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9 Feb 1943 Allied forces capture Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
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M-113 Armored Ambulance

The M-113 Armored Ambulance is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), configured to trasnport patients within its armored compartment. It is lightly armored and can protect casualties and medical personnel from small arms fire.

An M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC or track) is transformed into an ambulance by removing the spall liner and installing the M113 litter suspension kit. Litter-borne casualties cannot be safely moved if the litter suspension kit is not installed. The M113 tracked ambulance has a capacity of:

four litter casualties, or
ten ambulatory casualties, or
a mixed load of two litter casualties and five ambulatory casualties.

When four litter casualties are evacuated, they are loaded into berths in the following order:

Upper right berth.
Lower right berth.
Upper left berth.
Lower left berth (most seriously injured casualty).

Variants M113A2 and M113A3 were built and designated Armored Ambulance. Known deficiencies in the M113A2/A3 Armored Ambulance include:

inadequate casualty evacuation and treatment capacity
poor patient and attendant ride stabilization;
limited patient in-transit support by medical aidmen;
inadequate space for supplies, equipment, and personnel;
inability to keep up with its supported units on the battlefield.

M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Ambulance.

IFOR marked U.S. Army, 1st Armored Division M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Ambulance, near "Gator" Site, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 21 August 1996.