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15th Field Artillery Regiment |
15 Allons! |
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| HHB | LZ Uplift |
| Service Battery | Phu Cat |
| 'A' Battery | LZ Tom |
| 'B' Battery | Artillery Hill, LZ Uplift, Polei Kleng, LZ Schueller |
| 'C' Battery | LZ Diamondhead ("hipshoots" to LZ Pony, Jenny, Linda), Artillery Hill, LZ Oasis, Duc Co, Plei Djereng, LZ Blackhawk, LZ Action |
7-15th Field
Artillery Revised Vietnam Maps
By Dave
"Davo" Holdorf
After many years using our first draft maps in which we asked our Vets to place the LZ’s we were at, we’ve re-drawn the original using grid coordinates. We believe this map reflects a more exact location of all LZ’s. Follow the RED line from the LZ Name to the RED DOT, that’s the exact location as per grid numbers.
In addition, we’ve split the entire Nam map into two sections for better and larger viewing. Grid LINES and grid ZONES have been added in RED. The map is SPLIT at the center horizontally, the Grid Line that separates ie: Zones BR & BQ.
You can use the other maps in the map room to help locate specific areas. Just read the how-to on using Grid Line Coordinates, and go from there.
Most of the LZ’s listed
are those used by the 7/15th FA. If you want a great book for finding “YOUR”
LZ’s, cities, hamlets and roads using grid locations, we suggest Mike Kelley’s
“Where We Were in Vietnam."
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NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view these .pdf map files. There are several places to download a free version of the Adobe software, including the IRS web site, and the link below: |
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QL19
East - Qui Nhon to Pleiku |
Map credit: John McCarthy, Jr.
(Also see: List of Firebases, LZ's and Base Camps)
Sayings...
There was a Vietnamese
saying about
Vietnam concerning military strategy:
"Whoever controls Highway 19 controls the Highlands,
and whoever controls the Highlands controls Vietnam."
It's no wonder then that the "Eastertide Offensive" in 1973, and the final offensive in 1975, struck at the heart of the Central Highlands, in the 7/15th's former Area of Operations (AO).
Enemy
Units:
In April of 1971, seven months before the
7/15th deactivated, the major enemy units reportedly located within or on the boundaries
of the 7/15th AO are listed below:
UNIT |
ESTIMATED STRENGTH |
REPORTED LOCATION |
| 66th NVA Regt | 1800 |
Tri-Border |
| 7th Bn / 66th Regt | 300 |
YB9318 |
| 8th Bn / 66th Regt | 300 |
YB9318 |
| 9th Bn / 66th Regt | 300 |
YB9318 |
| K-37 Sapper Bn | 200 |
ZB062225 |
| 401st LF Sapper Bn | 200 |
AQ3582 |
| K-32 Bn / 40th NVA Regt | 200 |
AQ821839 |
| 408th Sapper Bn | 200 |
BR2541 |
| K-31 / 95B | 400 |
AQ8098 |
| K2 / 95B | 300 |
BR1340 |
| 8th LF Bn | 600 |
BS801089 |
| K-16th Bn / 40th Arty Regt | 300 |
YB853247 |
| K-20 Sapper Bn | 200 |
ZA1996 |
| 406th Sapper Bn | 200 |
ZB2105 |
| 28th Regt | 1800 |
YB8554 |
| 28th Sapper Bn | 200 |
YB8554 |
| K-30 / 40th Arty Regt | 300 |
YB8344 |
Major
US Army Unit Locations
Summer 1969
(from "UPTIGHT" magazine)
(Click thumbnail image of map to enlarge)
Simplified
Military Map Reading
By Dave
"Davo" Holdorf
Trying
to find that LZ or exact location you were in?
With the right maps and info,
it’s really not that hard!
Most
maps that were used in Vietnam by the military are those that have “Grids”
laid over them. LZ’s and other locations are usually given by “Grid
Numbers”. The Grid Number Location for AnKhe is BR477435.
The exact location can be found using a Vietnam map that has the “BR” grid shown as an over-lay. Using other maps in this folder, I’ve drawn the grid over-lay in red lines on the map shown below. Keep in mind that the grid lines are NOT the normal longitude or latitude lines that normally appear on maps.
So
let's find the exact location of An Khe using a Military Grid over-lay. Notice
that there are two vertical and two horizontal red lines on the map. I’ve
tried to draw them as close as possible as they really are. See the RED letters
“BR” indicating that the BR Grid is within the four red lines. There are
also 8 other grids marked in red that surround the BR Grid.
