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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Heisman Winner [78047]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 3:58 PM
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mess with the bull and you get the horns
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Legend [6956]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 4:16 PM
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Cool video, Tugaloo. Over forty five years ago, I was responsible for maintaining some of the most technologically advanced targeting, tracking, and firing equipment, in the world. The stuff amazed me. That was almost fifty years ago. I can only imagine how advanced, the equipment our military works with now is.
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Legend [6956]
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Re: The stuff amazed me.
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Apr 23, 2025, 5:37 PM
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I didn't know that. I always thought all the Nam guys had was a spotter out there in the field. I saw a video on one of the History/Discovery channels, about artillery in WW II. An artilleryman said; if you had a capable spotter, any artilleryman worth his salt could be dead on target within three rounds. He may have been idly boasting, but it sure sounded impressive.
Seems like the spotter may have been a bit more dependable than the computer.
Message was edited by: 232press®
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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I am not a hero
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Apr 23, 2025, 5:53 PM
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My MOS was "forward observer" -> #1 as to % killed in action.
Basically a guy like me trained to call in artillery would go out into the jungle with a SGT carrying a radio and search for targets.
Call back and one gun would fire.
You adjust from there with simple math, then all guns fire.
Basically if the enemy saw a shell land near, they were doomed as hell was about to arrive.
I was not sent to VN. Instead of jungles, hung out in bars with Fraulein.
I was in a tiny nuclear unit hidden in the Black Forrest. Our mission was to stop a Russian tank attack which could not be done back then without us.
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Valley Legend [12562]
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Re: I am not a hero
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Apr 24, 2025, 12:00 AM
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Yeah ……. When the enemy saw a shell land they knew what was coming is exactly right ……. So did our units, such as when my platoon was fired on by “friendly” 155 howitzers as we were sitting on a mountain top overlooking Elephant Valley in Viet Nam. We had been spotted by a fellow Marine recon unit on a nearby mountain and they thought we were NVA. One Willie Peter round landed and my men knew the HE rounds were on the way. A couple of minutes later four Marine grunts were dead and two of my men (combat engineers) were wounded. If it hadn’t been for the grunt platoon commander standing up popping off flares, many more would have been killed.
On my first job as platoon commander our primary mission was sweeping Highway One for mines every morning before as the sun rose. On my segment of the road I took the coordinates of all the likely ambush spots along the road, gave each a name, and delivered them to our artillery support unit, so if we were ambushed I wouldn’t have to sit there trying to figure out the coordinates while being fired upon.
Photo is us calling in air strikes (F-4 phantom) on suspected enemy movement on mountain overlooking Elephant Valley. Elephant Valley was a major route for the VC/NVA into DaNang area.
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Solid Orange [1335]
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Re: I am not a hero
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Apr 24, 2025, 10:14 AM
[ in reply to I am not a hero ] |
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Fulda Gap!
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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capable spotter,
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:00 PM
[ in reply to Re: The stuff amazed me. ] |
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My understanding of FADAC was when coupled with radar, it could send info for the guns to adjust to location of an incoming round. Return fire was immediate.
Keep in mind we used slide rules back then.
People don't understand the power of Artillery back then.
In most all wars (going back to cannon balls) the big killer on a battle field is artillery.
A fun note is I was also trained to call in fire from a small airplane. That is difficult as you have no fixed location.
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Clemson Sports Icon [59192]
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I had a real good buddy that was a commander of a tank division that went to
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:22 PM
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Iraq. He always told me that we would kill the soviets in a tank battle because we could load and fire MUCH quicker than they could. I think it was at least twice as fast. He said we were comfortable with 10-1 odds against us in a tank battle. He showed me a video once of an M1 Abrams going full blast across terrain and once that gun was locked on a target...IT STAYED ON TARGET. Pretty awesome.
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Re: I had a real good buddy that was a commander of a tank division that went to
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:28 PM
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My nearest neighbor is a West Point guy who was in tanks.
Tanks are also, mostly artillery.
Even a friendly tank coming up on you makes your knees week.
