Just saw this on the net and had to share. Yes, that is a military Issue Vespa with a Bazooka and its ammo! You ride ontop of the Bazooka!!
Really? recoiless? Looked like and old school bazooka to me. I bet if your riding at 40mph and you fire it. The speedo reads 10 mph for a second.
There have been a few 'real battlescooter' threads around here but I'm way too lazy to find 'em at the moment. But here's a few: Cushman Airborne Welbike British Welbike being assembled in the field (large pic but worth a look) those pics are from this really cool page that has a lot more good stuff. 1953 Bernardet: And you can go crazy with 2-wheel military history on this page.
yep still in use in many places, in many configurations. Has odd-looking ammunition with patterns of holes around the base of the brass shell. part of the gas-direction recoil-reduction design. the bazooka launched a rocket; the rr has a rifled barrel. the USMC used to have a tracked vehicle called the "Ontos" which mounted eight of them. the Army had some on jeeps.
As mentioned, the bazooka is a rocket. You don't stand behind the tube when it's fired because rocket blast and flames shoot out the back. Firing one may actually increase your speed.
Here's a nice history of the 106. Note the mention of the Vespa-mounted rr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoilless_rifle How did the French miltary get an unjustified reputation for pusillanimity so often seen on the 'Net? French troops are some of the world's best - people must be mistaking the character of the French army for the behavior and decisions of some of the politiicans who directed their use.
Groundskeeper Willy: "Look at me, I'm shaking like a French soldier". "Bunch of cheese eating surrender monkeys". Are you saying I shouldn't trust Groundskeeper Willy?
