Nope, not a searchlight cover, it's not over the FRONT of the searchlight, it's draped over the TOP and tied with ropes or bungie cords (did they have them in those days?)wrapped around underneath. Maybe it's just some kind of weatherproof sheet but it's obviously not designed for the searchlight. The pic I'm referring to is on page 119 of 'Vietnam Tracks' by Simon Dunstan.

There were a lot of arrangements of using canvas rigged up as sun shades held up by arrangements of poles or antennas.

Likely some sort of tarp that would be used for that purpose.

Another arrangements I've seen is draping a tarp over the barrel w the turret turned sideways to make a tent. I guess lots of rain and hot weather can spawn all sorts of creative solutions.

There was no perceived need for air recognition panels, because the enemy was almost entirely an infantry force when the US commitment was at its height. North Vietnamese armor didn't appear en mass until the 1972 spring offensive, after the US armor forces had largely been pulled out. South Vietnamese armor was employed to defeat them, though a few US helicopters armed with the then-experimental TOW missile were employed to good effect.

There were a lot of arrangements of using canvas rigged up as sun shades held up by arrangements of poles or antennas.

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There was no perceived need for air recognition panels, because the enemy was almost entirely an infantry force when the US commitment was at its height. North Vietnamese armor didn't appear en mass until the 1972 spring offensive, after the US armor forces had largely been pulled out. South Vietnamese armor was employed to defeat them, though a few US helicopters armed with the then-experimental TOW missile were employed to good effect.

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NVA PT76 tanks were used in early 1968 to over run A101 (Lang Vie) right outside Khe Shan. You could hear them in the far western end of the Que Son Valley moving at night as early as May 1968. It was also fairly common to see them on the Ho Chi Mein Trail.
gary

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There was no perceived need for air recognition panels, because the enemy was almost entirely an infantry force when the US commitment was at its height. North Vietnamese armor didn't appear en mass until the 1972 spring offensive, after the US armor forces had largely been pulled out. South Vietnamese armor was employed to defeat them, though a few US helicopters armed with the then-experimental TOW missile were employed to good effect.

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Lang Vie should never have happened! Request for arty support was denied from Khe Sahn. They claimed it was their generators back firing. I've heard the recordings of that requested fire mission several times. They did knock out two or three of the tanks (don't remember how many were there). All fire missions are recorded at Div. level, and sometimes at battalion level. They are always taken seriously except by a certain Marine Major (later unemployed). The Team at A101 was over ran, but retook the camp the next day with a MIKE Force. They did knock out two or three of the tanks, but have no idea how many were there. There was a deep under the table investigation, and Abrams was sent up there to relieve several members of the General Staff, some others under them. Plus it pretty much ended one four star Admiral's military career. Nothing happened because he arrived the day before the start of Tet, and nothing happened till much later.

A little later A102 was over ran in the Ashau Valley, and there was never another attempt to retake it. A102 was reopened further south, and had two recoiless rifles on hand. A few months later they rotated 155mm arty thru it, and the last battery knocked out three tanks a couple miles west of the Hiep Duc Ridge (making their way towards the southern end (being hit by a 155 round must have been exciting!)

Major General Koster told everyone in a lecture on or around the 10th of December, 1967 to expect to be seeing tanks as they knew they were there. I was at that lecture. (in Chu Lai) He also told us about what to expect during Tet (no surprises with him). He was right about 50%, as it was twice as big as he stated.
gary

NVA PT76 tanks were used in early 1968 to over run A101 (Lang Vie) right outside Khe Shan. You could hear them in the far western end of the Que Son Valley moving at night as early as May 1968. It was also fairly common to see them on the Ho Chi Mein Trail.
gary

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You've made my point. The armored attack was so unexpected that nobody at Lang Vei had any antitank weapons to fend off the very modestly armored PT-76's. When the NVA used PT-76's for a night assault on a position held by M48A3's, they were chewed up very badly, and NVA armor made itself scarce again until 1972.