Army Reporter information
for 198 INF BDE
1/14 ARTY
For date 690106
198 INF BDE was a US Army unit
1/14 ARTY was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Chu Lai
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Smokeless smoke hits VC" dated 6 Jan 1969.
The 198th Inf Bde's 1/14th Artillery has eliminated smoke in order to bring smoke. The smoke that was eliminated was the first smoke (marking) round that is often used in Vietnam to check the accuracy of artillery fire before the loaded rounds go out. As a result of the change, the battalion is "bringin more smoke" on enemy soldiers in the Americal Division area. "We killed 142 enemy soldiers during November," said Lt James Rand, the battalion's fire direction officer. "The main reason we've been killing so many more recently is that we've eliminated the cases," he continued. "The marking rounds used to give the enemy some time to seek cover. We now set up and fire maybe a battery two, which is eight rounds, and adjust." Soldiers of the 198th Bde recently began using some additional new tactics to make maximum use of the artillery firepower. A small group of men hides out in an area which is known or suspected to be a base of enemy operations. They pick out likely avenues of approach and plot the coordinates. When the VC walk into the area the pre-planned fire mission is called in without a preliminary marking round.
Comments: LT Rand, James; Arty; ;
The source for this information was 6901AR.AVN supplied by Les Hines
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023