WINGS FOR THE GROUND COMMANDER

[Music] since the beginning of warfare the basis of armed conflict has not changed it is still man against man moving foot by foot to achieve the final confrontation because no machine of War ever devised can capture and hold ground by itself this is the foot soldiers domain especially in Vietnam today where savagely hostile terrain is commonplace down through the centuries of War Firepower made remarkable progress but the foot solders Mobility did not keep Pace while horses have been used for 5,000 years they have so many limitations that the frustrated Greeks conceived Pegasus a mythical horse with wings who could soar High over the rocky hills of [Music] Greece today in Vietnam that ancient dream is realized mobility and fire power are now balanced the United States Army and Marine Corps have a modern Pegasus in volume fleets of helicopters which leap ground barriers as readily as their mythical predecessor revolutionary new airmobile techniques have for the first time given the battle commander the ability to place troops quickly and precisely in the strength he needs to Prevail to react instantly and effectively to the Guerilla actions characteristic of this strange War one with no front lines only pockets of hostility separated by scores of miles of forbidding terrain the enemy can pop up practically anywhere and usually does he can only be beaten at his own game of hit and run by air Mobility immediate response by helicopter born troops can surround and crush the enemy before he can melt back into the [Music] jungle [Music] the Workhorse in the military helicopter stable is the Army ch47 shanuk while the uh 1D The Familiar huie is the squad carrier the shanuk is the platoon carrier transporting up to 44 fully equipped troops to the Battle Zone in a mercy rooll the evacuation of casualties it lifts out up to 24 litter cases and a walking wounded and in another now classic Mercy role it once carried 147 Vietnamese men women and children in a single flight along with their pigs ducks chickens and other [Music] possessions when troops need artillery support in Vietnam combat actions they better get it in a hurry because the call says the battle odds are rugged that's why units of shinuk are on constant alert with 105 mm howitzers and gun Crews ready to hook up and go at the first summons for [Music] help in minutes they spot the gun and crew plus the ammo and in a few minutes more the 105 is barking out [Music] artillery support is one of the Chinook's Prime missions and with this kind of responsiveness available The Troop Commander can be more aggressive can push closer to his limits knowing that the Chinooks are only a radio call away fuel distribution is another facet of the shinuk resupply duties these cells carry 500 gallons of fuel and weigh 3500 lb each but are easily lifted to remove sites several at a time since military aircraft gulp fuel in enormous quantities the hooks as the Chinooks are nicknamed keep up a daily shuttle to outlying Bases hour after hour so the Hues and other Chinooks can stay up forward and do their job hence the fuel goes to the aircraft instead of the aircraft to the fuel now take the problem of Battlefield Mobility where Vehicles such as a Jeep or Army mule are highly useful on a local basis they're airlifted externally on the cargo hook or in the cabin whichever is more convenient this vehicle was even preloaded with supplies ready to move right out as soon as it [Music] offloads the engineers also benefit from Air Mobility bulldozers partially stripped for shanuk delivery with reinstallation of the tracks they're ready for use to carve out a Forward Air strip or establish a camp bringing these bulldozers to the scene by surface means would be impractical as the Viet Kong controls so much of the [Music] terrain the length of our supply lines to Southeast Asia puts a high premium on equipment so Salvage rates top priority here again in terrain that is often roadless and Roads often unusable airlift is the norm few places are inaccessible to the helicopter and the shanuk has ample capacity to lift a down Huey intact and transport it safely back to a repair base secure from the ambushes and mines of Road Transport as of May 1967 shinuk had recovered more than $330 Million worth of disabled aircraft further 3/4 of these aircraft will be repaired in the theater and will fly [Music] [Music] again [Music] the Marine Corps counterpart of the shinook is the ch46 seight slightly smaller but equally effective for its size the scen night's primary role is in assault missions to transport combat equipped Marine squads from amphibious Landing vessels or base camps to unprepared attack points behind a beach head shuttling back and forth the seite brings Squad after Squad of Marines ashore and then turns to a support role shuttling supplies and equipment to keep the combat elements [Music] going very similar in basic configuration to the the shinook the cite also has a rear loading ramp to accommodate Vehicles up to Jeep size when Manpower is available smaller items such as ammo boxes can be handled in short order through the walk-in rear [Music] opening the C nights are also Adept at Salvage operations such as retrieving dowed CH 34s and other aircraft with their car hooks the SE night's Hook is just as versatile as the Chinooks for hauling pallet loads artillery and vehicles indeed this is a familiar site in the skies around Danang the cite also serves the US Navy now operating with the fleets in both the Mediterranean and Pacific uh 46s are providing an invaluable service of quick delivery of high priority items in a mission known as vertical replenishment flying from the AFT deck of Supply ships they operate day and night resupplying other vessels while underway much of their activity in the Pacific Fleet is in support of Vietnam [Music] operations these two Boeing helicopters are now produced in greatly improved versions such as this ch 47b in full production and delivery since May of 1967 this B model has the same basic airframe as the CH 47a but several important improvements have been added a blunt end on the APT pylon to increase directional stability Stakes on the APT end of the fuselage and on the rear ramp to improve the air flow cambered Blades of Greater cord and radius for improving improved lift and speed performance and a modified rotor head to carry them 200 horsepower has been added to each t55 engine providing a reserve of particular advantage to Army Pilots operating in the hot temperatures and altitudes encountered in Southeast Asia collectively all these improvements bring greatly enhanced performance the B model's payload is as much as 7 and A2 tons and its speed is increased by 20% or more the cite the CH 46d also in full production has undergone a similar transformation with new cabber blades and more powerful engines its hot day payload is 65% higher and speed at 5,000 ft is up by [Music] 25% such are the progressive steps made to improve air Mobility vitally needed now in Vietnam where the helicopter is basic to assault and logistic operations especially in areas where ground Mobility is the victim of topography and the enemy a whole new way to fight a war has been born and with it perhaps a way to an early peace a