Nice ! I will get one. Just missing some good seated infantry from Dragon or Miniart. Hope they will do something soon. just fits my plannes diorama

Terrific! a Vietnam-era 6x6 is just what the medic ordered.

Woohoo! We've been waiting a LONG time for one of these. Have to wonder how long it will be before they start coming out with Gun Truck variations since most of them were based on the M54. Looking forward to it!

This is awesome, but something just didn't look right, kept studying the photos then it dawned on me the air cleaner is on the wrong fender

I think the 800 series had the air cleaner on the drivers side.

Was there an Artillery Tractor version of this? I seem to recall that in one of the Tankograd books (Reforger series)there was a 5t truck shown towing a 155 howitzer - all in the MERDC scheme. Would a conversion be viable - assuming the towing truck was an artillery variant - and that any conversion requirements are relatively simple? Thnaks in advance.

You are correct. The M800 series was very similar. The easiest way to tell the difference was the M800 series had a rounded, scalloped hood shape and the relocated air cleaner to the driver's side. M813 5 ton Yes, the basic M54 truck was used as a prime mover for the M114A1 155mm howitzer, not an artillery tractor. The truck was unmodified as the howitzer simply connected to the towing pintle. So yes you can mate it with an M114A1 howitzer, available from Bronco Models. Hard to see, but this is an M54 pulling an M114 in Vietnam. M114A1 w/ M54 behind it in Vietnam. Bronco M114A1 (late) Howitzer Bronco's M1A1 (Early M114) boxart has it being pulled by an M54 as well.

Gino, Thanks - that's great news for me (as a Cold War modeller)and means I can link my venerable Italeri M114 (I'll give the Bronco one a miss I think) with the AFV truck once it's released. I'll probably try and replicate the pictures in the Tankograd book (once I get them back from a friend)and portray the MERDC scheme. Would you mind if, in due course, I tap into your knowledge to try and devise suitable markings? This might be a little way down the road as it were, not least as the truck hasn't been released yet, or not in UK just yet. Thanks again for your help and confirmation. Brian

I remember the M54A2 quite well. As the XO of HHT 2/11 ACR in 1979, I had several in my charge. One, M54A2, bumper number 444, was the bane of my existence for a while. I first saw it in 1977, when I was a Cavalry Platoon Leader. She was sitting forlornly in the motor pool on a low boy, transported from Grafewhor after the summer '77 tank gunnery. She'd lost her brakes downhill, and in an effort to stop, the driver had slammed it into reverse, ripping out the intermediate axle. I thought at the time what a sorry mess she was, covered in dirt, axle piled in the bed, and the "vultures" had already circled, removing parts to get other trucks back on the road. She sat there for two years, parts slowly being removed to get other trucks off "deadline". Then in the Spring of 1979, I was made XO of HHT, trading a perfectly good Platoon leader's position with Sheridans for a motor pool and a mess hall--and #444 amongst the 50 or so trucks in the HHT. I was given an ultimatum by Major Apler, the Squadron XO, to have #444 up and running in one month, or suffer the consequences since it had come to the attention of the V Corps IG that #444 had become a derelict and somebody was going to "pay" for it. The motor Sergeant told me he'd have it running by the appointed day. Major Apler suffered from gout, and didn't leave his office a lot. When the appointed day came around, I walked out to the motor pool, where the maintenance team had cleaned, repaired and replaced many parts on #444 and she was standing, gently idling. the Motor Sergeant and I hopped in, where I was dismayed to see there were no floor boards in the cab! My motor Sergeant explained they had been used to fix another distressed M54A2 the year before. He went on to say there were also no brakes in #444, and the intermediate and rear axles had no gears. He said -- "Sir, I'll drive #444 up to Major Aplers office, you hop out and have him stick his head out the window, where he can see the bumper number, and I'll hold her on the hill with the transmission (there was a slight rise in front of our HQ where Major Apler's office was). With trepidation, I figured it was the best plan for all concerned, and being relieved would at least deliver me from having to worry about #444 and mice in the mess hall. At the appointed time, we rolled up in front of Apler's office, I hopped out, ran up the stairs and dutifully announced to Maj. Apler "Sir, we've got #444 running again" pointing out the window (I wasn't lying). Apler stuck his head out the window, saw #444 idling out on the curb, turned around and said "Good job XO, now get out of my office and find something else to fix". As I gleefully hopped back into the cab, my feet positioned on the frame, with the pavement visible below the truck, my Motor Sergeant pulled away from the curb and the scrutiny of Major Apler's gaze. My stoic Motor Sergeant then said "Sir, you understand this is the first time and the last time this truck has run since 1977, and as soon as we get it back to the motor pool, we're going to park and hide it until we turn it in as salvage". Which is what we did until Maj. Apler left the Unit. In the meantime, we had fun shuttling #444 between motor pools and training areas as "tow practice". My Motor Sergeant was adept at changing bumper numbers of another better running M54A2 to "444" whenever Maj. Apler was expected in the area. Eventually, we were able to send 444 to the "Can point" (depot level cannibalization point) in Kitzigen for salvage as a "not cost effective--un-repairable over-milage vehicle"). It was then I realized the Army could have a lot in common with "McHales Navy"! I'm going to buy this new M54A2 and paint it up as #444. VR, Russ