Osprey Fortress 58 : Vietnam Firebases 1965-1973 : American and Australian Forces

Artillery fire support bases of the Freeworld 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 centres, had to be defended against ground attack, and as a result became significant fortifications in their own right. This book describes the design, development and operational history of the fire support bases throughout the conflict. Text by Randy E. M Foster with illustrations by Peter Dennis.

Contents

• Introduction
• What is a Firebase?
• Building a Firebase
• The Operational Use of Firebases
• Tour of a Firebase : Design and Developments
• Life in a Firebase
• Aftermath
• The Sites Today
• Select Bibliography
• Glossary and Abbreviations
• Index