- r;vr,: us - vietnam.ttu.edu · - scotland ii (quang tri prov): ... during en g. us cas 12...

5 Octooer (baturday)

- r;vr,: us pilots flew 131 msns (USAF 59, U::lN 59, UbHC 13). BDA incl nest or dam 50 water craft, 2 ry cars, 5 trks, 3 AAA sites, 2 rdr sites, 1 struc & 7 ftns. A ::lAh launch was reptd. by rtnf; A-7 pilots in an area approx 25 mi N" of Vinh in the Vinh Son area. The pilots successfully evaned & no dam was sustained.

- ~Un;l' CHlliN (Dinh Tuong Prov): At approx 1200-1515 hrs, a Cav Sqd of the US 9th Inf Div, obs 3 gps of en 15 mi N" of Cai Be. Gunships eng the en & kd 50. At 1540, elm of div's 3rd Bde Vias aaslt into area & made scattered contact. Tac air, arty, & hel gunships sptd the act until 1830 ;,hen contact Has lost as en withdrew. Inf discovered 90 en bodies, 64 kd by gunships. Eight Hoi Chanhs rallied to the trps. 2 ChiCora fld tels, 3 protective masks, 3 med kits & a small qty of misc 1lJnr~o were cptrd. Swp cont. No US cas.

- SCOTLAND II (Quang Tri Prov): Elms of US I.th Regt, 3rd MAR Div, began CET SJP in general vic of Khe Sanh "ith obj of cptrg or eliminating NVA units, installations & mat within the op area. No reptd contact to date.

6 October (Sunday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 129 msns (USAF 56, USN 59, USHC 14). BDA incl dest or dam 39 water craft, 19 trks, 2 brgs, 40 rds, 11 AAA sites, & 5 strucs. 274 fires & 199 sec explosions reptd.

- 'rOAN THAtlG (B inh Long Prov): At approx 0900 hrs, elm of Cav Sqd of US 1st Inf Div, eng unk size en force 2 mi Sd of An Loc. En empl SA & auto wJIDS fire while the cav trps rtn fire ,lith organic wpns on their APC' s & tks. Act cont until 1140. At unreptd time another mech elm of Cav Sqd reinf & contact was reestablished with unk siz en force :in same General area. Act cent until aprrox 1645 when en evaded & withdrew. Res:- 43]1\, US 1 KIA, 6 'VIlA. In adc:1ition, 13 I/'"Ipns & 4 CS\i were cpt~.

- MAUl PEAK (Quang Nam Prov): A multi-bn search & clear op cent in an area 11 mi NW of An Hoa cormnenced at 0900 hrs. 'fhe comb op involved elms of ARVN 51st Regt & US 1st HAR Div with man to loc & cptr or eliminate en forces, installations & mat within the op area which encompasses the general vic of the CIDG Camp at Thuong Due.

_ A Navy A-7 acft was downed by en gnd fire approx 17 mi NE of Vinh, 5 mi offshore. Inj to pilot reptd as minor.

7 October (Monday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 133 msns (USAF 69, USN 46, USMC 18). BDA incl dest or dam 13 water craft, 6 ry cars, 13 trks, 7 brgs, 4 AAA sites & 14 strucs. 217 fires & 114 sec explOSions were reptd.

-209-

- TOAl'i 'i'HANG (Binh Duong Prov): At approx 0745 hrs, a co fr the US 3rd Bde, 1st Inf Div, found a base complex & cache cntn 1,000 anti-pers mines, 1,050 hand grens, 19 I/Wpns, 1,550 lbs of med sup, 50 72mm RR rds & 87 RPG's.

TOAN THANG (HauNgnia Pro): At approx 0850 hrs, 2 comps fr US 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div, on recon in force man 5 mi NE of Trang Bang eng an unk size en force. At 1000, additional elms fr 3rd Bde, 101st Abn Div, reinf contact. Hel gunships & arty sptd info Contact lost at 1930 & reestablished at 0045 hrs. Res: 147 EK, 7 suspects dtn, 3 I/Wpns, 1 CSli, 200 rds of 60mm & 18 rds of 82rmn amrno cptrd. US cas 8 KIA, 13 ilIA. En unit tentatively ident as elm fr 101st NVA Regt.

- MAUL PEAK (Quang Nam Prov): At approx 1500 hrs, an elm oJ US 5th Regt, 1st HARDiv, eng est en plat 4 mi ENE of Thuong Duc ClOG carnp. MAR rtn fire with organic wpns & atk en force sptd by tac air & arty. Contact lost at 1730 when en withdrew. MAR discovered 30 EK by tac air during En g. US cas 12 'IlIA & evac.

- DUKES GLADE. Announced. Elms fr AMERICALDi,v\in Quang Narn Provo

- NAUI PEAK. Announced. Elms fr 1st MAR Div in Quang Nam Prov.

- HAMELUKE THRUST (Quang Nam Prov): At 1430 hra, a recoil tm fr US 1st MAR! Div obs a gp of 75 en soldiers moving in area 9 mi ENE of All Hoa. Har Dir arty fire onto the en trps killing 46 •. No US casualties.

8 October (Tuesday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 129 mans (USAF 66, USN 46, USMC 17). BDA incl dest or dam 36 water crai~, 21 trks, 5 brgs, 47 rd cuts, 6 wpn sites & 15 strucs. 110 fires & 49 sec explosions reptd. An A-6 Intruder fr the USS America launched an AGM at a rdr site 28mi Nl( of Vinh, & the pilot reptd the installation was hv dam.

9 October (Wednesday)

_ NVN: US pilots new 115 msns (USAF 66, USN 33, USMC 16). BDA incl dest or darn 17 water craft, 2 trks, 5 brgs, an AAA site, 10 strucs, & 6 ftns. 59 sec explosions & 45 fires ~ere reptd. A SAM was fired at a Navy A-7 Corsair fr N of the 19th paralled. Acft evaded the SAM which impacted on the gnd N:rI of Vinh.

- DUKES GLADE. Terminated. 11 dtn & 18 I/Wpns cptrd. 2 Oct 68.

Cum res: US 1 KIA, 3 WIA; EN: 21 KIA, The op was announced 7 Oct 68 & cOllD1lenced

_ LOGAl~ !"lEW. Announced. Op under con of 11th Lt ~f Bde, AMERICAL Di v, & c en in Quang N gai Prov. Op conmenced 7 Oct 68 •

-210-

10 October (Thursday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 124 msns (USAF 69, USN 40, USMC 15). BDA incl dest or dam 9 water craft, 4 trks, 2 brgs, 10 AAA sites, 3 strucs & 7 ftns. 65 fires & 40 sec exnlosions were reptd. Flying A-6 Intruders & F-4 Phantoms, NAR reptd extensive dam to an en sup complex N,,", of Con Thien, & to bunker & storage areas N of Gio Linh.

- LANCASTER II «(,!uang Tri Prov): At an unreptd time, an elm of US 26th MAR Regtl Ldg 'I'm discov~red 9 Nl!A bodies kd dur:ing contact wit!. an est NYA plat on 8 Oct 8 mi N of the Rockpile (1 mi inside the southern edge of the DMZ). Total NVA kd in the act: 26. NAR cas 2 KIA & 48 viIA.

II October (Friua,y)

- NVN: US pilots flew 120 lllSns (USAF 56, USN 51, USMC 13). BDA incl dest or dam 25 supply craft, 8 trks, 4 brgs, 1 rd, 1 AAA site, 10 strucs, & 1 ftn. 45 fires & 25 sec explosions were reptd.

- III MAF (Quang Nam Prov): Approx 1530 hrs, a MAR CH-34 hel &'aMAR CH-46 hel collided while orbiting 7 mi NW of An Hoa. Acft crashed & were dest. All 12 US mil crew mbrs & pax were KIA (4 crew & 4 pax on CH-34, & crew mbrs in CH-46).

- LAN CASTER II (Quang Tri Prov): At 1100 hrs, an elm 0 f US 3rd Regt, 3rd MAR Div, discovered a bunker complex cntn approx 100 fortified bunkers 7 mi NNE of the Rockpile in southern half of DMZ. In the vic of the.bunkers, the MAR discovered an unreptd no of graves cntn 18 NVA soldiers. Time & cause of death not yet reptd.

12 October (Saturday)

- NYA: US pilots flew 100 msns (USAF 58, USN 34, USMC 8). BDA incl dest or dam 43 water craft, 2 ry cars, 6 trks, 7 brgs, 21 structs, & ignited 15 fires & 7 sec explosj.ons.

- MAUl PEAK (Quang Nam Prov): At 0400 hrs, an elm of US 5th Regt, 1st MArt Div, in ni def psns 3 mi :ENE of the Thuong Duc CWG Camp, rec a gnd atk by an unk size en force. Act cont until 0730 hrs when the en withdrew. The MAR empl organic wpns sptd by arty & tac air. The bodies of 46 en were found around the peri. In addition, 1 suspect was dtn & 10 AK-47 rf~s were cptrd. US cas were 8 KIA & 20"WlA.

- WGAN FIELD (Quang Ngai Pro v) • Terminated. The op commenced 7 Oct & was under con of the llth Inf Bde, AMERICAL Div. Cum res: 14 EK, 6 suspects dtn & 4 I/Wpns cptrd. US cas 13 KIA, 66 wounded of whom 42 were evac. 7 naval gunfire msns were fired in apt of the inf. There were no tac air strikes on B-52 strikes flown in spt of the 6-day op.

-211-

13 October (Sunday)

- NVN: US pilots flel>' 135 msns (m,AF 62, USN 54, USMC 19). BDA :incl dest or dam 14 trks, 4 brgs, & 3 strucs. 53 fires & 10 sec explosions were reptd.

- A Navy A-6 Intruder acft was reptd downed to unk causes approx 24 mi SE of V:inh. Crew is MIA.

14 October (Monda,y)

- NVN: US pilots flew 118 mans (USAF 54, USN 59, UNMC 5). BDA :incl dest or dam 21 water craft, 7 r.1 cars, 12 trks, 5 brgs, 3 AAA sites, 1 rdr site & a ftn. 32 fires & 11 sec explosions were reptd. A rdr site was hit with an AGM fr one of the USS America's A-6 Intruders & was possibly dest 52 mi Nil of Dong Hoi accord:ing to pilots rtng fro the msn •

. . 15 October (Tuesda,y)

- HQ MACV (S8.1gon): JI. 0900 hrs, a Navy float:ing workshop, YR-24, was turned over to the 1/ietnamese Navy :in ceremonies at Vietnamese Navy Hqs. Commodore Tran Van Chon, CNO, RVN Navy acptd 1;he ship ft' Vice Adm ElIoo R. Zumwalt Jr, Chief of the NGA & Condr US JlAWO'ORV. The YR-24 is a floating shipyard, capable of keep:ing the Viethamese Navy's gunbts :in a constant state of read:iness & will be manned by a crew of 2 off & 135 men. Dur:ing the past 4 mos, Vietnamese Navy has assumed cond of 6 m:inesweepers, 8 high-speed river ptl bts & 4 "Swift" bts.

16 October (Wednesday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 109 mans (USAF 58, USN 45, USMC 6). BDA incl dest or dam 18 supply bts, 18 trks, 5 brgs, 4 rds & 3 strucs. 27 fires & 12 sec explosions were reptd.


- NVN: US pilot s flew 100 mans (USAF 48, USN 44, USMC 8). BDA:inel dest 19 supply bts, 2 trks, 2 ry cars, 2 AAA sites & 6 strucs. 3 fires & 9 sec explOSions were reptd.

- LANCASTER II (Quanl Tri Prev)l In the att.emee, elM rr the US 3ri Regt, 3ri MAR Diy, 8 IIIi N sf the Reokpile (2 IIIi If sf leuthem trae st the IHZ) to\lJ1. 333 rdII ot 1521m art,. _. The Ne wre

. °

1, teun. in 2 lee 200 ..tere apart. 83 art,. Ne .. re tlUll. at 1 lse

while the ether 250 were found in 5 bunkers (50 in sa bunker). I \ -----.-~

'18 October (Frida,y)

- NVN: US pilots flew 102 mans (U~F 55, USN 38, USMC 9). BOA incl dest or dam 32 supply craft, 4 brg8, 3 8truc8, & 4 ftns. 1 fire & 4 sec explosions were reptd.

- LANCASTER II (Quang Tri Prav): At, an unreptd time, an elm of the US 3rd Regt, 3rd MAR Div, discovered a significant NVA ammo cache while

, swp an area 8 mi N of the Rockpile & just :inside the S edge of the \ DMZ. Cache cntn 55 rds of 85mm arty amno.

-212-

- QUYET CHIEN (Dinh Tuong Prov): In an act that began at 1315 hrs, & cont until 0700 hrs, 19 Oct, elma of the US 2nd & 3rd Bdes, 9th Inf Divair cav elma of the uiv's Cav Sqdn kct 12 en in an eng with an est co 7 mi N~I of Cai Be. Inf also cptrd 1 CSW & 8 I/Wpns, & dtn 3 suspects. US cas were 5 kd & 32 WIA. While cdtg a recon in force msn in the same general area on 19 Oct, air cav gunships obs & eng an unk size en force N',~ of Cai Be at 1150. Contact was lost at approx 1230 when the en evaded & withdrew. The inf found 47 additional en bodies in the vic of the act (kd by both hel gunships & gnd fire) raising the total for the 2-~y swp to 59 en kd. In addition, the trps dtn 1 more suspect & cptrd 1,287 VC protective gas masks & 500 lbs of assorted med sup. No additional US cas.

SF:A LORDS. Comnenced. Joint op under CO, NAVFORV, in IV Corps area.


- NVN: US pilots flew 93 msns (USAF 53, USN 30, USMC 10). BDA incl dest or dam 4 supply craft, 1 brg & a hwy ferry. 3 sec explosions & 2 fires were reptd. l'otal bomb dam assessment was pvntd due to adverse wea OVer the tgt area.

- NAUI PEAK (Quang Nam Prov): Terminated. The multi-bn search & clear op commenced at 0900 on 6 Oct & was cen in an area 11 mi NvV of An Hoa. During the l4-d$y op, the V~R & sptg fires kd 202 en, dtn 2 suspects & cptrd 2 CS~l & 25 I/wpns. US cas were 28 kd & 148 wounded of whom 79 were evac. 147 tac air sorties were flown in 9Pf of the friendly forces.

20 October (Sunday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 110 msns (USAF 64, USN 42, USMC 4). BDA incl dest or daJ~ 1 trk, dut rds in 6 places, 11 sampans, & 3 wpns psns. 2 sec explOSions & 8 fires were reptd.

I

An Air Force F-4 P~antom acft was downed by en gnd fire in the vic of NVN's Tiger Island (25 mi NE/of Gio Linh). While attempting to res the 2-man Crew, the res hel, an HH-3 Jolly Green Giant, was hit & dest by the en shore batteries. The 4-man crew joined the Phantom crew in the water & all 6 were retrieved by 2 other Da Nang-based Jolly Greens.

21 October (Monday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 114 msn (USAF 47, USN 49, U~MC 18). BDA dest or dam 2 trks, 1 ferry, 6 supply craft, 2 ftns & 4 brgs. explosions & 2 fires were reptd.

incl 11 sec

- IFFV (Quang Duc Prov): At approx 0600 hrs, an Air Force C-47 courier acft asgd to the Tan Son Nhut AB & enr to Da Nang crashed 11 mi S5,1 of Ban Me Thout. Init repts indicate that the acft experienced engine failure & the pilot reptd that he was unable to feather the propeller.

-213-

- A Navy A-4 Skyraider acft was reptd downed due to unk causes at a pen approx 50 mi SE of Vinh. The pilots is MIA.

22 October (Tuesday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 120 mans (USAF 41:>, USN 57, USMC 17). BDA :incl dest or dam 3 trks, cut rds :in 4 places, 28 supply craft, 9 brgs, 9 strucs, 2 AAA sites, & 2 wpn pans. 4 sec explosions & 2 fires were reptd.

- III MAF (Quang Na.rn Proy): Betwn the hrs of 1400 & 1800, a 1st MAR Recon Tm, cdtg a recen usn 2 mi N'.i of An Hoa obs approx ll4 en soldiers :in 2 sight:ings moving NNE;,. They were dressed :in khakis, black pajamas & shorts & were carrying rlrls, MG's, packs & one 12mm rkt rd. The MAR dir arty fire & an aerial spotter called in tac air onto the en psns res :in 54 en kd. 5 sec explosions were also obs. No US cas.

