Party membership was strongest in the Forward Supply Council. United States Air Force, Taylor Branch. [4], The 7.62mm round was also interchangeable with the Soviet RPD light machine gun, another standard infantry weapon of the VC/PAVN. by Merle Pribbenow, Lawerence KS: University of Kansas Press, 2002, p. 78-211, The BDM Corporation, "A Study of Strategic Lessons learned in Vietnam", (The BDM Corporation: 1979) p. 5-1, NLF and PAVN strategy, organization and structure, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group, "K vt gn lin lch s Cng an Vit Nam", "Sng tiu lin K61 ca anh hng c cng L B c", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NLF_and_PAVN_logistics_and_equipment&oldid=1150291885. 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. Rocket, 122mm HE Frag, 9M22M - Bulletpicker The Vietnam War Commemoration is conducted according to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to help honor and pay tribute to Vietnam . A "dead drop" system for couriers was also extensively used for intelligence communications. A VC rocket attack on Bien Hoa Air Base on May 12, 1967, caused only moderate damage but provided a major breakthrough. I would not be writing this now if I wouldnt have woken when I did. The Rear Services grouping provided logistical support for military operations, such as digging bunkers or hauling supplies. The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. It is similar to the BM-13 "Katyusha" and was partly replaced in service by the 122 mm BM-21 Grad. The Viet Cong's full-time soldiers were referred to as the "Main Force" (Chu Luc). 469. On May 2-3, 1995, an NSAG uses Orkan M-87 multiple rocket launchers to attack civilians in Zagreb. 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 . By 1970, the communist inventory was mostly standardized, even at the village guerrilla level. Swiney was there. This logistics organization helped greatly in their war against the American and South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War. Within the southern logistical organization, 3 agencies were responsible. The BM-21 "Grad" (Russian: -21 "", lit. Communist forces target Saigon and . Great pains were taken to camouflage movement. 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. Female representation was substantial. R-Han 122 is a family of rocket artillery developed by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) of Indonesia with maximum speed Mach 2.95 (3,614 km/h) and maximum range of 32 km. These constraints implicitly granted North Vietnam's continued existence, and sought to avoid antagonizing Peking by attacking targets too close to the Chinese border with North Vietnam, or within China itself. 24 km (R-Han 122A), [2] 27 km (R-Han 122B), [3] 32 km (R-han 122 Avibras) [4] Payload capacity. Photo: YouTube/Denver7 - The Denver Channel Date. 122 mm rockets captured in the rocket belt south of Da Nang Edward Miller and Tuong Vu (2009). 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. Viet Cong and People's Army of Vietnam use of terror in the Vietnam War "[33], The North Vietnamese however kept fighting. Tubes ranged from 8 to 10-feet in length. - Charles E. Kirkpatrick, in . The stage was now set for the battle under the new Union commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker. However overall control was always in the hands of party cadres at all levels, from province down to village. [52] About 100,000 people were kept working on the Trail as porters, drivers, mechanics and anti-aircraft troops. [46], Camouflage and concealment. 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]. 122 mm DKZ-B Rocket Launcher and Stand : Viet Cong Sep 17, 2015 - Soviet made 122mm Katyusha Rocket launched by Viet Communist from primitive ground mounts. Some 80% of the non-food supplies used by the VC/PAVN in the southern half of South Vietnam moved through Sihanoukville. Of the Sihanouk Trail and Cambodia, one American military history says:[16]. (1989). Staff Sgt Dave Roger. The Soviet Union was the largest supplier of war aid, furnishing most fuel, munitions, and heavy equipment, including advanced air defense systems. Her book Bernard Montgomerys Art of War won a Silver Medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Syria: Army Using New Type of Cluster Munition All rights reserved. These quantities increased vastly as the North stepped up infiltration into the South. [42] In the air defense effort around important targets, labor units often constructed up to 4 dummy positions for each real anti-aircraft concentration.[43]. [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. B. Lippincott Publishing: 1969), pp. Chemical sensors were neutralized by leaving buckets of urine hanging on trees over the transportation network. Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Trail covered a wide diversity of rough terrain. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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. save. Overview. They also made use of the Soviet/Chinese 122mm rocket which was used effectively against populated areas and large installations such as airfields. but it was written in the 1970s to cover the use of napalm in Vietnam, which is not how these weapons . One Central Intelligence Agency study in 1966 found that the bulk of supplies needed were generated within South Vietnam. The most active Zuni 127mm unguided air-to-surface rockets were used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps aviation in military campaigns of the 1960s-1970s, in particular in Vietnam. . This particular example was recovered from an arms dump near the Cambodian border. [1], Overall, the supplies and equipment of communist units were adequate, and their infantry small-arms were a match for those of their opponents. Middle Eastern. Ukrainian Army 'Loads' Pakistani Yarmuk Rockets Into BM-21 Grad MLRS Civilians undertook various pledges as directed by the regime (the "three readies", the "three responsibilities" among others,) as part of a high mobilization of the population for total war in the North and areas controlled by the VC/PAVN in the South. Copyright 2013 Stronghold Nation. Camouflage was used heavily. Several activation systems (primers) were also used. Truck headlights were sometimes mounted under the vehicle to help escape detection from the air. Such variation and diversity lessened and standardized as the war went on. could be reopened, and laborers from other regions could be shifted into reconstruction work once the Americans or ARVN left (as they usually did). Bomb tonnages dropped on the Trail in Laos offer some indication of the scale of the American campaign: 1969 433,000 tons, 1970 394,000 tons (74,147 sorties), 1971 402,000 tons (69,000 sorties). 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. As stated the speed in which a Crew could fire and move to another position (''Shoot and Scoot''), was very effective. Encyclopdia Britannica, "Warfare, Conduct of", 1984 ed, pp 595597, John Prados, The Blood Road, (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998), p. 62139, John Prados, The Blood Road, New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998, pp. PAVN headquarters in Hanoi was responsible for the coordinating the North to South logistical effort. Three more batteries were stationed around the Chu-Lai airstrips in the "Rocket Pocket", the target of 122mm rockets day and night, during '69's post TET offensive. A STAFF STUDY BASED ON THE PENTAGON PAPERS. 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. 4, Issue 3, pps. Q&A: Incendiary Weapons in Ukraine | Human Rights Watch It would end in disaster for both sides. In 2015, China Ordnance . [51], Techniques used to fool US air-power also included placing gasoline-soaked rags along the trail to fool pilots into thinking they had hit or ignited something of value. and attack personnel. Although the weapons horizontal movement was limited to 30 degrees either side of the sight line, the carriage had a hydraulic jack and pedestal that enabled the crew to lift and rotate the gun up to 180 degrees if required. The Mu Gia binh tram area for example, was estimated to have no fewer than 302 anti-aircraft positions as early as 1966, a deadly flak trap for US aircraft. 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. Vietnam, 1962-1975. True HD Direct Film Transfers - NO UPCONVERSIONS!http://www.buyoutfootage.com/pages/titles/pd_dc_454.htmlVietnam 1968 - Rocket Attack On Tan Son NhutTan Son . Ukrainian Su-25s Begin Using Veteran US Zuni Rockets To Destroy Russian In 1968 with the Tet Offensive and other major operations, these numbers surged but still weighed in at a modest daily 120 tons. The 122mm Rocket was 75-inches in length and weighted 102-pounds. The 470th Transport group was established to move material from Cambodia. and 107-mm. It snaked through parts of North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. One of the first is the sound a rocket makes coming off the launcher. Population was also dispersed with massive movement of civilians out of major cities like Hanoi, into the countryside. