Lima Site 85
Lima Site 85 | |
---|---|
Houaphanh Province, Laos | |
Coordinates | 20°26′42″N 103°43′05″E / 20.44500°N 103.71806°E [1][2] |
Site history | |
Built | 1967 |
Demolished | 1968 |
Lima Site 85 (LS-85 alphanumeric code of the
Command post
The LS-85 military installation began in August 1966 with TACAN radar installation at a supply site and
TACAN
The
The LS-85 TACAN area with the AN/TRN-17, generator, diesel supply, and "Comm and Relay Center"
Combat Target
Combat Target was a March 1967 task force that recommended a
Heavy Green
Heavy Green was the military operation to emplace a
Commando Club
Commando Club was a US operation of the Vietnam War that used
With the bomber near a designated "Initial Point" LS-85 would begin a radar track and the Bomb Directing Central's analog computer would calculate a computer track and solve the "bomb problem" for the aircraft's flight path. The central then automatically transmitted guidance commands to the aircraft (lead aircraft for multi-ship formations, e.g., 3 Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses) to adjust the bomb run toward an eventual release point for the actual bomb(s). The central at LS-85 automatically effected release of the ordnance from the aircraft to eliminate the variable crewmember delay during the greater vulnerability of the generally steady bomb run.
Commando Club/total missions by target area & period[2] | |||
Period | North Vietnam [verification needed] |
Barrel Roll "around" LS-85[27] |
Both areas |
November | 20/153 (13%) | 1/268 | 21/421 (5%) |
December | 20/94 (21%) | 67/327 (20%) | 87/421 (21%) |
January | 29/125 (55%) | 23/320 (10%) | 52/445 (12%) |
February | 27/49 (55%) | 142/375 (38%) | 169/424 (40%) |
March 1–10 | 3/6 (50%) | 165/182 (91%) | 168/188 (89%) |
Total | 99*/427 (20%) | 398/1472[27] (27%) | 497/1899 (26%) |
Missions
The LS-85 radar using day/night shift crews of 5 men each
Commando Club was resumed by November 21 when F-105s attacked the Yên Bái airfield (also on December 1 & 23,
Site defenses and attacks
The initial assessment by the site's 7th AF coordinator was that after radar operations began LS-85 would be attacked within 6 months,[18]: 35 which a February 25 CIA report accurately predicted would be after March 10. Summit structures at LS-85 had originally been outfitted with demolition charges (later removed by the technicians), and the personnel eventually had small arms (e.g., M16 rifles) for defense.[4] TACAN and AN/TSQ-81 personnel were included in the February plan[4] to evacuate when the site's risk became too high, and defense training had been provided. An enemy patrol was dispersed from the base of the mountain on January 10,[6] a January 12 airstrike bombed LS-85,[31][self-published source] and a mortar attack was on January 30. On February 18 near the head of the road an NVA survey party was defeated (the NVA map with planned artillery positions was captured.)[6] On March 10 (1800–1945 hours), an "artillery barrage" preceded an attack toward the southeast slope by 3 battalions[4] ("a kilometer or two from the hill"),[6] and commandos including Hmong defectors—instead of assaulting in a direct infantry attack upslope toward the radar station—scaled the north mountain cliff and after midnight killed the majority of the onsite technicians.[27] All areas of LS-85 were captured, and the remaining mountaintop structures were destroyed by US airstrikes through the next week. A Top Secret August 1968 US official history was declassified in 1988, and a 1996 North Vietnamese Report was translated in 1998. Post-war visits to the site resulted in identification of US radar crewmembers remains in 2005[32] and 2012.
See also
References
* The May 11, 1997, DoD translation of Do Chi Ben's Tran Tap Kich Vao Khu 'TACAN' tren Nui Pa-thi cuar Phan doi Dac Cong Quan Khu, ngay 11 thang 3 nam 1968 by Robert J. Destatte (translation edited April 7, 1998) is entitled Raid on the TACAN Site Atop Pha-Thi Mountain by a Military Region Sapper Team on 11 March 1968.
