Four
155mm howitzers from A Btry, 1st Bn 82nd Artillery, fire simultaneously
from LZ Dottie
in
1970 in support of 1st Bn 6th Inf soldiers east of the base. 14,600
m range, with 350 m
radius
HE round. Photo provided by John "Doc" Large, C Co 1-6 Inf
1970
Photo
provided by SGT Earl Pogue, A Btry, 1st Bn 14th Arty, at LZ Dottie in 1970
with his 105mm
howitzer
"Amen." 11,000 m range, 175 m radius HE shell. Note the low
berm, wire entanglements,
and
excellent positioning of the tube for firing final protective fires with
"Beehive" rounds along the
perimeter
wire entanglements directly behind the gun.
105mm howitzers were capable of firing a "Beehive" round in the direct
fire role as part of the final
protective fires from artillery positions. Used against troops
in the open, the howitzers fired in a
swath across the ground like a giant shotgun. Thousands of one
inch long steel darts or "flechettes"
like those above pierced everything in their path. To minimize
the danger to friendly forces, a signal
flare would be fired to warn soldiers to take cover. These flechettes
were retrieved from the area
of operations near LZ Dottie in 1970. Scan provided by
Wayne Johnston (1/6 Inf '70-71).
A
Btry, 1st Bn, 14th Arty, emplacement for gun #4 (105mm howitzer) at LZ
Dottie 1970. Note: the
fighting
position just in front of the gun provides overhead cover; the several
belts and layers of concertina
wire
outside hand grenade range; and, the absece of cover and concealment for
approaching sappers in
the
wire. At night, a powerful infra-red searchlight swept the hills
east of LZ Dottie in the background.
Photo
provided by Earl Pogue.
A 30" xeon searchlight of the type used at LZ Dottie at night in 1970-71.
The hills to the east of
the LZ could be illuminated by either white light or infared.
A sniper with a night-vision scope
could target enemy troops in the distance and only a dull red-orange
glow marked the position of
the searchlight.
Select additional photos from the index at left, or link to the 1st Battalion 6th Infantry Home Page.