Series number

AWM372

Series title

Records of Detachment 131 Divisional Locating Battery Royal Australian Artillery – Vietnam

Series contents range

01 May 1966 to 18 November 1983

Extent

0.07 metres

Access conditions

Subject to the Australian Archives Act (1983)

Agency controlling

Department of Defence

Custodial Agency

Australian War Memorial

Function and provenance

AWM372 is an artificial series of records which were transferred to the Australian War Memorial (AWM.  The bulk of the records were created by Detachment 131 Divisional Locating Battery (Det 131 Div Loc Bty) and appear to have been held outside the Department of Defence as an ongoing history project.  Other records in the series appear to have been created by allied intelligence agencies.

As part of the Australian commitment to the Vietnam War the Det 131 Div Loc Bty were deployed from 1966 until almost the end of the Australian Commitment.  The detachment consisted of survey, radar, sound ranging and artillery intelligence personnel.  In five years they provided survey for over 100 fire support bases throughout Phouc Tuy and neighbouring provinces for Australian, US and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) units.

The artillery intelligence personnel became part of 1 Field Regiment Artillery Tactical Headquarters.  The section deployed listening posts in Nui Dat and later at the Horseshoe feature, and was active in crater analysis.  Initially the radar detachment had three AN/KPQ-1 radars, which though problematic produced some locations which were successfully engaged.  The radars were withdrawn from Vietnam in July 1970.  In 1968 a sound ranging base was established in Nui Dat and for a while produced good results until the decrease in enemy activity saw it returned to Australia in October 1970.

In 1969 the Viet Cong began using 122mm rockets, and listening posts of the Det 131 Div Loc Bty were able to obtain some good location by flash spotting.  The resulting counter battery fire proved as ground patrols found casualties at the sites the rockets had been based.  With the cessation of using radar and sound ranging the detachment formed a new section to establish 33 ‘strings’ of sensors with monitor stations between Nui Dat and the Horseshoe.

Content

The series comprises three distinct subseries.

1. Topographical survey station summaries – This comprises of a series of maps with additional trigonometric information on them.  They contain station and access diagrams, as well as information regarding the location, access to the location, visibility, ground markings, reference and azimuth marks.

2. Battle intelligence reports 107mm Rockets – This comprises a series of reports and photographs that analyse the weaponry used by the VC/NVA forces, with particular reference being made to rockets.  Despite the subseries title there are numerous references to weaponry other than 107mm rockets.

3. Battery history – This comprises of two major subseries, the first are all of the operational reports for the Det 131 Div Loc Bty whilst in Vietnam, the second are four RAEME reports covering the Vietnam deployment of the 131.

System of arrangement and control

The series does not conform to the original Department of the Army filing system.  The files appear to have been organised locally by the unit based upon their own needs.

Only one of the files had a registration number on it “131/12” and this does not meet the three part file numbering standard used by the Army at the time of the record’s creation.

Because the series comprises non registered items (not having a pre-organised system of file numbers), the series has had numbers imposed by the Australian War Memorial (AWM).

A two number control system has been imposed on the series. The first or primary number indicates the subject and the second the item number within the subject.  Otherwise they retain their original titles.  Where no title was found, the AWM has imposed one that best describes the item’s contents.  All imposed information is enclosed in square brackets.

For item [1/4] additional sequential numbering has been added to each original document in order to retain the original order they were received in.

Using the series

Each item in the series is recorded on the RecordSearch database which researchers can view on the internet.  Further assistance in finding relevant information may be gained from related series of records (click on Series Links at the bottom of this page)

Sources

AWM372 Series dossier

Horner, D., 1995, The Gunners: A History of Australian Artillery, Allen & Unwin, Sydney