Smith, Alex (Oral history)

Australian officer commanded B Sqdn, 1st Armoured Regt in Vietnam, 12/1968-12/1969

REEL 1 Early Australian commitment to Vietnam. Deployment of first tank squadron, 5/1968: Centurion tank's armament; organisation of squadron. Training role in US, 1968. Recollections of operations with B Sqdn, 1st Armoured Regt Vietnam, 12/1968-12/1969: taking command of unit, 12/1968; unit's officers; composition of Australian Task Force; area of operations; incident of US troops watching television during Tet Offensive; civil affairs role; question of why tanks were deployed in Vietnam; nature of Australian operations; first action by tanks near fire base Balmoral; difficult terrain, Hatdich; Vietnamese use of mines against tanks; Vietnamese use of tunnels; firing tank weapons close range against Vietnamese bunkers; incident of rapid firing during action, Binh Bha, 6/6/1969. REEL 2 Continues: Question of troops disregarding ammunition; tank action in which Lieutenant Brian Sullivan was Mentioned in Despatches, 16/2/1969; action against 33rd Regt North Vietnamese Army, Binh Bha, 6/6/1969 including initial attack against units tanks, destruction of 33rd Regt NVA regimental headquarters, NVA causalities and booby trap found after action; incident of tank running over mine; incident of soldier transferred to command post after incident when tank barrel blew up; role commanding from helicopters; contrast between suspension on Centurions and American tanks; use of canisters; effect of red ants on tank crews; driver frustration; helicopter supplies; lack of tank to tank attacks; effect of anti-tank weapons on tanks; reaction to arrival of British technical intelligence group; operations late 1969. Return to Australia, 12/1969. Various postings in Australia, 1970-1990's. Recollections of period with B Sqdn 1st Armoured Regt, Vietnam, 12/1968-12/1969: likes and dislikes of tour; amusing story of officer newly arrived in Vietnam whose helicopter was blown out of sky by mine.