Glossary Page 3

Rifling: The series of ridges (Lans) and grooves on the inside of the cannon barrel/tube.

Roadmarch: The dismantling and packing of everything on a firebase and movement of all men, equipment, howitzers and munitions to a new firebase.

RSB: Abbreviation for Recon Support Base. Probably the most famous RSB was located on QL14 in the Central Highlands at the Eastern base of the Mang Yang Pass, although it was called LZ Action it was officially listed as a Recon Support Base. A place for reconnaissance patrols to spend the night, re-supply, deploy from or fall back to for support and cover.

RTO: Abbreviation for Radio Telephone Operator.

RVN: Abbreviation used for Republic of Viet Nam (Vietnam).

Sapper: A highly trained communist fighter capable of navigating your perimeter defenses in a matter of seconds.

Setting Pawl: The mechanism on a time fuze setter that actually turns the fuze body to the proper time setting.

Sortie (Hook or Crane): Movement by aircraft from "Point-A to Point-B." For example, from a convoy point or airstrip to a hilltop LZ would be "a sortie." It took 6 Crane sorties (to move the Howitzers) and 23-25 Hook sorties (for the men and equipment) to move the standard 155mm Battery in Vietnam.

Speed Jack: A pivot devise made of steel that the Howitzer Center of Balance rested on between fire missions. The speed jack enabled the gun crew to rotate the howitzer in any direction giving them the ability to fire in any direction at a moments notice. Also known as 6400-mil capability.

SQ: Super quick. A PD fuze that detonates quickly so as to maximize the shells killing radius.

Swing Battery: The battery designated to be today's equivalent to a quick reaction force. This battery moved from Firebase to Firebase as need dictated spending minimal time at any one place.

TAOR: The acronym used for Tactical Area Of Responsibility. The area your unit is responsible for supporting within the entire theatre of battle. The 1/92nd Artillery in Vietnam (the theater of battle was South Vietnam) had a TAOR that covered all of II CTZ.

Time Fuze: Any fuze that used the measurement of time so as to detonate the round while still in the air.

Trajectory: The flight path of the round from the time it leaves the tube, to the time it quits moving.

Tube: The common name of a cannon barrel.

Vernier Scale: The scale around the circumference of a time fuze that allows the fuze to be set to an accuracy of .1 of a second.

Willie Pete, WP, Willie Peter: A white phosphorus round.

XO: Abbreviation for Executive Officer

XXIV Corps: The acronym used for 24 Corps. Formed in 1968 it became the 3rd Corp level command in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972