First off I want to say a massive thank you to the Anzac's that answered our call in a time of need, my brother fought in Vietnam and said your forces kicked serious butt. Secondly I want to say you cannot win a war going in with both hands tied behind your back, and having leaders directing the war from 10,000 miles away.
this was a grate insight as my Farther served in Vietnam 68-69 and was involved in this operation. From what he said it was a confusing mess on the ground but was all pulled together fast, and if it wasn't for the armor and artillery, air support he wouldn't be here today. I have been to Vietnam and it still has me stuffed how our troops operated in the conditions over there. One hell of a fight and a lot of respect to those who served.
Reccomend reading Lex Mcaulys book " the battle of coral", about this massive battle and FSB Balmoral.What you just have seen on this clip does not give anyone a clue about the biggest engagement Australia has been involved in since wwii and ever since. Magnificent effort by all ,and all that have come before and after.Forget the politics,All Australians should be proud.
I’ve read that excellent book and have also had the privilege of meeting a couple of veterans who were in 1RAR. The firing of fully depressed howitzers over open sights and the scream of flechette rounds as they passed directly overhead as the soldiers lay flat on the ground must have been terrifying! Brave men on both sides.
this is orten left out when talking about the battle coral/balmoral ,about 102 fld bty part in the battle ,no6 gun is on display at canberra war memorial,and in my oppinon they they desecrated the gun by repainting it and fitting 2 new tires , At 1.45 am the next morning a rocket and mortar bombardment on FSB Coral began. A fierce infantry assault followed, during which the enemy overran 1RAR mortar positions and captured the 102nd Field Battery's No. 6 gun. Sergeant John Stephens helped stabilise the situation by firing splintex anti-personnel rounds over open sights from the battery's No. 4 gun. Accurate splintex fire from the 102nd Field Battery also prevented the enemy from dragging off one of the mortars from the positions they had captured. As daybreak approached, the 102nd Field Battery fired more splintex rounds in support of 1RAR infantrymen, who retook the positions lost the night before. Battery personnel also participated in a counter-attack that recaptured their No. 6 gun, which the enemy had attempted to disable. Harassed by artillery fire and air strikes, the enemy began withdrawing at around 6.30 am, leaving 52 dead. Despite being heavily involved in the fighting, the 102nd Field Battery suffered surprisingly few casualties, with three wounded and none killed. The 12th Field Regiment headquarters, however, lost two men killed and three wounded. Over the next weeks the enemy carried out more attacks on Australian positions in the area. Although FSB Coral was assaulted again, on 16 and 22 May, by this stage its perimeter defences had been strengthened and reinforcements brought in, including Australian armoured units and an American artillery battery. During the attack of 16 May the enemy attempted to reduce the effectiveness of the 102nd Field Battery's defensive fire by pinning down the gunners with small-arms fire. The battery's positions were again a principal target for the enemy in this attack, which resulted in damage to two artillery pieces.Three members of the 102nd Field Battery were decorated for their part in the battle of Coral: Sergeant John Stephens received the Military Medal; Sergeant "Robbie" Robertson was awarded the British Empire Medal; and Sergeant "Algie" Elgar was Mentioned in Despatches. ,ive had the pleasure to talk to the late "Aligie"Elgar on several occasions as he often come to our house on weekend leave with my dad when they come up from the school of artillery when it was still at north head ,manly.my dad was in 103 fld bty in 66 and gave fire support during long tan,when Algie described the damage splintex done on a human body it wasent pretty as each 105 mm round contained hundereds of tiny fleshetts ,very nasty stuff ,he said after the battle there were shrapnel holes in the tents & veichels ect, it was a mirical there wasent a higher number of aussie casulties ,102 Battery was awarded the Honour Title "Coral" in 1998 and is now designated as 102 (Coral) Battery.it was a mssive joint effort from all aussie units involved ,3RAR ,1RAR Mortar crew with their M29 81 MM MOTORS ,1RAR rifle company with their trusty L1A1 7.62 mm SLR ,M16 5.56 MM ECT,C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment with their Mark III centurian tanks ,A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment with their M113 APC's & 102 bty with their M2A2 105 mm howitzers , sorry if ive missed out on recognising a unit ,PRIOR to 102 bty releaving 103 bty in 67 , the RAA was useing the lighter italian 105 mm L5 Pack howitzer , this link is allso a very good read coral thesis by mark jamieson ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5095&context=theses&fbclid=IwAR0l_r1ZSsUNG61vz8OC11C1kndsJhl7RT4IVLwcslTvqTkwUoQMN2d_-98
The Australian National Servicemen were the backbone of the Australian Regular Army, from 1966, in the days of the Vietnam War. More than 200 were KIA, and thousands more were wounded and disabled. Ordinary young men from all walks of life who decided to serve their Country.
