15 August 1965

 

From:       Commanding Officer

To:            Commanding Officer, 4th Marines (-)(rein)

Subj:         After Action Report #19; Three-company sweep and clear 13-14 August 1965

Ref:     (a)            Map: Viet Nam 1:50,000 Sheet 6757 III

(b)                        3rd MarDiv OpO 321-65

Encl:    (1)            Operation Overlay

1.         Units Involved and Strengths.

A.                Company A (-)(rein), 1st Battalion 4th Marines (-)(rein). (Off/Enl)(6-113)

(1)               1st Platoon (rein).  (1-41)

(2)               2nd Platoon (rein).  (1-38)

(3)               3rd Platoon.  (0-12)

(4)               Company Headquarters.  (2-13)

(5)               Arty FO Team.  (1-3)

(6)               81 FO Team.  (0-2)

(7)               FAC Team.  (1-4)

B.                Company B (-)(rein), 1st Battalion 4th Marines (-)(rein).  (4-93)

(1)               1st Platoon (rein)  (1-41)

(2)               2nd Platoon (rein).  (1-41)

(3)               Company Headquarters.  (1-9)

(4)               Arty FO Team.  (1-1)

(5)               Interpreter.  (0-1)

C.                Company C (-)(rein), 1st Battalion 4th Marines (-)(rein).  (4-139)

(1)               1st Platoon (rein).  (1-46)

(2)               2nd Platoon (rein).  (1-45)

(3)               Company Headquarters.  (2-8)

(4)               Battalion Scouts.  (0-6)

(5)               Engineer Squad.  (0-12)

(6)               PF Platoon.  (0-21)

(7)               Interpreter.  (0-1)

D.                Battalion Command Group.  (3-10)

E.                Prisoner Handling Team.  (1-11)

F.                 Det, 1st Plat, Co B, 3rd AT Bn.  (1-12)

G.                FMAW.

2.         Time.  Company A (-)(rein) landed by helicopter 130745H.  Company B (-)(rein) landed by helicopter 140720H.  Company C (-)(rein) dismounted trucks at 140720H.  Last elements returned to MLR positions at 141515H.

3.         Place.  Western portion of TAOR.  See operations overlay.

4.        Casualties.

A.                Friendly.  None.

B.                Enemy.  None.

5.         Nature of Action.  Three company operation, involving company combat patrol and three company sweep and clear.

6.         Narrative.  Company A (-)(rein) heli-lifted to vicinity (BT 401080) at 130745H and established squad ambushes at (BT 395096), (BT 407087), and (BT 400072).  Squad patrol was conducted to vicinity (BT 390078), received sniper fire vicinity (BT 397088) from vicinity (BT 388093).  Enemy withdrew from contact.

Second Platoon conducted patrol to vicinity (BT 405060) at 131100H, and established observation post in that vicinity until 131500H.  At the same time a squad patrol was conducted to vicinity (BT 388077).  No enemy contact.  At 131600H all elements returned to patrol base vicinity (BT 407073) to resupply.  At 132000H, squad night ambushes were established at (BT 404067), (BT 405071), (BT 411072), and (BT 413078).  Ambushes secured at 140400H and Company (-) moved to (BT 413078), continued to (BT 414079), where fire was received from estimated 4-5 VC with one BAR and one automatic weapon.  No one injured.

Company A (-)(rein) continued to vicinity (BT 426082) and observed 7-15 VC moving south at (BT 422097).  Air strike was called at 140715H vicinity (BT 417085).  Two squads were sent to search area upon completion of air strike, with negative results.

At 140720H, Company B (-)(rein) landed by helicopters vicinity (BT 437085) upon completion of air prep of landing zone.  At the same time Company C (-)(rein) reached dismount point (BT 439099) and proceeded southwest.  Company C (-)(rein) moved to hamlet at (BT 432092) and held up to await tie in with right flank elements of Company B.

At 140900H, 2nd Platoon, Company B discovered French grenade booby trap vicinity (BT 433089) and disarmed it.  Company C (-)(rein) found bunker vicinity (BT 428093) and requested engineer support.  On-call engineer squad heli-lifted to same location at 141015H and destroyed three bunkers in that vicinity.

At 140910H, Company A (-)(rein) formed in blocking position extending from (BT 417086) to (BT 426087).  Company B (-)(rein) maneuvered to tie in with Company C (-)(rein) vicinity (BT 428093) for sweep southwest and west.  Prisoner handling team, with ITT personnel, established collection point at (BT 431094) as companies swept hamlet vicinity (BT 4309).  Total of 163 local nationals were processed, 22 of which were adult males.  Of these, three were detained as VCS and remainder were released.

Only enemy contact during sweep occurred when elements of Company A scouting river vicinity (BT 422093) at 141040H received sniper fire from across river vicinity (BT 419093).  Fire was returned.  Enemy fire ceased.

Return to MLR position was effected by truck pickup of Company C (-)(rein) vicinity (BT 444096) at 141300H and heli-lift of remainder of units from vicinity (BT 430088).  Heli-lift commenced at 141400H and was completed by 141515H.  First Platoon, Company B, was left on hill at (BT 433089) to establish patrol base and night ambushes vicinity (BT 4107), and return the following morning.

Lessons Learned.  No new lessons learned.  The requirement for rapid, almost instantaneous, sealing of an area to be searched to preclude any VC escape was re-emphasized.  Distance, available support and terrain make it extremely difficult to effectively surround and seal an area of any size.

 

This page last corrected 16 September 2011