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received the American 127 A large number of small supply depots, widely dispersed to guard against attack, furnished units on the move. The Wrong War: Why We Lost in Vietnam, pp 753, Bombing As a Policy Tool In Vietnam: Effectiveness. Two days later however the traffic was moving again, despite huge landslides caused by the bombing, and the use of numerous delayed action munitions. By 1968, activity was brisk on the Trail. Soviet ships also aided dispersal by bringing in fuel and other material already pre-packed in drums, offloaded on to barges for quick distribution, with the ships themselves off-limits to US air attack. 'hailstorm') is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. pg 20. 152175, Clodfelter. 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. An AC-47 on station at the time forced the VC to abort their attack and abandon some equipment. 122 mm rockets captured in the rocket belt south of Da Nang transported on a mule motorized cart to Camp Dong Son. PAVN units headed for the Tr-Thin region closest to the northern border might infiltrate directly across the DMZ. By Crusader1307. is familiar to Westerners, less is known about the tens of thousands of teenage girls and young women (ages 13 to 22) sent south: the young women warriors Hanoi sent to fight and die along the Ho Ch Minh Trail struggled daily not only with American bombs but also with hunger, disease, sexual abuse, and death. Yarmuk 122mm rockets are meant to be used with our Ghazab launchers while Ukrainians are using Show more. Within SVN, the PAVN/VC military HQ, COVSN, had responsibility for overall logistical coordination. Public entrance via Fairbairn Avenue, Campbell ACT 2612, Book your ticket to visit: awm.gov.au/visit, Copyright [9] China provided an estimated $150 million to $200 million annually, along with such in-kind aid as the deployment of thousands of troops in road and railway construction in the border provinces. [41], Road and bridge repair methods. They were area rather than precision weapons and not very accurate. p. 497-498, Mark 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. Communist bloc support was vital for prosecution of the war in the South. . 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. 122 rocket | My Vietnam Experience Casualties caused by American airstrikes were low, accounting for only 2% of total losses. When it sounded you scrambled to the nearest bunker for protection. One example of this was seen in Operation Igloo White, which used air-dropped acoustic and seismic sensors in Laos, linked to processing computers in Thailand. Remnants of a misfired 9M22S incendiary 122mm Grad rocket near Ilovaisk, Ukraine in 2014. . They were often quickly disabused of such notions as they encountered sullen peasants and withering US firepower. I then went back to check my AO ( sleeping area). 22126, JACOB VAN STAAVEREN. Gradually, PAVN units were refitted with more modern AK-47 rifles from China, the Soviet Union, and other Warsaw Pact countries. American rules of engagement forbid strikes against this network for fear of provoking Chinese intervention. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in military history. The long pouch carried the flight and launch motor. For a 122, you have seven seconds to get hidden before impact. Other versions used a more safer method of closed block (firing pin). Multiple rocket launchers such as these deliver a devastating amount of explosives to a target area more quickly than conventional . They were originally designed for use against armored vehicles but it was adapted for anti-personnel use to good effect. 530, Bernard C. Nalty, The War Against Trucks: Aerial Interdiction in Southern Laos, 19681972. This Rocket was developed in WWII and was then mounted on a truck with multiple tubes. The Forward Supply Council marshaled the money and resources raised by the Finance section, and the services of the rear Group. Ferries shuttled troops across rivers and streams. [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. South Vietnamese units trying to move came under fire as nightfall and cloud coverage limited the use of air power. It controlled civilian labor recruitment, and military recruitment including drafting men into the VC, among other things. The limits of air power: the American bombing of North Vietnam. 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. Construction of what was to become the famous Ho Chi Minh Trail extended over decades, with elements put in place during the anti-French struggle of the Viet Minh. One of the most used ground based Rocket (and System), The 122mm Rocket was used by both North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) Armies. The BM-14 can fire 140 mm M-14 rockets with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, a smoke warhead or a chemical warhead. 