@@steveh1095 Hi Steve. I know this is very delayed, but if you ever see this thanks for what you did. You're right... I love reading on our military history and our nasho's were true ANZAC's, as they might've had no choice going into the army, but they did for Vietnam. I hope Australians get to learn more of the big actions in Vietnam aside from Long Tan and FSB Coral-Balmoral. I.e. I know the 108th was there for Operation Ballarat and Coburg... You and your generation are far braver than mine and younger will ever be.
As the son of a Australian Vietnam veteran, it's good to see that the battle of coral, is being shown, instead of long tan all the time, there were more killed and wounded at coral than long tan.
Kenapa Vidio ini tulisannya...Merah kuning...tulisannya sama dengan tulisan di yutube yutube ..Indonesia.....??Apa maksudnya.....Vidio ini di Pake oleh orang orang Indonesia......?
how long you guys were there how many battles did you fight we , vietnamese fought from beginning to the end , and we did not want the war and started it
@@alexlanning712 tell that to Communist expanionism and the need to hold it in check to allow fledgling SEA nations to get on their feet. Then there are the obligations under SEATO, but why bother trying to educate the ignorant on the state of the world at the time or geo-political implications. Here we are 50 years on, and Communist China and Russia are still at it.
@@gone547 I agree with you, but the war was lost, part of it due, to the rottenness of the South Vietnamese government members who were corrupt and self serving (along with lots of other factors)
All true, but the boys stood their ground and came through again. That was the ANZAC story again and again in Vietnam. To give credit to the VC and North Vietnam troops they never gave up either. Just retired to lick their wounds before coming at us again.
Not sure if true, maybe someone here can confirm, apparently it was the last time Aussie soldiers were ordered to fix bayonets. That’s a very bad situation, to say the least.
This clip says very little about what really happened at Coral and Balmoral . And just a commet I would like to make is I saw no high ranking officers at Coral especially a LT COLONEL !
@@hayloft3834 YES I was there my name is on the nominal roll ! Is yours ??? My Army number is 2787424 it is on the DVA website is yours ??? I was in Vietnam April 1968 until April 1969 and my first operation i was dropped into set-up Fire Support Base Coral on the 12th May 1968 and we pulled out of there on my birthday 6th June . The Brigadier lasted one night we were heavily mortared and he pissed-off the next morning . Now how about your story ,we are waiting ! I never saw the 2 gentlemen you mentioned and Ill bet they did not spend one night there ! Just like their boss the Brigadier
@@hayloft3834 NO the ANKPQ1 did not work and Colonel Jack kelly knew this as we all did and during my time there , a successful location was never made .so every operation on which we were made to go "Black Jack" Kelly (RIP) knew he had some extras he could use and he did quite often and on one of these assignments I was sent to Vung Tau Gaol for 10 days .. What is a UCG ? Is it the unit citation we received for Coral ? I served with a bloke with a twist of your name called Lofty Hayes He was 6foot 8inches unfortunately passed a few years back .
You are exactly correct ! You rarely saw any rank above Captain out in the danger zone .The high ranking officers usually kept themselves very safe from any shooting ! Most of these blokes on here mouthing off here were never near Coral
Order the chopper pilot to land? Pull side arm if he refuses? It sounds like a big stuff up by the Americans which put our men into a situation far more dangerous than it should have been.
