CONFIDE1ITIAL

observers. This part of the training program was designed"i~"

acnUfl tnt nersonnel with the envirorun'mt in "which they-would b,,""

opcrati~g, and to familiarize them ~~th local customs and ~gulations

and applied rules of engagemento

The Riverine Assault Force was initially commissioned as River

Assault Flotilla ONE at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado,

California, un 1 September 1966, with Captain W .. c~ \\'ELlS, USN, as·

Commander. Activation of the task forcp. is planned for late

February or early March~

* * * * *

1.,4 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

u. S. NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY DANAI]!

In January, Naval Support Activity, Danang c~ntinued to' '

offload and clear carp;o expeditiously" despite ac,verse weather ..

A new monthly throughputl record of 254,856 measurement tons2

was establist,~d for the port of Danang.. The total exceeded the

previous record, set in December 1966, by 4,149 measurement tons~

Total throtl,p-:hput for I Corps l-:as 331,477 measurement. tons, a

decrease of 15,693 measurement t.ons from the previous month~

During January .43 ships arrived at Danang and 48 ships

com;.leted offloading for a net deCreaSfj in backl.og of 20,600

measurement tons" The daily backlog in deep draft ships steadily

decreased until 31 January when it reached a low of 1,436

measurement tons~

Coastal resupply operations, however, were significantly

affected by monsoon weather~ Despite maximum use of all available

Landirl!; Craft Utility/Covered Lighters (LCU/nUs), the backlog in

Danang of transshipment cargo for Dong Ha and HUd increased

through,\ut the month~ Heavy seas and winds forced cancellation of

resupply operations on 16 -separate occasions, and delayed the

return of LCU/YFUs to Danang for periods as'long as eight days.

During January, LCU/yFUs made 69 round trips to Don,,, 'Ha,

deliverL"'~ 9,144 measurement tons of carAop In 46 round trios,

] Throughput : Total cargo offloaded from incoming ship::; plus cargo backloaded for delivery to other in-country ports or to the United States~

2Measurement ton: Forty cubic feet of cargo,

45 CONFlIJEN'fIAL

.'

CONFIDENTIAL

DANANG

HARBOR

AIR BASE

SCALE(Approximate):

o 1

Statute Mile

TlEN SHA PENINSULA

SOUTH

CHINA

SEA

CONFIDENTIA L

LCU/YFU. al.o deli>lered 6,897 me33urement ton. of cargo to Hue for

resu;,ply at Phu BaL

Chu L~i "'as resuoolie<i by tank landing ships (LST.) .ilich, in

30 lorips. dp.l,~vered 34,704 rnF.:asurement tons of c;trgo. The tot.al

volume de Ii vp.n;d to Dong Ha, Hue and Chu Lai from Dann.ng by sea

',;as 50,825 mCrtsurement tons~

J~onsocn '~:0.;.ther nlso cont.inued to affect POL (pet roleu-'1l , oil,

lub~'ic3.nt:'<) r-es1l;toly o;'-lBrations. At Chu Ltl.L, heavy :7eas orev~:mtcd

ren.-1.irs to i~hp Ip-3.k.') in the 4-ineh rmd 8-inch fuel lines; rep:.en-

i~~hmp.nt. ' ... '<15 .1.;;~~omr] ishec by a YOG and il sha llo\': draf:" ']'-1 ta~ker

rur.lpinf, di.rectl..v into refu81er trucks fit the inner h.~rbor. On 14

J;jnU;:l,r,', the POL picture ..... "lS improv~d signLf"ic?nt lv \o:hen the new

12-in(:h fuel lin~ '1;as rclised rtnd began ~urnDi.ng JP-h,

:.-:ith i'u81 b:! .. rldders to shuttle f\J~l from gn AOG< Phu Ba.i ..... 11.:')

reol!"!nish'!d b;V commer:::.ial trucks from lJ-'lll<1nf. and by !1?rinp. r·~fuf!le'Y.'

tr'u::-ks from Col Co [gla.nd ..

