Vigilant Anti-Tank Missile - Service Dates and Organisation

I would welcome any help regarding the Vickers Vigilant anti-tank missile in service with BAOR.

I would like to know:
- when the missile entered service in BAOR
- what unit types (infantry battalion, armoured infantry battalion?) it was issued to and how it was organised (platoon?) and numbers per unit
- when the missiles left front line service with BAOR.

The missile was also fitted to Ferret scout cars - I would like to know what types of unit would have ferrets fitted with these missiles, together with organisation and numbers.

Thank you.

SteveR wrote:

The missile was also fitted to Ferret scout cars - I would like to know what types of unit would have ferrets fitted with these missiles, together with organisation and numbers.

Thank you.

Armd Recce Regts were equiped with this piece of kit!

Many thanks

SteveR wrote:

Many thanks

Pleasure, I'll be chatting to a couple of guys who were about when this kit was in service. Twas mounted on a Ferret MK2/6.

soprano54 wrote:

SteveR wrote:

Many thanks

Pleasure, I'll be chatting to a couple of guys who were about when this kit was in service. Twas mounted on a Ferret MK2/6.

I've been reliably informed that there was one Ferret MK2/6 in each Troop of which there four per Sqn and there were three Sqns to a Regt.

soprano54 wrote:

I've been reliably informed that there was one Ferret MK2/6 in each Troop of which there four per Sqn and there were three Sqns to a Regt.

This is great - thank you again

hi there,
Interesting subject.
I did swingfire ATGW in about 1983-4.On 438's.
The RA gave it to the RAC. In my regt it was one of the shortest lived troops ever.........it lasted 9 months....including 3x SLTA - 1x BATUS and 2x range periods...and then it went back to the RA I believe.
Didn't enjoy the weapon system.........on the flanks and up all night with the sep.sight !!
1420H had the best hit percentage of the RAC.....about 89% I recall.
The 438 finally disapeared but swingfire was retained in the Striker (cvr-t).
atb
pinky
HUSSAR

pinky wrote:

hi there,
Interesting subject.
I did swingfire ATGW in about 1983-4.On 438's.
The RA gave it to the RAC. In my regt it was one of the shortest lived troops ever.........it lasted 9 months....including 3x SLTA - 1x BATUS and 2x range periods...and then it went back to the RA I believe.
Didn't enjoy the weapon system.........on the flanks and up all night with the sep.sight !!
1420H had the best hit percentage of the RAC.....about 89% I recall.
The 438 finally disapeared but swingfire was retained in the Striker (cvr-t).
atb
pinky
HUSSAR

We found ourselves with a GW Tp when QOH moved to Hohne in '70.
That was Swingfire/438, of course. Deployed to cover the regiment's flanks, as I recall.
It sticks in my mind that the RHA had Swingfire later. It looks like there was quite a lot of shuffling around going on Pinky !
(I never understood how it was that the periscope for Swingfire was made in East Germany).

brum wrote:

pinky wrote:

hi there,
Interesting subject.
I did swingfire ATGW in about 1983-4.On 438's.
The RA gave it to the RAC. In my regt it was one of the shortest lived troops ever.........it lasted 9 months....including 3x SLTA - 1x BATUS and 2x range periods...and then it went back to the RA I believe.
Didn't enjoy the weapon system.........on the flanks and up all night with the sep.sight !!
1420H had the best hit percentage of the RAC.....about 89% I recall.
The 438 finally disapeared but swingfire was retained in the Striker (cvr-t).
atb
pinky
HUSSAR

We found ourselves with a GW Tp when QOH moved to Hohne in '70.
That was Swingfire/438, of course. Deployed to cover the regiment's flanks, as I recall.
It sticks in my mind that the RHA had Swingfire later. It looks like there was quite a lot of shuffling around going on Pinky !
(I never understood how it was that the periscope for Swingfire was made in East Germany).

This all happened in the late 70s, if you recall Armd Regts went up to 62 per Regt (15 per Sabre Sqn (x4) and 2 in RHQ) from I think 44 (14 per Sabre Sqn (x3) and 2 in RHQ). They had to find the manpower from somewhere so we lost Recce Tp and GW. When you went on exercise the Close Recce was done by the Bde/TF Armd Recce Regt, in our case 15/19 and the GW came from the Bde/TF Field Arty unit. In 1984 this changed again and we got back our Close Recce Tp and GW but the 438 didn't last much longer as in 85 it was deemed as defunct! I was quite glad in a way as it shortened (at very little notice) my Gunnery Instrs course, which I was on at time!!!

Hi there,
I recall getting class 1 pay as a swingfire trained operator......which was cool as I wasn't due my chieftain driver mech until later !!
We had some Gnry R.I's convert us plus some RA that transferred to us as swingfire experts.(about 5,all good lads). Plus as a driver we had to convert to 432's,2 quite rushed courses.
I remember getting an engine runaway on the ranges........yep the governer was low !! oops.
atb
pinky
HUSSAR

SteveR wrote:

soprano54 wrote:

I've been reliably informed that there was one Ferret MK2/6 in each Troop of which there four per Sqn and there were three Sqns to a Regt.

This is great - thank you again

Correction there would have been five of the seven Troops equipped with the Ferret Mk2/6, sorry!

[/quote]

This all happened in the late 70s, if you recall Armd Regts went up to 62 per Regt (15 per Sabre Sqn (x4) and 2 in RHQ) from I think 44 (14 per Sabre Sqn (x3) and 2 in RHQ). They had to find the manpower from somewhere so we lost Recce Tp and GW. When you went on exercise the Close Recce was done by the Bde/TF Armd Recce Regt, in our case 15/19 and the GW came from the Bde/TF Field Arty unit.

Thanks for the info, when all that was going on I was on a UK posting, followed by demob.

I'm trying to imagine there being no recce tp. I bet there were some long faces among The Elite when that one kicked in !