NIGHT ALERT

7 x 13 inch ink and watercolor painting by George C. Clark    Collection of the Artist

ON A MOONLESS NIGHT YOU COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT DARKNESS FROM THE GUARD BUNKERS ON OUR PERIMETER, SO YOU'D LISTEN HARD AND WAIT FOR THE MORTAR CREW TO POP PARACHUTE FLARES SO YOU COULD SCAN FOR MOVEMENT OR FOR SHAPES THAT DIDN'T BELONG IN THE CLEARED SPACE OUT BEYOND THE WIRE.

Comment:
Bravo Battery"s defenses were formidable.  The rectangular compound was surrounded by a berm (earthwork) with guard bunkers and many yards of concertina wire.  There were outward-facing claymore mines in the wire that could be set off by tripwires or a switch in a bunker.  The bunkers were equipped with grenade launchers, 30 caliber light machine guns like the one shown above, and four 50 caliber machine guns.  In each corner of the compound was a quad-50 anti-aircraft gun.  These were trucks with a turret containing four 50 caliber machine guns mounted on its bed that could swivel up and down and side to side like the turrets on a World War 2 bomber or the turrets on the Millenium Falcon.  We also had a mortar that could fire high explosives or parachute flares to illuminate attackers.

We all had M-14 or M-16 automatic rifles.  Officers and the perimeter defense NCOs also had army-issued sidearms.  The motor sergeant and the weather balloon warrant officer had army shotguns.  The track mechanic also had his own Garand M-1 carbine, and several other guys had privately owned handguns.  In combat no G.I. ever got in trouble for bringing extra guns or ammo to a firefight.