Intelligence

 

During the month the Battalion participated in two operations, Operation SCOTLAND NANKING (6-16 Oct) and the continuation of Operation SCOTLAND II during the periods 1-6 Oct and 16-31 Oct.

Enemy. 

The entire month has been characterized by very few contacts and sightings.  What contacts there were occurred as the result of our patrolling into certain areas and they involved no large enemy forces.

Of particular interest to us prior to Operation SCOTLAND NANKING were the possibilities of encountering elements of the 246th Regiment of the 338th Division, as well as elements of the 83rd Engineer Regiment.  All these units had been operating in the area south of Lang Vei to the Laotian border during the summer.  However at the beginning of the month their presence in this area could not be confirmed.  During the operation we found no evidence that they had been or were in our area of operations.

At no time did we receive incoming from either heavy or indirect weapons.  However, on three occasions our units did come in contact with enemy troops.  On 8 October in the only enemy initiated attack, a Platoon of Company B in a night defensive position was probed by an estimated squad of NVA at XD 894327.  On 10 and 11 October, Company C made contact with small numbers of enemy ground troops in the same general vicinity, a draw leading south between Hill 843 (XD 866334), immediately to the north of Lang Hole (XD 871308).  These contacts and sightings also appeared to indicate that the enemy possibly wanted to deny us entry into the area south of the aforementioned terrain features.

Numerous bunker complexes were found during the operation.  They were located primarily along two trails.  One trail ran in an east-west direction from XD 844359 to XD 864351.  The other ran in a north-south direction from XD 880357 to the Lang Hole area.  None of these complexes appeared to have been used recently.  Five graves were found along the trails to tally forty-four bodies.

Since assuming security for Fire Support Bases Cates and Shepherd and Hills 691 and 950 there have not been any enemy activity or sightings within our area of operations.

 

Weather.

The month of October began with generally clear weather characterized by high temperatures and humidity and light winds.  However during Operation SCOTLAND NANKING there was considerable rainfall with high winds.  For the remainder of the month the weather had been generally clear with intermittent rainfall.

 

Terrain.

The terrain in the area from XD 8436 to XD 8834 is characterized by gradual sloping hills with thick elephant grass ranging from three to ten feet in height.  In the intermediate draws there is thick foliage and heavy canopy with intermittent streams.

In our present area of operations the terrain in the vicinity of FSB Cates and Hills 691 and 950 is mountainous with sharply rising slopes, heavy canopy, and many fast flowing streams.  At FSB Shepherd the terrain is characterized by gradual slopes with thick elephant grass with thick canopy in the intermediate draws.

A.                 Enemy equipment captured or destroyed

1.     Small arms ammunition

a.      Chi-com type 56, 7.62mm, rimless cartridges – 2,455

b.      Chi-com 7.62mm, long-rimmed cartridges – 1,000

c.      Chi-com 12.7mm cartridges – 5,730

d.      US .30 caliber cartridges – 400

B.                 Weapons

a.      Chi-com 7.62mm assault type 56 (AK-47) – 2

b.      Chi-com 7.62mm carbine type 56 (AK-44) – 2

c.      Soviet 7.62mm semi-automatic carbine SKS – 1

d.      Bipod, Chi-com 82mm mortar, type 53 – 2

e.      Bipod, US type 81mm mortar – 1

C.                Mortar, recoilless Rifle and Rocket  ammunition

a.      60mm mortar rounds – 223

b.      81mm mortar rounds – 27

c.      82mm mortar rounds – 290

d.      Chi-com 75mm Recoilless Rifle rounds (HE and HEAT) – 1 each

e.      122mm Rocket – 1

f.          Motor and Stabilizing Units, 122mm Rocket – 4

g.      Chi-com AT grenade launcher, type 56 (RPG-2) rounds – 47

h.      Soviet RPG-7 rounds – 2

D.                Mines, Demolitions and Explosives

a.      Chi-com No. 4 dual-purpose mines – 30

b.      NVA DS-10 directional fragmentation mines – 4

c.      Blasting caps – 20

d.      Chi-com stick hand grenades – 158

E.                 Equipment

a.      Entrenching tools – 4

b.      Machetes – 2

c.      Rice bowls – 10

d.      Cartridge belts – 20

e.      Gas masks – 53

f.        Helmets – 8

g.   Canteens – 3

h.      Shovels – 1

i.     Dog harness (non US type) – 1

j.       Magazines, Chi-com 7.62mm assault type 56 – 20

 

This page last corrected 2 September 2011