These trucks were also a staple of the Iraqi insurgency when US forces were present in large . [26] By 1966, some 130 SAM batteries were in North Vietnam by US estimates, manned primarily by Russian crews. Each binh tram had its own force of porters, guides, engineers, specialists, transportation units and infantry. Usually, a siren would blow to indicate an incoming mortar attack. 122 mm DKZ-B Rocket Launcher and Stand : Viet Cong Like many Soviet artillery pieces of the 1930s-50s, the D-74 had sights for direct fire missions, those aimed at a specific target, and a shield to protect the gunner and pointer from small-arms fire and shell fragmentation. Some 2,000 imported generators provided essential power, and oil and gas were shuttled ashore on small craft from Soviet ships and stored in thousands of small 55-gallon drums throughout the countryside, alongside roads and in rice paddies. The simplest and most primitive was a lanyard ''pull'', attached to a simple firing pin ring. The VC/PAVN used a wide variety of grenades from explosives inserted into discarded American C-ration cans to modern Chicom types. The main characteristics of the Zuni rocket: diameter - 127 mm, length - 2790 mm, weight - 46,3 - 61,6 kg, depending on the engine and warhead, warhead weight: 20,7 - 25,6 kg (high-explosive fragmentation, high-explosive, armor-piercing . It was most actively used during the fighting in Vietnam, as well as in other conflicts involving Americans. Firing . 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. Use this login for Shop items, and image, film, sound reproductions, 122 mm DKZ-B Rocket Launcher and Stand : Viet Cong, Europe: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Sturdier pontoon structures were made by tying wooden canal boats together with camouflage measures to hide them during the day from aerial observation. Date. [8] These Base Areas also served as sanctuaries for PAVN/NLF troops, who simply crossed the border from South Vietnam, rested, reinforced, and refitted for their next campaign in safety. A warhead designed for high explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG) is included with the basic rocket. One of the most helpless feelings I experienced in Vietnam is when our firebase was being mortared (incoming) and hoping the next rocket wouldnt be a direct hit. History / Summary. The STRATCOM Bureau on Twitter: "A bit ungrateful of our Ukrainian [30] Ironically, even the remnants of American airstrikes were pressed into food production. Napalm, widely used during the Vietnam War, is the most well-known incendiary . 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! HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. The term NVA identifies regular troops of the North Vietnamese Army as they were commonly known by their Western opponents. The country continued to function for war despite the aerial onslaught. [22], Load bearing by porters was greatly enhanced by the use of ingenious "steel horses" bicycles specially modified by widening the handlebars, strengthening the suspensions and adding cargo pallets. Type 81 122mm Rocket Launcher Type 90 122mm wheeled self-propelled rocket launcher . Edward Miller and Tuong Vu (2009). R-Han 122 - Wikipedia The Viet Cong's full-time soldiers were referred to as the "Main Force" (Chu Luc). Traffic was regulated by numerous civilian helpers, often young girls. An American or ARVN sweep for example that wiped out several supply caches did not shut down the whole district. [4], The most common infantry weapons of the PAVN was the Soviet SKS carbine or its Chinese variant. Rocket, 122mm HE Frag, 9M22U - bulletpicker.com Way stations were generally within one day's travel from each other. Staff Sgt Dave Roger. The sound of 122mm rockets slamming down in the area around the hooch where I was sleeping woke me up within seconds. The Australian War Memorial is open for visitors as we work to expand our galleries. In 1968 alone, some 200,000 PAVN troops made the journey south according to some American estimates. 116. The Finance and Economic grouping was the chief fund raiser, banker and purchasing agent. Then there was the night Charlie threw some big stuff at us (Sept. 12th 1970). In the 9M22M the igniter leads extend about 305 millimeters 12.00 inches beyond the nozzle and terminate in a 2-prong plug. [52] About 100,000 people were kept working on the Trail as porters, drivers, mechanics and anti-aircraft troops. Laos, Vietnam: US forces make extensive use of cluster munitions in bombing campaigns. Prima. As one historian notes "Knowing that the Vietnamese could replace their losses indefinitely, and were doing so, the American war planners counted on the psychological wear and tear of modern air-power upon a land-bound adversary. These are the 5 Best Artillery Systems NATO Loves to Boast About They were originally designed for use against armored vehicles but it was adapted for anti-personnel use to good effect. 