Consumption levels were much less than those of their American/ARVN opponents. On the night of July 14, the new 122mm launchers were set up in six . The warhead is painted light or dark gray, and the rocket motor is painted light or silver gray. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-600390; 1974) The quiet of the 25th Infantry Division base camp at Cu Chi was shattered by explosions from incoming rocket rounds exactly one hour after midnight on 9 May 1968. 152175, Clodfelter. A major factor contributing to their success was the remarkable logistical support they created in an integrated network of bases, sanctuaries and lines of communication. Photo credits: Mykola Oleschuk. This changed as the war went on, and the PAVN took over more responsibility in-country after the 1968 Tet offensive. The initial American Operation Rolling Thunder campaign while inflicting painful local damage, did not halt the continual stream of men and materiel into the south. Vehicles rolled on a "relay" basis, moving mostly at night to avoid American air power, and the trail was plentifully supplied by jungle-like camouflage at all times. Of the Sihanouk Trail and Cambodia, one American military history says:[16]. Communist bloc support was vital for prosecution of the war in the South. The party sponsored competitive essays among the girls, with selected winners volunteering to join special "dare to die" unexploded bomb squads. [28], VC/PAVN formations suffered a shortage of modern radios. The whole network was segmented, so that one part did not know the other branches. The NVA and Viet Cong frequently used bamboo launchers for 122 mm rockets, like these found east of Saigon by a U.S. 1st Infantry Division patrol in March 1969. Transit time could take months, and sometimes entire units were disrupted and disbanded. The rockets vary . Not enough time to do anything except die a little inside. BM-13, BM-8, BM-31, BM-14, BM-21, BM-24, BM-25, BM-27, BM-30. 122mm Rocket Attack 9May68 [20] Food was always had locally, taxed away from peasants, purchased or even grown by VC units. While outside material was vital to the war effort, much of the resources needed were obtained inside South Vietnam. The limits of air power.. pp. Ten thousand trucks could move at a time, and improvements were made continuously by the 559th Transport Group. Large gangs of civilian laborers were drafted to keep the network functioning. Your generous donation will be used to ensure the memory of our Defence Forces and what they have done for us, and what they continue to do for our freedom remains today and into the future. Truck lights were dimmed or mounted under vehicles, and at regular intervals on some routes, spaces were cut into the jungle trees, forming small cups into which kerosene or some other flammable liquid was poured. She has written numerous military history books, articles and book reviews and is also an award-winning author. An incoming round exploding is a noise forever embedded in your brain and for years to come you could be affected by similar sounds. Action units sometimes helped with supply movement, such as floating 55-gallon drums of fuel down waterways a crude yet sometimes effective method of moving such material in bulk. Both weapons used the same intermediate 7.62mm cartridge, which eased logistics. Nevertheless, an enormous effort kept transportation networks open. Exploitation and deception were also used in air defense operations. The Chinese were content to provide supportive diplomatic rhetoric, manpower and material, but signaled they would not enter the fray unless the Americans invaded North Vietnam. 122 mm rockets captured in the rocket belt south of Da Nang transported on a mule motorized cart to Camp Dong Son. The range was approx 20km . Numbering some 50,000 to 70,000 laborers, the brigades were made up of recruits between 15 and 30, with heavy female representation as young men were siphoned off for combat. They were often quickly disabused of such notions as they encountered sullen peasants and withering US firepower. Since China bordered Vietnam, it was an immensely important conduit of material on land, although the Soviets also delivered some of its aid by sea. VC fighters in some areas ironically treasured the American M16 Rifle despite its sometimes quirky performance, for the wide availability of both the weapon and its ammunition on the black market or through purchase from corrupt ARVN soldiers, or through the careless handling and loss of magazines by US troops. One 1972 analysis for the US Senate on bombing notes the tenacity and resilience of PAVN and its logistics system: Throughout the war, the results of the bombing of North Vietnam have consistently fallen far short of the claims made for it. [34], Concealment and evasion. Further information on Vietnam war weapons of both sides: Austerity of communist force requirements, Effectiveness of the Trail despite interdiction efforts, Logistical organization inside South Vietnam, Techniques to deceive or fight US airpower and technology, Douglas Pike, PAVN: People's Army of Vietnam, (Presidio: 1996) pp. Cambodia's port of Sihanoukville made possible the flooding of the South Vietnam battlefield with a family of Sino-Soviet equipment that was completely compatible with that used by VC/NVA forces in the rest of Vietnam. PAVN units deemed ready for infiltration