122mm rocket used in vietnam

734. 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. [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. B. Lippincott Publishing: 1969), pp. The rocket was developed by engineers of the Naval . Within the southern logistical organization, 3 agencies were responsible. United States Government Printing OFfice. [2] Contrary to some popular impressions of simple peasant farmers armed with low quality or obsolete weapons, the VC and PAVN main units (as well as the local forces in the latter years) were well equipped with modern arms either from Soviet bloc or Chinese sources. 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. Prepared for the Use of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Both weapons used the same intermediate 7.62mm cartridge, which eased logistics. The two-round HEIT projectile used in Vietnam was point-detonating and designed to self-destruct at 3,500 meters. 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. 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. Vietnam War. Estimative products on Vietnam, 19481975. [7] Total requirements to run the insurgency in the south were relatively small compared to the needs of US opponents, well below port and rail capacity. Australian War Memorial, Canberra. US MACV estimates posited a more modest total of around 280,000. [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. . Since July 3, 1863, there have been many calls for Confederate flags to be returned to their home states, and in particular, for the 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment flag return to Virginia. [4][5][6], Communist units also employed mortars frequently, with the Soviet 82mm and its Chinese variants being the most common alongside 60mm Chinese Type 31 and Type 63, American M2 mortar, French Brandt Mle 1935 and 81mm Brandt Mle 27/31. [41], Road and bridge repair methods. In Vietnam this rocket comprised one of the primary means of inflicting standoff attacks against airfields and other . In 1968 alone, some 200,000 PAVN troops made the journey south according to some American estimates. The Australian War Memorial acknowledges the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia. Food, along with almost any other item, was also obtained on Saigon's thriving black market. 1998. 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. The gap was filled primarily by China and Russia. She is fluent in German and is a member of the U.K. Military Historical Society. 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. Movement was at night to avoid American air attacks. save. Moving in company or battalion sizes, units departed at two-day intervals, with most crossing into Laos along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Some 80% of the non-food supplies used by the VC/PAVN in the southern half of South Vietnam moved through Sihanoukville. The Binh Trams were responsible for numerous functions in the sector of the Trail it controlled- including subordinate camps and way-stations, the care and feeding of troops, road repair, anti-aircraft defenses, vehicle repair and maintenance, and medical care. Accurate, powerful, easy to maintain and repair, the D-74 remained in service with the Peoples Army of Vietnam through about 2010. 12 comments. [55] Force strengths will always be imprecise given the large number of irregular or part-time guerrilla elements. Sub-sections of these operated at different levels, from Interzone to village. 10 am to 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day). [34], Concealment and evasion. 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. Logs and bamboo were laid over the quickly dissolving mud and the Northern fighters moved on. The method also spread out available cargoes over time and space, enabling the entire network to better bear losses from such deadly enemies as the American C-130 Gunship, and such technologies as movement sensors. Segmentation enhanced security and was also sometimes used in moving troops with guide units only knowing their section of the trail or transport network. The 122mm Rocket was 75-inches in length and weighted 102-pounds. Internal supply from within South Vietnam was also crucial, particularly food supplies. Ferries shuttled troops across rivers and streams. The Rear Services grouping provided logistical support for military operations, such as digging bunkers or hauling supplies. An incoming round exploding is a noise forever embedded in your brain and for years to . If you heard them overhead they were no threat. GRADUAL FAILURE: THE AIR WAR OVER NORTH VIETNAM 19651966. 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. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. It is similar to the BM-13 "Katyusha" and was partly replaced in service by the 122 mm BM-21 Grad. [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. 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. When using heavy artillery, the VC/PAVN relied on high quality Soviet-supplied heavy 122mm and 130mm guns that outranged American and ARVN opposition. PAVN units headed for the Tr-Thin region closest to the northern border might infiltrate directly across the DMZ. 61 and PM-63 RAK machine pistols of Czech and Polish origin. . The country continued to function for war despite the aerial onslaught. There are some defeats more triumphant than victories. Binh Trams stations at intervals on the Trail, hosted the stream of men, weapons and supplies flowing to the battle zone. galleries are progressively closed from 4 pm. Other missile salvos damaged accompanying aircraft. In 2015, China Ordnance . 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. Physical description. By contrast a single US heavy combat division required about 5 times this amount. His name was Lance Corporal Thomas G. Stevenson. June 19: In Phu My, Tha Thin Province, the VC assassinated a 54-year old man and his 70-year old mother. [46] Official North Vietnamese sources also confirm the massive buildup, although figures differ between American and Northern sources. 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. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in military history. To purchase the entire video go to https://militaryvideo.com/ and search Rocket City or click on the linkhttps://mi. Both of these artillery guns were used in the counter-attack against Vietnam. (AP Photo) Full size 3000 2058 Movement was in column, with point and rear elements. Until late in the War, American pilots, hindered by their government's rules of engagement, could only watch helplessly as munitions, heavy weapons and advanced components like SAM missile batteries were unloaded at such harbors as Haiphong. 37169, Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History, (Viking Press: 1983) pp. Thats when you had to be careful because Charlie could also hear the siren, and he would lob a few more in. Fear of massive Chinese intervention in Vietnam continually caused a number of restrictions on US options. 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. They also made use of the Soviet/Chinese 122mm rocket which was used effectively against populated areas and large installations such as airfields. This included large quantities of American food aid to South Vietnam, a phenomenon sometimes observed by US troops that found enemy supply caches. nose, main body, tail An example of the Russian made 122mm rockets that were fired by the North Vietnamese army into Saigon during the two years that Air Cmdre. 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. Linebacker caused more damage to Northern lines of communication, than the previous 3 years of Rolling Thunder, particularly as the Easter Offensive brought PAVN forces out into the open. 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. Big search and destroy operations seized hundreds of tons of rice and other material in remoter base areas, but these could be regenerated and restocked again when roving US troops invariably moved on to their next sweep. Generally there was ten minutes of rest per hour, with one day of rest every five. The hub of the North Vietnamese material distribution was Hanoi with its numerous railheads, bridges and major roads. The Viet Cong's full-time soldiers were referred to as the "Main Force" (Chu Luc). Copyright 2013 - 2023 Stronghold Nation. Rolling Thunder imposed several limitations on US operations, and allowed Soviet and Chinese ships freedom to continuously deliver munitions and supplies into the battle zone. Recoilless rifles against bunkers, buildings and vehicles included American and Chinese variants of the 57mm M18 and 75mm M20 recoilless rifle, as well as the Soviet 73mm SPG-9. Other weapon systems were also used. Transit time could take months, and sometimes entire units were disrupted and disbanded. North Vietnam had relatively little industrial base. All rights reserved. Unauthorised Copying of any kind is strictly prohibited. but it was written in the 1970s to cover the use of napalm in Vietnam, which is not how these weapons . There are a total of [ 8 ] Vietnam War Mortars entries in the Military Factory. The National Liberation Front (NLF) was a united front designed to encourage non-communists to support the insurgency in the south. 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. The Vietnam War Commemoration is conducted according to the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to help honor and pay tribute to Vietnam . While outside material was vital to the war effort, much of the resources needed were obtained inside South Vietnam. [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. 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. The party sponsored competitive essays among the girls, with selected winners volunteering to join special "dare to die" unexploded bomb squads. An American or ARVN sweep for example that wiped out several supply caches did not shut down the whole district. Language. Casualties caused by American airstrikes were low, accounting for only 2% of total losses. American war makers ran a restrained start-stop aerial campaign for fear of Chinese or Soviet intervention exempting MiG airfields in China, targets above certain geographical or navigational boundaries, and many dams and locks associated with North Vietnam's agricultural system.

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