The Battle of Long Tan–Part 1
The battle is as legendary in Anzac military history as Gallipoli, Tobruk and Kokoda In Australia the story is revered by military historians and those who fought but in New Zealand it is virtually forgotten. Morrie Stanley was one of the three Kiwis involved on August 18, 1966 – a day he says he will never forget. “It was chaos, it was turmoil, it was violent – constant violent thunderstorms and gunfire for maybe three hours.” Facing 2500 Viet Cong soldiers, Stanley, two other Kiwis and 105 Brave Australians won the battle of Long Tan. Up to 800 Vietnamese were killed along with 18 Australians. There may have been far more deaths if Stanley – a forward observer – had not directed shells with deadly accuracy. Stanley’s team were called on to protect the Australian soldiers in the midst of the fighting – firing 180 rounds nonstop over two and a half hours and driving back the approximate 2500 strong Viet Cong forces. Battle of long Tan Documentary director Damien Lay says although only a small number of New Zealanders were involved they played a huge part in the battle. “It was just frightening how they turned the tide of this battle – it would have been a very different outcome if it weren’t for the New Zealanders,” says Lay. Granted that the artillery controlled by Morrie Stanley was effective beyond expectation but it is worth remembering that it was his training and his coolness under fire that allowed Morrie Stanley to carry out his role to the high degree of mastery …
@flavourinjector not nocking you aussies 9i wouldnt wanna fight one of you lol) the reality of it is trained foward oberserver + radio x no CDE concerns with multiple batteries and guns at your disposal = death to any unit without artillery to fight back
that old FO had fucking nuts of pure titanium…. motherfucker is someone i strive to be like
@flute4hire No that it is not the case…. We do have our own SAS regiment…and Commando reg too….
@GwaiTsi Not planet war geek thats for sure.
@flute4hire what, you think the kiwis and aussies don’t have their own SAS? what planet are you on
The American commenting in this thread is an idiot! There are a lot of propagated, mind-damaged morons here in the States. Aussie troops have always been held in high regard by American troops who knew them. I agree, too, it was the regimental bearing and discipline of the ANZACS that was no small contribution to their fighting reputation. Something about heritage, perhaps, that Western societies in successive decades have attempted to erase.
@akloff
go look up the bombing of darwin
australia got the shit blown out of it because you poms wouldnt fuckin help us
@akloff
australia was at direct risk of being invaded dumbarse
thats what the new guinea camapign was
a last effort to draw the japanese back
if the aussies lost there japan would have taken australia and america wouldnt have had a base and would have lost the pacific
if that happened the japanese would have gone to europe and helped the germans take out england
@DamBelCha The classic Aussie ubderstatement!
@Rico8458 No! They were fighting because they were soldiers… Sent to that “fucked-up, never-come-down land”
They fought because their commanders said to go to a grid reference, and the “noggies” started shooting at them….
It’s not about rubber/rice/diamonds/gold… It’s ALL about Bravery and Mateship!
@flute4hire The Australian Army ALSO have an SAS Regt…. We have had since the early 60’s. They’ve fought in every AO Australia has had since Borneo… and then some, I suspect
there were no IMMEDIATE japanese plans to invade Australia, although they were planning to invade Australia after they gained control of the pacific. The campaigns in Kokoda, Guadacanal and the soloman islands prevented the japanese from using these islands as a staging base. and yes England abandoned us, there were UK troops in the pacific but there were none defending Australia
flute4hire – Australia has its own SAS Regiment.
SAS? wtf? I didnt know the Brits were in Vietnamn? I know Australians can serve in the SAS but the SAS is a British Army unit?
akloff. You are wrong. The English did cut and run against the Japanese. If you think Australia was in no risk of being invaded, then you and I have a serious disagreement. Quite frankly, I have never heard of anything so ridiculous. The English abandoned Australia, and every Australian knows this.
I agree, your lack of knowledge is disgusting. England didn’t abandon any of it’s friends in the commonwealth, it was busy winning the war in Europe and against Japan. Australia was never in any risk of being invaded or attacked directly so the diggers could help win the war by fighting alongside commonwealth troops in the Pacific and Europe.
akloff. That’;s disgusting. Australia begged for help from England when it was being bombed. How many troops came? Not one. The Australians sent many many troops over to help England, when they begged them. The English abandoned India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The USA saved these countries.
Are you ignorant or something? England was very much involved in the Pacific campign, not to mention being busy in Europe.
were they fighting over rubber, rice, and diamonds/gold?
I love it: ‘were in a fair bit of shit here’…
You are right. England was not involved. It never is when Australia needs it. The same happened in WW2. England was a no show.
that goes the same with vietnam. oh yeah in WWII, the japs sent 2000 soldiers thinking that would take out us aussies when about 300 or 200 of our soldiers completely battered them all as the stepped on our land, and not one film is about that? BULLSHIT!
Everyone is the same dipshit, english werent even involved so why would we say anything
exactly. ive got an old history book on WWII and the Kakoda, alot of the pictures and writing is about americans, and who the fuck was it who fought there to there last dying breath? Us australians our ancestors. i cant stand it when americans get credited for the work of allied countries.
thats what i meant my bad everybody knows that but yeah just a mix up of words.
1janyeeast. You are sadly mislead if you thinj the M16 was a gun. It was a rifle. I stand by by statement that the standard issue gun for sections was the gympie.
The AK47 is also classed as a rifle and not a gun. As for the standard issue, it was the SLR, not the AK47 or the M16. The M16 was issued, but as you said it did jam, and the rounds were too high velocity, and did not stop the enemy effectivlely. This is based on my own experience.