At Df:.n"np the China nC8.ch lO-inch :,enload line was utn.ized

fer ths:; initi~.l fi"L!i:lg of the Shell tanks -'it My Khp.. The. filling

cJ th(~- tanks f!nci trrtnsJ'f:r of fuel to the Sho:=ll Nha. Hien t·!.!nninal,

lbAF -l:.:H·lKS p.nd th~ north ..... ·est. tank fann was completed on 9 JanUrtry~

Th~~ num'oer ot' funGtions pP.rfonned by NAV3U?PACT increased.

l)n 1 J:-Inu:::!.ry. f\!\'~~:;UPPACT assumed full responsibility for port

..:1.e<lran . ..;e in th~ JanA.ng a.rAa, Control and support of the Chinq

Ee<1-:,h rest and r(!cre;!ltion center also WA.S n.sSUI'!1p.d on 1 January.

[.,7 CONFIDENTIAL

"" '"

PORT OF DANANG CARGO HANDLING"" ------- OPERATION"S------'--:------:-·

-~ OfFlOAD ~CJ(lCJID

300

Z!!O

zoo

MIT I !!O

100

I I

I i ! I

,

I r----. V- I--' I !

~ ~ V I

I : , • ° ! r- I

i V r----. V I

I , , ; ,

! I I , I

:10 po--

0 J I" WQTR ° ."QTR _~~o_o~o~oAo~o~"~O~O~

cr- 66 cr-67 I c

o.

CONr'IDENTlAI,

Responsibility for operations of utilities systems Rnd

maintenance support cO~ltinued to expand., On 7 January the Public

,',arks shop begAn providing maintenance support to the First Marine

Air ""iing~ The :lhop ",as also tasked with minor maintenance surport

for the First Marine Division Command Post~

On 18 January NAVSUPPACT assumed partial responsibility for

the oper~t~cn of the Force Logistics Supp~ Group ALFA ice plant.

LL'Tli.teCl f,'1,::i lities sU~lport uf the Third M8.rjne Division Corronand

Post at r'h'..l Br1.i was begun by the Maintenance Divi~ion on 20

January.

Cl::Js3 II and class IV suoply 5up~,ort continued to improve"

Or. 12 J~nua ry the NAVSUPPACT SERV?-fi..!1T opened. Over 1,600 fast­

mov~.ng lin"" ite!l1s .,.:ere ::;tocked b,Y tre ne',</ self-service facility.

In rjdQition, !"let supnly rermisition effectiveness during January

i.n(:reased from 70 per cent to 7'3 per cent ~

Service ~raft assets increased on 6 Janur3.ry with the return

of a refrigerated lighter (YFRN-'/j?) from overhaul And the arrival

of a ~arbage lighter (YG-51)b Lighterage aS5et~ were augmented by

the arrivaJ. of YFUs 58, 59 and 62 from Japan on 9 January~

Tl~ansportation a~~set5 also :ncrea5ed~ One ./ .. 0 passenger bus,

four tra~ler~~ And s:ix trucks were received in January"

On 12 Janua rJ J the NAVSUPPACT C-47 .9.ircraft suffered brake

failure ",:hile l?..nding at Danang and was severely damaged~ Prior

to the accident. the plane hAd transported 11~520 ~ounds of cargo

and 1L8 passengers since the first of thfl montho A replacement

49 CON FlDENTIA L

CONFIDEI.TIAL

aircraft "las received on 31 J6.nuary~

Danang was visited 98 tiro". by Seventh Fleet ships during

Janu"r,v, NAVSUPPACT delivered 793,,912 gallons of dies.,l f",~_l and

1,110,150 gallons of potabl'J water to the visitillg ships 0

Addie ional services provided inc luded disbursing, n~il, freight,

boat:;, tugs And trC!nsient. oil1eting~ ,

Ouring Janu::lry, 28· separate instances of harassing emall .arms

fire occurred at v~ri~5 locations in the Danang erea. No friendly

casua Ities resulted,

On 2 Janun. ry Tf~run One of Harbor Clearance Uni~.:. OUE sU'3pended

Danang hiver wreck clearance operations to assist Seve1lth Fleet

units in the salvage of US,; MAHNOMEN COUNTY (!'sT-912lo Upon

termillR.ticn of the salvA.ge ooeratic-ns on 31 January, Tj"~am One

returned to ~ubic Bay,

0:1 -~l Jflnuary Naval Support Activity personnf~l strengt.h

(in·::ludjng /,PLs) totaled 8,048 1 a de..:rease of 138 from the 3l

iJecember' on-board count,

CONf W;;N1'IAL

U. S. NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY, SAIGON

Constru.ction of interim and pennancnt facilities at GAME

\\AhuEN and MARKET TIME bases progressed satisfactorily in Ja.naary.