were transported from the training centers by train or truck to the coast, at places like Dong Hoi, where they received additional rations. The rocket launchers, relatively light, were broken down into portable pieces the men could carry, along with their ammunition. They also made use of the Soviet/Chinese 122mm rocket which was used effectively against populated areas and large installations such as airfields. In terms of stopping Hanoi's ruthless drive for reunification, the overall US bombing campaign, with its varied stops and starts, was ultimately ineffective in the face of cascading imports from socialist allies, political restraints on American action, the remorseless marshaling of the populace and the stoic endurance of the North Vietnamese. US Marines pushed the Vietnamese Communist Units back 20 Km so they could not hit DaNang AirBase. A fuel pipeline complete with pumping stations was even in place by 1969, and this was to multiply, together with other installations such as missile batteries, as the conflict extended. There was a significant overlap of logistical functions in the communist organization, as the PAVN and the VC civilian agencies worked an area. Her areas of interest include the Vietnam War and World Wars I and II, with a focus on Great Britain, Germany and Eastern Europe. cit, John Prados, The Blood Road, (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998), p. 2-45, Colonel Jack Broughton, Thud Ridge, (J. It carried the launch motor, flight motor, warhead and fuze for the 122mm Katyusha Rocket. Repairs were often done at night when the enemy aircraft would be less active. A Closer Look at North Vietnam's D-74 122 mm Field Gun One US intelligence estimate puts external communist supply requirements for Communist forces in South Vietnam at approximately 100 tons per day- 15 tons via the DMZ, 35 tons from Cambodia and 50 tons from Laos.[8]. . Rocket, 122mm HE Frag, 9M22M - Bulletpicker Those headed further beyond might travel through Laos. 31157, Krepinevich, The Army and Vietnam, pp. PHIL M. HAUN, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF. Tubes ranged from 8 to 10-feet in length. By 1970, the entire Trail bristled with anti-aircraft batteries. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. The STRATCOM Bureau on Twitter: "A bit ungrateful of our Ukrainian The B-52 has been used in Vietnam, the . The gap was filled primarily by China and Russia. Middle Eastern. save. military supplies were sailed directly from North Vietnam on communist-flagged (especially of the Eastern bloc) ships to the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, where that nation's neutrality guaranteed their delivery. The Ho Chi Minh Trail consumed massive amounts of attention, but the internal pipelines were also crucial, and these were not closed off because the US and particularly the South Vietnamese Government failed to control the major population concentrations effectively.[20]. [46], Camouflage and concealment. For example, US F-4 aircraft destroyed power generators at the Lang Chi Hydroelectric Plant during Linebacker I, but left its dam 50 feet (15m) away untouched to minimize civilian collateral damage. (Two above Photos by Chris Bussells, 31st HHC), Newly built Charlie Troop hooches before sandbags, Two above photos by Jordan Green (Charlie Troop Maintenance, 1969-70). Used sparingly and usually against a fire support base or special forces camps, the M-43 delivered a lethal punch, equal to that of the much larger 152mm howitzer use near the DMZ and the Cambodian border. One historian asserts: By 1975, the emergency troops had shepherded war material south and an estimated 700,000 wounded soldiers back to North Vietnam, while helping air defenders bring down some 8,558 U.S. aircraft lost in Southeast Asia. Many 122mm Rockets were deployed against US Air Bases as well as US Army Base Camps throughout their history. The warhead is painted light or dark gray, and the rocket motor is painted light or silver gray. Designated personnel were tasked with dismantling them, or watchmen kept them under observation- signaling all within blast distance to disperse when the bombs showed signs of detonating. The single-tube rocket system first became noticed during the Vietnam War, when the Viet Cong typically used 107 mm and 122 mm rockets to attack both military and civilian targets in South Vietnam. Q&A: Incendiary Weapons in Ukraine | Human Rights Watch June 24: A PAVN 122mm rocket struck the Thanh Tam Hospital in Ho Nai, Bin Ha Province, killing one patient. Internal supply from within South Vietnam was also crucial, particularly food supplies. As stated the speed in which a Crew could fire and move to another position (''Shoot and Scoot''), was very effective. D-74 ammunition consisted of metal cartridge containing two propellant charges. Sometimes the troops camped on the Trail itself between stations. Evidence Of American Zuni Rockets Arming Ukrainian Su-25s Emerges A 122mm rocket is an unguided surface-to-surface artillery rocket delivered by a multiple rocket launcher (MRL). 