2005. By the time of the aerial offensives, most US forces (over 500,000 troops) were already out of the Vietnam theater. US Marines pushed the Vietnamese Communist Units back 20 Km so they could not hit DaNang AirBase. About 7% of a typical VC/PAVN division's manpower was made up of medical personnel. McNamara pictured enemy soldiers under combined assault in the South, utterly devoid of flying machines for mobility or retaliation in the sky.. 'They only thing that will prevent it [stalemate] Mr. President, is their morale breaking' he said 'that's the only chance we have of winning this thing because we are just not killing enough of them to make it impossible for the North to continue to fight. Both of these artillery guns were used in the counter-attack against Vietnam. Vietnam History - Pinterest Female brigadiers, many of whom were scarcely teenagers when they were sent down the Trail, suffered from inadequate training, shelter, and clothing, and from chronic shortages of food and medicine. United States Government Printing OFfice. 61 and PM-63 RAK machine pistols of Czech and Polish origin. Prima. USMC VMA (AW) 242 Vietnam Photo Lot - U.S. Militaria Forum Movement was at night to avoid American air attacks. They were fielded in 1966 and would remain dominant until the end of The War in 1975. Coverage. Subsequent US analysis indicated skillful movement and dispersal by the North Vietnamese, with one of the missile sites a decoy, and another left empty deployed as bait to lure the American pilots to their doom.[43]. [13], The Trail had over 20 major way-stations operated by dedicated logistics units or Binh Trams, responsible for air and land defence, and delivery of supplies and replacements to fighting points in the South. Esoteric American technology- such as the Calgon brand "mud maker" compounds deployed to slow movement on the Trail were met with typical PAVN practicality. 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. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Other weapon systems were also used. Fin stabilization was used (4 on the tail of the rocket). After the reunion, Wright contacted the Army and got the wheels turning to give Hendrickson the proper recognition for his actions that day in Chu Lai, Vietnam, 48 years earlier. VC/PAVN logistics were marked by austerity, but sufficient supplies, equipment and material were on hand to furnish final victory. 122 mm BM-21 Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) - GICHD [36], The successful and severely damaging American Linebacker efforts however were not sustained. The rockets vary . US MACV estimates posited a more modest total of around 280,000. As the war progressed, the North Vietnamese expanded and improved the Trail, moving material by truck, installing missile batteries for air defense and laying fuel pipelines. Posted by 6 days ago. Generally there was ten minutes of rest per hour, with one day of rest every five. 1998. ADA Units in Vietnam - NDQSA The ICRC estimates that in Laos alone, 9 to . 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. 10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day). r/shittytechnicals. 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. But again North Vietnam proved capable of adapting; the will of the Hanoi leadership held strong. [22], As one of the world's foremost military powers, the US could bring a massive variety of sophisticated aerial technology to bear on the communist side, ranging from heavy B-52 bombers, to carrier-based striking forces, to precision munitions. 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. [9] Prepositioning was essential to PAVN tactics. Simple pontoon bridges were made of lashed together bundles of bamboo, topped by heavy wooden planking. Simon And Schuster. Effective firing range. The NVA and Viet Cong frequently used bamboo launchers for 122 mm The hole in the ground between the boots is the results of a small VC mortar round. [9] [46], The hardships of the Trail were many. The BM-14 (BM for Boyevaya Mashina, 'combat vehicle'), is a Soviet-made 140mm multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), normally mounted on a truck.. The continuity in the infiltration corridor through Cambodia and Laos mitigated against the forces being stopped. An ARVN reaction unit recovered our first 122mm rocket, complete with . 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. 18 kg warhead. When a 25-mile (40km) buffer zone policy was in effect near the Chinese border for example, US reconnaissance planes could see hundreds of loaded trucks massed in the buffer zone during the day, waiting to roll later at night. Our hooch did not take a direct hit, but a Red platoon hooch across the road did and was on fire. Ravines were bridged with crude bamboo suspension bridges. 