question Dutch BARV's ?

[agripper]

I know the Dutch have the Hippo BARV's at present , I was told that they did have some of the Centurion BARV's on either loan or lease from the MOD. Also heard that they may have had Sherman BARV's can anyone confirm either way if the Dutch had either of these types? I have found more than 12 reg numbers for the Cent BARV's and was told the reason was that those on loan to Holland where given new numbers on there return. Though Its more likly that the numbers I have are wrong and that some of those down as BARV's may have been ARV's and it had only been an error by the person recording the data I had acces too. :cool2:

[Meteor mark 4B]

I can't confirm anything about Dutch Centurion BARVs. However, 12 were built, six were retained at a later date, and six sold off. Some of the six sold off went to Israel. I've never heard of the Dutch army using them.

[mcspool]

The Leopard 1 BARV is the first vehicle of this type in Dutch Navy inventory. Note it is not called Hippo, I think this is the British designation.

 

It was of course inspired on the Centurion BARV. The Dutch and British Marines work a lot on joint training and operations. When designing the first Dutch amphibious transport ship, a lot was learned from this cooperation and British equipment and procedures.

 

 

http://www.defensie.nl/english/navy/materiel/vehicles/armoured_vehicles/leopard_1_beach_armoured_recovery_vehicle_(barv)

[Tony B]

Got some film of one of those in Jersey in 2005. Want one!!! A beach buggy with attitude:D

[timbo]

Lots of glass there for a Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle - is it bulletproof...?

[Tony B]

Wave proof I know that! Unfortunatley the DVD is copyright. There might be somthing on UHU tube.

[mcspool]

Lots of glass there for a Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle - is it bulletproof...?

 

This conversion was designed and built by the Navy Dock Yard, hence the superstructure looks like a ship's bridge! AFAIK, the glass is indeed bullet proof.

 

Also, it was designed in a period in time when the Dutch Armed Forces had not seen any action in 50 years or so, maybe that is why some of this equipment doesn't really look like it is to be used in earnest. . . .

 

H.

[steveo578]

It is debatable whether a BARV needed to be aggressively armoured -probably protective glass is really sufficient especially the newish aluminium glass composites. The wartime Sherman BARVs were really only lightly armoured apart from the areas of original tanks -likewise the later Centurions, had sustained firing been encountered the BARV was in effect unable to do much apart from pushing- it couldn't depoloy the diver etc. so the best protection for a BARV was to make for deep water and reduce its presence.

 

Meteor mark 4B

six were retained at a later date, and six sold off. Some of the six sold off went to Israel

 

 

I think three went to Israel if I remember correctly I sent their numbers to you many years ago. so possibly 3 missing -probably held in reserve.

 

Steve

[mcspool]

Some more facts on the Dutch Leopard 1 BARV:

 

Dimensions: 7.65 m long x 3.25 m. wide x 3.35 m. high.

 

Names: Hercules, Samson, Goliath and Titan.

 

Known registration numbers (black digits on yellow background): KM-97-00 and KM-97-01; I suspect the others are KM-97-02 and KM-97-03.

 

They serve on board the Royal Netherlands Navy Rotterdam class Landing Platform Dock (LPD): Hr.Ms. De Rotterdam and Hr.Ms. Johan de Witt.

 

And the glass is indeed bullet proof, 80 mm thick!