Gun Trucks

[Wayne64]

Before I copy paste what is below I must explain a few things. I left RVN in March 69 after a full tour. I never saw a "Gun Truck" as we the mech. Infantry ran with convoys as security. Since I was asked to write a chapter for an up coming book I get lots of emails from other folks that were involved in the 25ID. Since this one paragraph written by a retired Major General who at the time was in 25ths HQ and had a better over all picture of things mentions the Gun Trucks.

"Convoys are always carefully controlled. They do not move in a single line, but instead are spaced out into serials. There is one instance written up in the official accounts that talks of a convoy being hit. By mid-1969 the division was having so much difficulty finding enemy units on our side of the border that we were running the convoys with a secondary mission of being bait. The convoy would have some support from MP V-100s or field expedient gun trucks fitted out by the truck companies but importantly would usually have one or two Dusters at the end of the line so that they could peel off and blast away at any ambush. There would be on-call air assets, and an infantry element would be brought in to block the ambushers from getting away."

[k8icu]

Wayne,

Are you refering to M37s made as gun trucks or the more popular 5-ton trucks converted into gun trucks? I'm a little confused by your post.

[Wayne64]

Honestly I have no clue what M type vehicle he was referring to. As I stated I never saw one in my AO during March 68-March 69. What the motor pool put together after I left I can only say those guy's were good. As an example, we suggested extended laterals for the M113A1 drivers to put them on top. Two day's later our drivers were sitting on the hatch cover and not so prone to being wounded when a mine was hit.
BTW The Dusters he referred to was the M42 with the twin 40mm guns. We got one out of base camp one day in Aug. 68 and they scored a 182 body count in 25 minutes.

[vtdeucedriver]

From 68-69, gun trucks were around but not in the numbers that would have been seen say in 1970. 25th Id if I remember was down in Cu Chi area and though ambushes happened, I dont believe large amounts of GT's were built as to the Trans units that operated out of the Highlands. The gun trucks that he is referring to might be some of the ones that Arty units made when they installed there Quad mount .50's in the backs of 5 tons to help assist moving during the monsoons. Often those trucks would run convoy escort by day and firbase perimeter protection by night.

If you want a great read of EXACTLY what he is talking about. Read "100 miles of road" by Birdwell. Great book and was right there in that area.

I would be interested in reading what book this is all going into.

[Wayne64]

From 68-69, gun trucks were around but not in the numbers that would have been seen say in 1970. 25th Id if I remember was down in Cu Chi area and though ambushes happened, I dont believe large amounts of GT's were built as to the Trans units that operated out of the Highlands. The gun trucks that he is referring to might be some of the ones that Arty units made when they installed there Quad mount .50's in the backs of 5 tons to help assist moving during the monsoons. Often those trucks would run convoy escort by day and firbase perimeter protection by night.

If you want a great read of EXACTLY what he is talking about. Read "100 miles of road" by Birdwell. Great book and was right there in that area.

I would be interested in reading what book this is all going into.

I only remember seeing one quad 50 that was parameter security at Dau Teing and I never saw it move. The book is about the battle of Ben Cui where there was a MOH earned and our unit got the PUC for our weeks of constant contact with two regiments of NVA.

[k8icu]

Here are a few historical pictures.
http://www.vetfriends.com/militarypics/ ... cture=8215

http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/guntrucks ... ow1dlc.jpg

http://www.g741.org/PHPBB/viewtopic.php?t=1157

http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m37_cargo.php

In my studies of the VN war It seems clear that gun trucks didn't develop until 69-70. Prior to that convoy security was handled by V100 Commandos and M151 gun jeeps. But the need for more firepower lead to the development of the armored gun trucks. Funny thing is we had to relearn this lesson in Iraq and Afganastan.

[vtdeucedriver]

Here are a few historical pictures.
http://www.vetfriends.com/militarypics/ ... cture=8215

http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/guntrucks ... ow1dlc.jpg

http://www.g741.org/PHPBB/viewtopic.php?t=1157

http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m37_cargo.php

In my studies of the VN war It seems clear that gun trucks didn't develop until 69-70. Prior to that convoy security was handled by V100 Commandos and M151 gun jeeps. But the need for more firepower lead to the development of the armored gun trucks. Funny thing is we had to relearn this lesson in Iraq and Afganastan.

I wont send this to a guy I know that was the NCOIC in the 669th trans on a deuce Gun Truck that was hit by a RPG killing his driver and wounding himself and 2 others in his crew on Dec 4 1967. The orders for the Hardened Convoy Concept were conceved that Nov and picked up speed in 68. I would have said 68-69 as when we had established the exp by 1970 with development that it was working.

I own 3 different originals of this pic. They are dated Dec 65 and are the first version of the kit that was used for most of the gun trucks.

It is quite sad that we had to learn these lessons again. At the begining of the 2nd push into Iraq and when Jessica Lynch's convoy was ambushed and the news reports were coming out that they were overpowered. It was disapointing to see the postings and talk to the Veterans who learned this lesson 40 years ago that we had to be reminded of it once again that day. They felt discusted that the loss of their buddies had been forgotten. As the Army quickly learned it needed to come up to speed fast they turned the clocks back and with the help of some Vietnam Veterans experience, Livermore Labs created some of the armor kits wth their help and its being proven still today.