Logistical Support of Airmobile Operations information
for USAASC
8 TC CO
57 TC CO
AIR AMERICA

For date 611211


USAASC was a US Army unit
8 TC CO was a US Army unit
57 TC CO was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Saigon
Description: The following is the first installment (an extract) from the US Army Aviation System Command, March 1971 publication titled: "Logistical Support of Airmobile Operations, Republic of Vietnam, 1961-1971" Foreword General William C. Westmoreland, in his comments on the war in Vietnam and the role of Army Aviation in that war, said, "Army aviation has meant much more than mobility to military forces - it has made our conduct of this war possible." General Frank S. Besson, former Commanding General, US Army Material Command, said, "Without our helicopters we would be bogged down by all the disadvantage that the French suffered in Indo-China and Khe Sanh might well have become another Dien Bien Phu." The highly commendable statements regarding the essential role of Army aviation in Vietnam are usually reflections of the highly successful results obtained against hostile guerilla forces; rarely do the statements or the historical accounts of events reflect the story "behind the scenes" the story of the logisticians whose efforts so often dictate the success or failure of the tactical missions. This historical study is a chronological account of the problems faced and the actions taken in the logistical support of airmobile operations in Vietnam for the period 1961-1971. Bobby D. Harber, Major, TC Logistical Support of Airmobile Operations Republic of Vietnam Introduction Beginning in May 1961, the Communist Viet Cong forces substantially increased their attacks on South Vietnam with coordinated guerilla offensives. The ensuing losses to Government of South Vietnam (GVN) forces during the remainder of 1961 made it abundantly clear that an expanded US role was essential if the communist takeover of South Vietnam was to be avoided. At the request of GVN, this expanded role took the form initially of increased numbers of guerilla warfare instructors/specialists and military advisors and increased material support. Since the Viet Cong forces controlled large land areas and almost all the roads in South Vietnam, conventional means of transporting men and material were denied GVN forces. Attempts to overcome this situation by aggressive action on the part of the South Vietnamese were further aggravated by the effective guerilla tactics employed by Viet Cong forces. On 11 December 1961, the US aircraft ferry-carrier USNS Core arrived in Saigon with 32 US Army helicopters and 400 men. This first consignment of H-21 helicopters was the beginning of what would eventually give GVN forces the tools of mobility and surprise so essential in dealing with guerilla tactics of the Viet Cong; and it also opened the door for the greatest aviation logistics offensive in the history of the US Army. Two units were involved in this first deployment of aircraft to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), the 57th Transportation Company (Light Helicopter), stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, and the 8th Transportation Company (Light Helicopter), stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Each company had a TOE complement of twenty H-21 light cargo and two H-13 reconnaissance helicopters. When the units received their alert notification on 1 November 1961, neither knew if the alert were actual or practice. Both units were STRAC and had conducted frequent alerts and practice load-outs. The movement orders directed deployment to an unknown destination. The units loaded out in accordance with unit loading plans; rapid provision of CONEX containers facilitated the loading. Although some shortages existed, both units were rated mission-ready. (4,5) On 6 November 1961 - five days after the alert - all 22 aircraft of the 57th were ferried from Fort Lewis (Figure 1) to Stockton, California, and arrived intact on 8 November 1961.(5) Fifteen of the H-21 aircraft organic to the 8th began their ferry flight to the west coast from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, four days after the alert. The other five aircraft were provided by the 33rd Transportation Company (Light Helicopter) stationed at Fort Ord, California, and the two H-13 aircraft were obtained at Sharpe Army Depot. The remainder of the 8th's equipment and supplies were transported to the west coast by C-133 aircraft.(6) The H-21s were preserved by cocooning at the Alameda Naval Air Station to protect the fuselages from salt water spray; rotor blades were removed and placed in racks inside the aircraft; engines and other components were treated for protection against corrosion and inactivity; rotor heads were covered with protective barrier paper. All 32 of the aircraft were loaded onto the flight deck of the USNS Core in a manner that left little space unoccupied(Figures 2,3). Equipment needed to make the aircraft flyable at destination was loaded below deck along with several Air Force T-28 trainer aircraft. The 400 men of the two units and the supporting field maintenance, signal and medical detachments were crowded into the small space remaining and the USNS Core "set sail" from the west cost on 21 November 1961 on a history-making voyage.