At Sa Dec., the boat ramp was completed, work on a sea 1o;a:!.1

Gomrncncerl, "wd the construction of three berthing hutchi1s neared

completion,

h, !ii'~nifi~flnt increase in the Bupport cap.1.bility at Vinh Long

't,'''15 ;,chievnd -.... ith the installation of boat engine lifting gearQ A

boR.(. rPJn0r

drive.,.;.!)...., an!} concrete sea wall were also completed.

fIt My 'fho. ttle 3UDDly ",·areh(;U5·~ anri .shop were approximately

'7) O?-r c'~l1t complete at the p.nd of' the month, Work on an adrnin-

1.st J'~t:i.on building, generator shed and water purification building

m'rt:ed ~omDletion. Naval Support Acti·."ity (NAVSUPPALT' My'I'ho

jetachment personnel provided extensive support for the JAMAICA

l:AY '.32J.vaee operaticn during January.

At Vun~ Tau, n nubUc ·,.;orl(S team continued U-.e construction

or four hutches. a f"]uonset hut and inA-t<'l.ll.M.tion 0.0{' a water tank

at the Harbor Defense site. At l\:ha fie, construction of a BEQ &.nd

.;. r:l~S8 hall neared completion" am the fra.-neKcrk for 11 new reoair

huililnf,: was erected. Other f,ro,iects under construction at month's

end i.!1c luded no:) 1[}[Os at Can Tho " and extension (.of the boat ramp

a", L:mg X'.Jyen·

Un .1 J;:ml)::l,ry, 10-220 arrived at Cat 10, r:.roviciing the first

in-:;ountry ai ..i.oat lift Kith a lOO-ton caD-3city~ During the month,

YiJ-~120 io:as u:~ed extensively for a variety of jobs I including

51 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

off-lifting PBRs from the USS JENNINGS COUNTY lLST-P46), the lift

Dr MSB-14, sun" in a collis ton .ith a civilian freighter, am the

lift of a commercial dred3e •

Lift capabili'!y als0 improved at Qu i Nhono The crane pad at

qui Nhon was complet-':!d during the month and a PCF "''as 3uccessfullJr

lifted t' ,t of t.ho;! wa:~f'!" am cradled on the pont: ')O!1 float ..

Efforts tr.,: t:;'o,j-uce fr~5h water ~t Cat La continued, as the

Officer in C!1arge of Construction (DICC) proeeeded ,dth the

construction of Ji shallow well system~ Installation of pow'3r

outlets in the interim pier at Cat 10 was complet~d by Public

.... ork'3"

')0 27 January, a NAVSUPPhCT detachment arrived at Dong 'Cam

and be,2an work on !i support base for the newly-established R.iverine

Assoult Force. Construction 'jr;as begun on a 250-man cantorurumt ..

During January the numb~r of line items stocked by Naval

Sur:pc.rt. Activity,. Saigon increa3ed by 2,000. At ~~he end of the

month. the total stocY. le~el exceeded 25,000 items.

Supply requisition effectiveness, however, declinp.d. The

de;::rea.se '"as attributed. to a variety of factors, including funding

l'imitat.ions, delays in recE:ipt of overha..tl materials for various

bGat progr~~s and increased demand for General Services

Administration (GSA) materials RubsC3a:uent to distribution of the

n'!cently ~"'Ublished GSA c".talog.,

Over,'ill 9t10ply renuisition effe('tiveness was 40 per cent

gro3s and 62 per cent n~t- The gross availability cf material for

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL " -

priority TWO casualty report re<,!uisitions was 72e 85 per r.ent,';

The resunply of bulk diesel fuel in the IV Corps area improved

ccnsiderably in January with the positioning of 120,CXX>-galloll

capacity fuel storage barges at V:.nh Long and Long Xuyen.. In

addition~ port;:;.ble refueler units wit.h a 1,OOO-gallon capacity

\,.;ere provided by the lL S~ Army to the vari0us Delta GAMr.. WARDEN

det~chrnents tc ensure an organic capability to resupply' storage

twkse

TtlI'! ov?rall logistic support posture was further enhanced in

January by the delivery of rough-terrain fork truc~s to Delta-based

detachments, The trucks have a three-ton lift capability"

