"Australian Helicopter squadrons (Vietnam)" Topic

I am starting to game Vietnam and will be running a company of "diggers" and was looking to air transport them, is it just as simple as 1 Huey per squad and a bushmaster per platoon?

ant assistance greatly appreciated

jon

No. The RAAF operated in a slightly different way to the US Army & had far few resources in theatre. That said, 1 squad per 'chopper when they were used as transports..
link
link
PDF link

Ran out of time before, usually 5 passengers in the UH-1B, 7 in the later D model.

Squadrons? Sorry, just one RAAF Squadron of from 8-16 helicopters of which at most 4 were modified to gunships. link

Supporting two Infantry battalions, a M113 Cavalry squadron and a troop of Centurion tanks – so used as required for resupply, casevac and occasionally moving small numbers of infantry. Mostly infantry walked – we were not Air Cav.

Squad? 11 man Section (ok, SASR used smaller 5? man patrols).

The links Etranger gave you will answer the helo question, and this one explains the Huey for you:

link

Also, the RAN helped with helicopters in Vietnam too:

link

The RAN's involvement in 9 SQN: link

A list of Units in Vietnam: awm.gov.au/units/vietnam

And some info on 161 Reconnaissance Flight that my mate served in: link

Unfortunately the Bushmaster is a modern Vehicle.

We used the M113 to transport diggers when not on foot most of the time, and the sections are 10 men.

For more information on the M113, here is a link to a document I wrote about them in Vietnam: PDF link

A basic overview on the "ANZACs" in Vietnam I wrote: PDF link

Combat Tracker Teams I wrote: PDF link

and one on the SAS I wrote: PDF link

I hope some of this information is of use.

I also recommend joining this forum, as it is dedicated to the Vietnam war, and it may help you get the answers you want faster: link

Just clarifying "Bushranger" rather than "Bushmaster" was the later nickname for the Australian Huey gunships.
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I seem to recall an Infantry Section was 11 but I will accept 10 is correct. Internal Structure was

Command Group 2 Corporal (SLR) and radioman (SLR)
Gun Group 3 L/Corporal (SLR), M60 plus 1 (SLR)
Rifle Group 3 three SLR
Scout Group 2 (Owen gun/Armalite)

G'day, FPR.

I was a grunt from '75 until '83 and we were using the same organisation as was used in VN until 1980, when the new nine-man section was introduced for "Light Scale Battalion" organisation for the ODF. By the book (IT Vol 1 Pam 2 1969 or whatever it was) a section in VN (and up until 1982 or so) was 10 men, NO radio (the PL SIG carried the only radio). If a radio was carried ( SECT-strength standing patrol, or some similar special task) then No 3 Rifleman would carry the radio and stay close to the Secco'.

The internal makeup of the section from 1967 was:

Scout Group- 1st Scout M-16 or SLR (a few scouts didn't want the M-16, nor the F-1 that superseded the Owen, so stuck with the SLR), 2nd scout SLR.

Section Commander with M-16.

Gun Group- Gunner with M-60, No 2 with SLR and spare barrel bag, SECT 2IC with SLR/ SLR & M-79/ M-203.

Rifle Group. No 1 RFLMN with SLR/ SLR & M-79/ M-203, other three with SLR.

(There was an on-going debate as to whether the M-203/M-79 should be in the RFL GP or the Gun GP, and SOP's varied between companies, sometimes platoons, within the battalions. In BCOY 5/7 RAR '75-'77 No 1 RFLMN carried it. In BCOY 8/9 RAR and DCOY 2/4 RAR the 2IC carried it. The idea was that he could use the 40mm more effectively for fire support. In 5/7RAR the idea was that the M-203 gave the rifle group an automatic weapon, upping their firepower for an assault.)

However, it was very rare to have 10 men, either in VN or afterwards. Usually the strength would be seven or eight men- sections could get amalgamated into "half platoons" if they fell below six or seven men in VN. The first possie to be dropped was No 3 RFLMN. Then No 2 on the gun, with the 2IC taking over that job. Then it could be either No 2 Scout or, sometimes, No 2 RFLMN- Secco's choice.

Cheers.

Dal

Dal,

Cheers mate. My memory of these things is clearly wanting.

Cheers, FPR

No wukkers, FPR. What wories me is that I can remember those years clearly- but can never remember where I put my car keys, wallet or, now, where I parked the car.

I know which memories would be more useful….

Cheers.

Dal.

Very interesting Boys ! Many Americans forgot or don't know that the Aussies were in Vietnam as well …

G'day, L4.

Not just us, mate. The Kiwis, Koreans and Thais were there as well. There's even rumours that the South Vietnamese turned up, too.

Cheers.

Dal.