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. The Nixon regime forbade the bombing of dams and dikes for example, along with POW camps, hospitals and religious shrines. 122 mm BM-21 Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) - GICHD During the Vietnam War the Soviets sent . Sometimes the troops camped on the Trail itself between stations. 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. Captured stocks were also exploited. It extends across the top and to the center of the closure plate, where it is attached to the internally mounted contact screw. BM-21 122-mm Multiple Rocket Launcher - Federation of American Scientists By 1970, the entire Trail bristled with anti-aircraft batteries. If you saw a curve in the red arc it was hitting the ARVN base camp or the Air Force base. 122 mm rockets captured in the rocket belt south of Da Nang As stated the speed in which a Crew could fire and move to another position (''Shoot and Scoot''), was very effective. By 1968, activity was brisk on the Trail. Medical supplies used on the battlefield came from several sources, including Soviet bloc and Chinese shipments and humanitarian donations earmarked for civilian use from neutral countries, including Scandinavian nations. The continuity in the infiltration corridor through Cambodia and Laos mitigated against the forces being stopped. Communist bloc support was vital for prosecution of the war in the South. Throughout most of the conflict the US generally enjoyed air superiority, although this was often challenged in the north by MiG fighters and especially modern Soviet surface-to-air missiles. Ukrainian Su-25s Begin Using Veteran US Zuni Rockets To Destroy Russian Katyusha rocket launcher | Military Wiki | Fandom 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. A large number of small supply depots, widely dispersed to guard against attack, furnished units on the move. Vietnam War VISUALS North Vietnam's M-43 120mm mortar United States Senate. Japanese Arisaka rifles were also used in the earlier stages of the war and the M1 Carbine was a common and popular weapon captured from enemy ARVN troops. On 1 April 1972 in the face of the PAVN's Easter Offensive the base was abandoned by the ARVN. 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. A limited strike was authorized three days later in retaliation. Delayed action bombs caused special problems. [28], Medical care. With more than 98,000 units produced since 1963, the traditional BM-21 GRAD saturation systems have had several variations and adaptations to different contexts and locations, such as the GRAD-P single launchers, which acted in flocks spread across the forests of Vietnam, to adaptations in armored . The bulk of VC/PAVN foodstuffs was procured within South Vietnam via purchase, taxation on peasants in controlled areas, and personal farming by troops in remote areas. This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 08:57. save. Air Force History and Museums Program. The 11,000 artillery rounds and several thousand rockets fired that day were a clear demonstration that the North Vietnamese Army had improved and expanded its artillery arm. There are some defeats more triumphant than victories. 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. Night movement was almost constant, with drivers being guided on the roads by white poles painted by the Youth Shock Brigades, or personnel dressed in white. However overall control was always in the hands of party cadres at all levels, from province down to village. These attacks removed many of the restrictions upon previous American targeting, seeded Northern waters with mines that cut Soviet and Chinese imports to a trickle, exhausted national air-defenses and crippled whatever significant remaining industrial plant and transportation network was left in the North. [9] My pillow got peppered with shrapnel holes along with an Iowa State flagthat was hanging on the wall above my bed, Remains of Red platoon hoochPhoto by Nathan D. Shaffer (Charlie Troop Scouts, 1969-70). Her book Bernard Montgomerys Art of War won a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Two technicals MLR GRAD 122MM, 52 km range. Middle Eastern. 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, https://www.historynet.com/north-vietnam-d-74-gun/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, Day One at Chancellorsville Hookers Big Mistake, Why? Collection. Tubes ranged from 8 to 10-feet in length. Chinese 60 mm mortar rounds captured by 1st Cav Quan Loi May 69Photo by Jim Beck, Radar unit on the wooden tower was used to pinpoint the origin of incoming rounds for retaliation purposes. Thirty rounds of 122-mm. [1], Overall, the supplies and equipment of communist units were adequate, and their infantry small-arms were a match for those of their opponents. 