I think it was a case of the Yanks needed the helicopters for themselves.... as it was their assets. We used yank air support and had limited air mobile support of our own. Maybe the air lift needed to be scrubbed so they could do it properly later on?
The Intel wasn't given to the Aussies (Controlled by the U.S; Local intel the Aussies had, in their AO...); It was to get us Aussies into the battle, as was said the Yanks were desperate...
Cory90 I didn't mean that, what I mean is even American and their allies in small number but if they use the right tactical and well discipline like Australia and British of course they didn't lose this war
A lot of accounts from various battles, the number of enemy troops and the number of enemy casualties are complete guesses, and are often increased and exaggerated.
In the case of Long Tan and FSBs Balmoral and Coral, the NVA and VC units involved were confirmed and therefore a fairly accurate size of the forces that went up the Aussies was able to be calculated - the Diggers were GREATLY outnumbered.
Here's to the 521 Aussies and 37 Kiwis (and 149 Canadians) who fell in Vietnam: At the going down of the Sun and in the morning we will remember them.
First off I want to say a massive thank you to the Anzac's that answered our call in a time of need, my brother fought in Vietnam and said your forces kicked serious butt. Secondly I want to say you cannot win a war going in with both hands tied behind your back, and having leaders directing the war from 10,000 miles away.
yes sir
🇦🇺
RIP my brother, Laurence Rodney Sheppard. Killed FSB Coral, 13th May 1968; 2 days after his 22nd birthday.
Hey Barry, my dad was in this battle. RIP to your brother
Lest we forget.
Condolences
Barry, so sorry mate. 🇦🇺
Lest We Forget.
this was a grate insight as my Farther served in Vietnam 68-69 and was involved in this operation. From what he said it was a confusing mess on the ground but was all pulled together fast, and if it wasn't for the armor and artillery, air support he wouldn't be here today. I have been to Vietnam and it still has me stuffed how our troops operated in the conditions over there. One hell of a fight and a lot of respect to those who served.
Reccomend reading Lex Mcaulys book " the battle of coral", about this massive battle and FSB Balmoral.What you just have seen on this clip does not give anyone a clue about the biggest engagement Australia has been involved in since wwii and ever since. Magnificent effort by all ,and all that have come before and after.Forget the politics,All Australians should be proud.
I’ve read that excellent book and have also had the privilege of meeting a couple of veterans who were in 1RAR. The firing of fully depressed howitzers over open sights and the scream of flechette rounds as they passed directly overhead as the soldiers lay flat on the ground must have been terrifying! Brave men on both sides.
this is orten left out when talking about the battle coral/balmoral ,about 102 fld bty part in the battle ,no6 gun is on display at canberra war memorial,and in my oppinon they they desecrated the gun by repainting it and fitting 2 new tires ,
At 1.45 am the next morning a rocket and mortar bombardment on FSB Coral began. A fierce infantry assault followed, during which the enemy overran 1RAR mortar positions and captured the 102nd Field Battery's No. 6 gun. Sergeant John Stephens helped stabilise the situation by firing splintex anti-personnel rounds over open sights from the battery's No. 4 gun. Accurate splintex fire from the 102nd Field Battery also prevented the enemy from dragging off one of the mortars from the positions they had captured.
As daybreak approached, the 102nd Field Battery fired more splintex rounds in support of 1RAR infantrymen, who retook the positions lost the night before. Battery personnel also participated in a counter-attack that recaptured their No. 6 gun, which the enemy had attempted to disable. Harassed by artillery fire and air strikes, the enemy began withdrawing at around 6.30 am, leaving 52 dead. Despite being heavily involved in the fighting, the 102nd Field Battery suffered surprisingly few casualties, with three wounded and none killed. The 12th Field Regiment headquarters, however, lost two men killed and three wounded.