- ^ Porter. Lima Site 36 (Report). Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
In late December 1966 and early January 1967, the North Vietnamese troop buildup in the Sam Neue area (VH 0157) had been observed as a potential threat to Lima Site 36 (UH 4113), Lima Site 52 (VH 0581), and Lima Site 85 (UH 6860).
- ^ a b c d Vallentiny, Capt Edward (9 August 1968). The Fall of Site 85 (PJSinNam.com transcription). CHECO Division, Tactical Evaluation Division (HQ PACAF). Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
- ISBN 978-1-58160-535-8.
- ^ ISBN 8176486604. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
Site 85 command post, a ramshackle structure next to the helicopter landing area … helipad, a 20-minute walk down the ridge from the radar vans on the peak
- ^ a b c d e Grimes, Richard (2002). "TRN-17 TACAN installation, Lima Site 85, Phou Pha Thi, Laos" (Vietnam War anecdotes). LimaSite85.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2012-10-07. 3 pages
- ^ ISBN 9780471573289.
We already had a 600-foot STOL strip three-quarters of the way up the mountain for resupplying local Meo guerrilla … One wounded and extraordinarily unlucky technician was killed, shot through the back during helicopter evacuation.
- ^
Destatte, Robert L (7 April 1998) [translated May 11, 1997]. Raid on the TACAN Site Atop Pha-Thi Mountain by a Military Region Sapper Team on 11 March 1968 (LimaSite85.us webpage: "[Source: e-mail Robert J. Destatte to Ron Haden, January 4, 2003]"). Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-05.
At 0900 hours, one helicopter dropped a line down near the TACAN site and rescued three wounded enemy. We were tangled up in the mountain, so we fired on it without hitting it.
translation of:- Doox Chis Beenf (1996). "Tran Tap Kich Vao Khu 'TACAN' tren Nui Pa-thi cuar Phan doi Dac Cong Quan Khu, ngay 11 thang 3 nam 1968". Several Battles in Military Region 2 during the War of Liberation, 1945–1975 (in Vietnamese). Hanoi: People's Army Publishing House.
- NOTE: The times translated from the Vietnamese report, e.g., "After only 15 minutes" from "0345" there was "fire directly into the building that had many antennas", are consistently an hour different from the times identified by US records such as Vallentiny and Secord: "At three in the morning, we lost voice and teletype communication with the radar site on the summit" (Secord). Likewise, Sliz identifies he was evacuated at daylight, which the translated Vietnamese report has at "0900 hours".
- ISBN 978-0-231-07977-8. Retrieved 2012-11-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g Plunkett, W. Howard (22 June 2006). "Part II: Combat Lancer and Commando Club". Radar Bombing during Rolling Thunder (2007 ECNext transcription). Retrieved 2012-06-16.
coms2/summary_0199-5697884_ITM http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3101/is_2_53/ai_n29269246/[permanent dead link] (Part I: Ryan's raiders)[permanent dead link] - ^ "6115-00-504-1401 - GENERATOR SET,DIESEL ENGINE,TRAILER MOUNTED - 6115005041401,005041401,MB5,MILG9546,56A56928,M12100". Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ Article title
- ^ a b "Lima Site 85 Personnel List". LimaSite85.us. Archived from the original on 2011-06-24. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
- ^ a b c FreeGuestBooks.net pp. 70, 100, 160,[full citation needed]
- ^ a b c Wolk, Herman S (June 1969). R&D for Southeast Asia, 1965–1967 (PDF). USAF Plans and Policies (Report). Office of Air Force History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
On 1 November 1967, another MSQ-77 [sic] became operational in Laos
(p. 58: Wolk cites "DJSM-800-68 (TS ), Memo for DDR&E, CSAF, CNO, et al, 28 June 68, subj: Update of the NIGHT SONG Study".) Archived 2012-10-07 at the Wayback Machine - ^ a b Wheeler, Gen. Earl G. (25 April 1967). "Installation of MSQ-77 in Northern Laos" (PDF) (CJCS memorandum). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-05-21. cover letter: "radar guidance coverage would be extended over areas of northern NVN and Laos not now covered".