23 Octoher (Wednesday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 128 msns (USAF 62, USN 47, USMC 19). BDA incl dest or dam 5 trks, 4 ferries, 12 supply craft, 7 AAA sites, 10 ftns, 2 brgs, 5 strucs, & 4 auto wpns psns. 6 sec explosions & 30 fires were also reptd.

- III MAF (Quang Nam Prey): At approx 100 brs, a 1st MAR Diy Recon Tm sighted 121 NVA soldiers moving ENE :in a general loc 2 mi WIT of An Hoa. The en soldiers were dressed :in khahis with hellaets & carrng rfls & hv packs. One mort tube WQs\ also spotted. The MAR dir arty fire onto the en trps killing 57. One sec explosion was also obs. This brings the total of en kd since 22 Oct to 178 :in 4 sightings. 405 en soldiers were cbs :in the 4 sightings. The gps were wearing varied uniforms & carrying many types of wpns. 16 sec explosions were also obs. No US cas.

- III MAF (Quang Nam Prey): 67 en soldiers were kd by MAR tec airstrikes & arty fire at approx 0700 hrs, 2 mi NW of An Hoa. A 1st MAR Div Recon Tm Sighted apprex 170 NVA soldiers moving SW & wearing khaki & cam uniforms with helmets & hv packs. They were carrying rUs, rkts, 8 60rmn & 82mm morts, 1 AA gun in a cart & 2 possible .50 cal MG's. The Recon Tm dir tac air & arty onto the en pens killing 67. In addition, 10 sec explosions were obs. No US cas.

- III MAF (Quang Tri Prov): At an unreptd time, a comb ARVN TF cons of an elm of the 2nd Regt, 1st Inf DiY, sptd by ARVN armd caY elme & tks fr the Armor Bn of the US 3rd MAR Div init an Off Swp into the S DMZ. At approx ll30 the comb force eng an est reinf NVA co 4 mi NE of Gio Linh. Act cent into the early afternoon with tac air & arty sptg the friendly forces until 1400 when contact "as lost as the remaining en withdrew. Res: 112 EK, 1 suspect dtn, & 7 I/Wpns, 2 CSif, 2 tone of rice, & 200 rds of 82mm mort alllllO cptrd. .

- MAMELUKE THRUST (Quang Nam PrOY): Terminated. The multi-bn search & clear op >las cdt 'by elms of the 1st MAR Diy & the 26th MAR Regtl Ldg Tm & was cen in an area 25 mi WSW of Da Nang. The op cODll1enced 19 Mq.

-214- .

•

Cum res: 2,730 EK, 405 suspects dtn, & 337 I/:Ipns & 125 CSli cptrd. US cas ,rere 269 kd & 1,740 ',rounded of whom 1,419 were evac. The op was sptd by 2,015 tac air sorties.

- HENDERSON HILL (Quang Nam Prov). Commenced. Op is under con of the 5th Regt, 1st MAR Div, & has the specific msn to cptr or eliminate en forces, installations & mat within Hs area of resp. The op is cen 6 mi E of An Hoa & commenced at 1200 hrs.

- At an unreptd time, another Air Force 0-2 obs acft on a recon msn was dovmed by en gnd fire 3 mi NNE of Con Thien in the S half of the DMZ. The pilot ,;as kd & the acft dest.


- NVN: US pilots flew 122 msns (USAF 64, USN 39, USMC 19). BDA incl dest or darn 3 trks, 8 supply craft, 3 AM sHes, 2 ftns, 7 brgs, 17 strucs, 5 wpns psns, 186 meters of trenches, & ignited 35 fires & 15 sec explosions.

- KENTUCKY (Quang Tri Prov): During the day, elms of the 1st Bde, US 5th Inf Div (Mech), loc & atk small gps of en :i.n a series of 6 contacts in the S half of the DMZ 4 mi NE of Con Thien. Arty & 23 tac air strikes sptd the info Res: 65 EK (27 by tac air, 31 by arty & 7 by the inf) & 1 suspect was dtn. No friendly cas.

- An Air Force F-4 was reptd downed by en fire 22 mi Sif of Dong Hoi. One cre,r mbr was res & the second is listed as MIA.

25 October (Friday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 114 msns (USAF 66, USN 33, USMC 15). BDA incl dest or Clam 7 trks, 9 rd segments cut, 3 supply craft, 3 AAA sites, & 2 strucs. 3 sec explosions & 16 fires were reptd.

- IFFV (Khallh Hoa Prov): Btwn 0715-1140 hrs, elms of the 30th Regt, 9th ROK Inf Div, eng several small gps of en soldiers fr an unk size en force while cdtg a cordon op 6 mi SI'i of Hna Trang. A total of 36 en were kd in the contacts. No ROK cas. The act cant in the afternoon until approx 1715 with Korean inf eng several other gps of en soldiers within the cordoned area. The en empl SA & auto wpns fire while the Korl!ans rtn fire "doth organic wpns sptd by arty & tac air. The ROK trps found the bodies of 168 more en raising the total of en kd in the day's fighting to 204. In addition 34 I/Wpns & 21 CSlv were cptrd along with 5 mil rdos, 5 gas masks, 1 fld tel swbd & a qty of assorted ammo.

KWTUCKY (Quang Tri Prov): Elms of the US 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Mech) sptd by gunships, arty, tac air & naval gunfire kd 232 NVA soldiers

-215-

______ ---'-J

5 mi NNE of Con Thien (1 mi N of the S edge of t.he DMZ). The act started at approx llOO when a co fr the bde, cdtg an Off Swp, loc & eng an est NVA bn. The en empl hv mort, SA & auto wpns fire while the inf, sptd by tac air & gunships, rtn the fire ,'lith their organic wpns. Additional elms, incl a tk co reinf the co as hv contact cont throughout the afternoon until 1800 when the en withdrew. Also, 6 CSW were cptrd. US cas 6 KIA & 29 WIA. This is the same general area where 65 NVA soldiers were kd by the bde, & sptg arms, on 24 Oct. The cum res for the 2-day period were 297 NVA soldiers kd while US losses ~lere 6 kd & 29 wounded. During a further sweep of the area fol the eng, the trps cptrd 242 I/Ivpns & 17 CS" wpns (incl 6 preViously reptd) which were left scattered on the battlefield. The CS'il incl 8 It OO's, 3 compl 60mm morts, 2-12.7I11III hv AA MG's, 1 compl 82I11III mort & 3 RPG rkt-gren launchers.

- GA.RRA.ftIl BAY (Quang Narn Prey): Conunenced. A bn-size search & clear op cen 9 mi SSE of Da Nang. It began with an amphibious Idg, nichnamed Op EAGER HUNTER, in which a bn fr the 26th MAR Regtl Ldg Tm was hel & surface aslt into the op area fr ships of a task gp of the Navy's Amphibious TF 76. 'l'he amphibious op was term about 1530 after the MAR had landed & secured their obj areas at which time, Hqs, 1st MAR Div, assumed con of the op. Op GARRARD BAY is cdtd in coord with elms of the 1st Regt, 1st MAR Div, liOK 2nd MAR Bde, ARVN 51st Inf Regt & VN NP Fld Forces op in the surrounding areas. There was some sporadic contact the first day, however, no significant acts were reptd. As of 2400, 25 Oct, 1 suspect had been dtn. No US ~~R cas reptd.


- NVN: US pilots flew 130 mans (USAF 66, USN 49 USMC 15). BDA incl dest or dam 59 supply craft, 1 ferry, 1 brg, 8 ry cars, 7 trks, & ignited 14 fires & 6 sec explosions.

- TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 0600 hrs, an elm of the US 1st Bde, 1st Inf Div, iri ni def pans II mi E of Katum rec a mort & gnd atk by an est en co. Act cont throughout the morning & into the early afternoon Hhen contact HaS lost at 1330 as the en withdrew. The inf & sptg fires kd 80 en soldiers while US cas were S kd & 33 'N!!. In addition, 26 I/Wpns & 6 CS'd were cptrd. In a further swp around their ni def psns 27 Oct, elms of the bde discovered the bodies of 23 more N1TA soldiers kd in the abortive atk raising the total en kd for the act to 103. US losses were 9 kd & 33 wounded.

- NEVADA EAGLE (Thua Thien Prov): A plat fr the US 3rd Bde, 10]st Abn Div (AM), cdtg a cbt swp in an area 9 mi S. of Hue at approx 1230, found what appeared to be an en base area. While sea.rching the camp the inf found 80 en bodies lying above gnd.

27 October (Sunday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 125 mans (USAF,61, USN 44. USMC 20). BDA incl dest or dam 100 meters of trench line, 2 ammc :mp caches, 36 supply

-216-

craft, 11 trks 4 ro cuts, 4 ftns, 15 str,"cs, 2,rpns rSLS, v: 2 arlJ ''1Jfls. 25 sec explosions & 30 fires were reptd. A tlAM was fired during a ]<avy strike N,/ of Vinh. The crew of an Intruuer acft obs the missile as it detonated above the clouds.

- HENDEliSON HILL (Quang Nam Prev): Armouncedo The op is a multi-bn search & clear 01' cen 6 mi E of An Hoa & commenced at 1200 hrs on 23 Oct. Op is under the con of the 5th Regt" 1st JVlAk Div, & has the specific msn to cptr or eliminate en forces, installations & mat within its area of resp. As of 2400 on 25 Oct, the ~IAR had kd 20 en & dtn 10 suspects while US losses have been 1 kd & 10 wounded. 33 tac air strikes have been flown in spt of the op.

GARRARD BAY (Quang Nam Prov): Announced. 'I'he op is a bn-siz search & clear op cen 9 mi SSE of Da Nang & commenced at 0800 on 25 Oct. The op, involving the bn of the 26th MAR Regtl Ldg Tm, has the men of cptrg or eliminating en forces, installations & mat within the area of resp & is cdtd in coord ,lith elms of the 1st Regt, 1st MAR Div, ROK 2nd I'>AFt Bde, ARVN 51st Inf Regt & VN NP Fld Forces op in the surr areas. As of 21,00, 25 Oct, 1 suspect had been dtn. No US MAR cas reptd.

- An air Force F-I05 Thunderchief acft vias .downed by en gnd fire 28 mi V{

of Dong Hoi. The pilot is MIA.

28 October (Monday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 139 msns (USAF 69, USN 51, USMC 19). BDA incl dest or dam 30 meters of trench, a ferry Idg, a bulldozer, a rd-grader, 20 trks, 19 supply craft, 3 AAA sites, 4 ftns, 1 brg, 2 strucs & ignited 52 sec explosions & 52 fires.

- An Air Force RF-4C failed to rtn fr a recon men over the Panhandle & is presumed dovm to suspected gnd fire. Last known pen of the Phantom was 5 mi NN" of Dong Hoi. 2-ma.n crew is listed as MIA.

29 Ociober (Tuesday)

- NVN: US pilots new 134 mens (USAF 67, USN 47, USMC 20). BDA incl dest or dam a steam roller, f:JJ meters of trench line, 2 aIllmo caches, 2 arty sites, 16 trks, cut rds in 2 places, 3 AAA sites, 17 ftns, 11 strucs, 1 wpns psn, & igniteu 23 sec explosions & 35 fires.

30 October (Iiednesday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 126 mens (USAF 54, USN 48, USMC 24). BDA incl dest or dam 1 rd, a ferry bt, 11 trks, 47 supply craft, 3 AAA sites, 2 ftns, 5 brgs, 1 struc, 1 wpns psn, & ignited 13 sec explosions & 20 fires.

-217-

31 october (Thursday)

- NVN: US pilots flew 125 mens (USAF 61, USN 41, USMC 23). BOA incl dest or dam 20 crates of sup, 120 meters of trench, a sup area, 3 trks, cut rds in 14 places, 33 supply craft, 1 AAA site, 8 ftns, 1 brg, 12 strucs, 1 wpns psn, & ignited 45 sec explosions & 54 fires.

- CMAC (Gia Dinh Prov): ,At approx 2130 hrs, the en fired 8 rds of mixed 122mm & 107mm rkts into city of Saigon which impacted at the fol 10cs: 3 rkts within ~-mi radius of the cen of Saigon in the 3rd Precinct (2 were duds - 1 107mm &! 1 unk type - while the other was 122mm), 4 rkts in the 5th Precinct at 2 10cs 1~ mi S & 1 mi SW of the cen of Saigon (all 4 were 122mm & 1 was a dud), 1 rkt impacted in the 1st Precinct 1~ mi E of the cen of Saigon. The rl<:t was a dud of unreptd type. Res: 2 VN dvs were kd & 6 Wounded. 2 houses were reptd dam. No US cas •

•

-218-

•

-,

.1

1 november (Friday) Admiral John S. ;[cCain Jr, Comdr in Chief, Pacific, announced bomb halt of NVN, eff 2100 hrs, Saigon time 1.\1-( inst.ructions rec fr the President. (Announcement made by President on 31 Oct in Hashington).

NVN: US pilots flew 114 msns (USAF 59, USN 33, USVC 22). dest or dam 21 water craft, 2 rdr Sites, 5 strucs, 7 ftns, segnents, 4 AAA sites, & an approach to a hwy brg.

BDA inc1 1,2 rd

CHAC (Gia Dinh Prov): At approx 0120, the en fired less than 5 rds of mixed 107mm & 122Irm rkts into Tan Son Nhut AB. No cas & lt dam. At 0630 hrs, the en again fired 3 rkts of undetm type into Saigon area. Res: 21 VN ci v kd & 1,4 wounded.

A 1::\R F-I; Phantom acft was downed at 1715 hrs en end fire over sout.hern Panhandle of NVN. fecft crashed at sea R, 2 ",an crew was res by AUSTR destroyer, m';AS Pert.h.

US~F r~a.i Frank Lenahan, 36, of Tucson, Ariz., at 1930 hrs Saigon tbe, in an F-'.C Phantom of the 8th Tao Ftr \,ig, flew last resn over P'l.nhand13' !,aj William R. Smith, of Cherry Pt, NC., in an ,~-4 Skyhawk, flew last. 'tm Corps msn at 1C35 hre; and tlomdr Kenneth E. Enney, of San Diego, Calif., flew last Navy msn at 1800 hrs.

2 November (Saturday) VERNON LAKE I. Terminated. Res: 93 EK, 23 I/wpns P,l CSH c-,:>trd. TJS1KH" I,

WH.

VERNON LAKE II. Commenced. The op is a mu1ti-·bn search Et cleat. op cen in an area 12 mi S of Quang Ngai City involving elm of lHh light. Inf ride.

3 November (Sunday) SEA LORDS. Anounced. designed to interdict op began 18 Oct 68.

Op is under con fo Comdr of Naval forces (VN) & en infiltration deep in SVN' s • ':ekonr: nelta. The

JEB STUART III. Terminated. Res: 2,014 EK, 251 suspect.~ dt.n, 1,0'79 Ij\o/pns & 124 6S\v cptrd. US 212 KIA, 1512 vII ,\ (1,386 evac). ),,) on rtn to GVN under Chieu Hoi Program.

4 November(;;onday)

5 November (Tuesday) HENDERSON HILL (Quang Nam Prov) :~t. 09:30 hrs, an el,tl of US 5th Hert, Regt, 1st l'lm OIV, found a 5-ton rice cache 9 mi EN." of '\n ]1(00" Thi s was enough rice to feed an NV ~ co for 1,0 days.

'S November (1-/ ednesday)

'7 November (Thursda;r) CO'"'ANCHJ!: F.~LLS. Terminat.ed. Res: & 9 CSCI cptrd US 20 KI \, 57 1GA.

107 EJ( 10 suspects dt.n, 159 Ij\'/pns 11 Hoi Chanhs rtn to (";11"1

-219-

~ Nove.'llber ( Friday) t;lU'aT CRIE'! (nen Hoa Prov): During pd 1045-M15 IIrs, e1-s of US 2nd Bde, 9th Inf Div (lffiF) , ene an unk size en force in 4 sep contacts while cdt offensive swp r, mi SE of Ben Tre. En emp1 SI\. & auto wpns while inf rtn i':1re with or~anic wpns sptd by arty & he1 gunships Res: 51 EK, no US cas.

