M-113 Ambulance
Today in WW II: 16 Apr 1941 Britain receives 1st American Lend-Lease aid shipment across the German submarine-infested Atlantic.  More ↓
16 Apr 1945 After an immense artillery barrage, Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov's troops advance from the Oder River toward the Seelow Heights defenses of Berlin.
16 Apr 1945 German troop transport Goya sunk by Soviet submarine L-3, with loss of about 7,000 lives.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

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:

  1. Upper right berth.
  2. Lower right berth.
  3. Upper left berth.
  4. 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
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Ambulance.

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