Description
TM 9-2300-224-20 Change 13 Maintenance Manual Update – M113, XM474E2, M577, M106 & M132 – August 1969
Item Overview
TM 9-2300-224-20 Change 13 is an August 1969 update to the U.S. Army's organizational maintenance manual for five tracked carriers in the M113 family. It applies to the base manual issued on December 15, 1961. The listed vehicles include personnel, guided missile equipment, command post, mortar, and flame thrower carriers. Sold as a Change 13 supplement, this publication belongs with the underlying maintenance manual and its applicable earlier changes.
Identification and Features
The change number and issue date identify this update within the Army's maintenance publication series. The equipment titles and Federal Stock Numbers below connect its stated coverage to the correct carrier models.
- Publication number: TM 9-2300-224-20.
- Update designation: Change 13.
- Change issue date: August 1969.
- Base manual date: December 15, 1961.
- Manual category: Organizational maintenance.
- M113 Armored Personnel Carrier: FSN 2320-629-1294.
- XM474E2 Guided Missile Equipment Carrier: FSN 1450-831-6942.
- M577 Command Post Carrier: FSN 2320-856-6624.
- M106 107mm Self-Propelled Mortar Carrier: FSN 2350-860-2350.
- M132 Self-Propelled Flame Thrower Carrier: FSN 2350-987-8900.
Function and Contents
Change 13 updates the maintenance reference used by unit mechanics responsible for these vehicles. Organizational maintenance means servicing and repairs performed within the unit that operates the equipment. The December 1961 base manual covers lubrication, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and work on the engine, fuel and cooling systems, electrical equipment, transmission, tracks, suspension, hull, and rear ramp. This supplement revises that reference as directed by its change instructions and is used with the base publication.
Publication History
The December 15, 1961 base edition replaced the March 15, 1960 edition of TM 9-2300-224-20 and its October 1960 Change 1. Archival records document later versions of the manual covering additional specialized carriers during the early 1960s. The August 1969 Change 13 continued this publication's update history during the Vietnam War era. Separate change issues allowed the Army to revise affected material while keeping the main manual in use.
Documented Applications
The M113 transported infantry under armor, while the XM474E2 carried equipment for the early Pershing guided missile system. The M577 supplied a mobile workspace for command personnel and communications equipment. The M106 carried a 107mm, or 4.2-inch, mortar and its supporting equipment. The M132 carried a vehicle-mounted flame thrower installation. These applications show how the Army adapted a common tracked vehicle family to several jobs, each with its own equipment layout and maintenance needs.
Equipment History
FMC developed the M113 from a 1950s Army requirement for a light, fully tracked armored personnel carrier. The Army began accepting the vehicle in 1960. Its aluminum armor, rear loading ramp, and cross-country mobility supported infantry working alongside tanks. The original M113 used a Chrysler gasoline engine; the diesel-powered M113A1 entered service in 1964. Specialized members of the family expanded the design into command, mortar, flame thrower, and missile-equipment roles, making shared vehicle maintenance an important part of unit support.
Weapon-System Background
The systems supported by these carriers ranged from infantry weapons to guided missiles. The M113's standard armament was a Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun. The M106's 107mm mortar supplied indirect fire, sending rounds along a high, curved path to support nearby troops. The M132 used the M10-8 flame thrower system with a flame gun in a rotating cupola. The XM474E2 served the early Pershing missile system's transport needs. Together with the M577 command vehicle, these carriers helped units move, communicate, and support combat forces.
History of Use
M113 carriers reached South Vietnam in 1962 for service with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. U.S. forces later used large numbers of M113-family vehicles there for troop movement, armored operations, and support duties. M132-family flame carriers also served in Vietnam, including work clearing foliage and antipersonnel mines. The XM474E2's service role belonged to the early Cold War Pershing program. Maintenance publications helped mechanics support readiness across these different assignments through regular servicing and repairs.
Ideal For
This change supplement fits a collection focused on Army vehicle manuals, M113-family equipment, or Vietnam-era maintenance records. Its value for research lies in its specific issue date, change number, and coverage of several specialized carriers. It is also useful when assembling a period manual set and comparing how Army maintenance references developed over time.
- Collectors of U.S. Army technical manuals and numbered change supplements.
- Restorers assembling period references for the listed tracked carriers.
- Historians studying armored support vehicles and early Pershing equipment.
- Museums documenting military vehicle maintenance and Vietnam-era service.
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .15", Approx weight .2lbs.
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