9 November (Saturday) The US Army's 1st Cay Div (A'~, condr by Maj Gen George I. Forsythe, has comp1 most of its move fr N I Corps Tae Zone to the II Corps Tac Zone. The move will be comp1 8< the div will be fully op in III Corps by midNov, it was announced today. The move, named Op LIBERTY CANYON, begain on 2ft Oct. The diY, with hqs 10c near Phuoc Vinh in Binh Duong Prov, will op init in the N III Corps area covering portions of Tay Minh, Binh Long & Long Provs. The div will be part of II FFV which is under the comd of Lt Gen Walter T. Kerwin, USA.

10 November (Sunday) III MAF (DMZ): Btwn 1030 & 1335 brs, 3 3rd !-far Div psns rec 75mm arty 8< 122mm rkt fire in 5 atks fr en psns in the DMZ, res in 4 Mar KIA & 41 WIA. At 1st 10c, ~!AR rec 16 rds of suspected 75mm arty fire at 1030 res in no cas or dam reptd. In 3 other atks 4 mi SW of Con Thien, other elms of 3rd MAR Div rec Unk no of rkt rds at 1100, 1120, & 1220 brs res in 4 US KIA & 41 WIA (30 evac). At 3rd 10c 4 mi SSE of Con Thien, other elms of 3rd MAR Div rec 10 rds of 122mm rkt fire betwn 1300 & 1335. There were no cas or dam reptd. The 2 en firing psns 10c ~ & 1 mi N of the S trace of the DMZ were loc by an a.eria1 obs & gnd trps S of the DMZ. btwn 1120 & 1130 one en firing psn loe 3 mi W of Con Thien was atkd by I1AR aeft & arty res in 1 rkt pen. & 10 bunkers dest & 1 fire ignited. The other en firing psns 10c 5 mi W of Con Thien was taken under fire with unk res.

DARING ENDEAVOR. Commenced. The op is a mult-co search & clear op cen 5 mi SW of Hoi An & commenced at 0630 hrs. US elms involved in the op inc1 units fr the 7th Regt, 1st I1AR Div & the USA's AMERICAL Div. The op commenced wH,h an amph & he1 aslt within its area of resp. As of 1200, 13 Nov, 19 en soldiers have been kd, 15 crm en & 230 suspects dtn. US losses 1 kd & 22 wounded.

11 November (110nday) WHEELER/WALLOWA. Terminated. Op commenced 11 Sep 67 & cen in an area 16 mi W of Tam Ky. E:Lrns were 196th Lt Inf Bde, AMERICAL Div. During

'the 14-mo op, 10,020 en soldiers were kd, 5195 suspects were dtn & 1724 I/Wpns & 392 CSW were cptrd. US cas were 683 kd & 3599 wounded (2550 evac). The op was sptd by 5552 tac air sorties & 901 naval gunfire mens.

BURLINGTON TRAIL. Terminated. Op which commenced on 8 Apr 68 with elms of the 198th Lt Inf Bde, AMERICAL Div, kd 1931 en soldiers in an area cen 5 mi WNW of Tam Ky. In addition, the Inf dtn 1289 suspects, & cptrd 441 Wpns & 104 CSW. US cas were 129 kd & 985 wounded (747 evac). The op was sptd by 1620 tac air sorties.

-220-

•

12 November (Tuesday) III HAP (Quang Tri Prov): At approx 1330 brs, an elm of the ,'\RVN 2nd Regt, 1st Inf Div. at a fire spt base loc 4 mi ENE of Con Thien, rec approx 10 rds of en ~2mm mort fire res in very lt cas. The en firing psns to the N of the base were cfm by vis obs & were loc inside the S half of the D~.:z. Counter-arty fires were dir into the en psns with unk reS. Later, inves revealed loc was a suspected firing psn.

13 November (Wednesday) HQ HACV: The Air Force announced that the det of 5 FOlls at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, have compl their asgnd tour of temp duty. which begain in }larch. Since this temp tour has ended & because of a rqrmt to reinf the wg carry-trough struc, the acft are sched to rtn to US within the next 2 wks. The acft & crews will rtn to their perm sta at Nellis AFB, Nev. Wh While in SEA the acft flew over 50 cbt msns in testing their capability of pent a hostile area in a low level atk msn at ni in bad wea. The rtng acft crews will be used at Nellis to train additional TAC F-11 pilots.

HENDERSON HILL (Quang Nam Prov): At 0900 hrs an elm of the US 5th MAR Regt, 1st !~1 Div, while on a search & clear op were led by a former en solider to a cache cntn 57 tons of rice. The rice will be evac & redistributed to VN civs.

14 November (Thursday) I CTZ (DMZl: 5 incdts were reptd involving en ae,tv in the S portion of the m'lZ. h incdts occurred on 13 Nov while one, a delayed rept, occurred on 11 Nov. ,\11 incdts occurred btwn ~ & 3 mi N of the S edge of the DHZ. No US cas. On 11 Nov at 2115 elms fr a tk bn of the US 3rd HAR Div obs an est 10 sets of veh Its moving S 5 mi NNE of Con Thien. At 2130 the Its disappeared. The 'TAR did not eng the tgts fr their .psns S of the DMZ. At 0~45, 13 Nov, an aerial obs flying a recon msn rec AA fire fr 2 en locs 5 mi NNN of Gio Linh. The aerial obs dir arty fire onto the en psns with unk res. At 1100, 13 Nov another aerial obs flying a recon msn rec SA fire fr 2 en locs 4 mi NNW of Gio Linh. The aerial obs dir arty fire & naval funfire fr the USS Davis onto the en psns & dest numerous bunkers & 15 meters of trench line. At 1600, 13 Nov, 10 en soldiers in the open 5 mi NE of Gio Linh fired their organic wpns at an aerial obs cdtg a recon msn. The AO dir naval gunfire fr the USS Canberra onto the en soldiers with unk res. In another incdt 3 mi NNE of Gio Linh at approx 1300, 13 Nov, an AO spotted 10 NVA soldiers moving in the open. The abn spotter dir over 500 rds of mixed arty fire fr arty units onto the en'psns res in 34 sec explosion, Ig explosion & 3 fires. En cas unk.

I CTZ (DHZ): ,\T approx 0320, a USA 0-1 It obs acft, on a vis recon msn, rec SA fire fr an est 10-15 en soldiers moving in an open area 3 mi NE of Gio Linh (approx 1 mi inside the S edge of the D~~). The AO dir arty fire onto the en loc res in 7 sec explosions. En cas are unk and there were no US cas.

TOAN THANG (Binh Duong Prov): At 1330 hra, an elm of the US 2nd Bde, 25th Inf Div, discovered a significant en cache while swp an area 7 mi NW of Pbu Cuong. The cache cntn approx 10 tons of polished rice in 385 bags weighting 50 Ibs ea.

-221-

,.-.-.-.----..,---------r---.----

III MAP (00): 2 additional incdts were reptd in the J1.\IZ: (a) At approx 1440, a USA aerial obe, on a reoon JIlIn, obs an lUIl'eptd no ot n.,~ OOlllt en bunkers 10 m1 NNW ot Camp Carroll in the S halt ot the DMZ. .;rtT tire wae dir onto the en pllUI :I'I1II in an unk no ot bunkers clest.. En cas ve unk. (b) At approx 1800, a USA AO aiChteel an en bunker complex wi t.h signa of reoent. en use in an area :3 m1 II ot Gio L1nh in the S half of the DMZ. ArtT tire was dir onto the en psn res in 1 19 sec explosion with tire that rose 500 ft in the air.

DARING ENDEAVOR: Announced. Op commenced on 10 Nov. The multi-co search & clear op, cen 5 mi SW of Hoi An involves elms of the let MAR Div & the AMERICAL Div.along with VN Regional & PF trps & VN NP. The op commenced with an amph aslt rr ships of the USN's TF 76. As' of 1200, 13 Nov, 19 en had been kd. US losses were 1 kd & 22 wounded.

15 November (Friday) III MAF (DM41: There were 2 additional incdts reptd involving en actv in the ova. Both of the incdts occurred btwn ~ & 1 mi N of the S edge of the D112. No US cas. At approx 1500 .• an aerial obs spotted an unk no of NVA soldiersl in bunkers 2 mi NE of Gio Linh. The AO dir arty & tac air onto the en psns res in 10 sec explOSions & 9 bunkers dest. Body of 1 en soldiers was obs lying in the area fo1 the strike. At approx 2030 a gnd obs S of the DMZ obs a 5-veh convoy moving on a rd 2 mi NEof Gio Linh. The AO dir arty fire onto the en convoy res in 22 sec explosions & an unk no of small fires.

III MAF (DMZ): At approx OBOO, a USA aerial obs on a recon msn, obs an unreptd no of en bunkers & sup 3 mi NE of Gio Linh in the Shalf of the DMZ. The aerial obs dir arty fire & Air Force-F-4 acft on the psn. One of the strike acft was hit & lightly dam by en gnd fire rr an unk no 'of en near the bunker complex. The airstrikes & arty res in 12 sec explosions &, fo1 the act, the aeri.al obs reptd the bodij,s of 32 en soldiers lying in the strike area. At approx 0900, a US MAR aerial obs sighted an unreptd no of en bunkers & sup 5 mi NE of Gio Linh in the S DMZ. Arty & MAR A-4 airstrikes were dir onto the en psn res in 12 bunkers dest. In addition the abs reptd 2 EK.

16 November (Saturday) TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov); At approx 0630, an elm of the US 3rd Bde, 1st Cav Div (Al4), in ni def psns 24 mi NNW of Tay Ninh City were atk -by an est en co empl grens, auto wpns & RPG rkt gren fire. The cav trps rtn fire with their organic wpns & were sptd by he1 gunShips, artf & tac air as act cont until 0800 when contact was briefly lost as the en withdrew. The trps pursued the en & reestablished contact with an unk size force in the same general area at approx 0825. The en emp1 SA & auto wpns fire against the atkg inf. Some of the en were reptd kd while firing rr hidden psns in trees. Act cont until 1530 when the remaining en successfully evaded & withdrew. The trps found the bodies Of 15 en soldiers kd. In addition, 1 CSW&q3 I,twpns were cptrd .rl'o US lcas in the. 2-hr eng. At an unreptd time 6n 18 Nov, an elm of the US· 3rd Ede, 1st Cav Div (AM) d:tscovered the bodies ot 8 en soldiers & cptrd 8 additional I,twpns w~t1e swp in the general area of the same unit's 9-hr battle on 16 Nov (24 mi) NNW of Tay Binh City. The 8 additional bodies raised the total fr :3~ to 44 en kd. In addition, a total of 19 I,/Vlpns & 6 C$i were cptrd by the trps. US cas were 11 wounded as a res of the ni atk & pursuit act on 16 Nov. There were no cas in the swp act on 18 Nov.

-222-

•

III :!.\F (mlZ): At approx 0920, a USA aerial obs, on a recon msn, sighted a bunker complex & foxholes occupied by an unk no of en soldiers 2 mi NI"/ of Gio Linh & approx ! l!li inside the S edge of the D;;Z. Tac air was dir mnto the en psns res in 6 sec fires & 14 bunkers dest. The aerial obs reptd the bodies of 8 en soldiers lying in the strike area fol the act. Immed fol the air strikes arty fires were dir onto the en psns & the AO reptd an additi()nal 13 en soldiers kd in the same general area, raising the tool to 21 en reptd kd in the eng. In addition, they arty fire dest 2 more bunkers & 00 meters of trench line. No US cas.

III HAF (DHZ): AT approx 1800, Iln aerial obs on a recon msn, obs movement near 2 en AA wpns psns. Arty fire was dir in the area res in 2 wpns pens & 1 bunker dest & 12 sec explosions ignited. The area was 3 mi m'T of Gio Linh & 1 mi above the S edge of the DHZ.

GARRARD BAY (Quang Nam Prov) Terminated. The bn size search & clear op was cdtd by elms of the 26th M,\R Regtl TIn in close coordination with elms of the US 1st Regt, 1st !fAR Div, ROD 2nd 1,iAR Bde, ARVN 51st Inf Regt & VN NP Fld Forces. During the 22-day op, the ~l!\R kd 19 en soldiers & dtn 1,761 suspects. (, Ij\ipns were also cptrd. US losses were 7kd & 50 wounded (1.4 evac).

17 November (Sunday) III MAF (m!z): At 1155, an aerial obs on a recon msn obs a bunker complex 2 mi I'M of Gio Linh, ~ mi N of the S edge of the mlZ. MAR A-4,& F-4 tac air strikes were dir onto the tgt res in 5 en kd by air, 9 bunkers dest & 4 residual fires ignited.

DARING ENDEAVOR: Terminated. Res: 3') EK, 3:36 suspects dtn, 5 I/Wpns & 1 CSI'f cptrd. US 1 KIA, 36 InA (34 evac) ,

H': November (llonday)

19 November (Tuesday) HENDERSON HILL (Quang Nam Prov): At approx 1430, a recon tm fr the US 1st HAR Div obs a gp of 55 NVA soldiers carrying packs & rns :1 mi WNW of An Roa. The MAR dir arty fire onto the en trp conc killing 33 NV,~ soldiers. Approx 2 hrs later, & in the same general area, the recon tum obs another gp of }5 en soldiers crossing a rice paddy & dir arty fire onto the area res in 23 en kd. No MAR cae in eith incdt. The 56 en kd raised the total to 104 en kd by arty fire fr 4 gps totaling 345 en soldi~s obs by MAR recon tms & taken under fire on 18 & 19 Nov NW of An Roa, No US cas during the engs.

20 November (Wednesday) , MEADE RIVER (l.,!Uang Nam Prov): At approx 2200, a US MAR aerial obs on a recon men. Sighted 75 en soldiers moving in an area 9 mi W of Hoi An. The obs dir arty fire onto the en force as an acft in the vic lighted the area with nares. The observer reptd sighting the bodies of 35 en lying in the strike area foll the ac'~. No US cas.

-223-

'),

MEADE RIVER (Quang Nam Prov): Coa.noed. US elJDe involved in the op include units tr all 3 regts ot the lilt MAR DiT under the con of the lilt MAR Regt. The op cCIIIIIDenoed with a US MAR hel aslt fr USN shipe ot the 7th Fleet til amph TF (TF-76). Thill pa.1I"t ot the op Wall tC'llled Op SWIF'l' MOVE.

21 November (TIIul'lday) III MAF (DMZ): There were 2 inodtl l'eptd involving en init act in the Dlf:Z: (a.) At approx 0930, a USA aeri .. l Obll, on a reoon men over the S DMZ, reo .50 cal MG fire tr a NVA psn 4! rni N of Gio Linh near the Ben Hai River in the N Half of the DMZ. The obs dir arty fire tr S of the DMZ onto the loc res in 1 sec explosion with a 19 fireball & the dest of the en l~G psn. In addition, the AO reptd 2 bunkers & 2 en strucs dest by the arty. No US cas & en losses are unk. (b) Later, at approx 1110, an AO, on a. recon msn over the S DMZ, rec fire fr a NVA AA gun psn, of unreptd cal, loc 6 mi NNE of Gio Linh near the Ben Hai River in the N half of the DMZ. The obs dir arty fire rr below the DMZ onto the loc Silencing the NVA AA wpn. No US cas & en losses are unk.

NEVADA EAGLE (Thua Thien Prov): Btwn the brs of 0915 & 1200, elms of the US 2nd Bde, 101st Abn Div (AM), odtg off swp ops in a general area l4mi S of Hue, found graves in 2 locs ontn the bodies of 55 en soldiers. 'rhe bodies were apparently kd by air strikes & arty fire. Time of death wae not reptd.

22 November (Friday) III NAF (DHZ): An incdt was reptd involving en init aot in the DMZ. At approx 1345, a US HAR Corps aerial obs, on a reconmsn over the S DMZ, rec .50 cal MG fire fr an en psn loc 6 mi NNE of Gio Linh near the Ben Hai River in the N half of the DMZ. The obs dir arty fire fr S of the DMZ onto the loc silenoing the MG &: dest a new bunker. No US cas & en losses are unk.

MEADE RIVER (Quang Nam Prov): Announced. The mult-bn searoh & clear op oen 9 mi W of Hoi An, oommenced on the morning of 20 Nov.

