Unimog Club UK

South African Defence Force BUFFEL APC
‘Mine Protected Armoured Personnel Carrier’

The first order for 288 productions BUFFEL’s were placed in 1977. Under project GEISHA; research and development was done by the chemical defence unit of the CSIR. This paved the way for project BOSVARK (BUSHPIG); which was registered in 1976. The defence force required a very special kind of multipurpose vehicle to use in the difficult terrain in which South Africa is famous for. In addition, the ideal vehicle should be tough, able to transport an infantry section with full kit and be able to pull a trailer in operational conditions. Obviously such a vehicle would have to be very well designed so mobility trials were conducted on the prototype vehicles on all types of terrains. In August 1976, Mercedes-Benz as know then under the alias of UCDD agreed to assist in the development and upgrading of a chassis for project BOSVARK.

The South African army workshops undertook the task of converting the UNIMOG’s into BOSVARK MK1 vehicles, a total of 56 times. These first BOSVARK vehicles were the gene pull; with all the designs and ideas going into the prototype chassis. It was frothily tested to the extreme and in the harsh environments as possible. If there were ideas or parts that did not work, they were modified and tested again. By August 1976, the UCDD together with the CSIR developed a steel bodied BOSVARK prototype MK2. This new prototype went back to the testing grounds, was manhandled to the extreme and tested over and above its capabilities. After numerous vehicles were tested, blown up and completely destroyed; more modifications were requested to improve on the prototype. An order was placed for 9 vehicles with armoured steel and was delivered in February 1977 with a unit cost of R7000 each excluding the UNIMOG chassis.

These 9 prototype vehicles had to be tested yet again, which resulted in another 66 modifications. The newly modified vehicle was now known as the BUFFEL MK1. ARMSCOR immediately placed an order for 288 vehicles and was first delivered in 1977. The UNIMOG 416 chassis was built by UCDD in East London, the body and a few finishing touches were constructed by Steel Mobil in Rosslyn. The vehicle was very heavy at first, and they carried out another 66 modifications and trimmed off a total of 200kg from the production weight. When ARMSCOR and CSIR was finished, the vehicle had a new total weight of 6000kg ‘6 tonne’, and was now known as the BUFFEL MK1A. The BUFFEL MK1A was a supped up version with drum brakes using the UNIMOG Model 416 chassis with a production cost of R29958. Another improved chassis was also introduced with disc brakes and was known as the BUFFEL MK1B.

The length of the vehicle came in at 5,1m with a width of 2,05m and a total height of 2,95m. It had a max speed of 93 kilometres per hour. With a ground clearance of 420mm, it had exceptional off-road capabilities having the option of using 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive and also full diff lock. It could transport 11 fully equipped soldiers, was mounted with a light machine gun and carried 100L of fresh drinking water all safely contained in a V-Shaped hull. Designed with a V-Shaped hull to protect the crew from antitank mines during operational duties; it was intended to withstand a blast from one 7kg TNT antitank mine. This proved no threat to the vehicle or its crew and they tested the BUFFEL with three 7kg TNT antitank mines making a total of 21kg TNT. The blast was so great that it flipped the BUFFEL upside down and another very important modification was done to all production models; the heavy duty roll bar was fitted.

During operational service approximately 500 antitank mines were detonated in which many were multiple mines and boosted mines with mortars and other types of explosives. Recorded statistics show; in 4 years 7 months, 2706 crew members were involved in mine detonations, with a total of 246 detonations, 453 were injured and a total of 19 died. During a military operation in 1983, located in KAOKOVELD, a BUFFEL detonated a British MK7 antitank mine which penetrated through the main hull setting the vehicle on fire killing 8 of the 11 soldiers. The BUFFEL proved itself in operational conditions and was so reliable; other variants of the vehicle were also introduced.

The MOFFEL; which was a cargo carrying logistics vehicle with a max payload of 1800kg. It was often recorded the MOFFEL carried loads of 2500kg. An ambulance, ROADRUNNER and fully enclosed BUFFEL MK2 variant was also tested but the greater increase in extra weight proved too much. A total of 2464 BUFFEL’s were produced for the South African Defence Force, 68 were produced for civilian use as fire fighting vehicles and some 141 were exported to Shi Lanka and Uganda. During the high demand for the vehicle, a total of 6 per day were being produced.

It served a very good role in the SADF up to 1990 and a replacement was looked at due to the changing technologies and cost affectedness of keeping the aging vehicles in service. The remaining BUFFEL’s were used for peacekeeping during the settlement riots and was fully faced out of service with the SADF from 1994. A very small number were kept in the SADF and used for light roles during training and logistics.

Vehicle Type: Mine protected armoured personnel carrier

Crew: 1 driver, 10 seated crew

Armament: Optional mounted light machine gun with 10 fixed firing ports

Mass: 6.14 tonne combat loaded excluding crew

Length: 5,1m

Width: 2,05m

Height: 2,95m

Ground clearance: 420mm

Brake type BUFFEL MK1A: Drum brakes

Brake type BUFFEL MK1B: Disc brakes

Engine: 6 cylinder ‘5675cc’ water cooled diesel, delivering 93, 25 kW at 2800rpm

Engine model: Atlantis Diesel Engine ADE352 or Mercedes-Benz OM352

Power/mass ratio: 15,19kW/t

Transmission: Synchronised with 8 forward and 4 reverse gears, transfer box integral with gearbox, in-motion changing between 4x4 and 4x2 drive, equal power distribution between front and rear axles

Wheels: 12,5R20 at 3bar pressure all round

Fuel: 200L Diesel tank

Water: 100L tank

Performance: max road speed 93 km/h

Range: 1000km on a 200L diesel tank

CODE NAME: SAVE THE BUFFEL

Looks like a proper truck that! How do the wheels effect the hubs with the offset they have? at 6.14 tonnes that's a lot of strain.