Southern Cross information
for 6/11 ARTY 23 INF
11 BDE 23 INF
For date 681124
6/11 ARTY 23 INF was a US Army unit
11 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, MT MONTEZUMA
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Radar Checks 'Charlie' Unit Hits Back Fast."
LZ BRONCO - - The counter-mortar radar unit high atop Mt. Montezuma here makes the life of a Viet Cong mortarman a dangerous, if not short one. CWO Charlie Hardaway (Colorado Springs, Colo.), OIC of the 6th Bn., 11th Arty.'s counter-mortar unit and his nine-man crew are in their 11th month of providing target detection for return fire mortars and artillery supporting the 11th Inf. Bde. base defense system. Total Hard To Assess During that time the radar unit, working closely with 81mm mortar crews on the hilltop, which are rotated from each of the brigade's infantry battalions, has chalked up 20 confirmed locations, four captured mortar tubes and two confirmed kills. "This figure may not sound too impressive," CWO Hardaway says, "but we usually can't get anyone to the enemy mortar site until the next morning. "The infantry checks the sites and usually finds base plate impressions and aiming stakes, but by that time the VC have removed any casualties or damaged equipment. Our kill figure could easily be much higher." Fast Counter Fire The radar crew explained that the VC normally work with a pair of tubes, but the radar has picked up as many as six tubes firing at one time in different areas. "If we can determine the general direction of fire, we can have the data to the guns before the enemy round hits. If we can get immediate clearance, we can have counter mortar fire on the position in minutes," said the veteran of 10 years experience in radar. The radar unit covers a 360-degree range around Montezuma, and is effective even in the heavy rains.
The source for this information was 6811_112_scr supplied by Les Hines 01/05/2000
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
Return to panel index
Return to Helicopter Pilot KIA index
Return to VHPA Home Page
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Last updated
12/18/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023