dennis
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Member since: November 2012
Posts: 476
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dennis on Nov 5, 2018 13:57:45 GMT -5
Can any one help please? I am intending to make a small diorama utilising the Bravo 6 US Tunnel Rats. I understand that the ARVN and the US Army used an American commercial blower to force smoke into the tunnels so as to get an idea of the extent of these tunnels. (I believe they also used gas) I want to position one of these on my diorama in the background. The trouble is I only have line a drawing and the Osptey Tunnel Rats in Vietnam book. Could anyone help with further photos and dimensions etc? I am aware that this may be an emotive topic but I only want to model the blower in an inert state Thank you in advance. Dennis
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Post by Steve Zuleski on Nov 12, 2018 16:44:20 GMT -5
Wow Dennis, never even heard of it myself. There's gotta be something on line concerning that one. That would explain the water traps so often encountered in those tunnels.
Cheers, Ski.
P.S. Hope all is well with you Amigo, long time no see;)
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dennis
Full Member
Member since: November 2012
Posts: 476
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dennis on Nov 13, 2018 4:59:51 GMT -5
Hi Steve, I have found some stuff, my most complete reference comes from Osrey Warrior 161 Tunnel Rat in Vietnam by Gordon L Rotman here is a quote "The M106 Mity Mite agent dispenser was a commercially made sprayer or duster for agricultural pesticides marketed by Sears Roebuck and Company. It could spray a CS agent just as easily as pesticides. In fact, chemical troops used them to spray mosquito pesticides over firebases. The backpack-carried device consisted of a two-cycle gasoline engine, fuel tank, blower, agent tank, and a 2ft-long disperser hose. It weighed 25lb when empty." The Tunnel Rats like the people who dugt and operated these tunnels have my admiration, I have the Bravo 6 figures ready to go, I just have to finish a couple of projects one being Bravo 6's MACV-SOG 6 figure set.
Steve all is well here and I hope you and yours are also all well.
Cheers mate.
Dennis
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sturmbird
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Member since: June 2012
Posts: 1,406
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
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Post by sturmbird on Nov 14, 2018 0:22:40 GMT -5
Just three or four times as best this old man can remember. Didn't perform as well as the user's wanted, but it was worth a try. We didn't use smoke if that's wwhat the Osprey dude was implying. It was carbon monoxide because smoke is lighter than air. Carbon monoxide is much heavier, so it sinks into the low places. You used smoke to find all the air shafts and entrances. We also pumped raw napalm into tunnels, and lit it with a flare. My favorite was a sixteen to twenty footlong pole with a sandbag full of nitro starch and a three minute fuse. The blast would find all the air shafts, and the concussion was horrible. Being just about the smallest guy, anything was better than going down there. We didn't have a lot of tunnels in our AO, but every once in awhile we'd stumble on one. Gary
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dennis
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Member since: November 2012
Posts: 476
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dennis on Nov 14, 2018 13:05:36 GMT -5
Gary, thank you! The difference between real life experience and historical research is illustrated here, thank you for taking the time to reply. I was wondering did you as the smallest get 'volunteered' to explore because as a large man it would have terrified me or were you given a choice? I think I know the answer. Your units method of dealing with tunnels didn't leave the enemy in any doubt about your intentions there were no grey areas. Cheers mate. Dennis
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sturmbird
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Posts: 1,406
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
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Post by sturmbird on Nov 15, 2018 0:21:58 GMT -5
Gary, thank you! The difference between real life experience and historical research is illustrated here, thank you for taking the time to reply. I was wondering did you as the smallest get 'volunteered' to explore because as a large man it would have terrified me or were you given a choice? I think I know the answer. Your units method of dealing with tunnels didn't leave the enemy in any doubt about your intentions there were no grey areas. Cheers mate. Dennis I never was given the task. It was usually handed off to Vietnamese Rangers armed with 45's and a silencer. You really didn't want to go in there without knowing the total setup. They actually hang snakes by their tails, and even plant mines on the outside for the guys going inside to trip. Nitro starch was easier and safer! I have seen then blow a white powder in the air shafts that would literally drive you nuts. Entrances were often sealed with water, and even carbon monoxide wouldn't work. Yet if you find his air shafts, he's done! We found a large hospital once, that had a huge supply of U.S. medicine in it. Even an operating room. We let it go for awhile, and snatched folks comming and going outside. When they rocketed an aid station run by the local SF, they took a personal interest. They went and cleaned out the place, and set many booby traps inside it. In our AO, they mostly used caves and well hidden surface camps. I-Corp was a different place than down south Gary
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dennis
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Member since: November 2012
Posts: 476
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dennis on Nov 17, 2018 4:18:26 GMT -5
Hello Gary, all my worst nightmares in one place confined spaces and snakes, at least in Ulster there was no snakes thanks to St Patrick banishing them. When I rejoined civvy street I worked in a place that had a myriad of confined space cable races, not pleasant but not often visited. The Bravo 6 figures depicts United States Army figures, this includes a tunnel rat, I am going to try and illuminate the right angle torch. Thanks mate.
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sturmbird
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Member since: June 2012
Posts: 1,406
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
Jun 21, 2012 13:51:45 GMT -5
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Post by sturmbird on Nov 17, 2018 15:07:44 GMT -5
One issue I've always had with figures is that they are always pretty much the same higth. Tunnle rats we're usually five six and smaller. They went in there with a forty five and four or five mags. Plus a gas mask if they took a couple CS grenades. Most guys had a second flashlight in case the dropped or lost the first one. No job for the weak! The Rangers posted near us came out of Ft Bragg, and all had this big panther tattoo on their forearm. Gary
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dennis
Full Member
Member since: November 2012
Posts: 476
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
Nov 11, 2012 7:28:35 GMT -5
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Post by dennis on Nov 21, 2018 4:27:29 GMT -5
Thanks Gary, I agree about the size issue of figures I use the ignore it method for dealing with this. I have the Bravo 6 Gas mask set and the their Grenade set, also the chap who sculpted these has included a head wearing a lightweight respirator for the Tunnel Rat actually underground, I am going to use that. I have included a photo of the two boxes of the main characters. Thank you for the additional info mate. Dennis
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