Good Wednesday morning February 19. I spent a lot of time in the chicken cage yesterday. I removed two old hutches and got them broken down and piled up to be carted away later. Cleaned up the remaining one and got it loaded with shavings so the hens have something to lay their eggs in. We got one new cage yesterday and another one for the rooster that should get here today. All the cans I have are out for the Trash pick up later this morning. Yes the last tree is still dropping leaves and still has plenty left.
Installation folks are coming later today to install the giant TV over the fire place and that will be fun to watch. 85 inches.
Warm Regards,
skip
Make it a GREAT Day
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Go here to see the director's corner for all 86 H-Grams
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/
. This day in Naval and Marine Corps History February. 19
1900—President William McKinley signs an Executive Order placing Tutuila (Samoa) and nearby islands under the Navy Department.
1942—The Japanese attack Darwin, Australia in the largest attack by a foreign power on that country. USS Peary (DD 226), as well as an Army transport and freighter sink in the raid, as well as a number of Australian and British vessels.
1942—The overnight Battle of Badoeng Strait begins when the allied naval force (ABDA) commanded by Dutch Rear Adm. W.F.M. Doorman engaged the Japanese in an attempt to stop the invasion force in Bali. USS Stewart (DE 238) is damaged.
1945—Following pre-invasion naval gunfire and aerial bombardment, U.S. Marines land on Iwo Jima, securing the island on March 16. Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz describes the invasion, from which 27 Medals of Honor are given, as one "where uncommon valor was a common virtue."
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This day in World history
February 19
1408 The revolt of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, against King Henry IV, ends with his defeat and death at Bramham Moor.
1701 Philip V of Spain makes his ceremonial entry into Madrid.
1807 Vice President Aaron Burr is arrested in Alabama for treason. He is later found innocent.
1847 Rescuers finally reach the ill-fated Donner Party in the Sierras.
1861 Russian Tsar Alexander II abolishes serfdom.
1902 Smallpox vaccination becomes obligatory in France.
1903 The Austria-Hungary government decrees a mandatory two year military service.
1915 British and French warships begin their attacks on the Turkish forts at the mouth of the Dardenelles, in an abortive expedition to seize the straits of Gallipoli.
1917 American troops are recalled from the Mexican border.
1919 The First Pan African Congress meets in Paris, France.
1925 President Calvin Coolidge proposes the phasing out of inheritance tax.
1926 Dr. Lane of Princeton estimates the earth's age at one billion years.
1942 Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, is bombed by the Japanese.
1944 The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force begin "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1965 Fourteen Vietnam War protesters are arrested for blocking the United Nations' doors in New York.
1966 Robert F. Kennedy suggests the United States offer the Vietcong a role in governing South Vietnam.
1976 Britain slashes welfare spending.
1981 The U.S. State Department calls El Salvador a "textbook case" of a Communist plot.
1987 New York Governor Mario Cuomo declares that he will not run for president in the next election.
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Rollingthunderremembered.com .
February19
Hello All,
Thanks to Dan Heller and the Bear
Links to all content can now be found right on the homepage http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com. If you scroll down from the banner and featured content you will find "Today in Rolling Thunder Remembered History" which highlights events in the Vietnam war that occurred on the date the page is visited. Below that are links to browse or search all content. You may search by keyword(s), date, or date range.
An item of importance is the recent incorporation of Task Force Omega (TFO) MIA summaries. There is a link on the homepage and you can also visit directly via https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/task-force-omega/. There are 60 summaries posted thus far, with about 940 to go (not a typo—TFO has over 1,000 individual case files).
If you have any questions or comments about RTR/TFO, or have a question on my book, you may e-mail me directly at acrossthewing@protonmail.com. Thank you Dan
Thanks to Micro
To remind folks that these are from the Vietnam Air Losses site that Micro put together. You click on the url below and get what happened each day to the crew of the aircraft. ……Skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for "Wednesday 19 February
February 19: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=33
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to Mike
I came across this one last night trying to get through my email and it is a great read. This Marine was right in the thick of things.
Fw: This USMC Medal of Honor recipient became an ace pilot in a day
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. What the Marines did on Iwo Jima over80 years ago from Seamus' "All Hands"
Also remember that having that island and airfields saved thousands of air crew who were flying missions to Japan and used it as an emergency field.