Over the next weeks the enemy carried out more attacks on Australian positions in the area. Although FSB Coral was assaulted again, on 16 and 22 May, by this stage its perimeter defences had been strengthened and reinforcements brought in, including Australian armoured units and an American artillery battery. During the attack of 16 May the enemy attempted to reduce the effectiveness of the 102nd Field Battery's defensive fire by pinning down the gunners with small-arms fire. The battery's positions were again a principal target for the enemy in this attack, which resulted in damage to two artillery pieces.Three members of the 102nd Field Battery were decorated for their part in the battle of Coral: Sergeant John Stephens received the Military Medal; Sergeant "Robbie" Robertson was awarded the British Empire Medal; and Sergeant "Algie" Elgar was Mentioned in Despatches. ,ive had the pleasure to talk to the late "Aligie"Elgar on several occasions as he often come to our house on weekend leave with my dad when they come up from the school of artillery when it was still at north head ,manly.my dad was in 103 fld bty in 66 and gave fire support during long tan,when Algie described the damage splintex done on a human body it wasent pretty as each 105 mm round contained hundereds of tiny fleshetts ,very nasty stuff ,he said after the battle there were shrapnel holes in the tents & veichels ect, it was a mirical there wasent a higher number of aussie casulties ,102 Battery was awarded the Honour Title "Coral" in 1998 and is now designated as 102 (Coral) Battery.it was a mssive joint effort from all aussie units involved ,3RAR ,1RAR Mortar crew with their M29 81 MM MOTORS ,1RAR rifle company with their trusty L1A1 7.62 mm SLR ,M16 5.56 MM ECT,C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment with their Mark III centurian tanks ,A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment with their M113 APC's & 102 bty with their M2A2 105 mm howitzers , sorry if ive missed out on recognising a unit ,PRIOR to 102 bty releaving 103 bty in 67 , the RAA was useing the lighter italian 105 mm L5 Pack howitzer , this link is allso a very good read
coral thesis by mark jamieson
ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5095&context=theses&fbclid=IwAR0l_r1ZSsUNG61vz8OC11C1kndsJhl7RT4IVLwcslTvqTkwUoQMN2d_-98
As a reader of much war (and recently, more so Vietnam as a 1st generation Australian), thank you for the info! Your post is greatly appreciated.
My father served at FB Coral at the high of the battle. He was responsible for the mapping operation throughout the engagement
Thanks Aussies, for all of your help.
The Australian National Servicemen were the backbone of the Australian Regular Army, from 1966, in the days of the Vietnam War. More than 200 were KIA, and thousands more were wounded and disabled. Ordinary young men from all walks of life who decided to serve their Country.
Except they didn't decide to serve their country; "nashos" were conscripts, drafted in without a choice in the matter
@@steveh1095 Hi Steve. I know this is very delayed, but if you ever see this thanks for what you did. You're right... I love reading on our military history and our nasho's were true ANZAC's, as they might've had no choice going into the army, but they did for Vietnam. I hope Australians get to learn more of the big actions in Vietnam aside from Long Tan and FSB Coral-Balmoral. I.e. I know the 108th was there for Operation Ballarat and Coburg... You and your generation are far braver than mine and younger will ever be.
@@hayloft3834 But nearly 50% of those killed
@@brucelamberton8819.....but they chose to go to South Viet Nam.
@@daviddou1408 Yes, that I believe
These diggers were top men... too bad the Australian and New Zealand government's didn't treat them that way
Shits hit the fan Send in the Aussies.!!
As the son of a Australian Vietnam veteran, it's good to see that the battle of coral, is being shown, instead of long tan all the time, there were more killed and wounded at coral than long tan.
Professionals call the skills of their former enemy brilliant. No fake bone in their body.
"Total" commitment
Kenapa Vidio ini tulisannya...Merah kuning...tulisannya sama dengan tulisan di yutube yutube ..Indonesia.....??Apa maksudnya.....Vidio ini di Pake oleh orang orang Indonesia......?
how long you guys were there
how many battles did you fight
we , vietnamese fought
from beginning to the end , and we did not want the war and started it
Are you South or North Vietnamese?
it was a civil war, and we never should have been there
@@alexlanning712
tell that to Communist expanionism and the need to hold it in check to allow fledgling SEA nations to get on their feet.
