Com-Central.net

- Jens_O_Mehner

I dunno,

shouldn't the bumper number read more like IIFFV 2F32 on the left (looking at the vehicle) and battery letter-vehicle number (e.g.B-23) on the right? Seems like all photographical evidence of other M107s and M110s in Viet Nam points toward that pattern, including some shots on the landscaper website linked to by Roy.

"A" for Artillery is rather unusual, I've seen "F" and "FA" for Field Artillery, "FAD" for FA Detachment, "AD", "ADA", and "AAA" for Anti-Aircraft resp. Air Defense Artillery, but "A" alone is IIRC unknown... Writing this, I'm aware that photographical evidence is right around the corner and the photo is probably somewhere in my archives as well.

Cheers,

Jens O.

- Doug_Kibbey

On this page, there is a page of "Proud American" at "Camp Eagle", 1965, but as it's next to a shot from Ft. Sill and it doesn't look right for Vietnam to me (the trees are all wrong, naked from autumn) and I don't think the VN version of Camp Eagle (the 101st Div. Base Camp that I operated from) even existed yet west of Phu Bai (Camp Hochmuth) I think that's like the Ft. Sill photo.

www.landscaper.net/the...n%20(M107)

- Dontos

The photo is low resolution but some of the digits in the Bumper # are readable.


Don

- Roy_A_Lingle

I have to agree with you Doug. Those trees just don't look right. When did we start the de-folent spraying? That might account for the naked trees.

They have me confuzed.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

- SHAWN

bumper markings for M107 2/32 1967

Proud American 1966

- SHAWN

bumper markings for M107 2/32 1967

- Neil_Baumgardner

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




Neil

- 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 don’t recognize either the unit markings (2/32 FA) or the label “Proud American� (assuming those are all original) on that particular track. 23d Gp is also unknown to me, unless that’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. That’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 “175mm anti-personnel device� 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 didn’t want to have anything to do with them.

Sorry I can’t give you more specific information.

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

- Dontos

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