The Marine invasion of Iwo Jima (1st US attack on the Japanese Home
Islands) began on February 19, 1945. It was known as Operation Detachment.
The Marines were charged with the mission of capturing the airfields on the island which up until that time had harried U.S. bombing missions to Tokyo. Once the bases were secured, they could then be used in the impending invasion of the Japanese mainland.
B-24 Liberators flying from the Marianna's bombed the island for 74 days prior to the invasion. Naval ships consisting of 6 battleships, 5 cruisers and many destroyers of Task Force 54 provided a 3 day pre-landing bombardment. Intelligence sources estimated that the island would fall in a week's time. Unfortunately, no one knew at the time that island had been heavily fortified. There were vast bunkers, hidden artillery and 11 miles of interconnecting tunnels.
The battle produced some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. Besides the fortifications, the inhospitable terrain consisting of volcanic ash made walking difficult and building foxholes for protection impossible. Night raids by the Japanese and hand-to-hand combat were common occurrences. The bunkers were connected to the tunnels in such a way that even after the use of flamethrowers and grenades, the Japanese soldiers were able to return to the bunkers and resume their fighting. The Marines literally won the 8 square mile island, inch by bloody inch.
Of the approximate 20,000 Japanese troops on the island, less than 1,000 were taken prisoner. Most Japanese fought to the death or chose ritual suicide instead of surrendering.
Of the 110,000 Marines and Navy Corpsman who took part in the battle, 6,821 were killed (this included over 300 Navy Corpsman) and 19,217 were wounded.
The number of American casualties were greater than the total Allied casualties at the Battle of Normandy on D-Day.
On March 26, 1945, the island of Iwo Jima was declared secure ... 37 days after the battle began. Henceforth, Iwo Jima would appear on the list in Marine Corps history alongside such places as Belleau Woods, Chosin Reservoir and Guadalcanal.
Twenty-seven Medal of Honor medals were awarded for actions during the battle. Of these, 14 were awarded posthumously. Marines earned 22 of the medals, Navy Corpsman earned 4 and a Naval officer from the USS LCI won the other. Of the total number of Medal of Honor medals awarded to Marines in WWII, 27% of those were awarded to the Marines who fought on Iwo Jima.
By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served
on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue. Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz, U.S. Navy
a note from Skip.
It was a long time after reading about the battle of Iwo Jima until I heard about what happened after the battle and after the Island was declared secure. Even before the battle had ended the first B-29s and Mustangs started landing at Iwo. They had been shot up over Japan or had other aircraft problems that would not allow them to return to their bases. On March 26 100s of Japanese troops assaulted the unarmed aircrew sleeping in tents ."They used swords and bayonets to keep the noise low when the island was supposed to be secure. 55 aircrew were killed and 156 Japanese were killed before it was under control. Total Americans killed in the battle of Iwo Jima was 6821
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From the archives
FOR THOSE THAT DID NOT KNOW. There have now been two Marines who were mis identified in the original Flag Raising on Iwo Jima. Last night I watched the Battle of Iwo Jima on the history Channel and it was followed by the story of the first correction to the list of the flag raisers. Since then I watched the second one. This article covers both.
Skip
Marine Corps again corrects who was in iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo
The FBI-led analysis ensures no more corrections are needed.
ByLuis Martinez
October 17, 2019, 4:02 PM
Marine Corps corrects who was in iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo
Marine Cpl. Harold P. Keller was one of the men immortalized in the famous photo ta...Read More
The United States Marine Corps corrected the identity of another one of the six men raising the American flag on Mount Surabachi in an iconic photo taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, after new evidence was provided by three amateur historians.
A Marine Corps board reviewed the new information from historians Dustin Spence, Stephen Foley and Brent Westemeyer, and determined Marine Cpl. Harold P. Keller was one of the men immortalized in the famous photo taken by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, not Pfc. Rene Gagnon, as had been previously believed.
The same happened in 2016, when the Marine Corps determined another man in the photo had been misidentified. The man was identified as Pfc. Harold Schulz, and not Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class John Bradley, who had been involved in the first flag raising. Rosenthal's photo captured the second raising, when Marines lifted a larger U.S. flag on the mountain during the battle for the strategic island where 6,500 U.S. service members lost their lives.