(4,5) The remaining eight H-21s belonging to the 8th and all four H-13s were boxed and loaded aboard a conventional cargo ship which departed about a week after the USNS Core. The ship also carried the major portion of the units' vehicles, other authorized equipment, and escort personnel.(6) Rough seas were encountered during the trip, and personnel aboard the USNS Core soon discovered that salt water spray was causing corrosion in the rotor head areas of the deck-loaded helicopters. Consideration was given to diverting to Subic Bay, Philippines, to correct deficiencies in the protective coverings; however, this problem was satisfactorily resolved by use of canvas covers and frequent inspection/servicing of exposed parts (Figure 4), and the decision was made to continue on to destination. The other ship was not so fortunate; one of the H-21s broke loose inside the box, and the ship had to be diverted to Hawaii for replacement of the damaged aircraft with one from the 81st Transportation Company. This situation delayed considerably the arrival of the remaining aircraft, but they did arrive prior to movement of the 8th from Saigon to its permanent location at Qui Nhon. (4,5,6) Destination - First of Many Firsts The Core arrived at Saigon Port on 11 December 1961. Depreservation was begun while traveling up the Saigon River and completed at dock-side in Saigon. Rotor blades were installed and all other preparations made to fly the aircraft off the ship directly to Tan San Nhut Airport (Figure 5). This "fly-off" was one of the many "first" in Army aviation that these two companies were to engage in.(5,6) When the second ship arrived considerably later, there was not sufficient space aboard to prepare the aircraft for fly-off. Although considerable difficulty was encountered, a crane with sufficient capacity was eventually obtained for the off-loading. As might be expected due to the sensitivity of the move, very little administrative planning had been done on the receiving end at Saigon Port and Tan Son Nhut Airport to accommodate the units. Considerable difficulty was encountered in setting up maintenance and operations facilities at Tan Son Nhut and finding billets for personnel. Additional problems were experienced when personnel were billeted in downtown Saigon in buildings which were under construction or in varying degrees of renovation - with no windows/screens, mosquito netting, or potable drinking water - requiring daily travel to and from Tan Son Nhut. (These problems were eventually overcome by construction of billets and operational areas at Tan Son Nhut.) (4,5) Logistics Support The two units arrived in Vietnam with 30 days PLL (Prescribed Load List), and there were 30 days ASL (Authorized Stockage List) in the supporting field maintenance detachments. Resupply of aviation parts and supplies was extremely critical during the first few months while a supply system was being established. Initially, supply support was the responsibility of activities located in Okinawa, but the short notice and the distance removed combined to produce a far from adequate supply system. Eventually, an Aviation Supply Point was established at Tan Son Nhut and became minimally effective during the early months; it also provided support to other H-21 companies arriving early in 1962.(7) An extremely critical maintenance problem arose when the wooden rotor blades began deteriorating because of extremely high humidity. Leading edge separations and other deficiencies were detected; some blades lasted last then ten hours. The field maintenance detachment supporting the 57th established a rotor blade repair shop and performed repairs on blades that would otherwise have been returned to CONUS for overhaul. Considering the ineffective supply system, such a situation would have seriously impaired mission availability rates and aviation support capability. Subsequently, Air America personnel were trained by the detachment, and the commercial company set up its own repair facility and provided back-up support to the H-21 companies.(3) Most of the aviation logistical support problems experienced during the early days in Vietnam were attributable to the very short advance notice of the deployments and the very difficult task of establishing a large support complex concurrently with operational commitment of aviation units.(5,7) Although seemingly insurmountable difficulties had to be overcome (critical shortage of engines, deterioration of rotor lades and avionics equipment due to high humidity, ineffective resupply, etc.), the aircraft consistently overflew DA programmed flying hours and exceeded aircraft availability norms. A transceiver capability for the Aviation Support Point (in 1963) and the ultimate decision to air-ship all aviation parts and supplied contributed to rapid improvement of aviation logistics supports.(8)

The source for this information was 34 GS Grp CD prepared by George G. Reese Jr. contains scan copies of the manual


Additional information is available on CD-ROM.

Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023