Hit My Smoke - Targeting The Enemy In Vietnam

Military histories often focus on grand strategy, famous generals and maps covered in colourful arrows. Hit My Smoke – Targeting the Enemy in Vietnam takes you much closer to the action, into the dangerous, fast-moving world of the forward air controller—the men whose job was to find the enemy, survive long enough to identify them correctly and then persuade an alarming quantity of airborne firepower to arrive in precisely the right place. It was a profession that required exceptional flying skills, nerves of steel and, ideally, a healthy disregard for the concept of self-preservation.

Chris Coulthard-Clark tells the remarkable story of the Forward Air Controllers (FACs) who operated over Vietnam, particularly those serving alongside Australian forces. Flying light aircraft at low altitude, often within range of enemy fire, these pilots acted as the vital link between troops on the ground and the fast jets waiting overhead. Their radio call, "Hit my smoke," was both wonderfully understated and profoundly serious: the coloured smoke marked the enemy’s position and guided aircraft onto their target, while everyone involved hoped with great enthusiasm that nobody confused one cloud of smoke with another.

The irony is almost impossible to ignore. The twentieth century produced supersonic fighters capable of astonishing speed and destructive power, yet their effectiveness often depended upon one small propeller-driven aircraft circling patiently overhead with a pilot pointing at things. Sometimes the most advanced military technology in the world still needs somebody looking out of the window saying, "It’s over there."

Coulthard-Clark writes with the authority of a respected military historian while never losing sight of the individuals involved. This is not simply a catalogue of operations and equipment. It is a portrait of extraordinary professionalism under extraordinary pressure, where split-second judgement could mean the difference between success, disaster or tragedy. The pilots emerge not as invincible heroes, but as skilled professionals doing an exceptionally difficult job in impossibly demanding conditions.

One of the book’s great strengths is its ability to explain a specialised role without drowning the reader in technical jargon. The tactics, aircraft and procedures are all clearly described, allowing even readers unfamiliar with air operations to appreciate just how hazardous and complex the work really was. It’s a reminder that modern warfare is often won as much through communication and coordination as through firepower itself.

Published in 1997, Hit My Smoke benefits from historical perspective while remaining close enough to the events that many participants’ memories were still fresh. The result is a balanced and thoughtful account of one of the lesser-known aspects of the Vietnam War, offering fresh insight into a conflict that continues to be studied from countless different angles.

There is also an understated admiration running through the book—not for war itself, but for competence. Whatever one’s views on the Vietnam War, the skill, discipline and courage required to perform the forward air controller’s role are difficult not to respect. Flying slowly over hostile territory in a lightly armed aircraft while calmly directing attack aircraft onto targets is the sort of job description that would make most people reconsider their career choices.

And then there is the title itself. Hit My Smoke sounds almost casual, as though someone is asking for help lighting a barbecue. In reality, it was one of the most important radio calls imaginable, representing the precise moment when planning ended and events became very immediate indeed. Military understatement has always possessed a peculiar talent for making extraordinarily dangerous situations sound almost routine.

This As New copy, offered by Crappy Old Books, is in superb condition, looking as though it has just completed its pre-flight inspection. The pages are crisp, the binding is excellent and it remains an outstanding copy for military historians, aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the Vietnam War. No smoke markers are included, no radio frequencies are hidden between the chapters, and thankfully the only target you’ll be acquiring is another fascinating chapter in an exceptionally well-researched account of aerial warfare.

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