ALL
Vietnam grids use the same location method. All use the South-West corner of the
grid to start the location method. In the case of locating An Khe, you start at
the lower left corner of BR Grid which is located where all the grids AR, BR, AQ,
& BQ meet at the large black dot at the city of Plei Kanong.
No
matter what size map you’re using, imagine each side of the square grid as
equaling 10 equal distances. Then give each section an amount or value of 100
linear parts. In which case, each side is equal to the number of 1000. A
half-way point on any grid side is equal to 500. You can make a scale for your
size map to make things easier.
An
Khe
is located at BR477435, which is actually BR 477-435. The first two letters are
the grid, the first ( 3 ) three numbers are the ( E ) East coordinates, the last
or second ( 3 ) three numbers are the ( N ) North coordinates.
Starting
at the SW corner on the bottom BR Grid line ( Plei Kanong ), move along the
bottom grid line to the right, DUE EAST for a distance of .477 of the entire
line, or just about half way to the far right grid line. This is the East
coordinate of BR477. Then from that location, move up, or DUE NORTH for a
distance of .435 of the entire distance between the top and bottom lines. This
is the North coordinate of the last three numbers of BR477-435. Pretty simple
stuff when you know the method. The hardest part is to properly locate the grid
over an existing map, so that you start in the correct spot.
Once
you located the first LZ or city, it’s then easy to find the other locations
by the values given within the grid. A value lower than .477 in the first three
digits of the number would be farther West, a higher value than .477 would be
farther East. A higher value in the last three digits of the grid coordinate
would be farther North, a lower value of the last three digits farther South.
Mike Kelley’s new book “Where We Were in Vietnam” [$39.95 at amazon.com] is a great book that gives locations for most areas of the Vietnam War.
Also see our large on-site page compiled by Dan Gillotti - Firebases & LZ's.
“Where
We Were” April 1968 to April 1969
C-Battery, 7th BN, 15th Field Artillery
by Dave “Davo”
Holdorf
This article will focus on the locations and information during my tour 5 Apr. 68 to 5 Apr 69. Additional “exact” information as to pre-Apr. 1968 can be obtained from Michael Donley, who served with C-Btry. from the Unit’s landing in Qui Nhon June 1967 to March 1968 when he was transferred to the C/5/22nd FA.
Upon arriving in Vietnam, C-Btry. was located at base camp Phu Cat with the rest of the unit. The battery fired the BN’s first round on 16 July 67 at Binh Khe.
C-Btry. was GS
1 July 67 : C-Btry. at Phu Cat w/Unit to set up base-camp,
“Service Battery”.
July/Aug. 67 : C-Btry. completes mission at
Svc-btry., displaces to
LZ Pony.
4 Sept. 67 : C-Btry. 4th Gun Section fires 10,000th
round.
31 Sept. 67 : GS ( - ) 2nd & 3rd
Platoon Gun-Sections s at LZ Pony, Two ( 2 ) at Binh Khe …I assume that
to be LZ Diamondhead.
5 Nov. 67 : C-Btry. ( - ) retubed to 175mm at LZ Pony interdicting
the area of Kon River Valley vic BR70-65.
30 Nov. 67 : C-Btry. ( - ) displaced to LZ
Jupiter BR 616-608, and returned to Binh Khe on 1 Dec. 67.
5 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. ( - ) displaced to vic BR 985-447
7 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. ( - ) LZ Pony 175mm Platoon displaced to LZ
Jenny BR 851-550.
9 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. ( - ) retubed to 8-Inch, both platoons
displaced to LZ Linda BR 935-467.
15 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. displaced to LZ Uplift BR 928-775, mission of GSR - 1st Air Cav.
Arty.
17 Jan. 68 : C-Btry. displaced to LZ English BS 878-015
27 Jan. 68 : C-btry. One ( 1 ) platoon displaced to LZ Jenny BR 616-608, ROK Oper., and returned to LZ English the same day.
31 Jan. 68 : C-Btry at LZ English at TET
2 Feb. 68 : C-Btry. experiences the BN’s first Vietnam War casualty: Timothy Lee White.
28 Feb. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to An Khe for a short fire mission, then on to Pleiku.
3 Mar. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to 30k’s North of Ban Me
Thout on
Hwy 14, firing numerous missions, “Hip-Shoot” style over a period of a few
days, in support of 1/12th Task force…then displaced to Ban Me
Thuot “East” AQ 883-018.
