FEB 23rd .
Click here to view this message
and all replies to this message
[Reply]
Quiet” at Khe Sanh meant the absence of North Vietnamese assaults,
but there were constant patrol actions, sudden sightings of the enemy and
incessant shelling. A few days ahead of Tet, the Vietnamese began using
heavy artillery – 122 mm, 152 mm and 130 mm guns – for the first time in
the war. Defenders became familiar with the pattern of the bombardments and
adopted the "Khe Sanh shuffle,” a cover-run-duck technique to minimize
dangers from the enemy artillery, rockets and mortars. Every day the
defenders counted, and Lownds reported, the number of shells that hit
allied positions. The record was 1,307 shells on Feb. 23. Through the
entire month of March, the North Vietnamese sustained their bombardment at
an average of 150 shells per day. Soon enough, bunker fatigue complemented
the shuffle. North Vietnamese histories record that 243 fire missions were
conducted during the high siege. They note expenditure of 9,423 rounds
before the allies began their relief effort.
S/F Ron
Posted by Ron
on Feb-23 3:44 PM
Modify/DeleteClick here to Delete or Modify this message
main19@live.com
[IP Addr= 205.149.134.32]
|
0Clicking here displays the message topic and associated replies
|
--
|
SmartPhone
New posts added since last visit