artillery support

[39mto39g]

While around Chu Li I remember getting support from 175s One time. Never called for them again. They make a huge hole and you don't want to be anywhere in the area.

Paco I think the New Jerrsy got to VN in late 68 to 69. I sure would have like to have seen her.

The New Jerrsy was there for the 3rd Marines along the DMZ.

Ron

[Chas H]

The 175 has a more powerful round than an 8" due to the exploding charge being composition B rather than the TNT of the 8".
We usually had 2 carriages tubed with 175 and at times had a tractor trailer with 8" tubes and the ordnance crew to swap them. It was a simple task that took less than 2 hours.
I recall one rainy night around Thanksgiving of '67 when we fired continuously to keep the enemy away from a Huey and crew downed in the An Lao valley. A 175 is good for only 300 full charge rounds so the next day we were changing tubes.

[MORTARDUDE]

We were in different firebases where 8" and 175 mm were firing...not sure which one it was, but our hootch wasn't too far away from the guns....when they fired ( and it seemed like all that night ), all the dust seem to come right out of the sand bags and fill the hootch....oh yeah....it was REAL loud too...even with ear plugs...

Larry

[catman]

If I remember right, the 175 had a range probable error of 1000 meters. Was great for grid saturation missions. Extremely dangerous for support missions. Simply aim for the center of the grid and fire away!

Also had what we used to call "the droop of the tube", where the tube was so long and heavy you had to add +3 mils to elevation because the tube would sag that much when set.

Hard to remember all the info on cannon artillery, my time was mostly with rockets.

Trav

[Chas H]

I don't recall any firing data figures, but the range probable error varied according to charge and range. There was no droop factor added to tube elevation by the FDC, it may have been included in the tabulated firing data. I contemplated this very issue years back, and concluded that the tube would straighten out under pressure much like the New Years Eve noisemaker that unrolls itself when tooted.

[Packo]

Chas,

It is my understanding that lots of things unroll themselves when tooted!

Ah Oh, Bob made me say that.

Pack

[Chas H]

I threw that out to see how many perverts are on deck.

[catman]

Chas...just look at the bottom of the forum page where it lists members who are on the site, that is your answer!

Trav

[Beldan]

All of that data has to be factored into the firing data before firing. No wonder arty is so accurate .

In the summer of 1966 our unit was sent out right at dark to provide security for a couple of downed choppers that had went down in rice paddy below a hill. Arty support came in all night with flares and very accurate fire all around our perimeter. Seems like it was nearly max range for 155 . There was not one misplaced round that entire night .
The guys that were there that night still marvel at the excellent support .

When I was with the 4th My company was operating out of Bam Me Thout when we needed some artillery support. We were told that the battery that supports us was now firing for another unit in contact, howerver we were told that there was a Korean artillery unit availabe to us and we could get fire support from them. Mistake, major mistake. They language barrier was way too much to overcome. We had a kid from LA who was part Korean and could speak Korean. So our Co let him talk to the FDC. When the CO asked for an illumination round all 5 guns fired an illumination round, when the CO told him to the Koreans no just one illumination round, they fired another round of illumination, now there were ten illumination rounds in the sky above us, man we were lit up like a Christmas Tree. The Co realizing we were going to have a problem cancelled the Fire mission from the Koreans. Looking back now, I realize that I can laugh about it.