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. In Vietnam this rocket comprised one of the primary means of inflicting standoff attacks against airfields and other . The two-round HEIT projectile used in Vietnam was point-detonating and designed to self-destruct at 3,500 meters. To purchase the entire video go to https://militaryvideo.com/ and search Rocket City or click on the linkhttps://mi. BM-13, BM-8, BM-31, BM-14, BM-21, BM-24, BM-25, BM-27, BM-30. In early 1965 for example, the Johnson Administration refused to hit SA-2 missile sites before they became operational against US aircraft, despite the urging of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the price of postponement would be paid for in pilot lives and aircraft losses. It almost seemed safer on a recon mission in the middle of the jungle. On May 2-3, 1995, an NSAG uses Orkan M-87 multiple rocket launchers to attack civilians in Zagreb. This changed as the war went on, and the PAVN took over more responsibility in-country after the 1968 Tet offensive. The gap was filled primarily by China and Russia. Since most of the US effort focused on trucks, the bulk of the fighting men were able to travel without the full weight of US pressure, although they sometimes came under attack. The NVA and Viet Cong frequently used bamboo launchers for 122 mm A variety of ''homemade'' launching systems were developed, with the most common being a simple set of steerage wheels (metal), attached to a low elevation mechanism. VC/PAVN logistics were marked by austerity, but sufficient supplies, equipment and material were on hand to furnish final victory. but it was written in the 1970s to cover the use of napalm in Vietnam, which is not how these weapons . As noted above, supplies, equipment and material was pre-stocked along roads, and near various choke points like ferry crossings so that repairs could be made quickly. The whole network was segmented, so that one part did not know the other branches. 530, Bernard C. Nalty, The War Against Trucks: Aerial Interdiction in Southern Laos, 19681972. North Vietnamese - Viet Cong used specialised BM 21 single round manportable tripod rocket launchers, developed by the Soviets as the Grad P which were originally intended for use by Spesnatz and other specialised users. Rocket Attack on FSB Kelly - Stories - 1/92nd FA - Vietnam The 559th Transport Group was the biggest of the three, numbering an estimated 50,000 troops with 100,000 civilian porters in support. At least some of the 5-inch Zuni air-launched rockets pledged to Ukraine by the United States have now been delivered, according to new photos. An AC-47 on station at the time forced the VC to abort their attack and abandon some equipment. Overall weight of the weapon launch system was around 120-pounds (making it quite easy for several soldiers to move and use). [46], Camouflage and concealment. On the night of July 14, the new 122mm launchers were set up in six . The BM-14 (BM for Boyevaya Mashina, 'combat vehicle'), is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), normally mounted on a truck.. BM-14 - Wikipedia It would end in disaster for both sides. [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. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in military history. These are the first recorded uses of the 122mm rockets containing DPICM submunitions in the Syrian conflict. 4, Issue 3, pps. [36], The successful and severely damaging American Linebacker efforts however were not sustained. 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. As with the RPG-7, the BM-21 Grad can exhaust various ammunition types, including high-explosive, cluster, and incendiary rounds. [46], The hardships of the Trail were many. I then went back to check my AO ( sleeping area). Dozens of Bucha civilians were killed by metal darts from Russian Remnants of a misfired 9M22S incendiary 122mm Grad rocket near Ilovaisk, Ukraine in 2014. . [3][4], Weapons used by the VC were originally a varied mixture of both French weapons from the days of French Indochina, captured enemy weapons and Soviet and Chinese support, including both newly produced weapons, old stockpiles and captured enemy stockpiles from World War II. Swiney was there. Current use. New 1:72 China PLA PHZ89 122MM Multi Barrel Self-propelled Rocket The ability for ruthless total mobilization of almost the entire population, for as long as the struggle required. [48], Movement techniques. 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. 180213, BDM Corporation, op. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-Soviet border conflict. 