By Joshua Mathis
Anti-tank scooterType of motorcycleThe Vespa 150 TAP was an anti-tank scooter made in the 1950s from a Vespa scooter for use with French paratroops (troupes aéroportées, TAP). [1] Modifications from the civilian Vespa included a reinforced frame and a 75 mm (3.0 in) recoilless rifle mounted to the scooter. [1][2]Vespa 150 TAPThe 150 TAPs mounted a M20 75 mm recoilless rifle, a U.S.-made light anti-armour weapon. It was very light in comparison to a standard 75 mm (3.0 in) cannon but was still able to penetrate 100 mm (3.9 in) of armour with its HEAT warhead. [citation needed]The "Bazooka Vespa" was relatively cheap: Vespas cost roughly US$500 at the time, and the M20s were plentiful.
And if we’re going by the most perniciousness per pound, no tech tops the tiny military scooter French paratroopers briefly (and successfully) employed in the 1950s. Absurdly, the Vespa 150 TAP (Troupes Aéroportées; airborne troops) was based on the updated version of the goofy and gutless civilian Italian motor scooter seen in the 1952 movie Roman Holiday. Related Story How To Get Started in MotorcyclesThe world’s fightingest motor scooter sported a beefed-up frame and lower gear ratios than the standard models. The Best Electric Scooters Best Overall Segway Segway Ninebot MAX Electric Kick Scooter Now 10% Off Ride Now Credit: Segway There's a reason Segway's Ninebot ES4 scooter tops every list. Best for Commuters Xiaomi Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter Ride Now Credit: Xiaomi Xiaomi Mi electric scooter is designed to make commuting a breeze, tackling everything from the rolling hills of San Francisco to the concrete jungle of New York City with ease.
General Information [ ]Vespa 150 TAP is one of The Legendary War Artifacts, that can be stored and displayed at Museum. Historical Description [ ]Motor scooters may not ordinarily be associated with warfare, but the Vespa 150 TAP is an exception. The French military needed some form of mobile light artillery to help quell colonial uprisings in the 1950s. The TAP was intended to be airdropped in pairs, fully assembled, alongside two paratroopers. Bizarre as it may seem, the TAP turned out to be an effective anti-guerrilla weapon for French troops fighting in Algeria and Indochina.
The Vespa 150 TAP, built by French Vespa licensee ACMA, was designed expressly to be used with the French airborne special forces, the Troupes Aéro Portées (TAP). C. GallianiThe Vespa TAP was designed to be airdropped into a military theater fully assembled and ready for immediate action. The Vespa TAP, or "Bazooka Vespa", a scooter with a 3 inch cannon for use with paratroops. AdvertisementA dashboard view of the Vespa TAP Screenshot/https://www.youtube/watch?v=HgSGvzlPaaERemarkably, aside for a slight overhaul of the engine, plus the inclusion of the rifle and ammunition mounts, the standard Vespa and the TAP were designed almost identically. However ingenious the TAP was, the vehicle was never used outside of the French military during engagements in Algeria and French Indochina.
Also known as the “Bazooka Scooter”, the Vespa 150 TAP (Troupes Aéroportées) was a scooter that saw real (if fairly limited) use among French paratroopers. A modified Vespa scooter designed to be airdropped alongside paratroopers behind enemy lines, serving as both a transport and a packmule for the M20 Recoilless Rifle. Note: The Vespa 150 TAP isn’t designed to fire on the move, but it could, if you really wanted it to. Turntable, wire views, and UV maps on the related ArtStation page: https://www.artstation/artwork/68Yy56
The Vespa 150 TAP, so named for its use by French paratroopers (Troupes AéroPortées), was an anti-tank scooter introduced in 1956. The answer was a 246-pound gnat that could be dropped from an airplane and quickly put into action upon landing. The 150 TAP was nicknamed the Bazooka Vespa, although it didn’t actually employ a bazooka. The gun would then be removed and mounted onto a Browning M1917 machine gun tripod. Because there aren’t many known survivors out there—most were lost on the battlefield—a Vespa 150 TAP doesn’t often come up for auction.
The Vespa 150 TAP (Troupes Aero Portees) was built for use in the 1950's Algerian War. Basically it was a standard Vespa 150cc scooter which had been modified to carry a 75mm Mk 20 recoilless rifle. They were designed to work together in pairs, with one scooter carrying the rifle and the other the ammunition. Once on the ground, the riders would assemble the scooters, load the weapon/ammo and be on their way. Since the rifle was recoilless, it could be discharged while mounted to the scooter, but generally it would be removed and mounted to a tripod.
Build by the French military during the 1950s, it was conceived to be parachute-dropped to the battlefield where it was capable of disabling armored vehicles. How the Vespa was bornPhoto: VespaFrom popular civilian scooter to bazooka-equipped military vehiclePhoto: C.Galliani on Wikimedia CommonsA simple and effective designPhoto: C.Galliani on Wikimedia CommonsIt wasn’t the first military Vespa, but it was the most outrageousPhoto: B25es on Wikimedia CommonsToday, Vespa is the world’s most popular brand of scooters and mopeds. When he first saw the new two-wheeler codenamed MP6, Enrico Piaggio allegedly exclaimed "Sembra una vespa!" However, ACMA stated that, in theory, the M20 could be fired while mounted on the Vespa in case of an emergency, even when the scooter was moving. The first units were built from 1956 to 1958, while slightly upgraded versions were assembled in 1959.In Italy, Piaggio developed its own military version of the scooter called Vespa Force Armate as early as 1949.
Vespa's 150 TAP (Troupes Aéro Portées)Vespa's factory-developed Vespa Force Armate prototype was envisaged with a variety of options, including mounting a submachine-gun on the handlebars, a radio under the saddle and an armored leg shield. French Vespa licensee ACMA won the gig. Despite an unmistakably different profile, the Vespa 150 TAP differed little from the Vespa scooter of the time. It used a 150cc two-stroke engine derived by ACMA from the Vespa 125 motor, with different bore and stroke to the Vespa 150 engine from the factory. The 150 TAP was often deployed with a trailer, which was used for additional supplies and a lightweight stand for the M20.