23 November (Saturday) QUYET CHIEN (Dinh Tuong Prov): At 1100, hel gunships fr the l64th Cbt Avn Gp sptd by tac air on sta eng an unk size en force 2 mi NNW of Cai Be. At 1200, an elm of the US 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div, was inserted into the area & made It & sporadio contaot with remnants of the en foroe in the area. Contaot was lost at lS30. Res: 52 EK by hel gunships & tao air, & 6 kd by the info l5suspeots were dtn & 55 bunkers & 30 motorized sampans were dest. 1 CSW & 11 I/Wpns also cptrd. One US soldier waS wounded in the eng.

SAIGON (MACV HQ): A US ~armed recon plane was lost over NVN. SAR was undertaken by its escort acft & by other acft called in. The SAR, init for the reoovery of the crew of th.!l Ail'.J'!lroe~,::,4C, was announced as term on 25 Nov. The SAR was unsuccessful & the 2' cr. mbrs were listed as missing. The acft was dOlflled to unk causes approx 9 mi WNW ot Dong Hoi.

I I I

I

III HI\F (DJ.IZ): At approx 1600, a US aerial obs on a recon msn, rec auto wpns fire fr 2 or 3 en soldiers in a treeline 4 mi NNl'J of Gio Linh & 2 mi inside the S half of the DHZ. The obs dir arty fire onto the en psn res in 1 sec explosion & silencing the en fire. In addition, 1 bunker was reptd dam by the arty fire. No US cas. En losses unk.

LANCASTER II (Quang Tri Prov): Terminated. Units involved were fr 3rd MAR Div. Op was announced 28 Jan 68 & commenced 20 Jan 68. Cum res: US 359 KIA, 2101 WIA (1,714 evac). 1, SOl EK, & 824 I/Wpns & 89 CS';! cptrd.

24 November (Sunday) TOAN TIUNG (Tay Ninh Prov): At 1130, hel gunships fr the 12th Cbt Avn Gp were cdtg an armed recon flt over an area 15 mi NW of Tay Ninh City when an est 200 en soldiers opened fire on the acft with SA & auto wpns. The hel mvrd & atkd the en force wH,h Jill 's & 2.75 in rkts & act cont until 1430 when contact was lost as t,he remaining en evaded obs & withdrew. Res: 54 EK, no US cas.

QUYET CHIEN (Dinh Tuong Prov): At approx 1000, hel gunships fr the 12th Cbt Avn Gp, in spt of the US 9th Inf Div, obs an unk size en force while cdtg air recon ops 7 mi W of Cai Lay. The air cav trps, empl MG & rkt fire, kd 10 en soldiers. Later 3 comps fr ·the 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div, sptd by hel gunships & tac air, were aaslt into the general area of contact. The hel gunships cont to eng small gps of VC as they attempted to evade the gnd trps. 2 loudspeaker msns were flown & over 100,00 leaflets were dropped in spt of the 1st Bde. Contact was lost at approx 1530 when the remaining en evaded the inf & gunships. The cum res: 49 EK (42 by gunships, 6 by tac air & 1 by the inr, 9 suspects dtn & one Hoi Chanh raIled. 1 CSW & 6 I/Wpns were cptrd. No US cas.

25 November (Monday) TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 0630, elms of the US 3rd Bde, 1st Cav Div (AM), while cdtg a search & clear op, eng an est en co 21 mi NN\'i of Tay Ninh City. Contact was lost at 0830 & regained at 0900 with an est 25 en loc in a nearby treeline. Tac air & arty, hel gunships & aerial rkt arty sptd the friendly forces. Contact was lost again 1030. 52 en were kd & 20 I/Wpns & 17 C$v were cptrd. US cas 5 KIA &.10 WIA. In a swp of the area on 26 Nov, elms of the 3rd Bde, 1st Cav Div (AM) & the VN 5th HAn Bn swept the area of contact & found 71 additional bodies bringing the total kd by the inf & sptg tms to 123. The cum wpns, equip & ammo cptrd incl 20 I/Wpns & 17 CSlf, 1 Soviet rdo, 3 ChiCom rdos, It AT mines, 51 ChiCom grens, 40 RPG (rkt-gren) rds, 19 60mm mort rds, & 5SO rds of SA ammo. US cas 5 KIA & 13 wounded (undated fr 10). At OSOO hrs, 2B Nov, an aerial recon tm fr the US cav sqdn of the 1st Air Cav Di.v reptd an additional 15 bodies that had been kd during the eng on 25 Nov. The cum totals are 138 EK, 6 suspects dtn, 40 wpns & a small ammo & equip cache cptrd. US losses were 5 kd & 13 wounded.

-225-

III l-lAF (DHZ): 3 incdts were reptd involving en init act in the DMZ: (a) At approx 0930, 3 aerial obs acft on recon msns over the S DMZ rec .50 cal MG & SA aire tr an en pen 10c 4 mi II of Gio Linh in the S hal! of the DI'i2. (apprax 1.5 iii N of the S trace of the DMZ). OIl. acft vas hit by a .50 cal rd &: rtn to base. No dam to the acft reptd or iDj to pere. The other aerial obe dir MAR arty fire, nayal gunfire fr the USS Wadden &: us Air Force tao air onto the en psn. The .50 cal MG pen vas dest &. the 8IIIal.l. arms fire silenced. 1 Bunker & 25 meters of trenchline were dest & 1 other bunker dam. No US cas &: en losses are unk. (b) At approx 1500, an aerial obs fiying a recon msn S of the Demarcation Line rec .50 cal MJ fire fr an auto wpns psn loc 4 mi N of Gio Linh (1.5 km S of the Ben Hai River). The acft took 2 hits & rtn to base. No dam or cas were reptd. other aerial obs dir tac air, arty & naval gunfire onto the wpnll psn res in the.50 cal MG psn, 1 bunker & 50 meters of trenchline being dest. No US cas & en cas are unk. (c) At approx 1650, an aerial obs flying ,a recon msns S of the Demarcation Line rec .50 cal HG fire fr an auto wpns psn loc 4 mi N of Con Thien in the N half of the Dl1Z (100 meters N of the Ben Hai River). The obs dir tac air onto the wpns psn dest the HG. There were no acft hig & no US cas. En cas are unk.

SAIGON (Hq l1ACV): An :unarmed US recon acft & Hll armed US escort acft were lost in 2 Sep incdts over NVN. In both cases suppressive fire was provided by US acft in spt of search & res ops. NVN surfact-to-air missiles were fired & NVN IHG acft eng the US /toft. Until SAR is oompl no additional details will be made public).

26 November (Tuesday) III MAF (DMZ): At approx 0950, a ptl,fr the US 3rd MAR Div, eng an est en plat !while cdtg a recon msn 2i mi NNW of Con Thien & about 500 meters inside the S edge of the DMZ. The en empl AK-47 auto wpns fire & .50 cal MG fire fr fortified psns in the S DMZ. The ptl rtn fire with organic wpns & at approx 1050, an elm of the 3rd Reg, 3rd MAR Div reinf the trps in contact. Act cont with arty & tac air sptg the MAR until an unreptd time in the early afternoon when contact was lost as the en evaded & withdrew. Although the ptl reptd hearing screams of en soldiers apparentlywounded'by the init strikes in the area prior to arr of the react force, no bodiell were found in a swp of the en psns. MAR found 25 cases of S2mm mort ammo with 3 rds in

,ea case apparently left by the en force. No US cas in the eng. 27 NOVember (Weqnesday)

TOAN TH~G (Binh Long Prov): At approx 1110, an elm of the US 2nd Bde, 1st Cav Div (AN) & an elm of the US 11th Al'md Cav Regt, eng an est NVA co while cdtg a cbt swp 4 mi N of Loc Ninh. The en empl RPG rkt-gren, auto wpns & SA fire while the trps were sptd by hel gunships & arty & tac air in addition to the organic 90mm tk guns & .50 cal MG t s of the armd pers carriers. Act cant into the afternoon until 1630 when contact was lost as the remainLng en evaded & withdrew. The res were: 5S EK, & 13 Itwpns, 9 CSW, 12 rds of 60mm mort ammo, 40 B-40 rkt-grens & 50 ChiCom grens were cptrd. US cas S WIA.

-226-

TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 0850, VN RG elms eng an est en bn while cdtg a cbt swp 9 mi \-It,.! of Go Dau Ha. The en empl SA & auto wpns fire in addition to .50 cal MG & 75mm UR fire. The RF trps rtn fire With organic wpns sptd by Air Force A-37 & F-100 tac airstrike, USA arty & ARVN arty. At approx noon, other RF elms reinf the units in contact & act cont into the afternoon. Elms of the US 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div, reinf the ARVN inf at approx 1700 & fighting cont into the ni & was cont as of 1st rapt on 28 Nov. Init repts indicate US & VN cas are It. En losses are 96 kd & 2 CSW & 10 ItWpns cptrd.

28 November (Thursday) TOAN THANG (Binh Long Prov): At approx 0900, mech elms fr the US 3rd Bde, 1st Cay Div (AN) & Inf fr the ARVN 9th Regt, 5th Inf Div, eng an unk size en force While cdtg comb swp ops 4 mi NNE of Loc Ninh. The cay trps & inf were sptd by ARVN arty & USA arty & aerial rkt arty gunships until 1030 when contact was lost. At 1315, contact was re-established when the comb force rec en SA ~ RPG fire. Contact cont throughout the afternoon as the friendly forces were sptd by tac air & hel gunships. At approx 1630 contact was lost as the en Withdrew. Res: 71 EK, US cas 4 viIA. ARVN cas were very It. There were no US or ARVN fatalities.

DA~rsON RIVER «(,luang Tri Prov): & clear op cen in an area 14 mi US 9th Regt, 3rd MAR Div.

29 November (Friday)

Commenced. The op is a mult;L"!"b~ search S of Cam Lo, & is under the con of the

TOMI THANG (Binh Long Prov): At approx 1110, a mech inf elm of the US 1st Inf Div, under op con of the 1st Cay Div (AM)en an est NVA bn while swp an area 5 mi NE of Loc Ninh. The en dir SA, auto wpns & RPG rkt~gren fire fr fortified psns against the trps who rtn fire with organic wpns incl hv .50 cal ~G's mounted on their armd pers carriers. Act cont into the early afternoon with hel gunships, arty & tac air sptg the info Contact was lost at approx 1530 when the en evaded & withdrew. Res: 78 EK, US 7 KIA & 16 WIA.

TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 1600, an elm of the US 1st Bde, 25th Inf Div, discovered the bodies of 21 en soldiers while swp an area 9 roi Nt'l of Go Dau Ha. The en had apparently been kd by sptg fires empl during the act on 27 & 28 Nov in which VN RG trps & elms

. of the bde sptd by ARVN arty, hel gunships, arty & tac airkd 96 en in an eng with an est en bn in the same general area.

30 November (Saturday) QUYET CHIEN (Dinh Tuong Prov): In an act that began approx 0735, hel gunships fr the air cay sqdn of the 12th Cbt Avn Gp obs & eng an unk size en force 4 mi NE of Cai Be. The gunships amp NG & 2.75-in rkt fire while the en rtn fire with SA & auto wpns. Contact was lost at approx 0750 when the en evaded obs & Withdrw. At approx 0830, an elm fr the 1st Bde, 9th Inf Div was aaslt into the same general area & immed re-established contact with an unk siae en force. Later in the morning at approx 1115, another elm rr the lIame bde reinf the unit in contact all act cont until 1530 when the en once again withdrew & contact was lost. A swp of the area was cdtd & 70 en bodies were found J,ying about the battlefield. Res: 70 EK, 20 IIUSpects were dtn & 14 I/Wpns were cptrd. No US Call.

-227-

I

Q!!!l2!!2lt2QI 2I. lH:!!;.!i12

Q:!!;QlUU!:!!;!l !~~~

1 December (Sunday)

III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1600, 2 aerial obs t.l.ying recon mans over the S half of the DMZ obs an en auto wpns pen 4 mi N of Gio Linh (approx 300 meters S of the Ben Hai River) &, what appeared to be , five 100-lb sacks of sup in a nearby area. One of the AO's rec auto wpns fire fr the en wpns psn & dir tac air onto the loc res in 2 bunkers, 1 small struc & 90 meters of trenchline dest & 1 bunker dam. In addition, 1 sec explosion & 1 sec .fire were obs. The AO's then dir arty fire onto the sup area & reptd the sup & 2 Ig bunkers dest & 2 sec explosions with 40-ft fireballs. No US cas & neither acft was hit.

2 December (Monday)

HARDIN FALLS (Quang Nam Prov): Commenced. The multi-co search & clear op involves elms of the US 19Bth Lt Inf ade, AMERICAL Div, the armd cay sqdn of the div & VN RF & PF trps along with NP elms. The op area is cen approx 7 mi SE of Hoi An.

- At approx lS30, an aerial obs flying a recon man S of the Ben Hai River rec .50 cal fire fr 2 en wpns psns loc 5 & 5i mi NNE of Con Thien (1 psn was loc 300 meters N of the Ben Hai River in the N half of the DMZ, the other one was loc 100 meters S of the Ben Hai River. US Air Foree tac air was dir onto the 2 psns res in 1 wpns psn dam (N half of the DMZ) & 1 dest (S half of the DMZ). The acft were hot hit & there were no US cas.

- VERNON LAKE (Quang Ngai Prov): Terminated. Op commenced on 25 Oct 68. During the 8-day op 93 en soldiers were kd, 23 I/Wpns & 1 CS~T were cptrd. US losses were Id kd & 4 wounded.

3 December (Tuesday)

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 0830 hrs, an aerial obs flying a recon man over the S half of the DMZ rec auto wpns fire fr an en .50 cal MG psn loc 5 mi NNE of Con Thien (150 meters N of the Ben Hai River) in the N half of the DMZ. US MAR tac air was dir onto the en wpns psn silencing the gun emplacement. No acft were hit in the eng.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 0950 hrs, an aerial obs flying a recon man over the S half of the DMZ rec .50 cal MG fire fr an en wpns psn 4 mi NW of Gio Linh (approx 200 meters N of the Ben Hai R.1.ver) in the N half of the DMZ. MAR tac air & 16-in Naval gunfire fr the USS New Jersey were dir onto the wpns psn res in the dest of 1 bunker & 200 meters of trenchline, & severe dam to 2 struce. The en wpns psn was also silenced. No acft were hit in the eng.

- TOAN THANG (Phuoc Long Prov): At approx 1025 hrs, an elm of the US 3rd ade, 1st Cav Div (AM) was aaslt into an area 15 mi WSW of Phuoc Binh. At 1045, the unit rec hv SA, auto wpns, RPG rkt-gren & 82mm mort fire fr

-22S-

an est NVA bn. The hv fire was 1'01 by leveral en gnd alltl which ,.... repelled by the cay trpl empl organic wpnl aptd by tac air, arty Ie aerial rkt arty hel gunihipi fr the div. Act cont into the afternoon until approx 1500 when contact was lost as the en withdrew. US losses in the 4-hr battle were 25 kd Ie 52 wounded. 1 en body was found. During a ewp of the battle area on 4 Dec, another elm of the bde eng an unk size en force at about 1510. Tac air sptd the cay during a 50·-min fire fight which fol. Contact was lost at 1600 as the en again withdrel~. 13 US soldiers were wounded in this eng. En cas are unk.

- QUYET CHIEN (KiEln Phong Prov): Btwn 1100 Ie 1830, F-100 Ie A-37 tac acft fr the US Air Force 3rd Tac Ftr Wg atkd elms of an est en bn in an area 9 m1 NE of Cao Lanh while sptg ARVN trps in the 44th SZ. ARVN units moved into the area Ie cdtg a swp finding 62 en bodies kd by the airstrikes.

5 December (Thursday)

- MEADE RIVER (QwI.ng Nam Prov): During a cordon Ie search op at 1200 in an area 9mi W of Hoi An, 2 comps fr the US MAR 26th Regtl Ldg Tm atkd an unk size en force in well-fortified psns. The MAR atkd the pens after dir tac air Ie arty fire onto the extensive bunker complex. Contact was lost at 1700 when the en withdrew. Res: 67 NVA soldiers kd, 5 suspects were dtn Ie 10 I/Wpns were cptrd. No MAR cas.

6 December (Friday)

_ HARDm FALLS (Quang Nam Prov): Announced. COIIIIl81'Iced 2 Dec 68. The multi-co search Ie clear op involves elms of the US 198th Lt Inf Bde, AMERlCAL Div, the al'IId cay sqdn of the db Ie VN RF Ie PF trps along with NP elms. The OIl is cen approx 7 m1 SE of Hoi An 8< to date there have been no significant contacts reptd. As of 5 Dec. 17 en have been kd Ie 3 suspects dtn. In addition, 1 I/Wpn has been cptrd. No friendly cas reptd.

