122mm ROCKET

[KEN JENSEN]

My indoctrination to Vietnam was my 6th day in country when Phuoc Vinh came under VC attack July 27, 1967 from over 100 of these babies. Was also present at a few other locations when we came under attack from 122mm Rockets.

Normally these were launched from hastily built 16 tube array rocket launch pads with several different launch pad arrays coming in, then quickly moved out of harms way.



KEN
DO NO HARM

[chiangshan]

The 122mm rockets were 9K132 Grad-P, a single-tube version from the 40-tube BM-21 Grad. When arrived VN, they were renamed as "DKB" or "DKZB".

The DKB rockets had been the main weapon of NLF artillery units for a long time, before howizers and field guns could be transfered to the South.

Each rocket battalion might have 12-18 tubes like this



And firing without tubes

[altus]

Welcome to ACG, chiangshan!

If anyone of you here has questions regarding Viet Minh or PAVN OOB, TOE, weapons, equipment and the like, chiangshan is the "go to" man!

Altus

[KEN JENSEN]

Originally Posted by altus

Welcome to ACG, chiangshan!

If anyone of you here has questions regarding Viet Minh or PAVN OOB, TOE, weapons, equipment and the like, chiangshan is the "go to" man!

Altus

OK! Let's give it a try. CHIANGSHAN, I was at Phuoc Vinh July 21, 1967 to Sep 12th 1967. What unit(s) were in that area during that time? Who controlled the LOCAL VC in that area as to the harassment we received during that time? During the rocket attack mentioned at the start of this thread on July 27th, what units were involved in the attack. Supposedly the U.S. defenders had killed a VC LT. (in uniform) the night of the attack and he was supposedly to have been one of the Barbers that cut our hair on the Base Camp. If so, who was he and what unit did he belong to? How many VC were killed that night - we grunts heard about 50 - official U.S. reports I have read stated only 2 in one and in another 4 were killed. Do you have a different figure of VC / Local supporters that were KIA that night?

OH - by the way YES Welcome aboard - you may find your participation here very stimulating.

KEN
DO NO HARM

[chiangshan]

As I know, the rocket attack came from 724th regiment of 69th artillery division. It was the first PAVN units that be armed with 122mm rockets.

About other questions, I'll try to find out ;-)

[KEN JENSEN]

Originally Posted by chiangshan

As I know, the rocket attack came from 724th regiment of 69th artillery division. It was the first PAVN units that be armed with 122mm rockets.

About other questions, I'll try to find out ;-)

Would appreciate your effort as to the GROUND troops that were attacking us on the perimeter.

hmmmm, I recenly posted this reference study and it indicates it was more than likely the 84A Artillery Regiment - now I'm confused????? see page 28 and 29 of this:

http://www.virtual.vietnam.ttu.edu/c...8300010688.pdf

What kind of feedback can you give me on the "Study" document?

KEN
DO NO HARM

[chiangshan]

Originally Posted by KEN JENSEN

Would appreciate your effort as to the GROUND troops that were attacking us on the perimeter.

hmmmm, I recenly posted this reference study and it indicates it was more than likely the 84A Artillery Regiment - now I'm confused????? see page 28 and 29 of this:

http://www.virtual.vietnam.ttu.edu/c...8300010688.pdf

What kind of feedback can you give me on the "Study" document?

KEN
DO NO HARM

You're right. The 84A and 724th was the same unit. The 84A was renamed when it moved South (your document also mention it in page 6 and 7). This document is quite accurate, well, your military intelligence did a good job.

[altus]

Originally Posted by chiangshan

This document is quite accurate, well, your military intelligence did a good job.

So, I take it as your confirmation that a PAVN 122mm RA battalion did indeed have 5 compasses, 6 slide rules, 4 thermometers and, last but not least, 222 shovels as iterated in this document.

However, we managed to conceal the number of watches in possession of the Sig & Recon company from their eyes!

[chiangshan]

Originally Posted by altus

So, I take it as your confirmation that a PAVN 122mm RA battalion did indeed have 5 compasses, 6 slide rules, 4 thermometers and, last but not least, 222 shovels as iterated in this document.

However, we managed to conceal the number of watches in possession of the Sig & Recon company from their eyes!

In a PAVN unit everything is possible, you know

[KEN JENSEN]

Originally Posted by altus

So, I take it as your confirmation that a PAVN 122mm RA battalion did indeed have 5 compasses, 6 slide rules, 4 thermometers and, last but not least, 222 shovels as iterated in this document.

However, we managed to conceal the number of watches in possession of the Sig & Recon company from their eyes!

Aaaaah! Man Altus; how'd you forget the 3 rolls of American Toilet Paper??

ROFLOL

KEN
DO NO HARM

[lirelou]

The 122mm made a swizzling sound that was fairly unique. The II Corps MIKE Force compound sat at the end of the Pleiku Air Base runway, just off the base itself. VNAF T-28s taking off with a bomb load barely cleared our barracks. The wags insisted that we had been placed there so that in the event of a FULRO uprising, the VNAF bombers would be able to find their targets. We were also ideally sited to observe 122mm rocket strikes on the Pleiku airfield. Units fresh from the field were known to climb up on the conex containers in the quadrangle and cheer or boo the NVA's gunnery expertise, depending upon the results. It was always fun to watch the Air Force non-air crews earn their combat pay. Most of the strikes in 1968-69 came directly over our compound. If the engines quit when the 122s were directly over the compound, the Charles was on target and you could occasionally see a C-123 or some such blown into pieces. If the engines quit as it passed the compound, then Charles was shooting over. But if the engines shut off while the rockets were below the compound, then there wasn't much you could do except "pucker up and wait". To quote one Senior NCO, "it was the hand of god." Units fresh from the field also tended to stay in the sack when such attacks took place after midnight. This upset our XO, who rampaged through the barracks rousting men from their beds. One Aussie Warrant once demanded to know if the major expected us to shoot down the 122s with our M-16s. When the major replied that he wanted everyone in the bunkers for safety, the rejoinder was: "Major, have you ever seen what one of those will do to a bunker!" Needless to say, His Majority prevailed.