Artillery has always played a role in fighting our nation's conflicts. American artillery could accurately engage targets many miles away. Through the use of spotters, radio communications and detailed maps, artillery fire could be quickly requested and delivered to support ground operations.
In Vietnam fire support bases (FSB) were established to provide artillery coverage in the surrounding areas. There were either semi-permanent bases designed to provide consistent support, or temporary one with the guns being air-lifted by helicopter to assist on-going operations.
During the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, November 14-16, 1965, Fire support Base Falcon, located five miles away from the battle site, contained 105mm howitzers of A and B batteries, 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery supporting elements of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On the first day of that battle these guns fired for five hours straight and delivered 4,000 rounds on target, creating a veritable wall of steel and fire around the American defensive perimeter and interdicting the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces attempting to push their attacks against the American positions. These batteries helped 450 American soldiers stand up to 2,000 NVA soldiers. This helps explain why the Artillery has be called the "King of Battle".
Comments 0 comments