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APPENDIX L

RECOVERY TECHNIQUES

Section I. INTRODUCTION

If an APC is disabled, gets stuck, or will not start, the squad must get it moving as quickly as possible. A stationary vehicle is vulnerable to direct, indirect, and air-delivered munitions. This appendix covers towing a disabled APC, starting it by towing or using a slave cable, retrieving it if it is stuck in mud or immobilized on an obstacle, safety considerations for recovery operations, and how to disable the vehicle if it has to be abandoned. For additional techniques, see FM 20-22.

Because the immobilized APC is such a vulnerable target, personnel not involved in the recovery should be in position to provide security. The caliber .50 machine gunner should stay at his station and be ready to engage targets as required. Squad members picked to provide local security should dismount and be stationed away from the vehicle.

If the vehicle cannot be recovered quickly the platoon leader may decide to redistribute men and equipment among the other vehicles. The driver and caliber .50 machine gunner may be left with the disabled vehicle to wait for help, or the vehicle may have to be abandoned if the enemy situation warrants.

Section II. TOWING

The APC may have to be towed when disabled or stuck or to start its engine. The APC is equipped with towing eyes and shackles on the front and a tow pintle in the rear of the vehicle. It also has a tow cable stowed on the outside of the rear ramp.

Normally the terrain or enemy situation will dictate the way to tow the APC. When not exposed to enemy fire, either the highway or the cross-country tow may be used. When exposed to enemy fire, the combat tow is used. Before any towing hookup is begun, the master switch should be OFF, the laterals locked, and the range selector placed at N (neutral). Once all connections for towing have been made, the laterals are released.

Highway Tow. When towing an APC on a highway it is best to use a recovery vehicle and the recovery vehicle's tow bar. If a recovery vehicle is not available, another APC may be used. The tow bar is attached to the front towing eyes of the disabled vehicle. When a tow bar is used, a driver is not required in the towed vehicle. When recovery is to be at speeds of less than 10 mph and distances are less than 30 miles, the range selector is placed in the N range. When anticipated recovery exceeds 10 mph and 30 miles in distance, the universal joints between final drives and differential must be removed before towing can begin.

Cross-Country Tow. To tow a vehicle cross-country two cables are used. It is best to cross the cables in an X position to keep the two vehicles aligned. To tow the vehicle forward, the cables are attached to the front eyes of the disabled vehicle and the rear eyes of the towing vehicle. The vehicle may also be towed moving backward. A driver is required in the towed vehicle to apply the brakes to prevent it from overrunning the recovery vehicle on downgrades or when stopping. Never tow an APC with a cable when its universal joint is disconnected; the driver will have no braking or steering ability.

Combat Tow. When it is necessary to make a towing connection under fire, the combat tow is used by a recovery vehicle to minimize exposure of personnel. A tow bar or tow cable is attached to the recovery vehicle's tow pintle before the vehicle moves to the disabled vehicle. The recovery vehicle is then moved into the area and backed up as close as possible to the back of the APC, while still allowing the ramp door to open. One soldier then connects the free end of the V-chain or tow cable to the rear tow pintle. (Smoke grenades can be used during the hookup to minimize the exposure of the vehicles and personnel to fire). After hookup, the ramp door is closed, and the recovery vehicle moves out with the disabled APC in tow. This method may be used with either the APC or another recovery vehicle. As with a cross-country tow, a driver is required to operate the brakes of the towed vehicle. The towed vehicle's range selector must be placed in N.

Tow Starting. When an APC cannot be started using a slave cable, it may be started by towing. After securely attaching a tow vehicle to the disabled vehicle and doing all the before-operation preventative maintenance checks and service (TM 9-2300-257-10), the master power switch is on and fuel shut off is pushed in. With the transmission range selector in N, the APC brake levers are released, and it is towed forward until its speed reaches 20 to 25 mph. The driver then moves the transmission range selector to the 1-3 position and presses the accelerator about halfway.

When the vehicle's battery is dead or missing, the engine can be started using a slave cable connected to any 24-volt DC power source.

Before the slave cable is connected, the master switch on both vehicles must be off. The slave cable is connected to the slave receptacle in the driver's compartment.

