The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The weapon pit in the foreground was one of the pits used by the detachment from Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF). This weapon pit has been constructed with weather protection provided by light press-studded and eye-letted rubberised sheets known as 'hoochies' rigged over a tensioned cord. Each weapon pit comprised a pair of side-by-side slit trenches, one for each weapon pit occupant. The light overhead cover (roof support timbers, corrugated iron and one course of sandbags) indicate the relatively temporary nature of the defensive position. By day hoochies were normally dropped, but within temporary defensive positions such as fire support bases they could be left in place. Except at stand-to at dawn and last light, or when under attack, soldiers when not otherwise committed would normally rest or sleep on top of the sand-bagged roof over their weapon pits, under the hoochies. The other hoochies indicate the probable presence of weapon pits below. The tents in the background are part of the Headquarters 1ATF (Main) command post. The photograph was taken after the second attack on Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral, before dawn on 16 May 1968. FSB Coral was the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) base for Operation Toan Thang I, within its Area of Operations (AO) Surfers; the FSB included Headquarters 1ATF (Main), with arms and services units supporting the infantry operations of 1RAR and 3RAR within the AO. North Vietnamese Army, (NVA), and Viet Cong, (VC), forces had been moving through the AO as well as adjoining allied AOs to conduct their May offensive against Saigon and were expected to withdraw on the same routes. AO Surfers was centred some 10 km NW of Tan Uyen on the Song Dong Nai, and 30 km NNE of Saigon.
One of the weapon pits used by the detachment from Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF). This weapon pit is constructed with weather protection provided by light press-studded and eye-letted
One of the weapon pits used by the detachment from Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) after the second attack on Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral before dawn on 16 May 1968. FSB Coral was the
The elevated canopy is probably covering a section administrative area of Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF). There may be an adjoining weapon pit to the left, under the weather protection
A Battery, 2/35th Artillery (US) M109 155 mm self-propelled howitzers dug in at Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral during Operation Toan Thang I; two artillery red and white aiming posts are evident to the
The position occupied by the detachment from Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) at Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral. Some of the HQ staff are cleaning up the HQ position, which was dug in belo
Fire Support Base Coral, Bien Hoa Province, Vietnam, 1968-05. Bridge laying equipment for Centurion tanks, used for this purpose after the initial engagement at Fire Support Base (FSB) Coral. In the f
