Story 9 - Air Deployment of RR in
Support of
Task Force Signals
Air Deployment
of RR on Operation Coburg (FSPB Andersen)
Reference: Draft RA Signals History,
War Diaries and
discussion with Major Norm Munro
|
The AN/MRC-69 arrived under a US Chinook. The starting effect of the downdraft of the twin rotor helicopter as it deployed the shelter to a prepared scrape was a new lesson for all. It demolished the signal centre (moved the SB-86 switchboard three feet and disconnected many lines, upturned a table and smashed a teletypewriter) blew the Task Force RAP tent 40 feet away and left the medical officer sitting bewildered in an open scrape amidst his smashed bottles, and wrecked the 104 Sig Sqn OC's tent. The Command Post remained intact only because every Soldier/Officer available held down the tent. The scene afterwards resembled the aftermath of a Tornado and it became very important that the Australian RR provided the service that had been promised by RASigs. It did !!
Lesson 1: Chinook deployments of communication equipments should occur before other facilities are setup. Lesson 2: Avoid using US Army Network for Australian internal communications to ensure control over the restoration priority. The 110 Sig Sqn RR Detachment members were Cpl Carl Pender, Sig Dave Shales, Sig John Holdsworth and Sig John MacDonald along with the Sgt Garry Martin (RR Sgt, 704 Sig Tp, 110 Sig Sqn) as liaison during the setup. Operation Coburg appears to be the last time the RR Shelters were airlifted in South Vietnam as the next time RR was used was Operation Toan Thang at Bearcat and during the Battle of Coral Balmoral. They were transport by road on Operation Toan Thang and all future operations in South Vietnam.
First Air Deployment of RR was on Operation Hayman The first airlift of the AN/MRC-69 equipment was by 145 Sig Sqn (506 Sig Tp), in support of 103 Sig Sqn/HQ 1ATF, for Operation Hayman to Long Son Island in Nov 1966. The equipment was dismantled from the AN/MRC-69 shelter and just the Radio Set AN/TRC-24 and the Telephone Terminal F1830 (and other bits) and were airlifted in by US Army CH-47 Chinook.
For more details on 506 Sig Tp (Radio Relay), 145 Sig Sqn go to: http://pronto.au104.org/145Sigs/145story-2.html
Other Air Deployment Other known air deployment of Australian communication equipment in South Vietnam were Operation Kenmore to FSB Spear in Sept 1967 and Operation Overlord to Courtenay Hill in June 1971. Both operations in support of HQ1ATF (104 Sig Sqn).
|
|
Back | Story Index | Next |
| If you would like to add a story to this Web Site, please email with details. |
The
first deployment of the Task Force in January 1968 was on Operation Coburg.
The Task Force HQ was estabished at FSPB Andersen near a rubber
plantation on Highway 1, astride a well-known enemy route and was easily
observable by the Viet Cong by day. Throughout the operation the
usual Task Force communications nets were estabished including the
Command VHF Net and various links to the Task Force base at Nui Dat and
the higher operational command, II Field Force Vietnam at Long Binh plus
other adjoining units.
US
Signals were to provide the Radio Relay (RR) links to Long Binh and Nui
Dat but suffered from numerous equipment breakdowns and appear to only
have inexperienced technicians and operators available. After four
days the Task Force Senior Signals Officer Major Norm Munro, OC 104 Sig
Sqn, recommended that an
Australian RR (Radio Terminal Set AN/MRC-69) be deployed.
The deployment of 110 Signal Squadron's last RR Field Shelter resource stetched
equipment reserves to breaking point, one fault in any location would
have disrupted the whole system.