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. We recognise their continuing connection to land, sea and waters. An incoming round exploding is a noise forever embedded in your brain and for years to . Militarnyi on Twitter: "Ukrainian artillery uses Czech BM-21MT 122mm All sides of the Vietnam War utilized some form of the ages-old mortar concept. US MACV estimates posited a more modest total of around 280,000. Description. Total losses to disease are estimated at around 10 to 20%. Air interdiction of the Trail hurt supply efforts but failed to stop the logistical buildup on a sustained basis. Joined by assorted militia and self-defense forces, these quick-reaction units were often stationed along heavily bombed routes and deployed to repair bridges, roads, tracks, tunnels and other structures. [3], Northern leader Le Duan chose to defy US airpower, arguing that though Hanoi, Haiphong or other cities were destroyed, the Vietnamese people would not be intimidated, and called for a massive war mobilization of reserves. Remnants of a misfired 9M22S incendiary 122mm Grad rocket near Ilovaisk, Ukraine in 2014. . United States Air Force, pp 164168, Jeffrey Record. A massive 1966 bombing mission by thirty B-52's for example attempted to pulverize vital stretches of the strategic Mu Gia Pass. This page is not available in other languages. The shorter pack carried the warhead and fuze in the detachable triangular pouch snapped on. [19] Amounts ten times or more this size however, were entering the top of the logistical pipeline before trickling down into South Vietnam, Laos and adjoining border regions. Mines and booby traps applied significant psychological pressure on US/ARVN forces and slowed and disrupted both military operations and civilian life. Medical care like other aspects of the logistical system was austere, and field hospitals, whether in caves, underground bunkers or jungle huts usually suffered shortages. Journal of Vietnamese Studies, Vol. There were several ways to keep traffic moving amid the destruction wrought by the bombers. The Toyota Hiace with 122mm rockets that was used to attack Ain al-Asad air base, January 2022. [46] PAVN infiltration routes were keyed to the military regions the infiltrators were assigned to. By the war's end almost a million soldiers had made the trip down the Trail and tens of thousands of tons were being transported annually.[15]. It was the soft "crump" of a 122mm rocket launching in the distance. D-74 ammunition consisted of metal cartridge containing two propellant charges. 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. [35], Distinct restrictions were still applied however. Sep 17, 2015 - Soviet made 122mm Katyusha Rocket launched by Viet Communist from primitive ground mounts. The warhead is painted light or dark gray, and the rocket motor is painted light or silver gray. They were fielded in 1966 and would remain dominant until the end of The War in 1975. North Vietnamese Army 122mm Katyusha Rocket Carrying Pack Marked in [10] China also provided radar stations and airfields where Vietnam People's Air Force aircraft could marshal for attack, or flee to when in trouble against American air forces. By 1969 the Ho Chi Minh Trail was a sophisticated logistical web with paved roads, truck parks, maintenance and supply depots, and well organized and defended terminuses and bases, moving thousands of men per month into the battle zone. Other rocket types included tube-launched Chinese 107mm and Soviet 140mm variants.[4]. An incoming round exploding is a noise forever embedded in your brain and for years to come you could be affected by similar sounds. 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. 112, Wallace Terry, Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans, (Presidio Press: 1985), Jon M. Van Dyke, North Vietnam's Strategy For Survival, (Pacific Books: 1992), pp. An ARVN reaction unit recovered our first 122mm rocket, complete with . This delay allowed PAVN defenders time to reinforce the sites with additional anti-aircraft guns, which damaged several US aircraft and shot down six. 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. Common weapons included the French MAS-36 and other weapons left behind from the First Indochina war, the Soviet Mosin-Nagant, especially M1944 carbines, mostly by way of China. Data collated from the sensors were analyzed to predict the movement of PAVN convoys and units. Exceptions were the set piece siege battles such as the battle of Khe Sanh or heavy artillery duels against US batteries across the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. The hub of the North Vietnamese material distribution was Hanoi with its numerous railheads, bridges and major roads. Language. r/shittytechnicals. [34], The Nixon administration, looking for a way out, pursued a less restrained course under Operation Linebacker launched in response to the PAVN's 1972 Easter Offensive and Operation Linebacker II. The long pouch carried the flight and launch motor. China made significant contributions in medicines, hospital care, training facilities, foodstuffs, and infantry weapons. VC/PAVN troop strengths during the Vietnam War are the subject of numerous controversies and contradictory claims. [47] Recruits were generally given an optimistic picture of conditions in the south, with claims that victory was close at hand and that they would be welcomed as liberators by their oppressed southern brethren. Different 122mm rockets have ranges of four to forty kilometers. and 107-mm. US Marines pushed the Vietnamese Communist Units back 20 Km so they could not hit DaNang AirBase. Fighting in The Vietnam War: Viet Cong Tactics, Patrols and Search and 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. This takeover involved setting up new headquarters and replacing fallen VC with PAVN regulars. In the space of 20 seconds, a single Grad can launch its 40 122mm rocket-propelled rounds, hitting targets across a 15-20 hectare territory at distances of between 25-45 km. 12 comments. Fin stabilization was used (4 on the tail of the rocket). The rockets vary . Ronald Oakes collection. 