Intelligence

A.                 For most of the month the Battalion was assigned responsibility for the defense of VCB and security for the daily road sweeps.  There were several sightings on the VCB perimeter.  A Platoon from Co D made contact with two NVA on the ridgeline southeast of VCB with negative results.  To the south at Ca Lu, a ground surveillance unit observed 25-30 suspected enemy through a Night Observation Device (NOD).  The Company fired mortars and checked the area the following morning with negative results.

VCB received four to six rounds of 122mm rockets and 14 rounds of 107mm rockets during the month.

On 15 August the convoy from Dong Ha was ambushed as it approached VCB.  The NVA used small arms fire, RPG’s, and claymores.  The claymores were of a new configuration; two mines tied together with a sandbagged buffer between them.  The first mine is command detonated and the top mine has a pull release fuse with a three to four foot string tied to a stake in the ground.  The bottom mine blows the top one into the air where it detonates and sprays the area.  Investigation of the area showed the device failed to work properly in that both mines detonated simultaneously.

The Battalion was relieved of responsibility for defending VCB on 26 August, and the following day moved into the field to conduct sweep operations. Ground Surveillance Teams, organized from personnel within the Battalion, were attached to the Companies.  They employed NOD’s, radar, meta-scopes, starlight scopes, and other equipment to detect enemy movement beyond human vision and hearing distance. On several occasions the observation equipment detected movement enabling the units to take special precautionary measures.

B.                 Weather.  The weather consisted primarily of hot, humid days with only three or four days of moderate rainfall.  There was generally a gentle breeze blowing in the higher elevations, at times reaching to gusts of 15 to 20 knots.

C.                Terrain.  The terrain in which VCB is located consists of a large valley broken by small and rugged mountains with crests to 552 meters. The Ca Lu area is in a valley floor with sharply rising mountains on both sides.  The area in which the Battalion commenced operations during the latter part of the month is characterized by rolling hills, four to five foot high ‘elephant’ grass, and small deep ravines with intermittent streams.

D.                Operations.  All of the Activities of the Battalion during the month were part of the 4th Marines’ operation ‘Georgia Tar’.  On 18 August, Co D was chopped OPCON to the 3^rd Marines and participated in operation ‘Virginia Ridge’ until 24 August when they returned to the Battalion.

E.                 Results of Operations

a.                  1 NVA KIA

b.                  Enemy  Equipment Captured/Destroyed

(1)               Mines, Ammunition, Demolition and Explosives

Det cord, can                         1

AP mines (claymore)            6

82mm mortar rds                36

ChiCom grenades                4

50 cal rds                           520

60mm mortar rds                57

Explosive (pounds)               1

Cans of 82mm fuses            2

(2)               Miscellaneous

Rice (bags)                            3

Bunkers                                47

Living huts                              8         

Fox holes                             27

Canteen                                 2

Stoves                                    2

Comm wire                        200 meters