6th Bn, 14th Arty (8-in/175) Wessling, Dusters / Quads of Battery E, The remainder of the battalion was concurrently inactivated. Contact: Robert Wronski. Artillery They were together as a Battery a total of 10 times (a total of 3 months), the longest of which was approximately 40 days they spent together on LZ Hambone, the rest of their time was spent as 2 (plt) and 4 (-) howitzer units. We knew that Elvis was the COs driver so as the lead jeep passed us we waved and yelled to him. Units, FIRST FIELD FORCE VIETNAM ARTILLERY We calibrated the guns and did fire missions day and night. Shortly thereafter, the Army launched another multi-division operation called Junction City. Throughout our Website you will see abbreviations we will try to put them into parenthesis next to the word it most commonly replaces and for words that require more in-depth explanation we will try to link it to it's expansion in the glossary. 1964. We saw a huge convoy approaching us in the passing lane and someone saw that it was the same outfit that Elvis was in. To compensate for the lack of firepower the North Vietnamese stressed rigorous discipline, tactical superiority, and careful preparation. War REST IN PEACE. The 265th had a massive turnover of Officers and men during my 36 month posting to the Battalion. 1st Bn, 92nd Arty (155, T) 5th Bn, I have often wondered how that boy turned out, since at the age of twelve he spoke fluent Polish, English, German, and French. You will find their stories incorporated into the appropriate areas. This pamphlet was edited by 1Lt Robert A. Hentzen, who later became a reknowned sports reporter with a Topeka newspaper. For a buck you could be a big shot and buy the section Lowenbraus all night. These bombardments along with small arms fire broke up several attacks during the day. Carefully situated in hard-to-reach areasjungles, mountains, and swampsand provided with escape routes, the bastions furnished the enemy excellent bases from which they assaulted South Vietnam. Contact: Stu Sears, Responsible for III Corps And So depending on when you joined the unit, you could have moved a lot or not at all. Maybe he was using both. In Summons of the Trumpet: US-Vietnam Perspective (1978), David R. Palmer, an advisor to the Vietnamese Military Academy and Vietnamese armor units during the Vietnam War, caught the essence of the transformation- of Army tactics caused by the drive for fire support. 3rd Bn, 16th Arty (155, T) 5th Bn, 27th Arty (105, T) 42nd
It reduced fatigue and the resulting errors of fire direction center personnel. Contact: Richard frameset, Victor Gensmer's photos of the 317th Sig Bn (Const), Des
The 42nd Artillery, CAC was an Army Railway Artillery Regiment and was assigned to the French 240mm Railway mounted guns. It is also noted that March 1969 records from the 5th Battalion, 42nd Battery indicate that the veteran's unit (A Battery) terminated a support role of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, thus supporting the claim that his unit did support the 199th. Camp J.J. Carroll - September 1970 62 The following year, Picou explained in MilitaryReview, From the division artillery viewpoint, the most significant outcome of this campaign [Ia Drang] was the use of aerial artillery.63 Aerial artillery gunships flew to the scene and were able to locate and attack enemy forces. 5th Battalion, 38th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division, [ Steel Behind the Rock ], Korea 1969. Even though the North Vietnamese did not achieve their objective, their ability to initiate such an offensive stimulated a great debate in the United States. I remember playing with race car sets and the day we melted down a bunch of .45 cal slugs on the stove and made a lead Frisbee like the one "Odd-Job" used in the James Bond movie, "Goldfinger". The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the 42d Field Artillery Battalion on 7 May 1942. We were evaluated by Brass from the 42nd as well as from V Corps. 1st Bn, 27th Arty (155, SP) To eliminate confusion The Artillery and Missile School devised a method to fire in a complete circle in 1966 and disseminated it throughout the Army.72 Moreover, the school increased its instruction time on firing in a complete circle (6400-mils) to prepare grad- uates better for combat in Vietnam. V Corps Artillery
Although the Army continued fighting into 1973, Vietnamization changed the field artillerys primary mission. The units moved into pre-arranged positions around the Triangle to seal it off and attacked.82 As expected, main force Viet Cong units dispersed as the Americans and South Vietnamese pushed into the bastion. H = Howitzer Like most Army units, sports was a big part of off hours. Contact: My first assignment was in the radar group, which didnt last very long. Bet you cant guess the name of the Battalion Commanders daughter. 1) Dan Ward. Even though field artillery officers tried to minimize displacements, the speed of the ground troops and the size of the area compelled them to make over 160 displacements, which strained the divisions air resources. This meant that the infantry and cavalry would have to fight alone on the enemys terms unless they were under a protective umbrella of fire support. As his article indicated, he believed that the field artillery had made a significant break- through with aerial artillery because it provided effective support to airmobile units. Consequently, an artillery battalion no longer supported an entire brigade as it had done in previous wars. Whenever possible or appropriate, the pilots adjusted tube artillery to flush personnel into the open and then attacked. We were shaped up by 8 am. During the second week of November, both sides opened offensives to gain control of the la Drang Valley. army combat readiness test. COL Mundinger (deceased) was the commander of the Honest John missile battalion (3rd MSL Bn, 79th Arty). Even though it was transported by heli- copter, tube artillery lacked sufficient mobility to respond to fast-moving situations. Unit Crest (We Support the Line) 29th Field Artillery Regiment. 1st Bn, 77th Arty (105, T) 41st Artillery Group SP = Self-propelled Gouttes Kaserne, composed