_ III CORPS: Op GIANT SLINGSHOT comnenced. The OIl is cen on theVam Co Dong Ie Vam Co Tay Rivers, flowing W fr a pt S of 5a:1gon around the "Parrot's Beak" sect of the Csm!vvl1an border. More than 40 USN ptl bts have moved into a "Y"-shaped complex of narrow rivers within 15 m1 01' Saigon to interdict en movament acroSI the W approaches to SVN's capital city. Taking part in the op are the fiberglass river ptl bts Ie minesweepers of the Navy's Game Warden River ptl Force, as well as al'IId aslt spt ptl bts, al'IId trp carriers Ie "Monitors" of the Navy's Ri"er Aslt Flotilla One. Neither river has been ptld reg by USN Forces.

_ III MAF (DMZ): At approx 093 5, a US aerial obi on a recon man over the S DMZ rec hv fire fr an en .50 cal AA !I} loc 4 m1 NNW of Gio Linh Ie about

-229-

----~----------------

I

I I

1 km fr the Ben Hai River in the S DMZ. The obs dir US MAR arty fire onto the wpns psn silencing the en wpn. The obs acft was not hit & there were no US cas.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1255, a US aerial obs on a recon man over the S DMZ obs 31 en soldiers 2 mi NW of Gio Linh (approx 2 mi S of the act en AA M} psn reptd earlier in the day) in the S half of the DMZ. Arty fire was dir onto the en trp conc with unk res as en smoke prevented compl assessment of the strike area.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1810, a US MAR arty forward obs lac S of the DMZ, obs 6 en soldiers in an open area 4 mi N of Gio Linh & 300 meters S of the Ben Hai River. The FO dir arty fire onto the en trps res in 1 sec explosion. En cas are unk.

- HENDERSON HILL (Quang Nam Prov): Terminated. The op commenced 23 Oct 68 under the can of the US 5th Regt, 1st MAR Div & had the specific man to cptr or eliminate en forces, installations & mat within its are of responsibility. Cum res: 700 EK, 94 suspects dtn, & 41 I/Wpns & 5 CSW were cptrd. US 35 kd & 273 wounded of whom 233 were evac. The op was sptd by 818 tac air sorties.

7 December (Saturday)

- TAYLOR COMMON (Quang Nam Prov): Commenced. The op is cen in an area 10 mi W of An Hoa, & involves elms of the US 3rd, 5th & 7th MAR Regts under the can of the 1st MAR Div. As of 2400, 16 Dec, the MAR & sptg fires have accounted for 123 en kd. In addition, 41 suspects have been dtn & 2 CSW & 18 I/Wpns have been cptrd. MAR cas so far are 18 kd & 73 wounded. A total of 223 tac airstrikea have been flown irl apt of the gnd forces.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1215, a US aerial obs on a recon msn over the S DMZ, obs an en AA psn & 2 en soldiers armed with I/Wpns 4 mi N of Gio Linh & about ! mi S of the Ben Hai River in the S half of the DMZ. The en fired on the obs acft & the aerial obs dir arty fire onto the en psn res in 1 sec explosion. In addition, the obs reptd 1 bunker dest. En cas are unk. The US acft was not hit & there were no US cas in the eng.

8 December (Sunday)

- MEADE RIVER (Quang Nam Prov): At 1630, elms of the 26th MAR Regtl Ldg 'I'm, 5th & 7th Regts, 1st MAR Div, & an ARVN armd pers carrier trp, while tightening the cordon in an area 9 mi WNW of Hoi An made contact with an unk size en force in bunker complexes & a treeline. The en force was sptd by organic wpns incl mort, while arty & hel gunships sptd the friendly elms in oontact. Act cant until 1915 when the remaining en avoided contaot under oover of darkness. Res: 91 EK, US 16 KIA & 37 WIA. ~ suspect was dtn & 15 I/Wpns were cptrd. ARVN cas were It with no fatalities.

-230-

9 December (Monday)

- III CORPS: Op GIANT SLINGSHOT was announced. 'l'he op commenced 6 Dec 68 & is cen in the Vam Co Dong ~ Vam Co Tay Rivers, flowing W rr a pt S ot Saigon around the Parrot's Beak sect of the Cambodian border.

TOAN THANG (Binh Long Prov): At approx 1045. a co rr the US 2nd Bde, 1st Gav Div (AM). cdtg a recon-in-force men 4 mi WSW of An Loc eng an unk size en force. Act cont until 1340 when the en withdrew to the ESE. The cay trps pursued & regained contact a short while later. Act cont until 1630 when the remaining en evaded & withdrew. Res: 93 EK, & 1 r,SW, 53 RPG-2 rkt-grens, 42 ChiCom hand grens & 34 rds of 60mm mort ammo were cptrd. US cas were 14 kd & 16 wounded.

- NAPOLEON SALINE (Quang Tri Prov): Terminated. Op commenced on 5 Nov 67 under the con of the 3rd MAR Regt, 3rd MAR Div. Cum res: 3.495 EK, 549 suspects dtn, & 631I/Wpns & 200 CSW cptrd. US losses were 395 kd & 2,134 wounded of whom 1,680 were evac. The op was sptd by 373 tac air sorties & 197 naval gunfire mens.

- NVN: An Air Force RF-4C recon acft was downed by en gnd fire approx 10 mi N of Dong Hoi & 4 mi off the coast of NVN. The 2-411all crew was res by Jolly Green Giant hels. Both Navy & Air Force acft flew cover during the pickup, however no suppressive fire was empl.

- MEADE RIVER (Quang Nam Prov): (a) At approx 1045, elms of the US 26th MAR Regtl Ldg Tin, while searching an area 9 mi, W of Hoi An discovered the bodies of 140 NVA soldiers apparently kd by sptg fires during previous contacts. In addition, the MAR dtn 8 NVA soldiers apprehended in the search & cptrd 32 I/Wpns & 5 CSW which were found scattered in the vic. Additional items found by the MAR incl approx 1,000 articles of en clothing & indiv equip, 372 hand grens, 42 RPG rkt-grens & misc other SA & auto wpns ammo. No contact was made during the search & there were no MAR cas. (b) Later, at approx mO, elms of the US 26th MAR Regtl Ldg Tin & the US 5th Regt, 1st MAR Div, eng an unk size en for(:e in fortified psns inside a cordoned area 9 mi W of Hoi An & 500 meters N of the previous swps. Tac air & hel. gunships sptd the gnd trps until contact was lost at approx 1500 when the remaining en avoided further eng. Res: 39 NVA soldiers kd in the act. One NVA soldier was dtn & 14 X/Wpns were cptrd. US 2 WIA.

- MEADE RIVER (Quang Nam Prov): Terminated. The op commenced on 20 Nov & was cen in an area 9 mi W of Hoi An involving elms rr the US lit MAR Di v, & in conjunction with ARVN, Korean MAR & VN NP elms. Cum ree: S4l EK & dtn 2,710 suspects (of whom 71 were crm vc Inrrastructure pers). In addition 100 en soldiers were dtn & turned over to the ARVNs as crm POW's. Also cptrd were 164 I/Wpns & 15 CSW. US losses were 107 kd & 523 wounded (386 evac). Init rapts indicate that elms of the indep, NVA, 36th Regt, were trapped within the highly eff cordon & suffered hv cas which tamp render the regt cbt ineff. The 36th NVA Regt has op in the N preTS ot SVN for almost 8 mos fol infiltration rr NVN into SVN earlier this year.


-231-

- MARSHAIJ.. MOUNTAIN (Quang Tri Prov): Conmenced. The op is a comb op involving elms of the US 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Mech) & the ARVN 1st Regt, 1st Inf Div. The specific msns are to cdt pacification & off ops in an area cen 3 mi E of Quang Tri City.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 0920, a US obs acft, on a recon man over the S DMZ, rec • 50 cal H} & SA fire fr an unk no of en in fortified psns 2 mi NW of Gio Linh & about ! mi inside the S edge of the DMZ. The aerial obs dir arty fire onto the en loc dest 5 bunkers & silencing the en fire. The acft was not hit by the en fire & there were no US cas. En cas are unk.

- The Hamlet Eval Sys Res as of 30 Nov 68 became aval. They are:

Countrywide Population

Relatively secure (A, B, and C) Contested (D and E) VC controlled

73.3% (up 3.5%)* 13.3% (down 1.6%) 13.4% (down 1.9%)

* Represents an increase of 636,800 people

Rural Population

Relatively secure Contested VC controlled

60.7% (up 5.2%)* 18.7% (down 2.1%) 20.6% (down 3.1%)

* Represents an increase of 586,600 people

11 December (Wednesday)

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1510, a US aerialobe on a recon msn over the S DMZ, sighted 10-12 en soldiers occupying fortified psns 5 mi WSW of Con Thien & 1 mi inside the S edge of the DMZ. The obs dir arty fire onto the en psns res in 3 sec explosions & dest 12 bunkers. There were no US cas & the acft was not hit. En losses are unk.


- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 0700, a US aerial obe on a recon man over the S half of the DMZ obs 15-20 en soldiers occupying fortified psns 4 mi W of Con Thien & approx 1 mI. S of the Ben Hai River in the S DMZ. The obs dir tac airs trikes onto the en psns dest 4 bunkers & igniting 1 sec fire. No acft were hit by en fire & en losses are unk.

- III MAF (DMZ): At about the same time as the above incdt, the same aerial obs sighted another gp of 15-20 en soldiers in a bunker complex 300 meters to the SE of the fortified psns struck by the MAR jets & also in the S half of the DMZ. Arty fire was dir onto the en loc res in 1 sec explosion. The obs acft was not hit by en fire & en losses are unk.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1050, a US. aerial obs Sighted a bunker complex

-232-

8< 15 en soldiers 4 mi W ot Con Thien. AnT tire was dir onto en trpe reI in 2 s.e explos. 16 bunkers were d.st 8< 15 dam bT the tir. man.

15 Deoem'bel' (Sunda;y)

- DAWSON RIVli:R (QuAna'l':ri Prov)t Announoed. Th. op, whioh oOllllMlnoecl on 28 Nov, 11 a mult.1-bn IMl'oh II olMl' op oan :t.n an area 14 mi S of CUI 1.0. Op 11 under the oon of the US 9th R.st, 3rd MAR Div II, al of 1800 on 13 D.e, 32 .n .oldier. have been kd II 39 .uspeot. have been dtn. In addition. 14 indiv & 3 CSW have been cptrd. US 10 .... are 2 kd II 19 wounded ot whom 15 have been evao. 145 tae air sorties have been fiown in spt of the MlR.

- MARSHALL MOUNTAIN (Quang 'l':ri Prov): Announoed. The op is a oomb op involving elms ot the US 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Meoh) 8< the ARVN 1st Regt, 1st Inf Div, & is oen 3 mi E ot Quang 'l':ri CitT. Op oonmenoed on 10 Deo. As of 1800, 13 Deo, 6 suspeots have been dtn while US oas are 9 wounded ( 3 evac). There have been no reptd ARVN oas. 4 tac air sorties have been flown in spt ot the op.

- FAYETTE CANYON (Quang Nam Prov): Commenced. The op is a multi-bn search & clear op & is cen in an area 7 mi SSE ot An Hoa. The op, under con of the 196th Lt Inf Bde, AMmICAL Div, has the specific man ot eliminating en forces, base camps & mat within its area of responeibilitT.

- VALIANT HUNT (Quang Nam Prov): Commenced. The op is a bn cordon & search op & is cen in an area 4 mi S of Hoi An. The op is under the con of the Commander, Task Gp 76.4 & involves MlR fr the 26th Regtl Ldg Tm. The op began with an &mph & hel-borne aslt into the area of ope & has as its man to establish cordons around selected villages in conjunction with VN forces. The obj of the comb cordon & search & clear op is to eliminate VC looal forces & infrastruoture units & pers believed to be op in the area.


- TAYLOR COMMON (Quang Nam Prov): Announced. The multi-bn search & olear op began on 7 Dec & is cen in an area 10 mi W of An Hoa. The op involves elma of the US 3rd, 5th & 7th MAR Regts under con of the 1st MlR Div.

- TOAN THANG (Sinh Duong Prov): At approx lloo, a US 25th Inf Div resup convoy, enr fr Dau Tieng to Tay Ninh Prov, was atk by an unk size en force 4 mi wsw of Dau Tieng. Convoy scty elms eng the en in psne on both sides of the rd & were reinf by mech inf units fr the diy's' 3rd Bde. Tac air, hel gunships & arty eptd the inf until contact was lost at 1340 as the en withdrew. Res: 73 EK. US 10Bees were 5 kd & II wounded. Several trks in the convoy were dam in the init atk.

- III MAF (Quang Tin Prov): At approx 1130, a US Air Force C-123 crashed after takeoff due to unk causes in an area l! mi S of Chu Lai. Of the 44 pax & crew mbrs aboard, init repts indicate 14 were kd. The acrt was dest.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1700, a US aerial obs acrt, on a recon man over

the S half of the DMZ, rec AA fire fr an en .50 cal MG loc 4 mi NNE of Con Thien & about 100 meters S of the Ben Hai River. The aerial obs dir !lrty fire onto the en AA wpns psn silencing the fire. The acft was not hit & there were no US cas. En losses are unk.


- III MAF (Quang Nam Prov): At approx 0900, a co rr the US 196th Lt Inf Bde, AMERICAL Div, while cdtg a cbt swp in an area 6 mi SE of An Hoa, obe an est reinf en plat carrying packs & rna. The inf, sptd by tac air & hel gunships, atk the en force & act cont throughout the morning & afternoon until 1800 when contact was lost. Res: 103 EK. US cas were 3 inf wounded. At 0930, 9 en bodies, apparent.ly kd by SA fire, were found approx 8 mi SE of An Hoa. About 30 mins later, graves cntn 11 en bodies kd by SA fire during the act were found in a nearby area. Cont to search, the inf at noon discovered another 22 en bodies apparently kd by arty fire.

- TOAN THANG (Phuoc Long Prov): Air trps rr the USA's cay sqdn of the lst Cay Div (AM), cdtg aerial recon ops in an area 12 mi NE of Phuoc Binh obs & eng an est en bn. The trps, sptd by hel gunships & tac air kd 41 en soldiers. There were no US cas.


- III MAF (DMZ:): At approx 1500, a def psn occupied by an elm of the US 4th Regt, 3rd MAR Div & loc 6 mi NNE of the Rockpile, rec about 10 rds of en 60mm &/or 82mm mort fire res in no MAR cas & no reptd dam. The MAR psn was loc 1 km S of the s edge of the DMZ & the en fire came fr 2 mort psns loc by counter-mort rdr l!km N & l!km NNE of the MAR & 500 meters inside the S half of the DMZ. The MAR dir organic 8lmm mort fire onto the en psns with unk res.


- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1140 a comd post of the US 4th Regt, 3rd MAR Div loc 6 mi NNE of the Rockpile (! mi S of the S edge of the DMZ:) rec approx 10 rds of 60rnm mort fire fr 2 en firing psns loc 1 mi N of the S edge of the DMZ & 7! mi NNE of the Rockpile. Tac airs trikes were dir onto the en firing psns res in 6 bunkers dest. There were no US cas or dam reptd.

22 December (Sunday)

- IFFV (Khanh Hoa Prov): Early this morning at approx 0345 the Helisoma, a UK tanker, was hit by an unk type explosion but believed to be a mine while moored in the Nba Trang harbor. The explosion occurred on the port side causing an undetm amount of dam. Oil is leaking fr the tanker but there was no fire. There were no cas.

- FAYETTE CANYON (Quang Nam Prov): Announct'1d. The op is a multi-bn search

& clear op & is cen in an area 7 mi SSE of An Hoa. The op, which comaenced on 15 Dec, is under con of ths 196th Lt Inf Bde, AMERICAL Di v, & has the specific men of eliminating en forces, base camps & mat within its area of responsibility. As of 0600, 22 Dec, the inf & sptg fires have accounted for 220 en kd. In addition 2 suspects have been dtn & 14 I/Wpns & 6 CSW have been cptrd. US cas so far are 2 kd & 6 wounded (3 evac). A total of 79 tac airstrikes have been fiown in spt of the gnd forces.