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Legend [6956]
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Re: I had a real good buddy that was a commander of a tank division that went to
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:30 PM
[ in reply to I had a real good buddy that was a commander of a tank division that went to ] |
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I don't know for sure, but I think our tanks weapons are loaded and aimed by precision servo hydraulic units, which makes everything much faster. I've heard the Russians are still hand operated, particularly the older stuff, which in a battle with a sophisticated M1 is a losing proposition.
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Heisman Winner [78888]
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My first experience with artillery in Nam
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Apr 23, 2025, 8:15 PM
[ in reply to Re: The stuff amazed me. ] |
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was not too pleasant . Pinned down beside a mountain, we expected the first round to pass directly over our position and hit the mountainside but it hit behind us on the valley floor. We had to radio the unit not to walk subsequent rounds forward because we would have been in the path. Never found out where the error was in spotting that first round.... but it wasn't as scary as all the AK-47 rounds hitting among us.
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Solid Orange [1335]
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Re: The stuff amazed me.
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Apr 24, 2025, 6:38 AM
[ in reply to The stuff amazed me. ] |
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FADAC was great but not any real advantage until you understand the firing tables and technical aspects of FA...real advantage came with the introduction of counter battery radar and TACCUMS which turned an enemies artillery or mortars into a death trap! NEWTON had something going on afterall!
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Paw Master [17830]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:19 PM
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Great post. Proud of our Military and the men and Women that serve our country 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 and for those who have served. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank to all who provided information in their post. And thank you with all my heart for your service to our country 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Message was edited by: wueagle86®
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Proud of our Military
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:35 PM
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I know most will not have time or interest to watch that video - but most should as it explains a lot as to how the Military in this age is kinda awesome.
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 6:51 PM
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Old time artillery fires out to around 25 miles, and these days it still dose not go much farther.
Arriving or being just 20 miles from the enemy is what it is -> close combat.
Not hundreds but thousands of rounds are being fired.
Spend a few days and nights doing that and you will understand why I can pretend not to hear my Bride.
The guns fire constantly, the ground shakes. Shells are very heavy and guys have to be replaced as they wear down.
We had ammo for this one. One unfortunate deal is 20 miles does not get you out of blast range.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W33_(nuclear_warhead)
Our missiles had about the same range and were much more powerful.
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Game Day Hero [4135]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 9:12 PM
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What years and which city in West Germany? Was in Berlin July 68 to Aug 71.
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TigerNet Elite [73659]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 9:18 PM
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Traveled all over, but was not allowed to go to Berlin due to my security clearances. To get there one had to fly over Russian held territory, and I was not allowed to do that.
I had an apartment in Pfullendorf which was a village, not a city.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pfullendorf+germany&t=ffab&iaxm=maps
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Game Day Hero [4135]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 23, 2025, 10:48 PM
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The only options I had to leave Berlin were via PanAm or the train operated by the Army between the city and Frankfurt and the city and Hannover. Could also take the trains operated by the British Army but didn't use those. Couldn't fly British European or Air France. Those three were the only airlines allowed to service West Berlin.
Message was edited by: BerlinSPY73®
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National Champion [7814]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 24, 2025, 7:09 AM
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Thanks for sharing. Fired up for the day now. I was on a carrier and was fortunate enough to see both the F14 and the F18's.
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Game Changer [1865]
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Re: Military Tigers
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Apr 24, 2025, 11:21 AM
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God Bless you all. I was an AF fledgling (we weren't allowed to be called brats!) and then a stew on one of the commercial carriers flying troops in and out of Nam 63-67. The scariest thing for us was the deep dive to the runway to avoid the snipers. We felt so scared for the troops we brought in and so relieved for those we brought out. You're all heroes and have our undying gratitude.
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Valley Legend [12562]
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Re: Military Tigers
Apr 25, 2025, 9:46 PM
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I can promise you that you and your fellow stews were sights for sore eyes. Thank you for your service to my fellow Marines, soldiers, airmen, and sailors.
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