| Hippo | |
|---|---|
 Armscor Hippo at the SAPS Museum, Ventersburg | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin |
 South Africa |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1974 - 1978[1] |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars |
Rhodesian Bush War South African Border War Namibian War of Independence Soweto uprising |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Armscor South Africa |
| Designed | 1974[2] |
| Manufacturer | Armscor South Africa |
| No. built | 275[2] |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8.8 tonnes (9.7 short tons; 8.7 long tons)[1] |
| Length | 6.53 m (21 ft 5 in)[2] |
| Width | 2.46 m (8 ft 1 in)[2] |
| Height | 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)[2] |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 10 |
|
| |
Main armament | 2x 7.62mm M1919 Browning machine guns[1] |
| Engine | Bedford 2.5 l (150 in3) inline 6-cylinder water-cooled petrol[2] |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual synchromesh[2] |
| Ground clearance | 32 cm[2] |
| Fuel capacity | 240 litres[2] |
Operational range | 640 km[1] |
| Maximum speed | 73 km/h[1] |
The Hippo is a South African armoured personnel carrier. Specially designed to be mine resistant, it can carry eleven infantrymen and a crew of two. The vehicle's remote-operated turret mounts dual 7.62mm machine guns, but like other improvised fighting vehicles, it is only lightly protected.
Development history[]
An interim solution adopted to deal with the threat of land mines deployed by the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) in northern Ovamboland, the Hippo was simply a blastproof hull fitted to a Bedford RL chassis. Similar to the BTR-152, it offered a staggered troop compartment with seating facing inwards. Vision was restricted to narrow plate glass windows. This layout was universally unpopular and later corrected with the Buffel.[2] There were firing ports for the occupants and a powered machine gun turret could be braced on the open top, though these were seldom fitted. Passengers and crew debussed from a rear deck.[2] The Hippo Mk1R was based on a M1961 Bedford truck chassis, which was being phased from South African service in 1974.[1] Some 150 were shipped to the South African Police that year, another 5 being donated to the South-West African authorities.[2] Police units left behind several when they withdrew from Rhodesia in 1976; these were retained by Rhodesian Security Forces and later passed on to the Zimbabwe National Army.[3] In 1978, 120 Hippo conversions of M1970 Bedfords was undertaken for the South African Defence Force, which had assumed responsibility for patrols along the Angolan border and needed a new MRAP. They were replaced by the Casspir.
Variants[]
- Hippo Mk1R - 1974 model, built on the 1961 Bedford chassis.
- Hippo Mk1M - 1978 model, built on the 1970 Bedford chassis.
Operators[]
South Africa: South African Defence Force and South African Police
South-West Africa: South West African Police- Rhodesia: Rhodesian Security Forces[4]
- Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe National Army[3]
In popular culture[]
- Hippos appear in the 1987 film Cry Freedom, during a portrayal of the Soweto uprising.
External links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Lesakeng". South African Armour Museum. 2012-12-06. http://www.saarmourmuseum.co.za/lesakeng.html. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Heitman, Helmoed-Römer. South African Armed Forces. Buffalo Publications 1990. ISBN 0-620-14878-0 p 44.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nelson, Harold. Zimbabwe: A Country Study. pp. 237–317.
- ↑ Moorcraft, Paul L.; McLaughlin, Peter (April 2008) [1982]. The Rhodesian War: A Military History. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-84415-694-8.
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The original article can be found at Hippo APC and the edit history here.