Chu Li

[39mto39g]

We had just pulled into camp. set up in a bunker on the road side of the perimiter and went to eat, (hot food, huu huu!) and all of a sudden the earth shook, What the hell was that???
Some guy in a apron said "hell, thats just the 175s "
Now I have been around some big guns but Geees Lueess,
I had to go see, They were loading this thing with a hydrolic loader thing, they put three big bags of gun powder in first then the shell, the guy puts what looked like a 30-06 blank round in the end of the barrel and on some command he pulled this rope. I had never seen dirt come up from the ground all around the gun, about a 30 foot flame came out the end and you could watch that big bullit go away, Holy shit, the US has some heavy duty fire power. I was impressed.

Ron

[splummer]

I had to sleep under a 175 battery one fine week back in april 1968 at FSB Bastone. The earth shook really describs it. It sure scared the heck out of me the first night until I figured out what it was.The VA says my hearing is excelant though. Huh

[MORTARDUDE]

We were in a firebase for a week with these bad boys also.
I found some ear plugs, but they were useless. What I remember most was during a fire mission the dust in the sandbags that the hootch was made out of was all over the interior...so you were deaf, couldn't beathe and couldn't sleep. I was also in a situation where they fired over us all night ( H & I s ) and it was nice to know they were there.

Larry

[catman]

It was quite a while ago but maybe Sid or Artysgt can correct me. Seems like the range probable error was 1000 meters for the 175's which means if you want to saturate a grid you aim at the center and the rounds can land anywhere within a 1000 meters of that spot.

Also the tubes on the 175 was so long when you elevated the tube it would droop by 3 mils!

Seems like the round was around 125 lbs and could shoot like 42 klicks.

I'll take the old 8" over the 175 anytime! The 8" was replaced by the MLRS which is now being replaced by HIMARS, damn can't keep up with the stuff anymore!

Trav

[82Rigger]

...website says that the 175mm HE projectile weighs 174 pounds and has a max range of 33 clicks. Probable error at max range is 1.5 clicks.

Sounds pretty awesome to me!

P.S. We didn't have those in the paratroops!

Airborne! Steve / 82Rigger

[usmcsgt65]

Not being a canon crocker, why put the powder in first?

[revwardoc]

I worked with a guy who on a 175 battery in 'Nam and he described it just that way, the earth shook and dust rose all around it. He managed to grab a box of surgical masks to wear when they had a fire mission and he scrounged a pair of AF "Mickey Mouse" type ear defenders and ear plugs. He said those ear defenders kept him from saying, "What?, Huh?" for the rest of his life.

[39mto39g]

Bullit first then the powder, Im getting old you know.

When laying sod for your yard, the green side goes up.

I know stuff.

Ron

[Bill Farnie]

The 175's at FSB Bastogne were awesome. The ground shook and dust kicked up everywhere when they fired. Me and a bro named Gary Garraputa had our hearing diminished to where we couldn't hardly hear for a few days when we passed under the guns when they started a fire mission. Just a couple of months ago I wrote a letter for Gary telling about the incident for the VA. He's trying to get some compensation for the constant ringing in his ears which he feels was caused by the 175's and he also was a M60 gunner for most of his tour. I remember FSB Bastogne had everything. Quad 50's, Dusters, 105's , 8 inchers and the 175's.

[ArtySgt]

Got to admit I remember next to nothing about the 175 long tom, I spent all my Army years on 105 m.m.s. Rarely saw the big guns in the field. I spent so much time in small remote firebase's, constantly moving from one place to the other. Did'nt like the idea that the larger artillery weapons had no self defense shells like our beehive round. That is unless you can count on " killer junior "