Book Review - Canister! On! FIRE! Australian Tank Operations in Vietnam

Canister! On! FIRE! Australian Tank Operations in Vietnam

Written by: Bruce Cameron,

Big Sky Publishing, 2012,

ISBN 9781921941993, 968pp (two volumes)

Reviewed by: Lieutenant Colonel Scott Winter

In November 2012, the 1st Armoured Regiment hosted the official launch of Canister! On! Fire! Australian Tank Operations in Vietnam. A contingent of the regiment’s veterans, led by author Bruce Cameron, MC, joined the men and women of the regiment for the occasion. After a stirring presentation by former Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Laurie O’Donnell, AC, veterans read excerpts from the book. This was a poignant and moving occasion. It was also a reminder that, some 40 years after the last tanks were withdrawn from Vietnam, service in this unique arm of the Australian Army remains strikingly similar, with enduring challenges.

This two-volume history of Australian tank operations in Vietnam provides a complete narrative of the commitment of tanks to the conflict, from the background to the decision to deploy tanks to the theatre through every action fought. The last of these actions — and the final deployment of tanks in a combat role — saw

the author lead his troop against a determined enemy. Exhaustive research by Bruce Cameron adds considerable detail to the account, whether in the technical strengths and vulnerabilities of the vehicles or the daily experience of living and fighting from the tanks under the most demanding of conditions. This is ultimately the story of the tank crews themselves and represents the first time the unique experiences of these men have been accurately and effectively recorded. For this reason alone, this history is a worthy addition to the pantheon of literature on the Vietnam War.

From a contemporary perspective, however, there is an immediate and enduring resonance to this history. The background to the employment of armour in the conflict, the decision to deploy tanks, and their subsequent integration into the very core of the way in which the Australian Army fought the ground war in Vietnam, provide clear and important reminders for the soldiers of today.

Analysis of the decision to deploy tanks to Vietnam reinforces the enduring place of the tank in the way the Australian Army fights. As Cameron comments, in the aftermath of 6 RAR’s experiences during Operation Bribie, ‘the lack of direct firepower to enable the Australians to successfully assault even a hastily prepared defensive position was obvious.’ However the decision to deploy tanks was politically charged and the subject of heated debate. Ultimately, the reality of the changed nature of warfare, the conviction of the Australian Task Force commander and his determination to ensure that soldiers had every advantage in the close fight led to the decision in 1967 to send C Squadron to Vietnam.

The ‘shock action’ effect of the tank as a ‘game changer’ on its introduction to the theatre was clearly highlighted by the initial deployment of tanks during the reinforcement of Firebases Coral and Balmoral in May 1968. The aggressive use of canister rounds (that give the book its title) in the defence, and the ability to counter-attack with ‘more confidence’ as the Task Force Commander reflected after the battle, meant that, from this point on, tanks would be integrated into the combined arms fight in Vietnam.

Another all-too-familiar battlefield challenge was the enemy’s response to the arrival of tanks in the province — the escalation of mine warfare and complex ambushing. The need to adapt to the mine (IED) and rocket-propelled grenade threat through tactical and technical ingenuity is a recurring theme of this story, and the nature of the threat to the tank crews would be very familiar to those who have deployed in armoured vehicles in the Middle Eastern theatre of operations in recent years. There is thus a great deal in this history to commend it to today’s scholars; indeed, the experiences and challenges of deploying tanks in Vietnam should be noted by all those engaged in military preparedness planning, and the difficulties of the sustainment and maintenance of armour on operations provides much useful material for logistic specialists.

Above all, for contemporary readers, the book relates the timeless imperative of close cooperation of all elements of the combined arms team. The battle of Binh Ba, for example, remains testament to the need for close coordination of combined arms. In Cameron’s retelling of the tale, what emerges are the complementary roles of tanks, APCs, infantry and aviation, and indeed their inherent vulnerability if isolated. The essential support of artillery and engineers is also highlighted. In reading this account of the battle however, it is the ‘cool leadership and gallantry’ of commanders, the ‘adherence to crew drills’ of the Armoured Corps crewmen, and the tireless work of the ‘bluebells’ (the RAEME mechanics) that are identified as critical to achieving victory under conditions of sustained close combat.

As a young officer in this regiment I was keenly aware of the legacy of those who served before us. The regiment’s battle honours, emblazoned on the Army’s only Regimental Standard, presented a daily reminder of the sacrifice of my predecessors. Bruce Cameron’s books, like the Standard, represent an enduring monument to the struggles of the tank crews and maintainers who fought in the jungles of Vietnam. What the books also offer, however, is the fine detail, the human experiences and the enduring lessons behind the battle honours. As the Army restructures to include tanks, APCs and cavalry in each brigade, these stories, and particularly the detail and the human experience of how to train, fight, and adapt remain inviolable. For many years the regiment sustained the mantra ‘Tanks Save Lives!’ to illustrate the value of the tank to the infantry in the close fight — this history explains in vivid detail why this mantra is true.

With typical humility, Bruce Cameron’s account of the action for which he was awarded the Military Cross is understated and he concentrates on the facts and the brave actions of others. Canister! On! Fire! reflects this selfless approach throughout, as it is the deeds of the tank and RAEME crews together with their attached engineer mini-teams that stand as proof of the enduring lessons of combined arms in battle.