Military Despatches Vol 33 March 2020 Myths and misconceptions Things we still get wrong about the Vietnam War Turning back the clock 93 year old Arctic Convoy veteran visits Russian ship Battle of Ia Drang First battle between the Americans and NVA For the military enthusiast CONTENTS March 2020 Click on any video below to view How much do you know about movie theme songs? Take our quiz and find out. Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African Page 14 Goede interviews former Defence Force used 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, South Vietnamese Williams. Afrikaans, slang and techno-speak that few Special Forces outside the military could hope to under- stand. Some of the terms Features 32 were humorous, some Weapons and equipment were clever, while others 6 We look at some of the uniforms were downright crude. Ten myths about Vietnam and equipment used by the US Marine Corps in Vietnam dur- Although it ended almost 45 ing the 1960s years ago, there are still many Part of Hipe’s “On the myths and misconceptions 34 couch” series, this is an about the Vietnam War. We A matter of survival 26 interview with one of look at ten myths and miscon- This month we look at fish and author Herman Charles ceptions. ‘Mad Mike’ dies aged 100 fishing for survival. Bosman’s most famous 20 Michael “Mad Mike” Hoare, characters, Oom Schalk widely considered one of the 30 Turning back the clock Ranks Lourens. Hipe spent time in world’s best known mercenary, A taxi driver was shot When the Russian missile cruis- has died aged 100. This month we look at the dead in an ongoing Hanover Park, an area er Marshal Ustinov berthed in Army of the Republic of Viet- war between rival taxi plagued with gang Cape Town harbour, she wel- nam (ARVN), the South Viet- organisations. violence, to view first- comed aboard a 93 year old 30 namese army. hand how Project World War II Arctic Convoy Veteran. Youth support appreciated Ceasefire is dealing with Ex TS Woltemade Sea Cadet Quiz the situation. 24 assists the youth of Cape Town. Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and every- Hats off to the GB Old Boys And the support and belief in 13 thing in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. SATS General Botha Old Boys our youth is appreciated. Weapons of the ‘Nam Association award bursaries to How well do you know the Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. Sea Cadets. weapons of the Vietnam War? 00 3 CONTENTS Page 70 Editor’s PUBLISHER Sitrep Hipe Media EDITOR Matt Tennyson PHOTO EDITOR ’m just recovering from me that I have won a vast sum of Regine Lord Saint Patrick’s Day 2019, money or from those wishing to CONTRIBUTORS and here it is upon us again. give me money. March in military history I Raymond Fletcher, Ryan Mur- I just can’t seem to win. I calculated that in February phy, Matt O’Brien, Matt Tenny- As soon as I’ve finished this alone I won or was donated the son, Lt Com Glenn von Zeil. editorial I think I’ll take out the total sum of $217 million. If Head-to-Head Forged in Battle Book Review old bottle of Bushmills and get only it was true. Military Despatches is pub- 44 56 69 an early start on Saint Paddy’s Of course I never respond to lished on-line every month. ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare - The Legend Day. any of these e-mails. They are Strongest military forces A-6 Intruder The articles used in Military Written by Chris Hoare, the How many of you managed deleted straight away. But I must This month we take a look at Used by the US Navy and US Despatches are copyrighted son of Mike, in this biography to watch the SONA (State of admit that some of them are cre- the infantry fighting vehicles of Marine Corps, the Grumman and may not be used without – rich in new material – the au- the Nation Address) on televi- ative. the ten strongest military forces A-6 Intruder earned its reputa- prior permission from the edi- thor separates the man from the sion this year? I’m still trying to I received one from a Colonel in the world. tion during the Vietnam War. tor. myth in a way only a son can. decide whether I find it scary or Dr (Mrs) Someone-or-other that The views stated in this mag- hilarious. informed me that she was a doc- azine do not necessary reflect Famous Figures Battlefield Front Cover One of the things that goes tor with the US Military in Af- the views of Hipe!, the editor, 62 with being the editor of Military ghanistan. Her husband was also the staff, or Hipe Media. 