TMc: Vietnam...Australian Soldiers | Eastern NC Now

    The documentary shows the tactics of both sides. I have not seen another documentary with these details. This battle was between Australians and Vietnamese.

    Documentary link

    I was an Electronics Tech with a reconnaissance squadron on a carrier off the coast of Vietnam and not an Army General but my combat vet buddies helped write numerous articles and much of that knowledge appears in the documentary.

    The problem starts with reconnaissance. The hot humid jungle hides low tech transportation of men and supplies along trails. Another problem is the presence of local enemy soldiers with 17 years of battle experience mixed with large units from North Vietnam. Add the problem that they have learned to stay close to foreign units to avoid air strikes.

    The Australians arrived and soon helicopters transported troop into the jungle to do maneuvers designed to find the enemy. Once found, the troops began to estimate the size of the enemy force. If things go right, artillery, helicopter gunships, mechanized units and airstrikes eliminate the problem. The documentary shows what happens when everything goes wrong.

    The well-organized Australians continued proper communication and obeyed orders from the chain of command. Had the troop panicked and retreated, it would have been a disaster.

    This routine continued over and over during the war...search the jungle with small units until you trip on a large unit then use heavy equipment to inflict casualties on the Vietnamese. 60,000 Australians served; 520 died; 3000 wounded. 1.3 million Vietnamese soldiers and 2 million civilians died during the war. The tactic to kill large numbers worked but did not stop the war.

    Conclusion:

    General Mattis is Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense. Several YouTube vides feature his lectures about warfare. I defer to his conclusions.