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13 May 1968. Within hours, Fire Support Patrol Base Coral would be fighting for survival.

At the height of the Tet Offensive, Australian forces were deployed deep into Bien Hoa Province as part of Operation Toan Thang. Among them was 102 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery—sent to establish Fire Support Patrol Base Coral in unfamiliar and exposed terrain.

What followed was one of the most intense battles fought by Australians in Vietnam.

In the early hours of 13 May, with defences incomplete and positions dangerously exposed, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a coordinated assault. Under relentless fire, the gunners fought back at close range—firing over open sights,
holding their ground as mortars, rockets and small arms tore through the perimeter. Some called fire onto their own positions. Others fought hand-to-hand in the dark.

By dawn, the attack had been repelled—but the cost was lasting.

In That’s When all the Whiz Bangs Started captures the chaos and bravery of this day through the voices of those who lived it. Drawing on more than 50 veteran interviews across Australian, New Zealand and American units, Mark Jamieson captures not only the chaos of battle but also the skill, discipline and mateship that defined those who served.

Beyond Coral, this is the story of artillerymen in Vietnam—their craft, their camaraderie, and the realities of a war that did not end when they came home. It is also the story of a decades-long fight for recognition, culminating in the award of the Honour Title in 2008 and the Unit Citation for Gallantry in 2018.

‘Unforgettable. This is Vietnam as the gunners lived it.’