- VALIANT HUNT (Quang Nam Prov): Announced. The op is a bn cordon & search op & is cen in an area 4 mi S of Hoi An. The op, which commenced on 15 Dec, involves MAR fr the 26th Regtl Ldg Tnt. The obj of the comb cordon & search & clear op is to eliminate VC local forces & infrastructure units & pers believed to be op in the area. As of 2000, 21 Dec, the MAR & sptg fires have accounted for 15 en kd, & 940 suspects dtn. US cas so far are 8 wounded. A total of 74 naval gunfire mens & over 700 hel sorties sptd the op.

- TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 0015, elms fr the US 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div in ni def pens 7 mi NW of Go Dau Ha rec a mort & gnd atk fr an unk size en force. US Air Force AC-47 gunships, tac air, arty & hel gunsips sptd the inf throughout the ni until 0635 when contact was lost as the en force withdrew. At 1000 this morning an ARVN Abn bn & 2 comps fr the 25th Inf Div were inserted to the N & W of the infls def psns. A swp of the area was cdtd & the cum totals for the act are as fo1s: 81 EK, 9 1t MGls, 25 AK-47 I s, 3 9mm pistols, 165 CblCom hand grens, 26 RPG-2 boosters, 31 RPG-7 boosters, 38 RPG-7 rds, 78 RPG-2 rds, 19,000 SA rds, 59 AK mags with ammo, 30 1t M:l clips with ammo, 2 ChiCom rdos, 1 back pack, & 2 1bs of docu. On 23 Dec, the US 3rd Bde, 25th Inf Div, while cdtg a swp of the area 10c 22 more bodies bringing the cum total of en kd to 103. A total of 36 indiv & 13 CSW have been cptrd. US losses remained the same, 17 kd & 12 wounded.


- HEADQUARTERS, MACV (Capital Mi1i tary District): During the 24-hr mil stand-down of off ops by RVNAF, US & Free World Forces that commenced at 1900, 25 Dec, 133 incdts were reptd. Of these, 47 of the incdts were considered significant (thos incdts in which cas occurred). As a res of the incdts involving US Forces, 2 US pers were kd & 36 US pers were wounded. En losses during the period were 34 kd, 1 suspsct dtn, 1 CSW & 12 I/Wpns cptrd.


- TOAN THANG (Tay Ninh Prov): At approx 0900, elms of the US cay sqdn of the 1st Cay Div (AM) while cdtg aerial recon ops 12 mi E of Katum obs 60 en soldiers. The cay trps, sptd by tac air & aerial rkt arty he1s, kd 41 en soldiers while sustaining no cas.

-:235-

27 December (Friday)

- TOAN TRANG (Binh Long Prov): At noon, a mech i.nf co fr the US 1st Inf Div, under op con of the 2nd Bde, 1st Cav Div (AM), while cdtg swp ops 6 mi NW of An Loc mde contact with an est NVA co. The mech trps, sptd by tac air, arty & aerial rkt hels, were reinf by another co fr the same unit at an unreptd time. The NVA trps were wearing green uniforms & pith helmets & empl SA, auto wpns & RPG rkt-gren fire. Act cont until 1630 when contact was lost as the en withdrew fr the battle area. Res: 52 EK, 3 suspects were dtn, & 3 indiv & 5 CSW were cptrd. US cas were 2 kd & 27 wounded. Dam to the armd pers carriers was It.


- Camp Carroll, a fire spt & cbt base loc in N central Quang Tri Prov btwn Ca Lu & Cam Lo, was inactivated today. The camp was opened in Nov 1966 for the purpose of providing scty for Rte 9 & DMZ survl. The inactivation of Camp Carroll was a decision based on taking max advantage of our superior firepower & mobility in continuance of the mbl posture a.dopted in W Quang Tri Prov with Op PEGASUS in Apr & which res in the inactivation of the Kbe Sanh Cbt Base late in June. Mbl forces tied to no specific terrain are rqr to atk, intercept, reinf or take whatever act is most appropriate to meet any en threat. The 3rd MAR Div's concept of mobility rqrs inf bns to be constantly cdtg search & clear ops throughout the div's area of ops. The need for scty units at Camp Carroll rqrs inf units that can better be utilized in the fld for swift moves into en areas. The mobility concept rarely rqrs that major inf mvr elms be within the confines of a static cbt base. Since the role played by Camp Calfcll can be satisfied by other fire spt bases in the area with an overall econo~ of sety forces, Camp Carroll has been inactivated. Camp Carroll was named after Capt. J •• J. Carroll, USMC, who was kd in act in Op HASTINGS on 5 Oct 1966. Capt. Carroll was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism during the act in which he was kd.

- TOAN THANG (Phuoc Long Prov): At approx 0930, hels fr the 1st Cav Div's (AM) Air Cav Sqdn, edtg aerial recon ops 22 mi SW of Phuce Binh, rec auto wpns & SA fire fr an est en co. US Air Force tae a'!ft - r'-lOOs fr the 37th Tae Ftg Wg & F-4s fr the 12th TFW - along with USA hel gunships atk the en psns. The hels then moved back into the area & the crews reptd counting 59 en bodies lying in the area of the air strikes. There were no US cas & no repts of hels hit by en gnd fire.

- III MAF (DMZ): At approx 1530, an aerial oba on a recon men over the S DMZ spotted 7 en soldiers & an unreptd no of bunkers & trails with signs of recent act loc in the S half of the DMZ 6 mi NNE of Gio Linh. The aerial obs called for & rec US MAR arty & US naval gunfire on this tgt· with good coverage res in 7 en reptd kd, 15 bunkers dest, 11 bunkers dam & 3 sec explo"!io"!s. The UC3 Isbell, a naval destroyer, provided the naval gunfire spt.

-236- .

30 December (Monday)

- III MkF (DMZ): At approx 0950, a US aerial obs acft on a recon men over the S DMZ rec SA fire rr an unk no of en soldiers in bunkers loc 4 mi NE of Gio Linh & about 1 mi S of the Ben Hai River in the S half of the DMZ. The obs dir US MkR tac air strikes onto the en fortifications res in 1 sec explosion & dest 6 bunkers. No acft were hit by en fire & there were no US cas in the act. En losses are unk.


- IV CTZ (Kien Giang Prov): At approx 1330, a USA off held prisoner by the VC for over 5 yrs was recovered during an op being cdtd by elms of the ARVN 21st Inf Div in an area 38 mi SSW of Rach Gia near the N edge of the U Minh forest. The off has been identified as Maj James N. Rowe who was cptrd as a 1st lt when an unk size en force overran a GVN outpost loc 13 mi NE of Ca Mau in An Xuyen Prov on the afternoon of 29 Oct 63. At the time of his cptr, Maj Rowe, (then 1st It) was serving on temp duty rr the US with the US 5th SF Gp as an advisor. Shortly before his recovery, Maj Rowe over-powered an armed en gd & escaped. He is reptd to be in good physical condo

- III MkF (DMZ): At approx 1630, a US obs acft on a recon msn over the S DMZ rec SA fire rr an unk no of en occupying fortified psns 4 mi N of Gio Linh & about 400 meters S of the Ben Hai Hiver. The aerial obs dir NGF rr the USS Isbell res in 3 sec explosions & fires & the dest of 13 bunkers. The acft was not hit by the en fire & en cas are unk.

-2~7-

ANNOUNCED OPERATIONS TERMDJATED DJ 1968

FRIENm.y ENEm PRDVfDA.TE LOOSES LOOSES

Q.P!iR!TIOli __________ Ilil!I!T~.D _____ !P.! ____ !.1l1 _ 1!G! _KlA __ WlA_ !K ___ ~ __ ~ __ QSt/: _

AKRON V Bien Boa 2l Jan 68 54 ° 4 80 47 2 15 10 9th In! Div (Bnt) 11 Jan 68

FABOO Binh LorI8/ 2l Jan 68 112 ° 6 47 49 10 55 11th Armd Cav Regt Phuoc Long

22 Dec 67

HAVERFORD Long An 2 Feb 68 5 0 8 38 33 45 8 2 199th Lt In! Bde 13 Jan 68

SAN Alm:LO Phuoc Long! 9 reb 68 0 0 13 68 63 2 32 2 10lat Abn DIV Quang ~c

16 Jan 68

CORONADO X Kien Boa 13 Feb 68 12l 0 12 190 334 2SO 115 7 9th In! DIV (BD+) 18 Jan 68

coliJBG Phuoc Tu;y 1 Mar 68 142 0 19 103 180 4 lOS 25 )At ATF. 2/3 BAR 24.Jan68

OOBOHADO XI PhorIg D1nh 4 Mar 68 lOS 0 39 196 264 320 35 10 9th In! DIi (Bnt) 14 reb 68

VALLEY FORGE Bien Hoa/ 17 Mar 68 6 0 1 U 27 1 0 199th Lt Inf Bde (&1+) Long Khanh

6 Mar 68

FORD Thua Thien 20 Mar 68 0 0 13 113 145 77 15 4 lAt .. 3rd Mar DIVa (&1+) 14 Mar 68

239

• . TERMINATED OPERATIONS CONTINUED

FRIENDLY ENEMY PfIIJV /DA'fE LOSSES LOSSES

OPERATION INITIATED TEliM ----------------------------- _ !J;!! _ liG! _KlA _ _ WlA_ £iK ___ D!T __ I!! __ .£:S!t _

HARRlSBURG Bien Hoa 23 Mar 68 0 0 0 7 18 5 2 0 199th Lt In! Bde 8 Mar 68

WORTH 1st Mar DIV (Bde+) Quang Nam . _ 26 Mar 68 20 0 27 89 167 4 20 0

13 Mar 68

PATRICK Binh Dinh/ 30 Mar 68 80 7 18 92 235 123 40 14 4th In! DIV (Bde) Quang Ngai

29 Feb 68

JEll STUART Quang Tri/ 31 Mar 68 901 484 290 1731 3288 723 585 lst Cav DIll (AimobUe) Thua Thien 10lat Ibn DIV (Bn+) 22 Jan 68

PINlWiOO Phuoc ~ 7 Apr 68 73 0 S 17 12 13 70 10 lat ATF, BAli (Bn+) 27 Feb 68

CIJIET THANG Gia~ 7 Apr 68 0 105 9221420 439 400 104 lat, 9th, 25th Inf Long DIV (US), llth Amd Bien Hoa/ Cav legtRVNAF (Dnt+-) Hau Nghia/

Binh Duoll8l II Mar 68

WIDERII&SS Tay Ninh 26 Mar 68 20 0 27 89 167 4 20 0 25th In! DIV (Bn+) 1 Mar 68

240

•

TERMINATED OPERATIO~ CONTINUED

FRIENDLY ENEMY PROV/DATE LOOSES LOOSES

OPERATION INITIATED TERM AIR NGF KIA WIA EK DET IW CSW -------------------------------------------------------NORFOLK VICTORY Quang Ngd 19 Apr 68 0 0 6 33 45 64 120 14 llth Lt In! Bde/ARVN 8 Apr 68 2nd In! DIY (En+-)

HOPl'AC II Phong DiM 30 Apr 68 77 0 51 401 343 366 36 18 9th In! DIY (Bn+) 14 Feb 68

CARENTANII Quang Tri/ 17 May 68 39 0 156 886 2100 514 488 93 10lat AOO DIY Thua Thien

1 Apr 68

DBJ.4WARE/LAM SON 216 A Shau Valley 17 May 68 86.5 0 168 962 739 0 2504 138 Ut oUr Qa~/lOl.at AOO 19 Apr 68 DlV/ARVHAOO Tuk Force/ ARVH .lat DIY.

TOAH THANG OFFEtBIVE Toan Thang 31 May 68 4483 0 .564 3620 764.5 1708 1505 499 (i!hNe I) W. III Corpe/ 8 Apr 68 .II m torcee (DIY+)

PCATlJIE Quang Hga! 10 June 68 0 86 .500 ll29 ll22 388 5 Uth." ·l98th LIB 19 Dec 67 ~OAL DIY (Bn+)

~ COllG DlllH DiM Tuong 14 June 68 1331 0 149 941 146.5 141.6 293 38 us 9th .~ DIY/ 7 Mar 68 7th AltYN IQt DlV (Bn+)

CHA1"1'AHOOCHEE SWAMP Quang Ngai 29 June 68 0 0 2 18 23 1.5 17 0 AMERICAL DIY (En+-) 19 Jun 68

TEliMINATED OPERATION CONTINUED

FRIENDLY ENEMY PBOVINCE LOSSES LOSSES

.QP!R!,T10,! __________ l!l!IAT,!D _____ .!E.!il'L ____ AJIt __ NQF_ !IA _ .!iIA _EAt __ .Ql!l!: _1.W ___ C2w __

SWIFT PLAY Quang Nam 24 Jul 68 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 lst Marine DIV (Bn+-) Z3 Jul 68

ProPLES ROAD Dinh Tuong 30 Jul 68 0 28 205 239 121 83 6 9th In! DIV (BrtI-) 16 Mar 68

POCAHONTAS FOREST Quang Nam! 4 Aug 68 900 0 4 58 96 53 93 1 AMERICAL DIV (En+-) Quang Tin

6 Jul 68

S()IEIlSET PLAIN/LAM Thua Thien 19 Aug 68 199 0 13 95 80 1 24 11 SON 246 4 Aug 68 10lst ACD (En+-)

ALL&N BaXlK Quang Ham 24 Aug 68 2248 0 172 1124 1017 102 127 27 lst Mar DIV (Bn+) 4 Kay 68

DODGE VALLEY Quang Ham 16 Aug 68 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 7th Begt, 1st Mar DIV AKVN Rngr Task Force (Bn+)

12 Aug 68

SUSSEX BAY Quang Ham 9 Sept 68 122 0 6 24 65 0 2 0 1st Mar DIV (En+-) 29 Aug 68

CHAMPAIGN GROVE Quang Nga1 24 Sept 68 539 0 43 172 378 68 57 16 11th Lt In! Bde 4 Sept 68 AMERICAL DIV (Bn+)

242

•

TEIfIINATED OPERATIOR) CONTINUED

FRIENDLY ENEMY FllOVINCE LOSSES LOSSES

QP!B4TjO! __________ I!!r.tI!TlD _____ I.E!!M ___ __ Alft __ llQF_ lilA _ lilA _E!. __ ~EI. _ !W ___ _ C§.W __

rum GLADE Quang Ham 9 oct 68 0 0 1 3 2l li 18 0 AMERICAL DIY 196th 2 Oct 68 Inf Bde

LOGI.N FIELD Quang Ngai 2l oct 68 0 0 13 66 14 6 4 0 lith Lt Inf Bcle 7 Oct 68 AMiRICAL DIY

MAUl PJW{ Quang Nu. 19 oct 68 12l 0 28 148 203 1 25 2 let Mar DIY (Bn+) 6 Oct 68

MAMII:WD 'l'IIIIJST Quang Nam 23 Oct 68 2015 0 269 1740 2730 405 337 125 let Mar DlV (Bn+) 19 May 68

VEBI'IOII LAD: I Quang Ngai 2 NoT 68 79 0 1 4 93 0 1 11th Lt IDt Bdft _lCAL DB (Bn+)

2S Oct 68

JIB ftUAaT III Quang Tri/ 3 Nov 68 901 484 290 17313288 723 585 148 let C. DlV (AimobUe) 'l'hua Thien (IID+) 22 Jan 68

lQUlfCHl FALlS Quang Tri 7 Nov 68 17 0 20 57 107 0 0 0 let ea. DIY (AimobUe) li Sept 68 (IID+)

BlHLDm'ONTliAn. Quang Tin li Nov 68 1620 0 129 985 1948 1298 441 104 ~98th lot 1Dt Bde 8 Apr 68 AMliICAL D1V (Bn+) 243

TERMINATED OPERATION CONTINUED

FRIENDLY ElIDIT PROVlNCE LOSSES LOSSES

QP!RATlOli __________ lNPlA!E.12 _____ T~ ____ AI.!i _ !lGI _KlA __ vlJ!._ liK ___ ~"'T _ _ I!!: _ _ QS!: _

~WAU.OWA Quang Nam/ II Nov 68 5552 901 683 3599 10,020 5,195 1,724 329 AMERIC DIV (Bn+) Quang Tin

7 Nov 67

GARRARD BAY Quang Nam 16 Nov 68 2 0 7 50 19 1761 6 0 1st Mar DIV (Bn+) 25 Oct 68

DARING ENDEAVOR Quang Nam 17 Nov 68 0 0 1 36 33 336 5 1 1st Mar DIV 10 Nov 68 AMERICAL DIV