(MORE: Marines acknowledge man in iconic 1945 Iwo Jima photo was misidentified)
"The correct identification of Marines ... is important," a Marine Corps statement said, announcing Keller's identity. "Without the initiative and contributions of both private historians devoted to preservation of our history and the FBI's support, the Marine Corps would not have this opportunity to expand on the historical record of the second flag raising on Mount Suribachi. We are extremely grateful for their dedication to helping us preserve our legacy."
The statement said the review board was contacted in July 2018 by private historians pointing out the errors in identification.
Recent Stories from ABC News
"These historians provided a significant amount of new evidence for consideration, mostly in the form of dozens of previously private photographs," the statement said.
Marine Corps Corporal Harold P. Keller is pictured, circa 1945, in a photo published in "Investigating Iwo: The Flag Raisings in Myth, Memory, & Esprit de Corps."
Marine Corps Corporal Harold P. Keller is pictured, circa 1945, in a photo published in "Investigating Iwo: The Flag Raisings in Myth, Memory, & Esprit de Corps."
Courtesy Kay Keller Maurer
A chapter in the newly published, "Investigating Iwo," a new official history of the flag raising, details the process behind the Marine Corps' review of the information provided by the three historians.
Foley and Spence were also involved in 2016, when Schulz was identified as one of the Marines in the photo.
(MORE: 'Flags of Our Fathers' author convinced his father was not in iconic Iwo Jima photo)
Gagnon had long been identified as the Marine pictured with only his helmet visible on the far side of the flag pole, but a stringent review of available photographs taken in February 1945 led the historians to determine that it was most likely Keller in that position.
The Marine Corps formed a board and involved the FBI to assess the contents of the photos and determine the true identities of the men.
Retired Marine Col. Keil Gentry, who was part of the board, said the FBI's analysis of the information provided and of the additional photos taken that day indicated it was a "slam dunk" that Keller fit the profile and not Gagnon.
Gentry also said the board asked the FBI to conduct a more comprehensive review to validate the identities of the other five men involved in the flag raising to ensure there would be no further corrections needed.
The FBI's review included comparisons of a film of the flag raising and other well-known photos, including one that showed the precise moment when the first flag was lowered by one group of Marines, while the other group raised the flag that was memorialized in the photo.
(MORE: Marines investigate possible misidentification in iconic Iwo Jima photo)
Gentry said, "this is it" with regard to further corrections to the identities of the Marines in the photo based on the extensive FBI analysis. This includes the matching of the camouflage patterns on the helmets visible on the photos and the film that Gentry described as being similar to "fingerprints."
Gagnon did play a large role in the flag raising, as it was his job to carry the larger flag to the top of the mountain and safely return the first flag for safe keeping.
Recent Stories from ABC News
"Without his efforts, this historical event might not have been captured, let alone even occurred," the Marine Corps statement said.
The six flag raisers in the famous photo are now identified as: Cpl. Harlon Block, Pfc. Harold Keller, Pfc. Ira Hayes, Pfc. Harold Schultz, Pfc. Franklin Sousley and Sgt. Michael Strank.
"Regardless of who was in the photograph, each and every Marine who set foot on Iwo Jima, or supported the effort from the sea and air around the island is, and always will be, a part of our Corps' cherished history," the statement said. "In the words of General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 'they are all heroes.'"
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This Day in U S Military History
19 February
1847 – The first group of rescuers, troops from Fort Suttler commanded by Col John C. Fremont, reaches the Donner Party.
1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, NY congressman, was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This was the 1st time this defense was successfully used. Sickles had shot and killed Philip Barton Key, son of Francis Scott Key, author of "Star Spangled Banner." He shot Key, the DC district attorney, in Lafayette Square for having an affair with his wife. Sickles pleaded temporary insanity and the sanctity of a man's home and beat the murder rap.
1862 – Trial run of two-gun ironclad U.S.S. Monitor in New York harbor. Chief Engineer Alban C. Stimers, USN, reported on the various difficulties that were presented during the trial run of Monitor and concluded that her speed would be approximately 6 knots, "though Captain Ericsson feels confident of 8."
