174th Assault
Helicopter Company
DOLPHINS & SHARKS


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Jammed 40mm Grenade Launcher

Shark 137 has just returned from a mission in which the 40mm grenade launcher (known as a "Frog") in the turret in the nose had a round jammed in the chamber. The crew chief and gunner have the top of the cover off and are removing the jammed round. On another day, but in the same helicopter, a round jammed and the crew chief was again attempting to remove it. He had straddled the gun with the barrel pointing down between his legs. The round discharged as he was trying to remove it and lodged in the asphalt ramp about two feet behined him, after passing between his legs. Luckily the round had not traveled far enough to arm and did not detonate, however the crew chief took the rest of the day with a rather painful "powerburn." (Photo by Jim McDaniel--out of shrapnel range, 1968)