In early 1971 for example C Btry occupied 3 firebases all within 7 miles of each other for mutual support of the Engineers working on the roads, the ARVN's and US Infantry pounding the bush as well as the 3 firebases. tales of the field artillery Since diodes and chips were not available, the Q-10 radar set operated on vacuum tubes. Originally was XXX Corps It seems there was a DP camp over the hill from our position. read more 1 2 3 Next Vietnam era Paper & Ephemera. The 1st Battalion, The Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment, CASF was mobilized on 5 March 1942, and served as part of the Canadian Army's Atlantic Command in a home defence role. Pentagon civiliansalso wanted the South Vietnamese to assume more responsibility for their own defense and hoped to end the war through negotiation rather than a resounding military victory. As the fighting grew hotter, the 1st Cavalry quickly concentrated by using the helicopters mobility, defeated the North Vietnamese, and forced them to retreat. David Powell, 2nd Battalion, 94th Artillery We lived in a big barracks building on the QM Depot. artillery groups were part of First Field Force Vietnam Artillery (IFFV Arty), in the 2 The base along with the availability of naval gunfire and tactical air gave the Army the capacity to rain deadly fire and reinforced the grow- ing trend of relying upon firepower rather than maneuver for defeating the enemy. We went to the firing ranges in Graf. Russ Warriner, Battery of I had always thought that he had 175mm SPHs there. Contact: Dante' or unit contact's e-mail address. The people I remember were our CO Capt. It looks like the picture was of an inspection or something. He drove by with a smile and gave us a sweeping Hi and a wink. Contact: Rick Contact: William For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for 42nd Field Artillery Regiment . Kinnard to destroy the retreating North Vietnamese units responsible for the assault. The Lt. then put it in a classified record for use if hostilities broke out. 2nd Bn, 321st Arty (105, T) 4, 6th Bn, 29th Arty (105, T) The 1st Field Force with two groups - the 41st and 52nd - and 2 separate Battalions (BN) provided artillery support for all of II Corps Tactical Zone (IICTZ). Seeking to take advantage of the enemys condition, Westmoreland proposed a two-fisted offensive, a ground attack against sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia and an intensive bombing campaign. Complete list of During my time there he received his Captains bars. E. Sones, 7th Battalion, 15th 1st Bn, 14th Arty, 198th Inf Bde (105, T) Within twenty- four hours after the beginning of Tet, on 30 January 1968 Hanoi launched a series of attacks from the demilitarized zone to the southern tip of Vietnam. I lucked out and was given KP duty, which I didnt like at first. was the farthest north just below the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), II Corps included the commands used in artillery fire missions The 1st Cavalry had the capability to maneuver their artillery aggressively on the battlefield to destroy the enemy and refused to allow difficult terrain to hinder delivering huge amounts of firepower upon enemy positions. This habitual association decentral- ized fire direction from the battalion to the battery and frequently isolated the battery from the rest of its battalion. It was redesignated for the 42d Artillery Regiment on 26 November 1958. Enemy tactics compelled the resumption of small unit actions, ranging from squad- to company-size. A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 1/16inches (2.70cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Gules, two bendlets between four shells, two in chief and two in base, all Or. The 42nd Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army, first Constituted 5 July 1918 in the National Army (USA). The base was abandoned and turned over to farmland although the Long Thanh North airfield is clearly visible on satellite images. By doing this FADAC greatly increased accuracy, decreased response time, and allowed gun crews to fire longer missions and hit more targets with less ammunition. You may have been within range of each other but this was not always the case one thing for certain, you were always on a "road march." 509th RC, 5th Engineer Battalion. E. Thomas, Battery E, 82nd Artillery These other non-firing Btry's were the Service Battery (Svc Btry) plus the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery (HHB Btry). C Btry 5/4 Arty. When I ETS'd & came home, my accent was thick, broken English! Contact: Jim 1st Bn, 77th Arty (105, T) By having this record the gun could go to a known position and not have to wait for a survey. To eliminate confusion The Artillery and Missile School devised a method to fire in a complete circle in 1966 and disseminated it throughout the Army.72 Moreover, the school increased its instruction time on firing in a complete circle (6400-mils) to prepare grad- uates better for combat in Vietnam. She was worried about the German toilet paper (too rough), so just before he left we bought a big freezer and bought a side of beef and tons of American toilet paper. Contact the webmaster for more details. A memorandum for General Kalergis pointed out There