1942 – Port Darwin, on the northern coast of Australia, was bombed by about 150 Japanese warplanes. General George C. Kenney, who pioneered aerial warfare strategy and tactics in the Pacific theater, ordered 3,000 parafrag bombs to be sent to Australia, where he thought they might come in handy against the Japanese. Darwin was virtually leveled by 64 bombing raids over 21 months.
1943 – On Guadalcanal American reinforcements arrive as part of the buildup for the next offensive move to the Russell Islands. These islands are now reported abandoned by the Japanese.
1944 – The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force began "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
1944 – The Anzio beachhead becomes stabilized. Neither sides plans significant attacks at this time. To the south, there is a lull in the fighting along the Gustav Line.
1944 – Fighting continues on Engebi in the Eniwetok Atoll. Americans land on Eniwetok in regimental strength. There is heavy Japanese resistance, in spite of massive preparatory bombardments.
1945 – On Iwo Jima, 2 divisions of the US 5th Amphibious Corps are landed in Operation Detachment. Before the landing the bombardment groups already deployed are joined by 2 battleships, several cruisers and destroyers from US Task Force 58. The initial assault forces are from US 4th and 5th Marine Divisions with 3rd Marines in reserve. They are carried transported by TF53 (Admiral Hill) and land on the southeast of the island. About 30,000 men go ashore on the first day. The Japanese garrison of about 21,000 troops, commanded by General Kuribayashi, have prepared exceptionally elaborate and tough defenses so that the eight square miles of the island is completely fortified. The Americans realize that the island is well defended since it is part of metropolitan Japan. However, the island is strategically important because it is within fighter range of Tokyo. By controlling the airfields here, American B-29 bombers flying from the Mariana Islands can be escorted. Coast Guard units that participated in this bloody campaign included the Coast Guard-manned USS Bayfield, Callaway, 14 LSTs and the PC-469. Three of the LSTs were struck by enemy shore fire: LST-792, LST-758, and LST-760.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
*COLE, DARRELL SAMUEL
Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Born: 20 July 1920, Flat River, Mo. Entered service at. Esther, Mo. other Navy award: Bronze Star Medal. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as leader of a Machinegun Section of Company B, 1st Battalion, 23d Marines, 4th Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces during the assault on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 19 February 1945. Assailed by a tremendous volume of small-arms, mortar and artillery fire as he advanced with 1 squad of his section in the initial assault wave, Sgt. Cole boldly led his men up the sloping beach toward Airfield No. 1 despite the blanketing curtain of flying shrapnel and, personally destroying with hand grenades 2 hostile emplacements which menaced the progress of his unit, continued to move forward until a merciless barrage of fire emanating from 3 Japanese pillboxes halted the advance. Instantly placing his 1 remaining machinegun in action, he delivered a shattering fusillade and succeeded in silencing the nearest and most threatening emplacement before his weapon jammed and the enemy, reopening fire with knee mortars and grenades, pinned down his unit for the second time. Shrewdly gauging the tactical situation and evolving a daring plan of counterattack, Sgt. Cole, armed solely with a pistol and 1 grenade, coolly advanced alone to the hostile pillboxes. Hurling his 1 grenade at the enemy in sudden, swift attack, he quickly withdrew, returned to his own lines for additional grenades and again advanced, attacked, and withdrew. With enemy guns still active, he ran the gauntlet of slashing fire a third time to complete the total destruction of the Japanese strong point and the annihilation of the defending garrison in this final assault. Although instantly killed by an enemy grenade as he returned to his squad, Sgt. Cole had eliminated a formidable Japanese position, thereby enabling his company to storm the remaining fortifications, continue the advance, and seize the objective. By his dauntless initiative, unfaltering courage, and indomitable determination during a critical period of action, Sgt. Cole served as an inspiration to his comrades, and his stouthearted leadership in the face of almost certain death sustained and enhanced the highest tradition of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