50 The Chinese Navy’s Type Despatches is that I get a lot of a colonel and doctor in Afghani- William C. Westmoreland Battle of Ia Drang 054A frigate Weifang (550) sits e-mails on a daily basis. stan and he was killed in action. Hipe! As a United States Army Gen- The first major battle between in berth in Cape Town harbour. Many of these are compli- He had found a large stockpile P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 eral, Westmoreland command- the United States and the North mentary, something I am really of gold and had smuggled it out South Africa. ed the US forces during the Vi- Vietnamese Army. Photo: Regine Lord grateful for. I’ve had one or two of the country and converted it etnam War from 1964 to 1968 critical e-mails, normally about to cash. email and later became the Chief of Gaming something I got wrong. I also She discovered that she has [email protected] Staff of the US Army. get e-mails from people sending some disease and only has six 66 in articles for publication. months to live. So she was do- Back Issues Total War - Shogun 2 I do, however, receive a lot of nating the money to me ($30 To view any back issues of Become the military ruler of spam and scam e-mails. Many million). Naturally it would cost Military Despatches, go to Japan - or die trying. of them are from companies me to get the money released. www.militarydespatches.co.za Movie Review (mainly from China for some Do they really thing these scams or click here. reason) trying to sell me some still work? totally unrelated product like Until next time. 68 plastic pipes or perfume. Flight of the Intruder The vast majority of these type Set during the Vietnam War of e-mail are from people telling Matt 4 5 Top Ten Top Ten ducted nearly 1,200 patrols and gent to South Vietnam, known Soviet Union - Moscow Ten myths about the Vietnam War inflicted heavy casualties on as the Queen’s Cobra Battalion. proved to be North Vietnam’s the Viet Cong. Their own loss- It also pledged its national po- chief ally throughout the con- The Vietnam War lasted 19 years, 5 months, 4 weeks and 1 day, and the lives of more than 58,000 es totalled one killed in action, lice force’s air assets to monitor flict, supplying both weapons American troops. Although it ended almost 45 years ago, there are still many myths and miscon- one died of wounds, three acci- several segments of the Ho Chi and military advisors. ceptions about the Vietnam War. We look at ten myths and misconceptions. dentally killed, one missing and Minh trail that passed through In addition to maintaining a one death from illness. Twen- neighbouring Laos. troop commitment that topped he Vietnam War, also tions about the Vietnam War. invited (and pressured) a num- ty-eight men were wounded. Taiwan - One of the earliest 3,000 men at its peak, the So- known as the Second In this article we take a brief ber its allies in the region to More than 500 Australian foreign contributors to the Sai- viet’s lavished Hanoi with more Indochina War, and in look at ten of them. lend a hand in South Vietnam. personnel were killed during 10 gon government was the ardent- than 2,000 tanks, 7,000 artillery T years of operations and 3,000 ly anti-communist Republic of pieces, 5,000 anti-aircraft guns Vietnam as the Resistance War More than 400,000 troops from Against America or simply the six other countries answered were wounded. China. In fact, Taiwan provided and nearly 200 surface to air American War, was a conflict in 10. Vietnam was an Ameri- the call. Philippines - The next larg- transport aircraft and secretly missile batteries. Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia can war. South Korea - They were by est partner in the U.S.-led war offered several hundred of its Aid from Russia eventually from 1 November 1955 to the The Vietnam War is largely far the most committed foreign was the Philippines. Beginning special forces soldiers to the reached $2 million a day. In at fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. remembered as a contest be- ally of the American-led war ef- in 1966, Manila deployed up- cause beginning in 1961. least one incident, Soviet advi- It was the second of the Indo- tween North and South Viet- fort in South East Asia. wards of 10,000 troops to help Over the next 11 years, three sors engaged American forces china Wars and was officially nam with the United States in- Between 1965 and early support the Saigon government, aircraft were lost to enemy in combat.