12 October 1972. Blog - Homemade Vietnamese Heavy Weapons of the 1st Indochinese War and attack personnel. When I first arrived in Phuoc Vinh mortar attacks were quite frequent. The North Vietnamese were quick to take advantage of the leverage afforded under both Johnson and Nixon. Segmentation enhanced security and was also sometimes used in moving troops with guide units only knowing their section of the trail or transport network. Although wire was sometimes run for field telephones in selected operations, they relied heavily on couriers for transmission of messages on the battlefield. When it sounded you scrambled to the nearest bunker for protection. The Type 85 single-tube launcher is not a necessity in this regard, although using it makes the rocket more accurate. 2002. I then went back to check my AO ( sleeping area). [9] Prepositioning was essential to PAVN tactics. Casualties caused by American airstrikes were low, accounting for only 2% of total losses. Traffic was regulated by numerous civilian helpers, often young girls. 5. Fin stabilization was used (4 on the tail of the rocket). When Hanoi showed no signs of weakening, the rationale shifted toward interdiction, but this goal, too, proved unobtainable. The Vietnam War as a Vietnamese War: Agency and Society in the Study of the Second Indochina War. Precision munitions aided this mandate. BM-21 Grad - Wikipedia Labor was recruited primarily by impressment/draft, or as a way to pay off VC taxes, although volunteers motivated by ideology also took part. Air interdiction of the Trail hurt supply efforts but failed to stop the logistical buildup on a sustained basis. Chinese Artillery Rockets - GlobalSecurity.org North Vietnam had relatively little industrial base. 1968. . The Trail covered a wide diversity of rough terrain. The hub of the North Vietnamese material distribution was Hanoi with its numerous railheads, bridges and major roads. A one-day supply of medicines was usually kept on hand, with the rest hidden off-site until needed. She is fluent in German and is a member of the U.K. Military Historical Society. [46] Official North Vietnamese sources also confirm the massive buildup, although figures differ between American and Northern sources. HD Historic Archival Stock Footage Vietnam War Rocket Attack - YouTube Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). Tonnages needed for communist forces were modest for the low-intensity protracted war style. Yet, the VPA also managed to produce copies of 50mm, 60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortars employed by the French, thus facilitating the use of captured ammunition. I rolled out of bed to the floor and low crawled as fast as I could to the nearest bunker.When the attack seemed to be over, we came out of the bunker to access the damage. Other types used by the less standardized VC included the Soviet PPS-43, captured or Chinese produced M1 Thompson and M3 Grease Guns, and ex-German MP 40. [57] A post-war analysis by the BDM Corporation, a think-tank contractor in Vietnam, summarized the efficiency and effectiveness of VC/PAVN logistics as follows: Subsequently the Communist Vietnamese leadership outlasted America's eight-year combat effort in Southeast Asia, and finally reunited Vietnam by force of arms. It was the soft "crump" of a 122mm rocket launching in the distance. It extends across the top and to the center of the closure plate, where it is attached to the internally mounted contact screw. Indeed the sanctuaries gave them the trump card that enabled them to fight a protracted war and outlast the United States commitment to the Republic of Vietnam.[58]. but it was written in the 1970s to cover the use of napalm in Vietnam, which is not how these weapons . Language. Every few miles stockpiles of tools and material were positioned, both on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and on key transportation routes within North Vietnam. Multiple rocket launchers such as these deliver a devastating amount of explosives to a target area more quickly than conventional . Week of July 16 | Vietnam War Commemoration and 107-mm. Da Nang Air Base : Sapper & Rocket Attacks During The Vietnam War 469. The Rear Services grouping provided logistical support for military operations, such as digging bunkers or hauling supplies. Each binh tram had its own force of porters, guides, engineers, specialists, transportation units and infantry. A bit ungrateful of our Ukrainian friends to complain about our military aid and the thousands of Yarmuk rockets sent as they are being used from weapons which are not meant for them. A "dead drop" system for couriers was also extensively used for intelligence communications. This is a preview of our 78-minute video. The VC/PAVN relied heavily on heavy machine guns and standard Soviet-designed anti-aircraft batteries like the ZPU-series for air defense functions. Posted by 6 days ago. These are the 5 Best Artillery Systems NATO Loves to Boast About BM stands for boyevaya mashina (Russian: - combat vehicle . Both of these artillery guns were used in the counter-attack against Vietnam. Fear of massive Chinese intervention in Vietnam continually caused a number of restrictions on US options. Charlie 2 - Wikipedia This is some very rare canvas. Vietnam War. An AC-47 on station at the time forced the VC to abort their attack and abandon some equipment. Usually, a siren would blow to indicate an incoming mortar attack. Over 150,000 Northern soldiers however remained in the South after the 1972 Offensive, expanding the conquered zone, building up logistics capacity (including the construction and extension of pipelines) and biding their time, until the final Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975. Two technicals MLR GRAD 122MM, 52 km range : r/shittytechnicals - Reddit The Soviet Union was the largest supplier of war aid, furnishing most fuel, munitions, and heavy equipment, including advanced air defense systems. The 122 mm D-74, a towed gun that entered Soviet service in 1955, was the most numerous gun in the NVAs five independent artillery regiments. The 122 mm D-74, a towed gun that entered Soviet service in 1955, was the most numerous gun in the NVA's five independent artillery regiments. Nor did it stop China from continuing to massively supply its North Vietnamese client. The Nixon regime forbade the bombing of dams and dikes for example, along with POW camps, hospitals and religious shrines. Militarnyi on Twitter: "Ukrainian artillery uses Czech BM-21MT 122mm The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. Washington, D.C.: Air Force Museums and History Program, 2005, p. 39, Victory in Vietnam: The Official History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 19541975. 2. . By that evening, virtually every ARVN fire support base within 20 miles of the border was surrounded and fighting for survival. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. The BM-14 (BM for Boyevaya Mashina, 'combat vehicle'), is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), normally mounted on a truck.. June 19: In Phu My, Tha Thin Province, the VC assassinated a 54-year old man and his 70-year old mother. Simple pontoon bridges were made of lashed together bundles of bamboo, topped by heavy wooden planking. In October and November, Human Rights Watch documented a country-wide increase in the . Data collated from the sensors were analyzed to predict the movement of PAVN convoys and units. As noted above, the risk of air attack caused men and material to move along linked, but separate routes, and truck loading operated in shuttle fashion. US policymakers made ground attack against Trail networks in these countries off limits, (until limited operations were permitted late in the War) and North Vietnamese forces took full advantage of this to move massive quantities of men and material into South Vietnam to attack US and ARVN troops. The two-round HEIT projectile used in Vietnam was point-detonating and designed to self-destruct at 3,500 meters. 2023 The Type 63 multiple rocket launcher is a towed, 12-tube, 107mm rocket launcher produced by the People's Republic of China in the early 1960s and later exported and manufactured globally. The sound of 122mm rockets slamming down in the area around the hooch where I was sleeping woke me up within seconds. Chinese Type 24, Soviet Maxim, SG-43 and DShK, as well as captured Browning M1919 were used in these roles. Pre-positioning of these groups allowed them to spring rapidly into action after an attack had passed.[34]. Defense secretary McNamara initially opposed striking the missile batteries because he feared killing Chinese or Soviet technicians working at the sites. According to the official People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) History: In 1964 our army began to send to the battlefield complete units at their full authorized strength of personnel and equipment By the end of 1965 our main force army in South Vietnam totaled almost 92,000 Our main force troops grew from 195,000 soldiers in early 1965 to 350,000 soldiers in May 1965 and finally to 400,000 by the end of 1965.. During 1966 the strength of our full-time forces in South Vietnam would be increased to between 270,000 and 300,000 soldiers By the end of 1966 the total strength of our armed forces was 690,000 soldiers.[56]. In the 9M22M the igniter leads extend about 305 millimeters 12.00 inches beyond the nozzle and terminate in a 2-prong plug. The 500th Transport Group handled movement of troops and supplies in the North in preparation for the journey south. JACOB VAN STAAVEREN. 152175. VC/PAVN logistics were marked by austerity, but sufficient supplies, equipment and material were on hand to furnish final victory. Sound/seismic sensors were countered by destroying them, moving them to useless locations, removing their batteries, playing tape recordings of truck traffic, and running herds of cattle over them. p. 497-498, Mark Clodfelter. Much of Hanoi however, along with other key port areas such as Haiphong, were off-limits to US air attack until late in the American war. The ICRC estimates that in Laos alone, 9 to . [21], Civilian labor was crucial to VC/PAVN success, and was deployed in building fortifications, transporting supplies and equipment, prepositioning material in readiness for an operation, and general construction such as road repair. Estimated impact area: Rockets were fired separately to an area of approx. The limits of air power: the American bombing of North Vietnam. There the crews slept with rats . This capability of generating resources internally contributed to the mixed results obtained by massive US interdiction efforts- such as the bombing campaign in Laos. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for New 1:72 China PLA PHZ89 122MM Multi Barrel Self-propelled Rocket Launcher Model at the best online prices at eBay! These are the first recorded uses of the 122mm rockets containing DPICM submunitions in the Syrian conflict. Questions & Answers: 122mm cluster munition rockets