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bialy-r

I'm looking for photo of:

M43 GMC – Fort Sill, OK (USA)

Neil_Baumgardner

Here's some more info:

afvdb.50megs.com/usa/auvm39.html

Unfortunately, this appears to be the only pic I have of the Ordnance Museum's M39

Neil

Maple_Leaf_Eh · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 517

- Dontos

The guns fired out at zero elevation and charge 3 (the max charge, which happened to be in the tube at the time). The attack was halted in its tracks. The next morning, over 50 shattered bodies were found in the wire. All appeared to have been killed by shock and concussion. The equilibrators of the recoil mechanism were completely shattered and hydraulic oil was everywhere.
Don

I'd hate to be the weapons tech to go fix that breakdown!

javalls

- Neil_Baumgardner

Mr Roderigas also sent me some pics of this M39 outside an Army surplus store in Colorado Springs - there's only like 6 of these in the US:

Neil

Amazing pictures Neil,

The M39 is in my scratch schedule.
Could you get some more pictures and info about it ?
Some from the interior ?

Jose Valls

Hanno_Spoelstra · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jun 04, 2006 Posts: 185

- Neil_Baumgardner

Mr Roderigas also sent me some pics of this M39 outside an Army surplus store in Colorado Springs - there's only like 6 of these in the US

This M39 was offered for sale a while ago. Apperently it did not sell?

Hanno

Dontos

- SHAWN

dontos are you the one that mentioned the NOTAM??
here is a plerp from the 2/32 history in re:notam--

"On 14 July 1967, this Headquarters became the only artillery air warning control station for Tay Ninh Province. This includes broadcasting air data from all permanent and temporary firing positions in Tay Ninh Province and routing aircraft into clear traffic patterns."

Shawn

The quotes came from an SME (source matter Expert) on artillery information in Vietnam. He has significant experience in topic.

Don

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

dontos are you the one that mentioned the NOTAM??
here is a plerp from the 2/32 history in re:notam--

"On 14 July 1967, this Headquarters became the only artillery air warning control station for Tay Ninh Province. This includes broadcasting air data from all permanent and temporary firing positions in Tay Ninh Province and routing aircraft into clear traffic patterns."

Doug_Kibbey

- Dontos

[ The III Corps Zone, which included the capital military district (Saigon), Regards
Don

Note: aka, the SSZ, or "Saigon Special Zone", occasionally seen in documents as the "Capital (Saigon) Special Zone".

...just for those who might be looking it up on maps or trying to distinguish it from those STZ's ("Special Tactical Zones").

Dontos

- Dontos

Here is a little info for you....

The 175s were all assigned to Field Force (IFFV, IIFFV) level as general support artillery. IFFV had no operational-level artillery headquarters (no FDC) at that time, so their battalions were attached directly to the divisions. At the time I was there, 1st Cav Divarty had a composite 8-in/175mm battalion which had weapons such as that shown, but I donâ€™t recognize either the unit markings (2/32 FA) or the label â€œProud Americanâ€? (assuming those are all original) on that particular track. 23d Gp is also unknown to me, unless thatâ€™s a Ft. Sill unit. The 8-in/175 battalion was a very useful unit because of the inherent accuracy and striking power of the 8-in weapons and because of the reach of the 175s. When firing high angle, we had to issue a NOTAM (notice to airmen) in effect establishing a no-fly zone over the 175s. The shell went up more than 10,000 feet.

During operations in Binh Dinh Province in 1967, we had an LZ Hammond which had a couple of 175s. The NVA assaulted the wire one night when the 175s were firing H&I fires. When firing high angle, the tube had to be lowered to re-load. Thatâ€™s when the NVA came over the wire in front of these two tubes. The guns fired out at zero elevation and charge 3 (the max charge, which happened to be in the tube at the time). The attack was halted in its tracks. The next morning, over 50 shattered bodies were found in the wire. All appeared to have been killed by shock and concussion. The equilibrators of the recoil mechanism were completely shattered and hydraulic oil was everywhere. The â€œ175mm anti-personnel deviceâ€? earned its spurs that night. From then on, if there was a threat to an LZ, all one had to do was send out a 175 gun, operational or not, and park it in the LZ. The threat always went away immediately; the NVA didnâ€™t want to have anything to do with them.

Sorry I canâ€™t give you more specific information.

Just a little background info on the 175mm in Vietnam...
Don

Doug, Roy, & Shawn...

Here is more information / reflections after seeing the 'Proud American' website from my 'source'. Cool

"Thatâ€™s very interesting. That explains why I had not heard of the units. The III Corps Zone, which included the capital military district (Saigon), was much more compact than any of the others. The combat units in that zone tended to mass for their various operations, and there was an active role for IIFFV as an operational corps-level headquarters.

In the 1st Cavâ€™s AO, we had an ARVN division and later a Korean division to operate with, but no US divisions. Neither the ARVN nor the Korean division had much in the way of artillery â€” nothing bigger than a heavy mortar, as I remember. IFFV was way down the coast at Qui Nhon, out of radio range, and completely out of the area of tactical operations.

At one time, I was sent out to an isolated hilltop in Bong Son province with two men and a jeep to create a â€œjumpâ€? FDC for a couple of months. We built a couple of bamboo lean-tos, one as an FDC and one as our â€œhootchâ€? for everything else. That was a very lonely period, as the entire 18th NVA Regiment was roaming those woods and we had no on-site ground security. We shot illumination from there the night the 22d ARVN division stumbled onto the massed 18th NVA regiment. I still have photos of a stack of weapons, 8â€™ to 10â€™ high and some 20â€™ across which were taken as a result of virtually wiping out that entire regiment in two nights and one day of fighting. I was very glad to see dawn on that third morning. We were recalled from the hilltop and went to the brand-new Phu Cat air base about 20 miles away to have our first warm shower in almost two months. The contrast from our hilltop position to the sparkling new officers mess at Phu Cat was really a memorable occasion. "

Regards
Don

Jens_O_Mehner

- Neil_Baumgardner

Ask and you shall receive. More T162 pics from Dustin Roderigas:

Neil

With Hunnicutt and Crismon still tucked away in the last couple of boxes I have to unpack, is that the same basic vehicle as the M53/55 or have there been major changes?

TIA,

Jens O.

Jens_O_Mehner

- SHAWN

bumper markings for M107 2/32 1967

Well,

live and learn Shocked

, those bumper markings are authentic after all- duly noted and committed to memory, thanks Shawn.

Cheers,

Jens O.

Doug_Kibbey

- SHAWN

bumper markings for M107 2/32 1967

Proud American 1966

Thanks, Shawn...

That settles that! Same gun as Ft. Sill, different than mine...and WAY different neighborhood! (Xuan Loc is FAR from "I" Corps) Totally different dealy-bob with no connection whatsoever!

D.

SHAWN · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 31, 2006 Posts: 484

bumper markings for M107 2/32 1967

Proud American 1966

Neil_Baumgardner

Yet more...

Neil

Hellfish6

Outstanding. Much appreciated.

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