Then there are the obligations under SEATO, but why bother trying to educate the ignorant on the state of the world at the time or geo-political implications.
Here we are 50 years on, and Communist China and Russia are still at it.
@@gone547 I agree with you, but the war was lost, part of it due, to the rottenness of the South Vietnamese government members who were corrupt and self serving (along with lots of other factors)
All true, but the boys stood their ground and came through again. That was the ANZAC story again and again in Vietnam.
To give credit to the VC and North Vietnam troops they never gave up either. Just retired to lick their wounds before coming at us again.
Not sure if true, maybe someone here can confirm, apparently it was the last time Aussie soldiers were ordered to fix bayonets. That’s a very bad situation, to say the least.
Sounds a bit similar to what happened at Ia Drang Valley in 1965. 200 soldiers suddenly realize they're up against 1600 NVA.
450 soldiers. Not 200.
Sounds more like long tan 110 Aussies vs 2000 Vietnamese
@@theconvictedquokka They keep reducing the number, it was 2500 a Rgt.
@R0d_1984 well I've seen 500 I've seen stuff all the way up to 3000 so I just put it around there
@@theconvictedquokka Wasn't having as go at you mate...
Have a great day.
Yang menulis merah kuning..di Vidio ini.......itu orang orang Indonesia........!!
This clip says very little about what really happened at Coral and Balmoral . And just a commet I would like to make is I saw no high ranking officers at Coral especially a LT COLONEL !
@@hayloft3834 YES I was there my name is on the nominal roll ! Is yours ??? My Army number is 2787424 it is on the DVA website is yours ??? I was in Vietnam April 1968 until April 1969 and my first operation i was dropped into set-up Fire Support Base Coral on the 12th May 1968 and we pulled out of there on my birthday 6th June . The Brigadier lasted one night we were heavily mortared and he pissed-off the next morning . Now how about your story ,we are waiting ! I never saw the 2 gentlemen you mentioned and Ill bet they did not spend one night there ! Just like their boss the Brigadier
@@hayloft3834 NO the ANKPQ1 did not work and Colonel Jack kelly knew this as we all did and during my time there , a successful location was never made .so every operation on which we were made to go "Black Jack" Kelly (RIP) knew he had some extras he could use and he did quite often and on one of these assignments I was sent to Vung Tau Gaol for 10 days .. What is a UCG ? Is it the unit citation we received for Coral ? I served with a bloke with a twist of your name called Lofty Hayes He was 6foot 8inches unfortunately passed a few years back .
You are exactly correct ! You rarely saw any rank above Captain out in the danger zone .The high ranking officers usually kept themselves very safe from any shooting ! Most of these blokes on here mouthing off here were never near Coral
Long Tan...brutal
Order the chopper pilot to land? Pull side arm if he refuses? It sounds like a big stuff up by the Americans which put our men into a situation far more dangerous than it should have been.
I think it was a case of the Yanks needed the helicopters for themselves.... as it was their assets. We used yank air support and had limited air mobile support of our own. Maybe the air lift needed to be scrubbed so they could do it properly later on?
The Intel wasn't given to the Aussies (Controlled by the U.S; Local intel the Aussies had, in their AO...); It was to get us Aussies into the battle, as was said the Yanks were desperate...
Australia day 2023 🇦🇺💪
i cant believe they put that on tv. but then again the shit i can look at on the internet is was worse
this wasnt on tv.
but didnt they broadcast war footage?
which war footage are you talking about?
What is that song
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Without tactical and discipline seriously no victory in war
you mean the North let almost a million of their soldiers die.
Cory90 I didn't mean that, what I mean is even American and their allies in small number but if they use the right tactical and well discipline like Australia and British of course they didn't lose this war
Australia did have troops in the war
A lot of accounts from various battles, the number of enemy troops and the number of enemy casualties are complete guesses, and are often increased and exaggerated.
In the case of Long Tan and FSBs Balmoral and Coral, the NVA and VC units involved were confirmed and therefore a fairly accurate size of the forces that went up the Aussies was able to be calculated - the Diggers were GREATLY outnumbered.