Vietnam Firebases 1965-73: American and Australian Forces

Artillery fire support bases of the Free World Forces played a critical role in the conduct of operations during the Vietnam War.

They served to lay down high-volume fire on enemy firing sites, supported friendly infantry operations, and executed harassing fire missions where exact targets were not known. But the firebases themselves - which housed a range of other facilities such as troop shelters, surveillance radars and command centers - had to be defended against ground attack, and as a ...