Australian weapons, Viet Nam and since

The 7.62mm L1A1 SLR (self loading rifle) is an Australian version of the Belgian FN FAL. The L1A1 is a reliable, hard hitting, gas operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a maximum effective range of 300 metres and a practical rate of fire of 20 rpm. In Vietnam, the L1A1 was the standard personal weapon of the Australian soldier. With a full 20-round magazine, it weighs 4.96 kg.

Bayonet and scabbard for the SLR. Blade length approx 8 inches.

F1 9 mm sub machine gun. A nine millimetre replacement for the Owen Machine Carbine. It was a poor substitute with many faults and few redeeming features. It required the user to grasp the barrel when firing. Although there was a cooling guard around the barrel it was still considered un-natural and awkward by many. It also had a tendency to 'climb' when being fired that was much worse than the OMC. As the Colt AR15 Armalite (which replaced it in short order) was already available it is difficult to understand why the purchase was made.

The COLT AR15 Armalite, military version is the 5.56mm M16A1. It is a gas operated, magazine-fed rifle capable of semi-automatic and automatic fire with an effective range of 300 metres and a practical rate of fire of 60 rpm.

The M79 40mm grenade launcher was used to provide additional fire support for the infantry by delivering high explosive, parachute flares and canister rounds . The high explosive had a maximum range of 400 metres and a casualty radius of 5 metres to 20 metres.

The combination M16A1 automatic rifle and M203 ( a version of the M79) grenade launcher was produced to avoid the problem of a infantryman having to carry a grenade launcher as well as a weapon for personal protection. While both weapons were used separately by infantry sections, the combination was used extensively by SAS troops.

The F88 Steyr fires 5.56mm x 45mm rounds and is a semi and fully automatic assault rifle. It is the personal rifle issued to Australian soldiers. One characteristic of the Steyr which sets it apart from most other rifles is that most of its butt group and magazine are made from a high strength plastic. This saves weight and assists maintainability.

The Steyr is fed by a high strength plastic magazine which holds 30 rounds.

The see through magazine (see left) easily allows the firer to quickly glance to tell how much ammunition is left. It has been fired in many test conditions such as being subject to sand, mud, water, shock and vibrations.

It also has been fired at temperatures of -46c to 52c.The Steyr can be fitted with three kinds of bayonets, a blank firing attachment, left hand bolt head and special sights. There are three versions of the Steyr.

The F88 which is the standard rifle. The F88c which is the carbine and has a ten centimetre shorter barrel. and the F88S which accepts a variety of sights such as night vision.



	This young Digger from WAUR shows how to fire the M60 from the shoulder

The 7.62mm GPMG M60 general purpose machine-gun an American produced weapon that came into service with the Australian Army in 1960, can be employed in a light role on it's bipod (effective range 500 metres) or in a medium role on a tripod (effective range 1,100 metres) as well as being used as protective armament on vehicles and helicopters. Gas operated, air cooled and belt fed, with a quick-change barrel to counter overheating during sustained firing, it has a practical rate of fire of 200 rpm. In Vietnam it was the main firepower of the infantry rifle section. With bipod the M60 weighs 10.5 kg, which increases by 6.8kg if a tripod is added. It is slowly being replaced by the F-89 Minimi

FN Minimi developed by Fabrique Nationale, Belgium. Development started in 1974, in 1981 first serial manufactured Minimis were submitted for NATO trials. Adopted by many countries, including USA (under designation M249 SAW), Canada (C9), Australia (F-89) and others.
Minimi (F-89) light machine gun is gas-operated (using rotating bolt locking system), magazine or disintegrating metallic link-belt fed, individually portable machine gun capable of delivering a large volume of effective fire to support infantry squad operations. No modification required to use STANAG-type box magazines or the magazine from the M16 Armalite.

