W3 Company - Photo History

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fire support bases

Horseshoe     Le Loi     Picton       Gail      Luise     Discovery     Rhonda
 

FSPB DISCOVERY

facilities dug into the ground were protected by eath filled empty shell cases, sandbags & steel revetting flown in especially for the defence works [Young]

APC patrols frequently scrub bashed around the FSPB to provide local protection [Young]
command facilities dug in armour laagered among the few trees
US 105mm field howitzer with barrel at full recoil after firing [Young]

mortar tubes behind emplaced earth walls for protection from SA & ground burst munitions
gun & mortar lines within the FSPB

FSPB PICTON
W3 air insertion before deploying from the base Bn HQ & LZ from dismounted mortar position
[Young]

[Young]
Santa arrives Christmas Day 6RAR Pipe major Christmas Day

Horseshoe [permanent] FSPB

extinct volcano with collapsed wall at south end gave the feature the 'horseshoe' name. Dark plantation top left is Nui Dat [Young]

the photo looks south toward the South China Sea along the route of the minefield. The 'Light' & 'Dark' Green operational areas were to the left near the coast, the mountains were to the right with the minefield [in theory] between to prevent VC movement [Young]
Horseshoe - entrance to left, Nui Dat in tree line behind searchlight by Bunker C above mortar position
[Young]

[Young]
mortar section command post No1 mortar pit
[Young]Lang Phouc Hai mountains [Long HAi's] in rear on skyline [Binning]
clearing mines from the perimeter with modified APC artillery position looking south to Dat Do township
2Pl at Horseshoe Hill 1Pl at Horseshoe Hill

FSPB RHONDA - Long Son Island

W3 mortar section in location - no other fire support was available except 8" howitzers from the mainland [Binning]

local kids visiting & collecting coconuts - they may have given the local VC information for their attack [Binning]
mortars in raised pits local kids
FSPB had no bund protection - pumphouse next to well in background [Binning]

LZ across which VC fired - Morrison WIA & evacuated from a nearby clearing during the firefight. click the photo to link to the story [Young]
pumphouse & LZ from centre of FSPB

LZ across which the VC fired [some thought they were local disaffected PF government troops]

FSPB LE LOI

as an exercise in field engineering, this was not a good example..! Too many bosses led to several design changes & ultimately the sandbags were placed not for protection but to prevent the structure falling down. An anti-RPG mesh net was later added in front of the bunker for extra protection [Young]

edge of vast Binh Ba rubber plantation in rear [Young]
rebuilt 2Pl bunker - safer outside..! dismantling half the FSPB to reduce the area for defence
3Pl relaxing before departing at last light for another ambush [Stock]
shape of redeveloped FSPB [Stock]
mortars firing a section mission from FSPB Leloi [Stock]1Pl bunker under construction, old perimeter beyond. CSM Mackintosh standing in centre of bunker [Stock]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nui Thi Vai Hills - FSPB LUISE or "The Rock'

UH-1D clinging to the LZ - W3 had earlier air assaulted the hill top using this rock as the only available LZ [Binning]

the mortars had a hard time getting a firm baseplate site as the terrain was mainly rock. Striking a rock under the baseplate when firing the mortar would skew the tube & push the bomb off target [Binning]
air resupply for the W3 Coy FSPB on top of Nui Dinh Hills 'fire mission 2-mortars..!'  W3 mortars supporting patrols


FSPB GAIL

[Binning]

[Binning]
cramped - mortars, artillery & APC general view of FSPB
[Binning]

[Young]
battery doing fire mission centre rear - Buddhist statue beside main road to Saigon

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