Reply #2 on: January 08, 2021, 09:57:02 AM
Covering fire between the bastions of a star fort were an important feature.
In Nam the early riverine monitors were very concerned with getting boarded.
The Viet Minh sappers had a great reputation from their exploits against the French. Their self sacrifice was well known and feared. The idea of a sappers carrying a satchel charge in a speedboat was very worrying.
One commander was at a meeting in MACV and happened to be with an officer from 2nd Cavalry. When asked how they handled being swarmed by charlie, he smirked.
Each tank was in a pair that worked as a team. They had a code word for this.
The other M48 would just smother their partner with 50cal. Even at close range the tank was armored enough to shrug off the machine gun fire.
"The f**ckers never get to try that twice."
This tactic had to be used judiciously on the shallow rivers.
"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell." - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side." Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.