LANCASTER II Quang Tri 23 Nov 68 3064 0 359 2101 1801 265 824 89 3rd Mar DIV (Bn+) 20 Jan 68

MEADE RIVER Quang Ham 9 Dec 68 218 0 107 523 8U 2710 164 15 1st Mar DIV (Bn+) 20 Nov 6B

NAPOLEONjSALINE Quang Tri 9 Dec 68 373 197 395 2134 3495 549 631 200 . 1st Mar Div (Bn+) 30 Jan 68

ANNOUNCED OPERATIOW CONTOOlNG AT CLOOE OF '68

l'flLNJJLY JJtl>lY Pl(( NINCI!. LO~,:; -Z LOSS.-B

(;Pi.'1.ATKN INITIAT~.D T,.llM AID NGF KIA l<iJA ;1\ lL1' IW CSW -----------------------------------------------------III K6.F:

DAWSC N ItlV,.R 3rd I,ar Div (Bn+)

ILNTUChY (3rd Mar Div (Bn+)

SCOTLAND II 3rd .!ar Oiv (Bn+)

N,. VWl\ !JIG1 E 101st Airborne Div {Bn+ )(Airmobile)

HArlE;HALL WUNTAIN 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (hoch)

TAnoR C( !ill(.N 1st Mer Div

(,,!uang Tri 28 ~'ov 6$

(,,!uang Tri 1 Nov 67

Quang Tri 15 April 68

Thua Thien 17 May 68

(,,!uang Tri 10 iJee 68

\;uang Nam 7 liee 68

HARDIN FALLS Quang Tin 198th Lt Inf Bde (Bn+) 2 JJee be

V.JlNCN LAKE II (,luang Ngai 11th Lt Inf Bde 2 Nov 68 (Bn+)

FAYF,T'n. CANYON (,luang Nam 196th Lt Inf Bde (Bn+) 15 lJee 68 AM1RICAL Div

260 o

2704 2105

4351 6

3431 399

9 14

561 o

o o

(74 o

166 o

3 41 50 9 62 7

502 2994 3819 508 L81 209

408 9:',3 235

).72 1563 2958 56:~8 :<093 306

2 24 9 8 1 0

24 181 286 140 64 5

46 16 2

10 67 195 164 95 4

2 7 238 2 17 3

Continuing operatiOllll continued

FFtlEPDlY ENf:~lY H(OVINCE LCSSES lO>j~ES

OFlliL.TICl> lNITLTED TF.I~H i-lllL NGF KI;~ ,iL EK DET Ie C3. - - - - - _. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .- - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - ._. - - - - . n'F\i":

COCHISE GREEH Binh Dinh 1516 386 135 845 866 1941 212 21 173rd Abn Bde (Bn+) 30 lIar 68

iJO",",IlW Phu Yen 1391 16 67 293 693 2395 228 19 173rd ,.bn Bde (Bn+) 19 Sep 67

h LC .. l,l.:..1'HUIt Pleiku/Kontwn/ 17259 0 921 4286 5612 1598 1299 ~194 4th Inr Diy (Br.+) Darlae/Qudng Due

L. ~ Glt..,J}\j Sinh Thuan/Binh TlXif/ 3171 1945 1'13 rd "un Bde (Bn+) Lam lJong/N inh Thuan/

66 51" 919 310 272 30

Tuyen Due 20 Jan 68

.•. ,lKJ'J( BinhDinh 630 0 173rd hbn Bde (Bn+) 17 J1Jll 68

33 252 219 293 34 22

In'FV:

TO ,N 'iH.JiG (rhl se II) III CORI'5 II l?V (us/F i)/lst, 9th & 25th

. In! Diy 1 June 68

19170 0 1523 8730 13,777 6973 3868 b7&

101st /,bn (l.M:)/199th Lt In! Bde/11th Armd (·aY Regt/3rd Bde f'. 101st ; .. TF/r.T,VR 1st CIIV Diy (iJ)

'lUYET CHilli IV COHrS (us) Dinh Tuong 6419 0 94 721 1571 1024 284 99 9th In! Diy (Bn+) 4 ;.ug 68

--_ ..• _----. ,-----

Airp",er, ranf,in,: from 'i,in), Coura b'IHlShips to giant B-52 bombers, ,,,:,8 a lrtabbive, arounu-the-cI4ck presence that spmnec,che length and bY'ewlt;~'l of Vietri8.JII

' s ;Ilountai~lS, ;~li.ngle5 aI1(;. s':Jarnrs :in 1968.

In this ({ar, as in no ottjer, the airpoHer role in the conduct of orerations has taken on many;net:f, often unique, roles.

These roles, all vital, -,ere ulctaL·d by tactics of the ellemy to aLLack b·' "urpd,se \·rith both :smal1 and laree forces, using to his advant'lre the variety of ru~rted terrain ar.d dense forest in Vietnam to r.1<l~e Ids movement. Instant response, far-ranging mobilitJ" pin-j'oint ,'i.repm[()r !lnd hombing, Iplus the swift airlift for men ann equipment 're;"e tile r"incipal items in ft\irt)o;[er Operations. Collectively they helpBQ keep thn eremy off ha~ancB and caused him preat materiel and perso,rleJ.. 108"85. This contlliilUtea SUbstantially to his inabilib to mass his fOrC(:5 for launchinR ma,iqr atta.cks and disrupted hs plans to "jage "",r accord.'n.; to his timetab~es.

Be:;~ond f:treT'o;',Jer, air ;.raa emr~loy€d agains t the enemy in the ,jungles, alorlf, the resuJlnl:r trails, or) the "aten{a:'s and in his staginv areas by recormELL-'~·,anee 8-nC defoli.:ltidn to seek out his s:::j,nctuaries and routes of trb. v<o1.

In North Vietnam, before ithe Lambing halt, a Qifl'erent air 'orar was carrien out Hit}, interdictio~ operations as the pr'ilflal'Y lIlis,;ion. Enel!\Y lin"" of conrr'11mication and syratee;ic areaS such as BUP,: ly poj_nts, AAA Cle)"c'nnes , .. nu ai.rfielClo 1'18re I1rincipal tarEets. This r.1ll1ti-service effort H'W applieC: ~o choke the flo'", of men and materiel into South Vietnam.

Durin;; 1968, Airpo',ler nol::idified its role as a flexible force responc,j"ve to all conrr,Janders.: Airpovler demonstrated again and again' its ability to overcome adverse l~e8.ther and terra:in vThich harnpere<1 ground actions. Similarl./ it deniedi to the enemy the rigLt to take advantage of

,

these conditions <1S in the pa:st.

Airpm,er in Vietnam is ani inter-service, multi-nation unified effort errplo,\'.i.ng the ne'vJest ,jet fi_grlters ane venerable prop-driven aircraft with effecti veness. They operl'tte !fl"orn land 'oases and from a:'-rcrH..ft carriers. The,\' di,;nla\' the insignia of I\rmy, Navy, Air Force and Marine Co:",ps and nc' under the flA.{(S of South \Jietnl'tf!:, Australia and the United States.

247

--_ .. _-----,--------_._-------

AIR

~)trike anc.: support throughout the P.epublic sive fo1'c8 dedicateu to

(AIR "CUTH)

,

aircrarlt flo,m b',' Ail' Force, !Jiarine, Navy of Vidt.'am cf>ntinued, in 1968, to provide sllpportd.nr, the ground oreter of battle.

ann Arm..v crews a respon-

Air Force, Narine Gorps "-np Navy fi,c';hters flm" the majority of the st~j}", sorties; ho,lever, Stratei;ic Air Gommand B-52s, and the AC-47 lJragonsh~ps provided Ale grcuncl comr.J,pde1' massive firepower around the clock at his re(!uest. Army and Harine h~~licopter eunships provined additional firepOl'/er for maneuverinc troops anfi troops in contact.

Sorties 'Iere allocateet to l~ach of the GOl'pel Tactical Zones with orc.tnance selection Dased on the tarr,et at1ci the position of the ground forces being sUl'porten. Over 230,000 strikel sorties .. ere flmffi, of ,·,hich approximately 1:38,000 IIere noun by Air FOl'ce~ 30,000 by the Marine Gorps and 700 by the Navy. Vietnamese ilnd Royal Australian Air Forces flew an additional 6,000 and 700 sorties respectively. $AC's B-52 force flew 3,022 missions; 1,087 in I Corps, 61,4 in II Corps, 1, ~.43 in III Corps and 148 in the IV Corps Tactical Zone. ~C-47s averaged:14 sorties a night during the year.

I

Tactical air responded to an ilverage 150 inmediate requests per day AnU '1e11 over 50 of these were ~tri.kes supnorting troops in contact. Ground forces, no matter '"here ~.n the republic received air strike response ,rHhi.n ')0 minutes of the call. I ,,!hen aircraft alreA.d;r airborne ,,,ere called in,the time vras generally much tess.

I

Tacti cal air sorties not 0& snecific c108,,--air-support missions were directed to strike alon?' infiltration routes and staging and supply storage areas. i

I ,

F'orV'ard Air Controllers (F1.Cs) flew over 155,000 sorties in 0-1, 0-2 anD OV-IO ai.rcraft, directi~g the many strikes and prm:iding visual ~econn~issance and etamage assesfment for both the Army ami Air Force mtelhgencc. ,

The AC-47s augmented by thl' AC-ll9 in the latter part of the year, equip;ed ",ith gatling type, sid mounted guns ca.pa"le of firing 6,000 rounci".per-rninute maintained a 'onstant nightime airborne and ground alert posture in defense of bas camps, population centers and maneuvering troops.

I

Reconnaissance aircraft flfw more than 14,500 sorties providing continual photo ane! electronics surveill~ce of enemy positions 'lI1d providing poststrike bat tIe claT!~alce assessment f

r

---------f--------·--------,

,

The 8,."cj.a11" equipped .flj .. et o~ lIC-12) spray a i reran flp\; nearly l?()n dE~oliation missions thro pr:out the countr;T. These flights were directed l.t rmemy ] ines o~ cor ,lunic~;~ions anri ~;upply storare and sta,ldnv IIrc,,,,, den;'inr, the en(·,m" protettion and cover of the dense jungle foliage. ~'j.qn;l 0_(' the missions hared enefl;r fort:j f:; ed baf.;e positions and ammunition cache areas. :

U-lO, 023 ar:d C-47 a;.rcr,.,tt sup orting the I',',CV Ps:'cholo,~ical \varfare rron'am :'1c", over 37,000 sorti s dropping 'Iell over 5 biLlion leaflets '3.I1d bro~.uca8tinr. over ~'4,000 louas.! eaker hours.

The JAC h C-135 tarlker forte suprorting both bonicer anCl i'ighter inflight refuelilli' flew morE than 30,00 I sorties O.i.·i'loaaing almost 2:, million gallons of i'uel.

One 01' the r.lost significa t air efforts during the year '.·.'as the concentrated uomuint; 01' North VietnaneS8 troops and SUP1.,lies surrounaing Khe Sanh ill January, february and March., The around-the-clock saturation of the are" took its immediate toll or I the enemy as ;Jell as denying him the ability to :l.ount an attack of ufficient magnitude to overrun the combat base.

The evacuation of over 1, 00 persons from the Kham Due CIDG camp was another illustration of the us of coordinated air in response to combat emergencies. The camp was und I' attack by an estimated force of two enemy rorjments. Firepower was directed on the p.dvancing eneqy and Lis positions by fighter air cr. aft, B-52s andjelicoptel' gunships, while the extraction of military and civilians was sim Itaneously taking place within the camp. Air Force transport aircraft ',"e. e landing on the camp runway to take on passengers, at th" same time AI' y and Marine Corps helicopters Here loading on ttl", sides of the airstrip. I

During the Hay offensive 01 Saigon, there '4ere more than 500 f:ixed wing sorties i'lo,m ·,0.tbn a fhe r." e radius of the center of the city. The Vietnamese Air Force fle" 185 o. these. The effect of these airs trikes j,ncluding 'she B-52s and the A .! helicopter runshirs was a ma,jor factor in preventing a ful1-scf1.le "ssa llt on the capital city.

The :~3 August assault on tte Duc Lap CIDG camp which lasted until 3 September ·,·'as supported ',Qth 110 ethan 400 sorties flO'·.~l by F-loo, F-4; A-I, AC-47, A-3 7 , and r'-5 aircr, ft. B-528 nE"" nine missions on 24 and 25 August. Nore than 775 ene"l'fl',rere killed in this battle. A great percentage attributea to the air sfrikes. A number of the enemy had actually penetratC1 the base perimeter. I During this operation, fighter aircraft ueliverea ordnance as close as 1.20 meters of the friendly forces to help stop the enemy acvances. !

Throughout the year, airt:OHlr, not in cl08 e support of trocps,!as regulA.rl,.' dj.reded at enell"\\' pos"tions where intelligence information revealed buildups and activi t:r. These strikes inflicted heavy losses on tL" r,neJr;j' and did much te M'1rupt his plans Rnd prevent attacks on l"'li:Lita,r.y (lases and the dties 01 the republic.

I

249

i.

'--t---

I

),-5:2 OPSi(A'l'IONS - Last ylr in South Viet"","l, nearly every major cOYitacc, with th,o enemy was SU~iX'rted b.v B-52 Stratofortress bombers of the :3trategic Air COHunand. I

The 8-528 Il .. ve been a hie ly mobile and flexible force available to the field commander for bot interdiction and close-air-support missJons. The Stratofortresse ' mass power fOl'ces the enemy to disperse, inhibits his speed of "",IleU ver compounds his (:ommand and control problems, a,,,j has a tremend0us impact on his morale.

Reports from ralliers lind captured enemy soldiers have repeatedly stated that the bombers are th, most fe ... red of all firepower being "mpJ.oy,.d in Vietnam. On numer us occasions they reported that enemy plans to attack camps or bases were disrupted when B-52 strikes against their fo,rces had practically w: ped out complete units, some of battalion size, as they prepared for the assaults.

Constant pressures were b ought to bear on the enemy by strikes against his routes of travel a d his staging and storage areas making it increasingly difficult for im to maintain lines of communication and stockpile required supplie to mount major offensives.

The bombing of enemy base areas in the dense jungles had on numerous occasions stripped tr " ' canopy and undergrowth, revealing caches and bunker complexes. he shock effect of a massive strike often neutralized areas by drk~. ing the enemy out, permitting friendly forces to freely search the ar as.

The bombers new nearly ,000 sorties during the year. They were used in support at Khe sanh'l To, Kham Due, Duc Lap, Thuang Due, and all other significant battles here air support was a critical factor in the outcome. In addition,-52 operations have served to severely diSrupt enemy activity and dest1roy enemy base camps throughout the Republic of Vietnam. ,

In the most massive, conceltrated bombardment program since World War II, B-52s joined tactical bembers to total more than 22,500 strike sorties into the area around t~ Khe Sanh Combat Base in northwest I Corps, disorganizing enemy at acks on the Marine Base. The concentrated air attacks lasted f m 15 January through 31 May. The !3-52s were used for close proximity b

l

mbing as well aB tarp;etinp; in the outlying areas.

One enemy reported that du ing the time hiB unit was moving toward Khe Sanh 50% of the unit IS soldi rs were lost to B-52 strikes. Many more deserted. The unit had to pull back for replacements. When they returned to the area on 20 Janua they again lost half of the men in the ensuing days as a result of the bombing.

50

-------,---!

During the Hay offensivef' the Saigon area, allied forces placed heavy reliance upon the B-52 . d tactical air power to disrupt the assault on the capital.

The bomr,ers flew nearly 1 000 sorties within 32 miles of Saigon. These strikes, linked with two multi-division ground operations, did much to disorganize and destro ' enemy forces enroute to the Saigon area.

In August and September, 52s and tactical air power continued to playa major role in keepin the enemy off balance. The oaparUity of Stratofortress and tactical air strikes to disrupt enemy attacks was furtper d~monstrated Septe ber 28 when the CIDG camp at Thuong Duc in I Corps came under attack. It was estimated two enemy regiments were in the hills around the c p. Massive B-52 strikes and roundthe-clock tactical air support from U.S. Air Force, Vietnamese Air Force and the U.S. Marine Cor played a major role in preventing the enemy from taking the camp.