ZABITOSKY, FRED WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Army, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 19 February 1968. Entered service at: Trenton, N.J. Born: 27 October 1942, Trenton, N.J. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Zabitosky, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as an assistant team leader of a 9-man Special Forces long-range reconnaissance patrol. Sfc. Zabitosky's patrol was operating deep within enemy-controlled territory when they were attacked by a numerically superior North Vietnamese Army unit. Sfc. Zabitosky rallied his team members, deployed them into defensive positions, and, exposing himself to concentrated enemy automatic weapons fire, directed their return fire. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sfc. Zabitosky ordered his patrol to move to a landing zone for helicopter extraction while he covered their withdrawal with rifle fire and grenades. Rejoining the patrol under increasing enemy pressure, he positioned each man in a tight perimeter defense and continually moved from man to man, encouraging them and controlling their defensive fire. Mainly due to his example, the outnumbered patrol maintained its precarious position until the arrival of tactical air support and a helicopter extraction team. As the rescue helicopters arrived, the determined North Vietnamese pressed their attack. Sfc. Zabitosky repeatedly exposed himself to their fire to adjust suppressive helicopter gunship fire around the landing zone. After boarding 1 of the rescue helicopters, he positioned himself in the door delivering fire on the enemy as the ship took off. The helicopter was engulfed in a hail of bullets and Sfc. Zabitosky was thrown from the craft as it spun out of control and crashed. Recovering consciousness, he ignored his extremely painful injuries and moved to the flaming wreckage. Heedless of the danger of exploding ordnance and fuel, he pulled the severely wounded pilot from the searing blaze and made repeated attempts to rescue his patrol members but was driven back by the intense heat. Despite his serious burns and crushed ribs, he carried and dragged the unconscious pilot through a curtain of enemy fire to within 10 feet of a hovering rescue helicopter before collapsing. Sfc. Zabitosky's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for February 19, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
19 February
1934: Following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6591, Secretary of War George Dern ordered the Army Air Corps to start flying domestic airmail. (21)
1936: Brig Gen William "Billy" Mitchell died at Doctor's Hospital, New York City. He was buried in Milwaukee, Wis. (24)
1945: The Marine V Amphibious Corps landed on Iwo Jima with air and sea support. After being secured on 26 March, the island's three airfields supported B-29 emergency landings and other fighter operations. (21)
1952: KOREAN WAR. The communists flew approximately 389 MiG-15 sorties, the largest aerial effort to date. In aerial combat, USAF pilots destroyed three enemy aircraft. (28)
1960: The Air Force fired the three-stage Exos composite rocket. (24)
1962: At Edwards AFB, Calif., Maj Walter F. Daniel flew the T-38 Talon to four time-to-climb records: 1.86 miles in 35.62 seconds; 3.72 miles in 51.429 seconds; 5.58 miles in 64.76 seconds; and 7.44 miles in 95.74 seconds. (3) (24)
1965: A B-57B dropped the first bombs from a jet in Vietnam. (5)
1977: An assistant Secretary of Defense stopped the selection process on the Strategic Air Command's Advanced Tanker/Cargo Aircraft pending a reassessment by the Carter Administration. After consultations with the President, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown approved the acquisition of 12-20 ATCA aircraft. (1)
1985: A 319th Bombardment B-52 from Grand Forks AFB, N. Dak., launched the first Air Launched Cruise Missile for a flight test over the Beaufort Sea, north of Canada. The missile flew into Canada for 4 1/2-hours, from the MacKenzie River Delta to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and east to Primrose Lake Air Weapons Range, Cold Lake, Alberta, where it made a parachute assisted landing. (1)
1988: Through 22 February, C-141 Starlifters from the 60th Military Airlift Wing flew 50 tons of construction materials and electrical equipment to the Marshall Islands following Typhoon Roy. (16)
1993: A student assigned to the 64th Fighter Training Wing flew the new T-1A Jayhawk trainer on its first schoolhouse sortie. (16) (26)
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Thanks to Larry who trolled for these guys at night in his A-6
Subject: RE: NVN AAA
Remember the ROE that bombing the dikes was verboten?!!! Gee – I wonder why these gomers set up shop at this location…………???!!!!
From: David Gorrell <dgorrell@mac.com>
Subject: NVN AAA
A bit more detail than I recall being offered by the AI's 50 years ago…
"FLAP WHEEL" radar ? Never heard of it…
8500 rounds fired for each hit…. Must have been our saving grace !
