MGM-52 Lance Missile System

[@Technics_SL-1210]

1986 I worked as monitor programmer in the German Bundeswehr ... firing a Lance at N.A.M.F.I at Crete was one of the highlights with this weapon system.

[@andyw3720]

84th USAFAD ‘85,‘86 The Adler bar was lit, Crete was a blast

[@robushly]

Lance kicked ass. Herzo, Giessen, Wiesbaden. Best time of my life.

[@derekjurman2011]

Brings back memories of my tour in Germany 1978-81

[@wessexheathen5708]

My dad worked on Lance. 50th Missile Regiment. Royal Artillery. Menden West Germany 1977-1987

[@iraq51]

I was a Platoon Leader for 2nd PLT B BTY 1BN 12FA at Ft.Sill 1976-1978 firing our missile at White Sands, NM Left the launcher at Mach 3 at it was gone! Still have the official photos of the launch and the men of my platoon.

[@PositionLight]

What was the missile aligned with? Some fixed reference point? If so, how were those chosen and surveyed?

[@michaelrussell499]

We were there same time. Started with 6/33 when activated 75 moved up to the group HQ. But was billeted 1/12 till eta in 78.

[@ArmyK9]

That is one bad-ass missile system, outdated but still deadly.

[@njneopatriot]

We did mods on the Lance in the mid 1980's in Germany. I was on the PDK (propellant drainage kit) team. The convoys were highly secured by MP's ... we had 2 to 4 platoons of MP's escorting our convoy. I remember giving the MP's their briefings & debriefs ... it was kinda funny how they responded to the potential dangers.

[@marv2482]

Served as a Lance crewman in West Germany a fantastic piece of kit !

[@njneopatriot]

@spritz0 We were depot level maintenance; we did the mods & updates to the system. In the 2 years I worked at the depot level we went in the field once for 2 days & it was about 50 meters from our barracks. It was a big change for me since I started out as an 11 Bravo, Infantryman; as Infantry our homes were the field. It was certainly a good change to get the ASI of 55 Bravo. As individuals & teams we accomplished our objectives to bring about an end to the Cold War & the Soviet Union.

[@karlderhammer5628]

Amen, brother. Mission accomplished.

[@pusherhombre]

Awesome. The video is pretty dated and we did not have the tripod system when I was there in 1989-1991. I also did not know we could have loaded that into a plane or helicopter, though we did transfer our launchers by rail and yours truly had to drive that up onto the car and just trust the people guiding me. I would never trust my launcher with crossing water, though. Those seals were pretty old. But I was able to fire twice in Crete! I was in Hanau, 1st Fire, B-Btry, 1/32 FA.

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

This has to be the slowest set up I have ever seen. I'm sure it's for training purposes...but dam...LOL. I was in the 3/79th FA in the Zoo, Germany A-Battery. If we did it this way...we never would have made live fire two years in a row in Crete! That was a fun TDY.

[@JohnStark72]

1st of the 333rd FA, Camp Pieri, outside of Wiesbaden in 1973. We were the first Lance unit in Europe.

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

@StiviGun1 Hi, I was a Lance missile tech in the early eighties, this video is for training or a sales pitch. We had our system up and ready for fire before 1/10th of this video was played. Believe me, our crews were fast....any one cranking that slow would have been drug tested...LOL

[@Legend813a]

@AHirschenhofer I never dreamed that the posting of this old film would cause people to reconnect with each other. This internet thing is kinna cool.

[@fudgedogbannana]

I was waiting for Radar O'Riley to start the count down while Hawk eye and BJ crack jokes.

[@raymondyee2008]

Very interesting and by the way the Lance missile was seen in “Future War 198X”. How one man could set up and fire the Lance without other people to help out I’ll never know.

[@Southerocker]

I was at the 83rd Det i Montabaur Germany from '86-'91, loved it there. Would've done my whole 20 years there if they would've let me.

[@ralfbaumann1966]

Hello Floyd, very late I write, but I see Video now. I was there in this time 86-88 in German Army. Wish you the best

[@army929]

LOVED IT. MY FIRST MOS. I KNOCKED MYSELF OUT PULLING OUT THE TRANSPORT LOCK PIN IT WAS STICKING, PULLED IT OUT CAUSE ON A MISSION BEING EVALUATED AND COLD KNOCKED MYSELF OUT. STATIONED AT HERZO 2/12TH CHARLIE COBRAS

[@georgebou5497]

That was you? I heard that story! A 2/12 "A TEAM" FA Herzo base 87-90

[@army929]

@@georgebou5497 whoa, that made it around 👍hehehehe 🤣

[@glennsims66]

Herzo Base. 86-89. God bless all you guys 🙂

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st What years were you in Fischbach? Were you a 27Lima, 55Delta or 55Bravo? I left the 41st in 1986 ... I heard the depot was decommissioned in August 1995. I bet it was a real challenge/nightmare clearing all the bunkers. SSG Denny?

