night convoys

[DMZ-LT]

Usually hunkered down at night. Sid picked my burned up ass tonight and took me around . Thank you. Doged another one. Welcome Home everyone

[MORTARDUDE]

your dude had some major-league-cojones...would probably not work quite so well the second time. Except for the Cambodian fandango, we usually circled the wagons well before nightfall, took a Mad Minute or two, and sent out the APs, LPs, and whatevers...I wonder if the tanks ever used those God-awful big spot lights at night over there ??

Larry

[catman]

Generation Gap...I thought night time was the only time to conduct convoys? 91 gulfwar...the only thing we stopped for in four days of advance was fuel or fire missions. When the later occurred, the launchers needed and ammo trucks would stop and the main body kept moving, mission complete the firing elements would catch the main body. Gives a whole new meaning to "HIP SHOOTS".

Trav

[Andy]

We were same-same. Just before dusk you circle with wagons with the line platoons, mortars and HQ platoon made an inner circle. Line platoons laid out the consentena, claymores and usually aiming stakes. A couple minutes after dark the LP and maybe an ambush went out. Except during Tet and one time in April and one time in May. We didn't ever think about moving our APC's in a night fight. But that April incident, Charles was holding his ground and we got word he had re-enforcements coming.
We didn't have enough starlights to go around and none that attached to the 50's. A FSB had arty firing flares as did our mortars and yes the tanks used their awesome spotlights. (Later on I think a Huey came in with a load of flares also.)

Catman: I don't think it's that much of a generation gap. Weren't you driving around on a lot of fairly flat, jungle free soil? Our night convoys sometimes took place with jungle 25 yards or lest from each side of the road. Even my wife could fire an RPG and hit something at 25 yards. Well, 2 out of 5.
That was why, back then, I loved Agent Orange. You move the tree line back 100+ yards and we would have gone anywhere, anytime. There is no doubt that fighting in the sand can be a bitch but tanks, mech and the rest do not fair well in convoy, not when the trees limbs might be hanging over the road.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[MORTARDUDE]

kids thses days have absoulutely no concept of how dark it is out in the middle of nowhere without moonlight. You cannot even see the Milky Way most places now because all the background light from cities...trust me it is God-Awful Dark...In the triple canopy jungle at high noon it is fairly dark also...being there in the midnight time trying to plough thru it and being ambushed is a prescription for a slaughter that would be many times worse than Custer's Last Stand... Yes, Sir Charles from the South most assuredly owned the Night and his blood-brother Sir Chuck from the North tried to own the Day, and except for air-power he probablyly would have...( my opinion only )..

Larry