Since B-52 operations beg n in June of 1965, the B-52s have flown more than 35,680 sorties and d c.ivered in excess ,';' C'e6,onn tons of bombs on the enemy.

251

I

l\l~>:Y ;'\.VI ... 'l'lcN: During 19b9, li.:_';. hrn] aviation urJits have increased. ,dgnji'ica"tl,r ti,e oattlei'ielli 'otencial of the combat soldier anel assisted ITf~:-it:'L,;: to the overall SUCCE~Sti of U.0. c:UlCi, Free .-';orlc cOi.loat operations.

Thf; Ut;e of c1le helicopter in Vietnam provicies tLc C01Y!l!lancier with a faSLt~r, thOro flexible rne81W f Ihoving Infm ane;, elluipment al~out the uattlefiela. This capability, f rapidl.! emplacing airmobile soldiers all or pe:",,' tbeir objective are s 'Niti,out rebarel to ter-rain obstacles, hild a aiCltinct advantage in an conflict, but especiaJ.ly so in Vietnam.

There are currently over ,auo aircraft of 13 different types found in the ArH'Y's inventory 'n Vietnam. The number and type of sUP1.ort missions fall into fiv' general catagories: cOfiUilar;d and control, intelligenee, l1aneuve ,firepo>fer flIltl logistics.

Army aviators flyinr; both helicopters am fixeti-wing aircraft have lOgf,ed aw'roximately thr" million flying hours while flying over s;i.x miIlion sorties in 19f8. Point-to-point travel '''as provided more than Len million passenge s, the majority of '.~hom were combat inf:cntrymen. Over one million tons of cargo and supplies have been transported to various locatio IS and tactical landing zones throughout the Hepublic of Vietnam.

The "armed" helicopter pl yed an important. role in 1968 -'lith more than 3:?,OOO enemy soldier reported killed by Ar1T\Y aviation units. In addition 56,500 enemy struc ures and more than 21,000 enel'\'! sampans have either been destroyed or '.amaged. In othE,r applications, the CIT -1 liiohawk, equipped 1<ith pho ographi.c equipment, airoorne radar and infra~red sensors, scouted the country gathering information on enemy locations and movemen s while at night. UH-l Hueys, escorted by gunships, conducted" firef "missions using a 500,000 candlepol'er lamp system to methodically se rch out the enemy.

Major actions during 1968 included the TL1' offensive >fhere helicopter gunships,either use singly or in combirlation with TAG ai, and artillery were instrun ntal in repulsing ground attacks agairlst several cities through ut Vietnam. Helicopters >fere used in support of the majority of he major ground contacts during the year includirlg the offensive i the A Shau Vall.ey and the defense of Khe Sanh.

In the delta, an operatio code named "Delta Blackhawk" was highly successful in hampering Viet Gong activities. The concept was patterned after the "eagle fli ,ht" theory in that reconnaissance, armed and troop lifting helicopters upporting Vietna.mese soldiers sought out the enell\Y and his SUP)']y areas. Once spotted,the infantrymen were quickly inserted into the area.

252

The 1st Air Cavalry Di ision redeployed from I Corps to III Corps, and, cav units were conducti g ait'Illobile operations in their new area of operations shortly after arrival 500 miles to the south of their preyious location in late 0 tober. This clearly demonstrated the qui¢k reaction of large ai obile forces bejng employed with minimum del~y into any area where t ere is a sustantial threat •

. A program for training Vietnamese Air Force pilots in nying the UH-l''Hueyll is currently be' g conducted by selected Army aviation units in Vietnam. This tra ning program,.along with the addition of the$e h~licopters will gre.a ly increase the mabil~ty and fir~power of ~he Vietnamese forces.

Helicopter crews coromi ted specifically to medical evacuations ("D",st-offs") new nearly 2 ,000 missions in 1968; evacuating over 230~OOO casualties. This' cluded U.S. and Free World military forces and 'Vietnamese civilians. he combination of excellent treatment cou~led with the rapid tran it of wounded to hospital facilities has kept the percentage of fata ities due to wounds to 1.5% of the total evaquated.

25~

------------"---------1---'

I

i

U.3. AI:-( FORCE AIRLIFl':1 In terms of magnitude and scope of mission; in risks to air crews and car 0 handlers; in t.he primary task of supplying under emergency condition I 1968 was the most significant year in airlift history.

"

Although all services ilt Vietnan·. use organic aircraft for transportatio~ of passengers and carg~, there is a specially designated airlift systeJll operating Wi thin South,j,ast Asia for "Conunon Service" use. The 834th,Air Division, with head~uarters at Tan Son Nhut Air Base manages this Gperation. "

The Division's crews 0arating in support of Allied forces in 1968 airlifted more than 4.5 milli n passengers, or the equivalent of the combi~ed populations of Bosto , Cjncinnat1, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Omaha and Honolulu. The yearly tot 1 weight of cargo, mail and passengers carri~d exceeded one million jjons, or the aver,w.ge of almost three tons every ,minute. , !

, ,

,In addition to routine JesuPPly missions during the year, e34th Air D:Lvision activities were ~ghlighted by em'~rgency resupply and evacuation missions at Khe S~h, A Shau Valley .• Kham Duc and Duc Lap, and at numerous other location"s during the Tet and May offensives.

During the siege at Khe ~anh, U.S. Marin~,s were resupplied with ammunition, rations, fuel, b~ering material nnd medical supplies by airliflt crews operating under r'lxtremely hazardous conditions.

I

,C-123 Provider, C-130 H~Cules and C-7A Caribou crews combating the moun, tainous terrain, extr e weather conditions and intense enemy ground' fire and mortar and roc et attacks kept the Marines supplied, enabling them to hold the stra egic outpost.

Action at Khe Sanh led tf' the development. of radar-guided air drops, the improvement of Low Altitud Parachute Extri.ction Systems (LAP.&Ss) and the use for the first time in combat of thel Ground Proximity Extraction System (GOO). ,

, . an April these innovatiois allowed the Urlift Op!,rations to keep the

lifeline open to U.S. Army tro ps operating in the A Shau \talley, at an even greater rate than at Khe anh. Throughout the month the C-130s, C-123s,and C-7s kept the grounf troops resupplied as they combed the valley in search of the enemy'i

, ' . In May the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (ClOG) camp at Kham Due

was surrounded and under attac~ by two enemy regiments. The deci3ion was made e~rly one ,morning to .,..J.acuate all personnel rather than fly in additional reinfOrcements./:-13Os and C-12311 jojning with A~ and Marine helicopters, flying thr ugh heavy enell\Y ground fire completed the evacuation of more than 1, 00 Vietnamese and Americans '. from the camp by afternoon. '

254

•

----------_._----

In late August the Dulc Lap elOO camp ,:ame uncleI' attack bo' a re«imenti.l size enf'.my r.rce cu~ting .rr greund supply lines anll makin« resupply by helic.pter iIl""ssible. A C-7 ,:rew ,perating fr.1I Cam Ranh Ba~ v.lunteered t. dNP th~ urgently needed ammunith 1 and aedical supplies. .

,

In t~ passes .ver thE camp,maneuveriJ.l8- t. av.id enemy «r.und fire, the C-7 clr.pped the jUpplieS with pill-~int accuracy. As the plane was circling f.r the sec.nd dNP tN'.ps .n the gNund were already using a..:lh1unition frm the first drop.

Several modes of deli~ery are used in Vietnam: The Container Delivery System (ere), thel"Modular Platform Drop (MOD), the Lqw Altitude Parachute Extract~on System (LAm.), and the Ground Proximity E.'\traetion System (GPES). I . ,

!

The C~ method has Pilived ideal for d~'livering items of supply (such as ammunition, ratio s and fuel), whl.ch can be packed in compact containers. In ere, the a'reraft crosses the drop zone at about 600 feet and tilts its nose u I I'd, sliding up to 16 0ne-ton supply containe,·s out the rear exit pf the aircraft. Each container falls to the ground under individua~ parachutes. Thill method of delivering supplies is nighly accuratl'l a qualification necessary for Vietnam's small drop zones. .

The MOD system is useii to deliver cargo too large for the ere method. Multiple parachutes are reruired to deliver items of heavy weights. In MOD, the aircraft appro ches the drop zone at 1,000 feet and a drogue chute extracts the oad and deploys the main chutes to gently deliver the cargo. The MOP method of aerial delivery was used successfully at Khe Sanh.

In LAPES. the aircra

l approaches the drop zone :in a normal landing

pattern.. Just before toue .down, huge parac:hutes jerk the pallet from thl' rear of the aircraft, lowing it to a skidding halt, much like a drogue chute on a fighte plane. Recently, this LAPES technique was used at Thanh Tri in the Drlta to deliver e,nough construction material to build an entire Special I Forces camp.

In GPES, the aircraft I approaches the cilrop zone in a normal landing pattern as in LAPES. At alvery low altitude, a hook trailing from the aircraft engages a ground fnstalled cable (In the drop zone, extracting the. load. The airplane co~tinues on without landing,.it9 load.delivered. Thii.s method was used exten~ively at Bac Lie,,, assuring delivery capability. :

These systems were deteloped as part (If the continuing Air Force efif'ort to provide greater P.exibility and responsiveness in aerial resupply operations to support ground force's.

255

-----~---.------

Equally as imwrtant rs the in-counory airlift system is the airlift sJhtem Ly '-""hiel! men, .tail Fd L'lateriel are transportee. by air to and from continental United Stat,s. L The service manager res)Junsitlle for this operati~n b the Nilitary AirlHt Command (MI.C).

~,4C is also responsib~.e for the evacuati.on of W01U1d"u or injured sej'viceT'.en to Tar'dical facii-ities in the U.S, and shares \;ith other airlift al'e:ldes the .iob of intra-theater medical evacuations.

!

. In 196H LilC ;,drcraft ~ including contracted commercial aircl'a ft) carried rrlOre tl an l'h62'00~ ,passengers in direct support of Vietnam op~.rations; .. 758,000 ,.,ere ' ~bound ann 704,000 were outbound. passengers. Th'!'.\' airlift-eQ lilmOst 26'), ,OG tons of cargo and mail to the R.epublic () f 'Vietna]" <1Urj~l!', the year, and 100,000 tons \fere airl.ifted to out of country Cie~;tination8.

i·~~t,; I S medical evacuatilan .L'lii!hts carried 80me 60,000 patiencs to tli]jitar.)' mfOuical facilities tLrour:hout the U,0. In auuicion, almost 14,000 me~-evac patients were tra1SPOI.teCl "itnin the hepublic by hAC aircraft.

256

•

--------,-_._---------------,

AIR RESCUE: Everj" exisl:.i.ng record established by the Aerospace Hescue and Recovery Service i(ARRS) in a combat zone was eclipsed during 1968,.

,

; Nine hundred fifteen lii"es were saved by 3rd Aerospace Hescue and Recovery Group (ARHGP) helicEpter crews operating from more than 20 sites throughout Southeast Asia. rive hundred sevE!l1ty-nine of these saves were made under combat conditions'.

i

have Since air rescue operat~ons began in Southeast Asia. 2204 rescues been made by the group,! including 1,509 combat saves.

T!1e follOWing is a year~qy-year breakdown of rescue statistics:

~ 64-65 1966 1221 1968 ~

Combat 127 403 407 572 1,509

Non-combat 39 73 239 344 695

Totai 166 476 646 916 2,204

(Non-combat saves differ from "medical evacuation" flights in that the latter involves onlY the transfer of patients by air. A save~ on the other hand, is I'redited when an individual would have met certain death or enemw c pture if he had not been rescued. The "combat" clasl!iification resu ts from the individual being exposed to ememw action or having been recovered from. a hostile area.)

,

Not all air search and ~escues involved downed aircrews. Of the l,50~ combat saves to date, 472 have been U.S. Arrow personnel; more than' arry other service. Air i,Force has had 449, and the Navy and Marimes have had 274 men res~ued. The remainder included Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Australian Ji>ersonnel. . ,

Aircraft involved in re~cue operations both in Vietnam and offshore include the HH-3 Jol~ iGreen Giant. HH-53 Buff and HH-43 Pedro heli¢ .. opters. HC-DOPe, the ~n~ fixed-wing aircraft used, f~ prepla~ed orbits in the area 0 air strikes serving as airborne coordinators and tankers for the elicopters.

Although not aSSigned tq the 3rd ARRGP, A-l "Sandys" and nS~sii' of the 7th Air Force pro~'de essential protective firepower escort for the relative~ slow fly' g helicopters. In addition, all aircraft in the U.S. inventory in Sou heast Asia participate in the search and rescue effort.

257

Numerous saves have be¢n 1'1ade by l:arine helicopters. ArTilY "Dust-offll and, Huey "GW1ships". and Najly "Big Mother" rescc;e r,elicopters. the latter operating from 'l.ircraft carriers off-shore. Prior to their departure from Southeast Asia in early 1967. HU-16 Albatross amphibious aircraft of the Pacific Aerospace Re$cue and Recovery' Center completed a total of

,

1~7 ~ircrew recoveries. whic~ are included in the 1509 combat saves and 2.204 overall save record 0+ the 3rd ARRGP.

The 7th Air Force Joint Search and Rescue Center. manned by 3rd, AWtGP personnel. 10cate<Jl at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. controls and coordinates all rescc;e miss tons in Southeast Asia.

25B

- ,

, Alli IlOhTH: The wcat:lcIt was a decided factor d\.:ring the first few

mon~hs of the year as the c1ast~1 monsoons brought low clouds and r~in ;,ith an accompanying reduct:ifon of missions. During this time, many of the :rrrisoions were flown und~r radar guidance through weather which haIlperod the assessrr,ent of bomb daLlage. Some of the Significant targets hit ;cll.ring this period were ithe airfields at Phuc Yen, Kien Hoa, Vinh, Bau iThuong, Hoa La-c,'Kep, C~t Bi, Yen Bai and Nam Dinh; thermal power plarj.ts at Hon Gai, Thai Ngu;,jen, Uong Bi, Nam Dinh and Ban Thach; the HaMi port l'acility; the Hadoi radio station; and the Cam Phu transfOrn)cr st~tion. Other targ~ts of Significance included major railroaq and highway bridges, ra;ilroad yards, Army barr~cks, supply dumps, rail! and truck traHic and ~aterborne logistic craft.

!

The results of this pertiod of activity included the following sigrj.ificant items: Nearly <in major lines of conmunication, highways, railroads, and bridges were ;damaged to some deGree. This forced ;Jorth Vie~nar;, to dedicate a major iPortion of their work force and materials to qontinued repair or bypa~s efforts. It 0.150 denied him the advantage of ~orward staging and logifjtical depots since there were no are.s air powEjr cOl,ld not attack. ~'h~ net result was a major slowdown in the flow of n)en and material to the South.

Raids against jet capa01e airfields disrupted the enemy air orderof-battle and denied use of ithese fields for varying periods of time. These attaci(s also destroyed or daMl.ged components of the air defense

, ,

sysifem includinG dAH sites a;nd radar complexes.

Strikes against petrol~um/oil/lubricant (POL) storage facilities and power plants forced dispersal of storage and reduced the enemy capability to maintain electiric power for industrial purposes.

Beyond the operational:and logistical setbacks to the enemy, there were also other Significant ieffects caused b;y the bombing. It is estimated that 500,000 of the Nqrth Vietnamese work force ~Iere needed to maintain roads, railroads, ~epots and other support and supply facilities that were being hit durling the air strikes, diverting this manpower from assistinb in prodecuting the WA,r in the South. In addition, the cost of Eiaterial for replenishment of supplies and repair of darnage sudered by the North meant :80 sizeable drain of funds available for support of the war.

On 31 liarch, the Presic\ent officially limited the bombing of North Vietinam to below the 20th P4rallel in a move to aid in the search for peaqe. In actual practice, istrikes were unofficially limited to below _ the 19th Parallel on 3 Apri:!f. This move exempted over 95 percent of the population of 110rth Vietnam iand the majority of territory from air strikes. The main emphasis at this t:iln;e was stopping the flow of supplies through the'Pa.nhandle region. This iwas achieved by systematic interdiction of lines of communication and ~trategic choke points. Efforts were also made tc locate and destroy '!lhe vehicles and waterborne craft backlogged aD a result of the successfUl interd:i.ction efforts.

259

- r;vr,: us - vietnam.ttu.edu · - scotland ii (quang tri prov): ... during en g. us cas 12...

Documents