COMMONWEALTH FORCES IN VIETNAM|BATTLE OF BINH BA
2020 http://www.britainatwar.comwww.britainatwar.comBINH BA VETERAN
TANK ON SHOW
A Centurion Mk.5/1 Main Battle
Tank that played an important
part in the fight for Binh Ba has
been preserved by Australian
War Memorial. Army Registration
Number 169110 was issued to
2 Troop, B Squadron, 1 Armoured
Regiment in South Vietnam at
the beginning of June 1969, and
took part in the fighting on June
6, under the command of 2nd Lt
David Ritchie.
In 1970, it continued on
operational duties in Vietnam with
2 Troop, A Squadron, 1 Armoured
Regiment. On February 18 of
that year, the tank, commanded
by Lt John Brennan, was hit by
three RPGs during Operation
Hammersley and received
damage to the right-hand exhaust
shroud, right-hand rear track bin
and left-hand track guard.
The tank remained battle-worthy
throughout the action and, after
repairs, continued to serve until it
was transported back to Australia
in December 1970. On its return
there, it was rebuilt and then used
for training purposes until being
retired in 1977."They were experienced – well trained,
well disciplined and well armed – and
they had cunning and daring and
effective tactics against the armour.
It was never touch-and-go, but it could
have been."STREET FIGHTING
"It was tactically advantageous for the
enemy to get the Australians into a
built-up environment where the tanks
were more vulnerable. The enemy
could get in close because of the streetsand the houses. They could actually
wait for the tanks to come in, up close
to them, and then fire their RPGs and
duck back into the houses and hide in
the tunnels and bunkers underneath."
It was during this fighting that
Private Wayne Teeling was killed
by enemy fire. “He was a National
Serviceman,” Ekins said. “He was
called up and he went up to do his
duty and he was the only Australian
soldier killed. He’d just joined the unit
earlier in the day and this was his firstRIGHT
The men of 6
Platoon, 'B' Coy,
5RAR, commanded
by Major Murray
Blake, sweep
towards a rubber
plantation at
Duc Trung, five
miles north of the
Australian base
at Nui Dat. They
are supported by
Centurion Mk.5/1s
of 4 Troop, 'B'
Sqn, 1 Armoured
Regiment.(AWM)RIGHT
Centurions pass
Australian M113s
near the Gallia
plantation. Note
the twin machine
gun turrets fitted
to the APCs. (AWM)16-22 AFEROCIOUSFIGHT BAW SEPT2019.indd 20 8/14/2019 5:09:37 PM