Ivy Leaf Famous Fourth information
for A/7/17 CAV

For date 690427


A/7/17 CAV was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Kontum Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, FSB McNerney
Description: The following is an edited version of an article in Ivy Leaf, Vol. 3, No 17 dated April 27, 1969. The article is titled "Deadly And Mobile 'Minibrute' Terror To NVA" by 1LT Robert Janosko. Firebase McNerney - The enemy in the Famous Fighting Fourth Division's Central Highland area of operations is painfully learning not to tangle with the 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry's "minibrutes." The "minibrutes" are the small, agile LOHs that pack a deadly minigun and a sharpshooting air observer manning either an M16, CAR 15, or M60 machine gun. Working in hunter-killer teams, consisting of two LOHs and two Cobra gunships, the scout ships skim the tree tops ferreting the enemy from his hidden positions. Generally the scout ships will work section of a specified area, calling in periodic reports to their Cobra teammates above. When a target is spotted, the scout ship will first mark the position, then engage it. If the target is a small group of enemy soldiers in the open the pilot will position the ship to give the observer a clear field of fire. If the scout is receiving heavy ground fire from a hidden position, the pilot will open up on the area with the minigun. After the scouts have made several quick passes at the target, the Cobras will drop down and hit the area with rockets and more minigun fire. When it appears the target has been eliminated, the scouts will check the area and report the results of the strike. "Just the sound of the minigun has a tremendous psychological effect on the enemy," said CWO Paul Redhead of Hinsdale, IL, an ex-pilot of a scout. "We've learned from detainees that enemy soldiers have standing orders not to fire at the scouts until they positively know they have been spotted by them." The scouts's minigun fires at a selected rate of either 2000 or 4000 rounds per minute. Three-second bursts are regulated automatically and the trigger must be released then pressed again for another three-second burst. The ship carries 2,100 rounds of 7.62mm ammo and 700 rounds of M60 or 40 magazines of CAR15 or M16 ammo. The nimble little helicopters, hovering at tree top level, must be tempting targets to a new enemy recruit, but the old veterans have learned you can get stung when you swat a hornet's nest. Photo caption - Charlie's Demise - A LOH mounted with a minigun and carrying an armed air observer hovers over the dense jungle of the Central Highlands waiting for the enemy to make a foolish move. USA Photo by 1LT Robert Janosko.
Comments: CW0 Redhead, Paul; pilot; ;

The source for this information was Original scanned by Larry Massoletti and sent as an email attachment in Feb, 2000.


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Date posted on this site: 05/13/2023