This photo shows the boxed belt style magazine

Minimi/F-89 has quick interchangeable barrels, and could be equipped with shorter barrel and folding stock for close combat operations. The F-89 fires the improved NATO Standard SS 109 type 5.56mm ammunition.

calibre 5.56mm NATO
weight 6,5kg on bipod, plus tripod 6kg
Length. 1050 mm
Length of barrel in mm 465 (standard), 335 (short/paratrooper version)
feed style. magazine 30 rounds (M16 type) or 200 round boxed or100 or 200 round belt.
rate of fire. 1000 rpm

	<< M26 Grenade. An American designed smooth bodied high explosive grenade. It weighed 425g with a fuse delay of five seconds. The average throwing distance was 40 metres. Its blast radius was ten metres, with a killing distance of 5 metres and a wounding distance of up to 25 metres. Replaced by . . .The Australian F1 grenade >>
	South Vietnam. 1967. United States (US) and Viet cong (VC)/North Vietnamese Army (NVA) hand grenades. Left to right: a United States M26 defensive hand grenade; a VC pull friction delay fuse grenade; a United States M18 red smoke grenade and a United States incendiary hand grenade an-M14. (donor B. Prosper)
	Smoke grenades come in different colours. They are used to identify 'friendlies' and landing zones (LZ). They are never thrown without an acknowledgement of the colour to be thrown and the timing. This avoids the possibility of the 'unfriendlies' luring a helicopter into a trap. The troops call it 'popping smoke'.
	The details of the LAW, Light Anti-armour Weapon are on the diagram. Click to enlarge
	The design for the Claymore mine was originally conceived by the German Army during WW2. The original mine consisted of a solid slab of explosive with a hollowed front face. The concave surface of the mine was lined with a solid brick of steel and was originally intended as an anti tank mine. When detonated the explosive force was enough to throw the steel brick forward with enough power and velocity to penetrate a tank's armour plating at ranges up to 50 meters. However the Germans never fully perfected the weapon. Instead it was left to the US Army to expand on the idea in response to the massed North Korean, and Chinese attacks that US soldiers faced during the Korean war. US ordnance experts developed the idea of a mine that would propel hundreds of small pieces of steel in one - go thereby causing maximum casualties among the enemy. However trials of this experimental mine were not completed before the Korean war ended. By the time of the Vietnam war 65-75 the mine had been fully developed, with the version used in Vietnam being the M-18A1.The mine had an olive-drab coloured outer casing with the words "Front Toward Enemy" embossed on it and was made from plastic which measured 216mm long, by 83mm high, and was 35mm deep. Inside the casing was 0.68Kg of C-4 plastic explosive in front of which was placed 700 steel ball bearings. Designed so the convex side faced the enemy, and steadied by digging a twin set of "V" shaped legs into the earth. When detonated the blast sprayed its contents in a 60 degree fan-shaped arc that was lethal up to 50 meters. The mine could be either command detonated by using the hand held "clacker" (or a PRC 25 battery) which sent an electrical charge through the wire to the blasting cap inserted in the mine, or detonated by trip wire. When arranged in fixed defensive positions Claymore's were arranged so as to have overlapping kill zones. It was also a very effective tool for initiating ambushes due to the instant devastating, and lethal zone generated. And also because it did not reveal the whereabouts of the ambush team.
clacker

Background: This mortar replaced the previous Marine Corps 81mm mortar in 1986. The M252 is an adaptation of the standard British 81mm mortar developed in the 1970s. It is mostly commonly found in the mortar platoon of an infantry battalion.		Length: 56 inches (142.24 centimetres) Weight: Mortar Assembly: 35 pounds (15.89 kg) Bipod: 26 pounds (11.80 kilograms) Baseplate: 25.5 pounds (11.58 kilograms) Sight Unit: 2.5 pounds (1.14 kilograms) Total: 89 pounds (40.41 kilograms) Bore diameter: 81mm Maximum effective range: 5700 meters Rates of fire: Maximum: 33 rounds per minute Sustained: 16 rounds per minute Elevation: 45 to 85 degrees Unit Replacement Cost: $24,717 Features: The M252 81mm Medium Extended Range Mortar is a crew-served, medium weight mortar which is highly accurate and provides for a greater range (4,500 meters to 5,650 meters) and lethality than the previous 81mm mortar. The cannon has a crew-removable breech plug and firing pin. The muzzle end has a short tapered lead-in which acts as a blast attenuator device. The breech end is finned for better cooling. This mortar also uses the standard M64 mortar sight of the 60mm mortar, M224.