[@veteranhoffman6776]

C Btry 6BN/33FA 1st Firing platoon 1983-1986, only thing I hated about the Lance’s SPL was hand cranking it to elevation, wore you out quick.

[@clearjet]

6/33rd FA Lance Ft. Sill here...

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

@robushly I was at the Zoo....3rd and 79th, A-btry...you?

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st Wow! 7 or 8 years! That's too long for me & no room for promotions. Do you remember a SGT Jose Capati from the motorpool? He's a great guy! Funny as hell ... and the guy speaks more languages than I care to even know of. After I left Fischbach ... I went to school at Fort Eustis and became a crewchief on the AH-1 Cobra. Did you go PLDC in Germany or stateside?

[@AaronGilliland]

Background music courtesy of Charlie's Angels or Knight Rider.

[@999dgf]

I was in A Battery, 6/33 FA 1982-1984. (15D) I think there was also a Napalm round for the LANCE....

[@billbutler609]

Nope, Neutron though.

[@glennsims66]

Service Battery 6/33 FA 1983-1986

[@veteranhoffman6776]

C Btry 6BN/33FA 1st firing platoon 1983-1986 (15D)

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st You were there for awhile .... I don't remember any marriages taking place when I was there. I remember Elliss, Denny, Davis, Corderro, Neal, Bowers, Keener, Wheeler, Farmer, Okelly, Fritzke & Sartin. My mother was good friends of the Mcandless Family ... my older brother knew our CO. When you said you drove the wrecker ... I thought maybe you were one of the guys from the motorpool.

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st Oh Yeah! I remember Welch ... he was on the 1st floor at the barracks.

[@JG-mp5nb]

Canteens FULL? FULL SIR!

[@treyheitman7178]

8th USAFAD Steenwijk, Netherlands 86-88

[@faffaflunkie]

This is the best evidence yet that during the "cold war" a noncom with an itchy finger could have given the order to start WWlll.

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

@bill2379 Holy cow...BILL! Yea, I remember you...still have some of your camera shots while we were there brother. Find me on Face Book OK? Let me know...want to talk more, very nice surprise to hear from you old friend;c) Ma Halo, Hirsch

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st LOL Yeah ... Farmer was a hell raiser. He didn't take crap from the ass kissers. I don't know if he got busted ... from what I understood a few people had it in for him. Welch was in Denny's squad, he seemed to be quiet & reserved ... I can't remember him ever pulling CQ or Guard Duty. It's interesting how I get the different duty stations mixed in my memories. Do you know what ever became of Farmer & Sartin?

[@trudinoonan7825]

I was the only female 16D, then they decided range of art. Shell was too short and did not allow me to work my mos

[@tarmac2001]

Ah the 70's, were all the background music sounded the same as in a porn flick.

[@randyspecht1285]

anybody out there from C Battery 1/12th from 81 to 84?

[@njneopatriot]

@spritz0 Combat arms & their support elements all contributed to the security & welfare of our nation. We had the term CYA (Cover Your Ass) and I always believed if we all did this in a unified manor somebody else would not have to cover for me. I was not conveying any disrespect or disdain for MPs.

[@faffaflunkie]

@faffaflunkie The "permissive action link" is a relatively recent invention. Google "Davey Crocket Warhead" or "small atomic demolition munition (sadm) " and you will see what I mean. I guarantee you the (nuclear) warheads of the vintage of this film had no "permissive action link". There is a reason why the "permissive action link" was invented and terrorists "getting their hands on one" (a nuclear weapon) wasn't it.

[@karlderhammer5628]

You are only partially correct. Actually, the SADM did have a PAL device--not terribly sophisticated, but it did have one. I was told in the nuclear weapons course at Redstone Arsenal that the Davy Crockett was the reason that PAL was invented--the story goes that DOD secretary McNamara, touring Europe, saw a bunch of German soldiers hovering around a Davy Crockett and asked whether one of them could launch a nuke if he was in a bad mood. The answer was "yes." The solution was PAL. And the Lance PAL was the most advanced in the Army inventory, for the simple reason that Lance was the last nuke developed for the Army.

[@khofakyerself]

What unit are these guys from? It looks like the post barber shop must have burned down! They all have longer hair than Jimmy Page! They never would have passed inspection at my old unit, 1/333, Camp Pieri, Wiesbaden.

[@otisblevins9194]

svc btry 1/80 FA

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

@boundtogetdown That was a joke...don't sue me plz...Oh what the hell...I'm broke anyways...LOL

[@juuls26]

The helicopter at around 7:05 looks like a Russian Mi-8 but that can't be right is it a early model CH53, but thought only the Marines used them? Know the Germans have them too!!!

[@ronricker7827]

Anyone from Herzo Base 84 -85 , 2/377

[@glennsims66]

Yea was there. 86-88

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

@boundtogetdown It's out dated....and they never really showed you the important stuff...if they did...you'd be dead all ready;c)

[@njneopatriot]

@fischbach41st Oh Yeah! I remember Welch ... he was on the 1st floor at the barracks.