Terror in the Skies: North Vietnam's Light Anti-Aircraft
The armament downed more American planes and helicopters than all other air defense weapons combined
American airmen flying over North Vietnam faced one of the most intensive and highly developed air defense systems in history. Although the North's fighter planes and its surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) got the headlines, it was the light anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) that inflicted the heaviest losses. North Vietnam deployed more than 8,000 of these weapons around key targets throughout the country, with calibers ranging from 12.7mm machine guns to 57mm automatic cannons. These weapons inflicted more than 77 percent of the combat losses suffered by the Air Force and 52 percent of the Navy's. They covered every major target in North Vietnam and in the countryside. After 1969, AAA guns also began to appear in key areas of Laos and some areas of South Vietnam. By 1972 they were deployed in and around North Vietnamese supply depots, artillery sites and staging areas in western and northern South Vietnam. Every aviator who flew over that country speaks of the ubiquitous AAA menace.
The largest of these weapons was the 57mm S-60 gun. Based on the German 55mm automatic flak cannon that was entering service just as World War II ended, the S-60 was a deadly close-in point defense system when employed by a well-trained crew. The gun fired a six-pound shell with a proximity fuze, at a maximum rate of 120 rounds per minute (rpm). The shells were loaded manually via four-round clips weighing 36 pounds. As a result, loader fatigue and other factors limited the gun's sustained rate of fire to about 70 rpm. Maximum effective altitude was 28,000 feet and horizontal range was 12,000 meters, but the gun was used almost entirely for low-altitude engagements. Most batteries opened fire at ranges of 4,000 to 6,000 meters and fired on targets operating below 5,000 feet.
Each battery of six S-60s was equipped with a single "Flap Wheel" or "Fire Can" fire control radar and concentrated on a single target. Units employing radar fire control had a greater effective range than those using visual fire control. Successful American jamming and deception of the gun's fire control radars eventually led the Vietnamese to rely increasingly on visual fire control. The American ALQ-71 and -72 Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pods proved very effective when they were first introduced, and the later ALQ-134 ECM systems maintained American electronic superiority over the later versions of the Flap Wheel radars sent in from the Soviet Union.
The S-60 gun also was mounted in open twin turrets atop a modified T-55 tank chassis. Designated the ZSU-57-2, it was intended to accompany mobile units. It could not, however, use radar fire control or be integrated directly into the air defense network. Introduced into Soviet service in 1957, only limited numbers of ZSU-57-2s saw service in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese acquired more than 1,000 S-60s from both the Soviet Union and China. Those in Cambodia and South Vietnam later were committed primarily against helicopters. There are reports of several U.S. Navy A-1E Skyraiders surviving such hits, but the Skyraider was a tough plane to bring down. The S-60 only averaged one hit for about every 8,500 rounds fired, but the volume of fire from the one to four batteries protecting a North Vietnamese target amounted to 420-720 rpm. Moreover, the S-60 was rarely the only anti-aircraft gun protecting those facilities.
North Vietnam acquired more than 2,000 37mm M38/39 anti-aircraft guns from the Soviet Union and another 300 to 500 of the Chinese variant. Introduced in 1938, the M38/39 was the Soviet Union's primary AAA weapon in World War II. Unlike the S-60, the M38/39 was fired over an open gun sight and didn't have radar fire control. A manual range predictor determined the target range and altitude and when to open fire. In most engagements the entire six-gun battery massed its fire against the lead aircraft. In some circumstances, each gun crew chose individual targets and engaged independently.
The M38/39 fired 180 rpm for short bursts and had a sustained rate of fire of 80 rpm. Maximum horizontal range was 8,000 meters and theoretically, it could reach a target at an altitude of 19,000 feet. Its actual maximum effective range against an aerial target, however, was 3,000 meters and most gun crews didn't open fire until the target was half that distance away. It fired a 1.5-pound shell loaded manually from 5-round clips. Although it had a good rate of fire and traversed very quickly, the M38/39 had difficulty engaging a high-speed crossing target. The guns were generally positioned along approach azimuths or in large numbers all around the target with very narrow engagement lanes.
The famous ZSU-23 came in both towed and self-propelled versions. The towed version consisted of two 23mm cannons on a twin-wheel carriage. A single gunner aimed at the target over an open sight. The loader fed the weapon from 50-round belts. Generally, each towed ZSU-23 had a sustained rate of fire of 200 rpm. Theoretically it had a maximum rate of 1,000 rpm per barrel, but few engagements lasted more than 15 seconds. The gun barrels overheated if anyone tried to put 1,000 rounds through them in a minute's time. Maximum and normal target altitudes were 16,000 and 1,500 feet, respectively. Normally, a four-gun battery opened fire at a range of about 1,000 meters.