- ^ a b "Combat Evaluation Group – A place for CEVG'ers and Range Rats to Meet" (Yahoo newsgroup).[unreliable source]
- a. Jordan, David (August 6, 2004). "TSQ-81" (Google cache of posting 8976). Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - b. Craft, Eugene Boyd (November 22, 2007). "Last Skyspot academic or practical qualified crews" (…posting 41955). Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
- a. Jordan, David (August 6, 2004). "TSQ-81" (Google cache of posting 8976). Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
- ISBN 978-0-16-002038-4.
- ^ ISBN 0-231-10316-6.
- ^ a b c Sliz, Capt Stan. "Captain Stan Sliz was the day shift Controller for Lima Site 85". LimaSite85.us. Archived from the original on 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
- ^ Jeppeson, Chris (April 17, 2003). "Acoubuoy, Spikebuoy, Muscle Shoals and Igloo White: An unofficial history of an electronic warfare operation during Vietnam". Retrieved 2010-08-04.
air-lifted by CH-47 helicopter to the ridge of a 5,580-ft. mountain called Phou-Pa-Thi…where a TACAN navigation site was already located
( NOTE: This webpage included an image with filename "BROMO.jpg" and "alt="BROMO TSQ-96 inside INVERT, NKP ") - ^ "Construction 7A". Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
- ^ "5840-00-225-8009 - RADAR BOMB SCORING CENTRAL - 5840002258009,002258009,209000,ANTSQ81". Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
- ^ "Calfee, James Henry, MSgt". TogetherWeServed.com. June 1, 2009. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
- ^ "AN/- Electronics Equipment, for Shipboard, Submerged or Joint Use". Archived from the original on 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
- ^ 34TFSthuds.us. Retrieved 2012-10-07. "F-105 History" pages:
a. "Jacob C. Shuler" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-07.
b. "Donald W. Hodge" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-07.
c. "Joseph S. Sechler" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-07.
d. "David C. Dickson" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-31.34 TFS were diverted to a target in Laos as a result of the North Vietnamese attack on Lima Site 85. They took off at 0715 and returned after 2 hours 55 minutes. … "We were diverted up to Lima 85 up by the North TACAN station. The bad guys were trying to storm the hill. The hill was sticking up through the clouds but we couldn't detect any enemy action. The A-1Es were working over the enemy but they wouldn't let us in on the action. Instead they put us in on an enemy gun emplacement about 10 miles away.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) "radio relay (WAGER) provides a surveillance/control channel" [pdf p. 695] - ^ a b c d "1968". 8TFW.com (transcript of unit history). Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
- ^ Thompson, Wayne (November 2003). title tbd. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
From November 1967 to March 1968, controllers at Phou Pha Thi directed nearly a hundred "Commando Club" missions (about five hundred sorties) against the Red River Delta.
- ^ "Major General John C. Giraudo". United States Air Force. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12.
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb3101/is_2_53/ai_n29269246/[permanent dead link]
- LCCN 2010912607. Archived from the originalon 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2017-09-09.
- ^ "Air Force Sergeant MIA from Vietnam War is Identified" (DoD news release No. 1268-05). Public Affairs (Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense). 8 December 2005.
Shannon and 18 other servicemen operated a radar installation atop Pha Thi Mountain in Houaphan Province, Laos, approximately 13 miles south of the border with North Vietnam. … In 2002, one of the enemy soldiers stated that he helped throw the bodies of the Americans off the mountain after the attack, … Between 1994 and 2004, 11 investigations were conducted by both JPAC as well as unilaterally by Lao and Vietnamese investigators on both sides of the border. During one of the investigations, several mountaineer-qualified JPAC specialists scaled down the cliffs where they recovered remains and personal gear on ledges. JPAC and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory scientists used mitochondrial DNA and other forensic techniques to identify the remains as those of Shannon.