22 Apr.68 : C-Btry. displaces toward LZ Diamondhead via Plieku…near
end 6wks Oper. Plus. 20k’s North of Ban Me Thuot C-Btry. fires another mission
for 1/12th Task Force.
23 Apr. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Diamondhead. End of Operation
Plus.
24 Apr. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Pluto BR 615-643 “Happy
Valley”.
29 Apr. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Diamondhead, one howitzer
hitting a command detonated land mine 1030hrs. 1530 hrs damaged gun repaired and
made it to LZ Diamondhead.
May to late June 68, C-Btry. LZ Diamondhead w/missions to LZ’s
Linda and Jenny “ROK”
Approx. July to Aug. 68 : C-Btry. at Artillery Hill AR797-348, Pleiku, w/GS ( - ) “Hip-Shoot” mission to Kontum and C-Btry. displaced to Plei Djereng YA 85-45. 4th INF DIV Area of Oper’s.
Approx. Sept. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Oasis ZA 114-275. Btry. Oper’d at LZ Oasis to Approx. Feb. 69. While there, unit experienced sapper’s infiltrating perimeter. Several VC KIA’d.
9 Oct. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Joan YA 845-252 Duc Co. GS 1/35th
INF, 4th INF DIV.
19 Oct. 68 : C-Btry. displaces to LZ Oasis.
15 Nov. 68 : C-Btry. 2-548’s sent to LZ Vera YA834-178 to pull
damaged guns from B/1/92nd FA which had extensive damage and
casualties in two days of fighting.
16 Nov. 68 : C-Btry. ( - ) displaces to LZ Joan, Duc Co. While in convoy
1400hrs a command
It’s
believed the “Red Team” Troop C, 7/17th Air Cav. Cobra Gun-ships
parked at LZ Oasis cleared the area minutes latter via rocket/mini-gun fire, to
bring in the 283rd HEL AMB Medivac’s working the area. Both men
were evac’d to 4th Med. Bn. Mash unit at LZ Oasis, then to 71st
Evac. Hosp. Pleiku AF Base. Tim was sent to Japan, then state-side. Dave went to
Cam Ranh Bay 6th Convalescent Hosp., returned to C-Btry in late Jan.
69. Oper. “Commando Hunt” in Laos begins.
25 Nov. 68 : 1/14th INF “Golden Dragons” joins
Operation Binh Tay-MacArthur at LZ’s Vera and Jean YA 809-232, Duc Co, close
to LZ Joan. Much enemy activity in the area.
30 Nov. 68 : C-Btry ( - ) displaces to grid ZA 195-350 OPCON to 1/8
INF in the area of LZ Oasis, at Cateka Tea Plantation.
Dec. 68 to late Jan. 69: C-btry. at LZ Oasis. Ground radar units were installed previously. At some time during this period, one tube C/7/15th FA was attached to 6/29th FA who’s Operation was in the Kontum/Dak To Plei Mrong/Polei Kleng areas in mid-Jan. 69, LZ Action in Feb. 69.
Approx. mid-Feb. 69 : C-btry. displaces to LZ Blackhawk BR 035-535
Soui Doi. While there, occasional rockets hit LZ, one landing in between motor
pool hooch and mess hall.
Approx. 27 Mar. 69 : C-Btry. ( - ) two 8-inch guns join C/7/17th
FA at LZ Action for direct fire into surrounding mountains. Previously and
during stay, unit is mortared almost daily. Mechanic James Willmon is wounded
per shrapnel in left leg, sent back to LZ Blackhawk.
2 Apr. 69 : C-Btry. ( - ) still at LZ Action. Author Dave Holdorf
“Deros’s”.
April to Approx. Dec. 69 : C-btry. stayed at LZ Blackhawk. During this time, INF KIA’s were reported ambushed to me via letters at “Pump Station 10” AR 939-480.
10 Nov. 69 : C-Btry. experienced another War casualty as Gun-Section Redleg Earl Thomas Pearson is disintegrated by fire when a spark hits the powder charge he was carrying to the gun pit.
LINKS
Maps of II Corps and the Central Highlands
7/17th Cav Regiment (AIR) - Highlands maps + photos
69th Armor Page - Clickable maps of the Highlands
1967 Base Maps: I Corps II Corps III Corps IV Corps
Visitors
since 25 September 2002
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