Existing comment:
Force Protection: The Herringbone Formation:
The dense foliage of the Vietnamese countryside provided ample cover for ambushers. In the event a column was caught by surprise, a common defensive tactic was to have the combat vehicles immediately deploy into a herringbone pattern, with alternating vehicles turning to the right and left side of the road and directing immediate and intense fire with all their weapons fire toward the outside of the thin perimeter they had thus formed. This perimeter would provide some protection for more vulnerable vehicles on the road. The herringbone formation was also used to provide security when vehicles halted. |