The Battle of Long Tan

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Battle of Long Tan (2006)

The Battle of Long Tan is a 2006 ABC documentary made by Red Dune Films. Narrated by Sam Worthington of Avatar fame, and employing a mixture of veteran interviews, archival footage and dramatic reenactments, it tells the story of the events of 18 August 1966, when D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment fought a fierce battle with local Vietcong forces at the Long Tan Rubber Plantation in the Phuoc Tuy province of the Republican of Vietnam. Despite being a documentary, it employs actors using uniforms and weapons correct for the period, making it eligable for inclusion.

The following weapons were used in the documentary The Battle of Long Tan:

Rifles

L1A1

The L1A1 is the main weapon of 6RAR in the film, not surprising it was the standard-issue Australian Defence Force rifle during the Vietnam War.

Australian L1A1 with rounded vent hole handguards - 7.62x51mm NATO

M16

The M16 also appears fairly regularly in the documentary, carried mostly by officers and scouts.

The original M16, the first version, firing in a 20-round magazine, adopted in large numbers by the U.S. Air Force in Vietnam. This has the original 3-prong flash hider. It would later be replaced by the upgraded M16A1 - 5.56x45mm

M16A1

The M16A1 appears amongst Australians in a couple of scenes. This is anachronistic, since the M16A1 was introduced amongst U.S. troops in 1967, and would have hardly reached Australians by that time.

M16A1 with 20 round magazine - 5.56x45mm. What distinguishes it from the original M16 was the addition of a raised rib around the magazine release button, changing of the forward Receiver pins, and the addition of the forward assist button on the upper receiver.