22126, JACOB VAN STAAVEREN. This is a preview of our 78-minute video. This article is about the weapons used in the Vietnam War, which involved the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) or North Vietnamese Army (NVA), National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (NLF) or Viet Cong (VC), and the armed forces of the China (PLA), Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), United States, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and the Australian, New Zealand defence forces . There are several survival skills that a person needs to learn in Vietnam. 24 km (R-Han 122A), [2] 27 km (R-Han 122B), [3] 32 km (R-han 122 Avibras) [4] Payload capacity. According to Neil Gibson, a weapons expert at the UK-based Fenix Insight group, who has reviewed the photos of the projectiles seen, they include the 122mm 3Sh1 artillery round, in use by Russian . Known to the North Vietnamese as the Truong Son Strategic Supply Route, the Central Committee of the Lao Dong Party ordered construction of routes for infiltration as early as 1959, under the 559 Transport Group. Photo: YouTube/Denver7 - The Denver Channel Many of those who survived their time on the battlefield continue to suffer from wounds, illnesses, and social neglect decades after the war had ended. 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. Thesis (2004). 18 kg warhead. Type 63 multiple rocket launcher - Wikipedia [44] The Nixon regime removed some of the operational constraints on American power late in the war, but was already committed to removing US forces from the theater, and the punishment inflicted by expanded bombing, while heavy, did not fundamentally threaten Hanoi's existence. All rights reserved. That Captain's name is William Wright. May 14: Five PAVN 122mm rockets hit the residential area of Da Nang, killing five civilians and wounding 18. Effective firing range. Both weapons and food for example were readily available on the black markets of South Vietnam. 10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day). Timeline Details | Vietnam War Commemoration Some 80% of the non-food supplies used by the VC/PAVN in the southern half of South Vietnam moved through Sihanoukville. Some 170,000 girls were also mobilized into emergency youth troops, marching south to provide support on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, equipped with shovels and supplies. Soviet bloc and Chinese shipments easily met ordinary communist force requirements. It's Never Too Late: Vietnam Vet Awarded Bronze Star 48 Years After His Fighting a mobile guerrilla war much of the time, the VC/PAVN could not deploy large quantities of heavy artillery or tanks. It has a silver painted body and tail assembly, with a green . The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Da Nang Air Base : Sapper & Rocket Attacks During The Vietnam War Katyusha multiple rocket launchers (Russian: ) are a type of rocket artillery first built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. Population was also dispersed with massive movement of civilians out of major cities like Hanoi, into the countryside. While inaccurate compared to more . A "dead drop" system for couriers was also extensively used for intelligence communications. Thousands of Chinese troops (the PLA's 1st and 2nd Divisions) made important contributions to Hanoi's war effort- building or repairing hundreds of miles of track and numerous other facilities such as bridges, tunnels, stations and marshaling yards. 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 sound of 122mm rockets slamming down in the area around the hooch where I was sleeping woke me up within seconds. cit, Pike "Viet Cong", op. 61 and PM-63 RAK machine pistols of Czech and Polish origin. Those headed further beyond might travel through Laos. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). The nickname for DaNang was "Rocket City" garnering that appellation from the frequent attacks on it by means of the "Katyusha" which is the name given the Soviet BM-21 122mm artillery rocket. It handled all storage, movement, anti-aircraft defense and fortification on the Ho Chi Minh Trail which snaked through parts of Laos and Cambodia. The D-74, with a range of 24 kilometers (15 miles), was the third longest-ranged ground artillery piece of the Vietnam War behind the U.S. M107 self-propelled 175 mm gun at 40 kilometers (25 miles) and the Soviet-supplied M-46 130 mm towed gun at 27.5 kilometers (17 miles).