▁that ▁these ▁hel ic op ters ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁designed ▁for ▁anti - t ank ▁combat , ▁and ▁"... had ▁we ▁entered ▁Lam son ▁ 7 1 9 ▁with ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁armed ▁with ▁an ▁accurate , ▁le th al , ▁relatively ▁long - range ▁ant it ank ▁weapon , ▁we ▁would ▁have ▁destroyed ▁many ▁more ▁N VA ▁t anks ." ▁ ▁Such ▁a ▁weapon ▁arrived ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁when ▁two ▁experimental ▁B GM - 7 1 ▁TO W - equ ipped ▁U H - 1 B ▁H ue y ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁Kon ▁T um ▁during ▁the ▁E aster ▁Off ensive . ▁After ▁sh aked own ▁and ▁crew ▁training , ▁they ▁entered ▁combat ▁on ▁ 4 ▁May ▁and ▁on ▁their ▁first ▁mission ▁killed ▁four ▁M 4 1 ▁Walker ▁Bul ld og ▁t anks , ▁a ▁ 2 . 5 ▁ton ▁tr uck , ▁and ▁a ▁ 1 0 5   mm ▁how itzer , ▁all ▁US - supp lied ▁equipment ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁from ▁AR V N ▁earlier ▁in ▁the ▁campaign . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁weeks , ▁the ▁team ▁killed ▁do z ens ▁of ▁targets ▁of ▁various ▁sorts ▁as ▁P AV N ▁prepared ▁for ▁an ▁assault ▁on ▁Kon ▁T um . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁opened ▁in ▁earnest ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁May . ▁The ▁TO W s ▁killed ▁ten ▁T - 5 4 s ▁and ▁added ▁another ▁two ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 7 th , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁crew ▁abandoned ▁un