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. BM-21 Grad - Wikipedia The BM-21 Grad has 40 launching tubes for 122mm rockets. These trucks were also a staple of the Iraqi insurgency when US forces were present in large . All visitors require a free timed ticket to enter the Memorial Galleries and attend the Last Post Ceremony. On 21 May 1971 30 US infantrymen, many from Company A, 1st Battalion, 61st Infantry Regiment, were killed when a People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 122mm rocket hit their bunker at Charlie 2. Q & A: 122mm Cluster Munition Rockets | Human Rights Watch PAVN troops also faced US movement, auditory and chemical ("people sniffer") sensors on various parts of the Trail. Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Viet Cong 122 mm DKZ-B Rocket Launcher and Stand. Usually, a siren would blow to indicate an incoming mortar attack. JACOB VAN STAAVEREN. The base has been turned over to farmland. 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. cit, John Prados, The Blood Road, (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1998), p. 2-45, Colonel Jack Broughton, Thud Ridge, (J. Prepared for the Use of the Committee on Foreign Relations. 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. [49], Another technique used to lower casualties and loss was to separate the movement of men from the movement of material. Each binh tram had its own force of porters, guides, engineers, specialists, transportation units and infantry. Early units of PAVN had also made use of the Soviet RP-46 machine gun and the variety of weapons of the VC also included Chinese made ZB vz. Truck driving was a dangerous task, and drivers were expected to not only dodge aircraft but help with vehicle and road repairs. Armed liaison agents, who knew only their section of the Trail, led each infiltrating group between way-stations. Twelve to sixteen hours of work per day were expected of laborers. Unlike Greece, fifteen years earlier, which had been able to seal its borders with the help of neighbors, South Vietnam could not count on such aid. BM-13, BM-8, BM-31, BM-14, BM-21, BM-24, BM-25, BM-27, BM-30. On the night of July 14, the new 122mm launchers were set up in six . 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. [4], Submachine guns were also used by the PAVN early on, before being more and more by replaced by AK-47 automatic rifles, which made the army pass them down to the VC. NLF and PAVN logistics and equipment - Wikipedia All markings are black, with the exception of a red-stamped symbol 9 on the forward portion of the rocket motor. 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. [24], Communist forces also made extensive use of Vietnam's large network of rivers and waterways, drawing heavily on the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, which was also off-limits to American attack. This is some very rare canvas. ARVN and US sources were also significant localized conduits of arms. Labor was recruited primarily by impressment/draft, or as a way to pay off VC taxes, although volunteers motivated by ideology also took part. Type 81 122mm Rocket Launcher Type 90 122mm wheeled self-propelled rocket launcher . Those headed further beyond might travel through Laos. Ten thousand trucks could move at a time, and improvements were made continuously by the 559th Transport Group. [48], Movement techniques. If they came close you heard a screaming rocket engine just before the explosion. Mines and booby traps applied significant psychological pressure on US/ARVN forces and slowed and disrupted both military operations and civilian life. Supply routes using multiple sources, (waterways, black-market transactions, cross-border sanctuaries, etc.) Fear of massive Chinese intervention in Vietnam continually caused a number of restrictions on US options. North Vietnam's M-43 120mm mortar Remnants of a misfired 9M22S incendiary 122mm Grad rocket near Ilovaisk, Ukraine in 2014. . It has a silver painted body and tail assembly, with a green . (AP Photo) Full size 3000 2058 The two most common types included the French MAT 49, using either its original 919mm ammunition or having been converted to use the 7.6225mm Tokarev cartridge, and the Soviet/Chinese PPSh-41, often modified and converted in PAVN arsenals to the K-50M. 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. NVA 122mm Rocket | Missiles and Rockets of War | Stronghold Nation PAVN soldiers were limited to old pathways, while trucks were increasingly routed along newer, improved stretches of road. The 603rd Transport Battalion handled sea infiltration and supply movement. BM stands for boyevaya mashina (Russian: - combat vehicle . 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.