The self-propelled variant, the ZSU-23-4, was the deadlier of the two weapons systems. Equipped with an independent fire control using the "Gun Dish" radar, the ZSU-23-4 could start tracking its target from 20 kilometers out. The combination of four 23mm cannons and a jamming/deception-resistant fire control radar proved very effective, particularly against helicopters. The system was first delivered to North Vietnam in late 1971. The North Vietnamese deployed ZSU-23-4s into Laos shortly thereafter. They initially appeared in Cambodia in 1972 and there were reports of them west of Khe Sanh during North Vietnam's "Year of the Rat Offensive" that year. Radar fire control increased the guns' effective range to more than 3,000 meters and raised the effective engagement altitude to 4,000 feet. The ZSU-23-4s were deployed in four-vehicle companies that accompanied tactical units in the field. They rarely were encountered around fixed facilities in North Vietnam. Helicopter pilots and forward air controllers developed great respect for the ZSU-23-4, which was equally effective at engaging vehicles and other ground targets.
The weapon that helicopter pilots and forward air observers feared most was the 14.5mm ZPU-4, based on the 14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun first developed during World War II. Consisting of four machine guns, each with a cyclical rate of fire of 600 rpm, mounted on a four-wheel carriage, the ZPU-4 put out 2,400 rpm. Ammunition carried in drums contained a belt of 150 rounds. The loader's job was to keep the weapons fed with fresh drums. The system's two-ton carriage was less than 6 feet wide and it could be disassembled easily for transport or concealment. Pilots and aircrew rarely spotted it before they were engaged.
The ZPU-4 used the ZAPP-4 mechanical computing sight, but the gunners generally fired it via optical sights. Effective range against a target flying below 1,500 feet and 200 knots was about 1,000 meters. Although ineffective against crossing high speed targets or those maneuvering radically, it was deadly to aircraft flying directly into the gun-target line. Most often encountered in Laos and South Vietnam, the ZPU-4 served in large numbers throughout Indochina. Reportedly, the North Vietnamese acquired some 2,000 between 1958 and 1968.
Late in the war, the ZPU-4 was augmented by two-man teams carrying SA-7 Grail missiles. The ZPU-4 also was deployed in a single mounting, as were captured U.S. .50- caliber M-2 machine guns and Soviet 12.7mm machine guns. Although not as dangerous to fliers as the ZPU-4 and heavier antiaircraft weapons, machine guns could take out or severely damage helicopters at low altitude, especially if the pilot was caught by surprise. Scattered around the countryside, the machine guns ensured that no pilot could relax at low altitude anywhere in Indochina.
North Vietnamese air defense tactics relied on defense-in-depth, both horizontally and vertically. Surface-to-air missiles were the first line of defense, forcing the Americans to dedicate a growing percentage of their air assets to the SAM suppression mission. Though the SAMs didn't down that many aircraft, particularly after the United States started employing chaff and ECM, they did force tactical aircraft down to lower altitudes where they were engaged by AAA. Heavy AAA provided medium altitude coverage around key facilities. Light AAA and small arms (14.5mm, 12.7mm and smaller automatic weapons) were scattered throughout the country and fired at whatever passed overhead. Most of the light AAA was positioned in rings around key facilities and scattered along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
North Vietnam reportedly deployed more than 8,000 anti-aircraft guns and another 1,000 to 2,000 heavy machine guns for air defense during the war. Unlike the heavy AAA, North Vietnam's light AAA units were widely deployed outside the country, including Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam. They downed more American planes and helicopters than all other North Vietnamese weapons systems combined.
More significant than the losses the light AAA inflicted was the effect those weapons had on bombing accuracy in those days before standoff munitions and smart bombs. Any pilot flying into a target over North Vietnam had to dodge SAMs, fly through heavy AAA and then survive a hail of light AAA and small-arms fire, both as he made his final approach to the target and as he pulled away. Most of North Vietnam's fighter pilots then tried to ambush the pilot just as he pulled out of AAA range, when his speed was reduced and his attention focused on the AAA. No pilots had faced such a deadly gantlet before, nor have any since.
Originally published in the October 2007 issue of Vietnam Magazine. .
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