Once the slave cable is connected and both vehicles have turned on the master switches, the engine can then be started in the same way as with its own batteries. When the engine starts, it should be left running while the slave cable is disconnected. The same process can be used to start another vehicle with the APC as the 24-volt DC outside power source.

Section III. RECOVERY

Vehicles often become bellied (high centered) on high stumps, ridges, or mire. In this position, the APC has no traction and is stuck.

To recover a vehicle stuck in mire, a log should be obtained that is long enough to span the width of the vehicle and large enough to support the vehicle's weight. Two cables are used to attach the log to the tracks, one on each track. The log is placed against both tracks. The tow cable is placed so that one end of the cable goes over the log and through one track from the inside. The other end of the tow cable is placed underneath the log. The ends of the cable are connected with a towing shackle and pin. The cable should be connected on the outside of the track for easy disconnecting. The same method is used to attach the log to the track on the other side of the vehicle.

By gradually applying power to the tracks, the slack in the cables will be taken up, pulling the log underneath the tracks until it contacts the mire, and anchors the tracks, letting the vehicle move.

For a bellied disablement other than mire, the tracks can be anchored using just the two tow cables. The tow cables are hooked together and attached to both tracks by passing the ends of the cables through the tracks from the outside and attaching them together in the center with towing shackles and pins.

When power is applied to the tracks, the cable will contact the obstacle and anchor the tracks. The same caution applies--stop the vehicle before the cables reach the fenders.

Section IV. SAFETY

Recovery operations are dangerous. Maximum care must be taken to prevent injury to personnel and damage to the vehicle and equipment. Listed below are general safety precautions to consider before trying any recovery operation.

Handling Cables. Personnel handling wire ropes or cables should wear heavy leather-palmed gloves to prevent hand injuries or cuts from broken or frayed wires. A moving cable should never be allowed to slide through the hand, even if gloves are worn.

Care of Cables. Cables should not be drawn over rocks or around sharp corners. Heavy objects should not be dropped on a cable. They could nick or burr the wires, causing them to break. All loops formed in a cable should be removed before force is applied.

Safety Keys. All safety keys or pins should be in place before force is applied.

Hook positions. If a hook is used to pull the vehicle, the open part (throat) should point upward. If the hook should straighten out from overload, the rigging will tend to go downward, not upward unrestrained.

Rigging Between Vehicles. When erecting rigging between vehicles, engines must be off and vehicle brakes applied to prevent possible injury to rigging personnel or damage to vehicles.

Inspecting Rigged Equipment. Equipment should be thoroughly impeded before the recovery operation starts. The recovery vehicle operator should be directed to work the winch enough to remove slack from the rigging, then stop the operation and shut off all engines. The rigging can then be inspected without endangering the personnel. Likewise, if a vehicle is being towed, power should be applied slowly until all tow cable slack is taken up. Engines should again be shut off and rigging inspected before going on.

Operator/Driver Safety. Operators and other personnel, in both the recovery vehicle and disabled vehicle, should keep their hatches closed during a recovery operation and use their periscopes to see hand signals.

Safe Location of Personnel. Before a pull starts, all personnel on the ground must be directed to move safely away from rigging before the operators apply power. A taut cable, released by a sudden break, can backlash and cut a man in half. The minimum safe distance is one and a half times the length of the longest line.

Signalman. For safe control of a recovery operation, there should be only one signalman. The operators must know the meaning of signals used and must act only on those signals. The signalman must be in a safe place where the operators can observe his signals.

Section V. ABANDONING THE APC

Every effort should be made to recover a disabled APC. If the enemy situation is so critical that the vehicle cannot be recovered, men and equipment may have to be crossloaded on other vehicles and the disabled APC abandoned. An abandoned APC should be of no immediate use to the enemy and yet should be readily repairable by friendly forces.

If the carrier is to be abandoned, secure the weapons, radios, and equipment, and take one of the following actions:

The decision to abandon a vehicle is the responsibility of the platoon leader or senior man present. The APC should be stripped of all equipment possible and the APC's location reported to the next higher headquarters as covered in the SOP.