Organisation of Divisional Air Cavalry Troop in Vietnam

There was normally a single Air Cav Troop organic to each Armoured Cavalry Squadron and three Air Cav Troops organic to the Air Cav Squadron of the Airmobile Division. For a full commentary on the role and organisation of an actual Air Cavalry Troop see D Troop 3/5th Air Cavalry. An Air Cav Troop contained an Aero Weapons Platoon, an Aero Scout Platoon and an Aero Rifle Platoon.

The high proportion of Warrant Officers is due to the fact that most air crew were of this rank. In the schematic below I have only shown the 'combat' elements of the Troop - there was also a Maintenance Section and an Aviation Section.

Aero-Weapons Platoon

Platoon HQ:

Section (x2)

AH-1G armament :

2-M59 Rocket Pods holding 19 rockets
2-M27 Rocket Pods holding 7 rockets
1 XM-28 turrent

1 mini gun- 1500 RPM, or 4,000 RPM
40mm GL - 340 RPM
or any combination of the above

Aero-Scout Platoon

Platoon HQ:

Section (x2)

OH6 Armament :

M6O on bunji cord-operated by door gunner
4000 rounds per minute mini gun operated by pilot
40 lbs of explosives

frags
CS gas
smoke

Lift Platoon

Aero-Rifle Platoon (the 'Blues')

Recon Tactics

Standard tactics for the aviation elements was to fly HIGH/LOW, that is, one aircraft would fly very low looking for targets or reconning the area (possibly attempting quite literally to 'draw' enemy fire in order for the enemy to reveal their positions) while the second aircraft flew at altitude providing cover, acting as the radio relay ship and giving the low flying aircraft navigational instructions. In operations involving OH-6's an OH-6 would always fly low.

In a 'Pink' team, the OH-6 would be in constant communication with the high flying AH-1G Gunship, feeding back data which would be annotated by the crew of the Gunship. If necessary the Gunship was always ready to 'roll in hot' in order to provide suppressive fire if the OH-6 came under attack. If the scout observed targets it would drop smoke marking rounds and the Gunship would roll in.

Tactical Employment of the Air Cav Troop

The following is an example of the way the Troop worked :

WHITE TEAM makes contact with elements of the enemy; smoke used to mark contact; contact co-ordinates are relayed to Troop HQ; RED TEAM engages marked targets or targets of opportunity while OH-6 keeps enemy under observation, looking in particular for route of egress or re-inforcement and making attempts to establish the composition and size of enemy force as well as their deployment and the extent of their defenses.
Once Troop HQ receives contact information the decision is made as to whether to deploy BLUE team. PINK team and/or RED team is redirected to contact in order to support and/or relieve teams on station. BLUE team is scrambled.
BLUE team inserted near contact and deploys to engage the enemy; OH-6 guides BLUE team to contact, reconning forward and to the flanks of the BLUE team; BLUE team engages the enemy supported by all ships on station.
Once enemy starts to withdraw RED and PINK teams continue to interdict their routes of egress; BLUE team secures area of contact and polices battlefield.
BLUE team is extracted, enemy is pursued by RED and PINK teams. Occasionally the ARP's (the Aero Rifle Platoon) would be re-inserted ahead of the retreating enemy as a blocking force.

Occasionally the Blues would be inserted and then find themselves on the receiving end of determined enemy forces and usually outnumbered. In preparation for this it was common to have a regular Infantry Company on stand-by to reinforce the Blues or to be inserted as a blocking force behind the enemy which the Blues were assaulting.

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Mission Types

The Troop invariably undertook missions which can be categorized as follows:

INTELLIGENCE - visual reconnaissance of roads, areas, targets; bomb damage assessment (BDA); LZ reconnaissance and selection; target acquisition; Ranger/LRRP support.
SECURITY - providing early warning of impending attack; screening ops; first/last light reconnaissance; convoy protection; downed aircrew and aircraft recovery.
ECONOMY OF FORCE - artillery raids; combat assaults and ambushes; delaying actions; sustained security for construction of Fire Support Bases (FSB); base defence reaction force ops.

Teams

In order to carry out the various missions assigned to the Troop, the combat elements of the troop would, where necessary, be mixed, as appropriate, into teams as below.

WHITE TEAM : Two Scouts assigned to recon

The scouts are given an area to work by the C & C (command and control) A/C. Only 1 team will work an area at any one time. They move into an area at tree top level and check any suspicious areas thoroughly. Some of the things the scout looks for are fresh trails, military clothing and equipment, fresh activity in abandoned areas and suspicious military age males. To help the scout to perform his mission of finding and killing VC, he uses a variety of armament which are utilized to blow bunkers, clear underbrush and kill VC. The lead scout is the one that does most of the work. The trail scout ship is closely behind the lead to give him cover at all times, and in case the lead is shot down the trail ship will be right there to pick up the downed crew. Some of the other function of the scout team was to screen for troops moving into an area, giving them constant air cover. Also, the scouts will pick out a suitable LZ for lift ships to insert troops.

RED TEAM : Two Gunships assigned to offensive operations.

As with the scouts, the cobras only have 1 team on station at any one time (usually). The Cobras cover the scouts in the A/O (area of operation) and usually orbit around them at about 1200 feet. Anytime the scouts call "taking fire", the lead cobra automatically rolls in to cover the scouts exit out of the area. While the lead cobra is rolling in the gunner in the front seat is already putting down a heavy volume of mini gun fire into the area the scouts received fire from.

When the lead ship is in position he fires rockets into the area. Also at this time the trail cobra is putting rockets into the area to cover the leads break and to keep constant fire in the area. By the time the trail ship is ready to break the lead cobra has already gained altitude and is ready to cover the trails break. This cycle can continue until the cobras feel it's safe for the scouts to return or until the target is destroyed. Some of the other functions of the cobras is to cover the lift ships on insertions and extractions, and to destroy targets given to them by either the scouts or the ground troops. The cobras can provide close support to the ground commander.

PINK TEAM : Combination Gunship and OH-6 (the infamous 'Hunter Killer' team)

BLUE TEAM : The Aero-Rifle Platoon (the 'Blues') embarked to carry out ground recon and security

Wargaming with the Air Cav Troop

I strongly recommend using an Aero Rifle Platoon in your Vietnam games. The Air Cav Troop supporting an ARP platoon gives you great versatility and many options. Although technically under strength compared to a platoon from a Line Infantry Company, the ARP's made up for a lack in numbers by sheer volume of firepower. The ARP's pack a punch but they are always on the verge of being outmaneuvered and overrun since they are such a small combat element.

Nonetheless, with the aerial support which they always have on station, they can engage targets which a standard infantry platoon would avoid. Having an organic lift section of UH-1's also opens up many gaming possibilities - hot insertions, hot extractions, pilot rescue, search & destroy etc. The Air Cav Troop employed as an offensive unit against company sized enemy elements or smaller leads to some great games.

Other advantages which the ARP's 'enjoyed' as a consequence of their role, apart from being led by a captain, was extra communications equipment and a disproportionate number of NCO's. This results in greater command and control of the unit.

Sources

Low Level Hell, Hugh L. Mills, Dell Books, ISBN0-440-21549-8

Hunter-Killer Squadron, Matthew Brennan, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-74453-4

The US Army in Vietnam, Leroy Thompson, David & Charles Publishers PLC, ISBN 0-7153-9219-0

Vietnam Order of Battle, Shelby Stanton, US news Books, ISBN 0-89193-700-5

Special Text 17-1-3, US Army Armor School, Fort Knox - courtesy of Jerry Headley

Don Armstrong, D Troop 3/5th Air Cavalry