is not [a] price tag in [on] the life of a US soldier, massive use of artillery, air and naval support will save US lives. Spc. Because of the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong practice of hitting from any direction at anytime, gun crews had to respond quickly and deliver fire in a full circle.71 Realizing that existing procedures were inadequate, gun crews improvised their own to furnish fire in a complete circle. "First For Freedom" McBride, (not It was some kind of Battery test so the radar crew was given a truck load of C rations and stuck in a remote site away from the rest of the unit. Heavily armed helicopter gunships entered the fray, while the two batteries at Landing Zone Falcon and two at Landing Zone Columbus laid down a devastating shield ot iron. 2nd Bn, 320th Arty (105, T) Integrated basic and advanced officer courses, which had been initiated in 1947, had failed to provide officers with adequate preparation to serve effectively in either artillery.93 With support from the Armys Assistant Chief of Staff for Training, the Continental Army Command created basic courses for the two artilleries in 1957 but reintegrated basic officer training in 1958 through 1961 because of the lack of officers and money.94 In the meantime, the Continental Army Command retained the integrated artillery advanced course for officers with five to eight years of experience because of pressure to maintain flexibility in officer assignments. Battalion, 92nd Artillery unit on this page. five-four-fa.fifthinfantrydivision.com. I remember our cooks: Mack Lingo, Watson, Greb and The Chief. 1st [ADA]), 4th Battalion, 42nd Artillery Using this as protection, the Americans then pushed towards the North Vietnamese, who retreated. XXIV Corps Artillery, 1st Bn, 40th Arty (105, SP) For the field artillery these capabilities were critical because the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong were elusive, used hit-and-run tactics, and engaged the Americans and their allies at close distance with the idea of negating their superiority in artillery, helicopter, and tactical air support. 3rd Bn, 13th Arty (155/8-in, SP), 2nd Bn, 14th Arty (105, T) Unable to take such punishment, the NVietnamese finally abandoned their drive to destroy the artillery that had been so destruc- tive at X-Ray. I remember the fallout shelter symbols at our school (Giessen American Elementary, I believe) but we had no "duck and cover" drills. Photos - Vietnam War Likewise, firepower succeeded only because the North Vietnamese stood and fought. Contact: Bill Wright, 155mm H SP (M109) + 8-inch H Dan Gillotti, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Artillery He dropped it with one round from his M16. 6th Bn, 33rd Arty (105, T) Battery is abbreviated as BTRY or Btry. 7th Bn, 11th Arty (105, T) errors. The Battalion Exec, a Major Stein was the only man in his West Point class who was still a Major or the last of his class to make Major. Vietnam era Field Gear. For the Canadian regiment, see, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1st Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 2nd Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 3rd Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 4th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 5th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), 6th Battalion 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States), https://web.archive.org/web/20110722214111/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Heraldry/ArmyDUISSICOA/ArmyHeraldryUnit.aspx?u=3446, http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/lineages/branches/fa/default.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=42nd_Field_Artillery_Regiment&oldid=1133948340. From here the military would defend against a major North Vietnamese thrust and engage in limited offensive operations to keep the enemy off balance. Went to a few bistros, a few gasthauses, the bahnhof. XXIV Corps Artillery howitzers because of their rapid- Contact: Bob Taking hi3 argument even further, Kinnard insisted that the 1st Cavalry lured the enemy into battle by teasing it with a seemingly unprotected airmobile infantry battalion. Once the enemy struck, the 1st Cavalry hit it hard with massive artillery support.60 Simply stat- ed, the battles of Ia Drang vindicated the airmobile concept and showed the field artillerys capac- ity to provide close support in difficult terrain. Battles in 1967 and 1968 also reflected this preoccupation with firepower. He was 18 years-old. He and his men trained at Fort Sill on the 105 mm towed howitzer. We were to fire one round from each gun to give the Russians something to think about, blow up the Breech blocks, and race like hell for the Spanish coast. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. I made friends quickly, Pfc Jonathan Ahlbrand, Pfc Muhammad Blaylock, Cpl Juan Then, Pvt. 9th infantry division vietnam 1967 bearcat. 1st Bn, 11th Arty (105, T) Museum of the Kansas National Guard . 1st Bn, 30th Arty (155, T), 3rd Bn, 6th Arty (105, SP) Along with the pressure from public opinion to preserve lives, by 1966 the Army made field artillery, naval, and air firepower more important than maneuver since infantry, armor, and cavalry units would not conduct operations unless they were under the protective umbrella of fire support. After 1st formation we had about a half hour to do section chores. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]. Authors His best friend was Ronnie Webster and they remained friends after he returned home. Although firepower was a decisive factor, it had limitations. Original WW2 US Army 39th Field Artillery DI / DUI / crest 204245392061 World War 2 & Korean War