The ov O!r;}.ll trrt.nspCir't.::l t '..on situ1"I.tion remained generally

satisra,;tory" The NAVSUPPACT aviation section (Air Cofat)*

trans ('orted 4 113 passengers (1,0'tO more than December is total)

an<l over l.t...O short tons of cargo during January. T:,e increase

i .... the number of passe:1gers carried resulted from scheduling

a.dditional flights to Danang ~J,fter NAVSUPPACT Danang fS C-47

aircraft "ia~. damaged in an a ccident on 12 January ~

\,ater-borne shipments by JJS~ MAliK (AKL-12), USS BRULE (AKL-28)

ani YF'E-889 total€d J, 13l. displacement tons of cargo plus [·n

additional.. 175 tons of i"ater. o.nd 30 tons of fueL

CA:IGO HAl';lJLING BATTALION 1'.,0

l)n ~)l JanUdcy, Cargo Handling Battalion TWO (CHB-2) completed

*Ccfat is deri·.ed from the name of a French cigarette, no lon~er produ.::.ed~ NAVSUPPACT Saigon is situated on the Sit'3 .P:rmriously ac upied by the fa,:tory that fl'L<'Jde Cafats,

53 CONFIDENTIAL

SONFIDENTIAL

nearly 20 months of almost continuous service in Vietnam.

Composed of two ('fficers and 80 ~nli5ted men, the battalion's

mission ,"'115 to assist in cargo handling operations and to provide

supervision and training t.o other personnel as required"

Originally deployed to Vietnam in April of 1965, the

battalion helped provide vital support to cargo operations in

Danang and Lhu lai until its return to Subic Bay in August of 1966.

un 19 Septemb~r 1966, CHB-2 was deployed to Cam Ranh Bay to

help train three nt:<,:ly-fonned Anny terminal service companies o The

battalion remained through JrUiuary to assist in reducing the back­

log of ~argo a~iting discharge at Cam Ranh Bay"

Largely ... :;. d. result of CHB-2's assistance, by the end of

January Cam R.anh Bay had developed an effective organic cargo

handling and training ~apability-" and the battalion returned to

Subic B:1Y,

54 CONFIDENTIAL

•

CONFIDF.NTIAL

THIRD NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE

In January heavy rains continued to slow construction ill I

Corps, with vertical construction reduced and horizontsl

construction (earth work) ha.lted ir. some instances.. However,

satisfactory progress was made on many projects despite the

adverse weat.her conditlons~

The logistic picture improved ,·ith the .''rival of material.

for the Air Force Tigerhour.d pro.ject at Khe Sauh. Three bunker.

were und~r ..;onstruction at month is eu1, ..

At Phu Bai, the base cantp of Mobile Const.ruction Btt.t'.:.alion

(MCB) 6~ came under enemy fire several times during the month"

The most. ,~if,nificant a~.tack occurred on 20 January, when the

battalion compound received 82mm mortar fireo Two battalion huts

SU5t::l ined direct hits and were destroyed" Two Seabees were

k.1.11ed~ and 17 were woundetl o

v.';ork under construction by MC~62 during January included

constn.lction of a helicopter parking apron at Phu· Bai, installation

of a new deck for the Nang River Brj_dge and various well-drilling

projects c.

A major project completed by MCB-58 was the construction of

32 houses for Vietnamese civilians ",11ose homes were dest royed when

a civilian cargo aircraft crashed jnto the village of Hoa Cuong on

24 December. Deeds to the new homes were !,resented to the

villagers during formal dedication ceremonies on 23 JanuaryD

Kell-drilling projects at An Khe and Cu Chin were completed

55 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENT !AL

in January. Two producing weils were drilled at An Khe and IiTa' " ' .,'

at Cu Chi.

On 22 January, MCB-lO completed conStruction of a l65-toot

bridge over the Song Tu" Loan River. !hilt of timber, the new

bridge has a 60-ton capacity.

At the end of January, major projects woder construction by

MCB-9 included cantonments for the First Marine Division an~

buildings for the First Military Police Battalion. In the Danang

East area, MCB-5 continued construction of the Naval Support

A~tivity Exchange facility at Elephant Beach and the amphitheater

at" the· China Beach rest and recreation cantero

* * * * *

56 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

SALVAGE OPERATIONS

On 9 January the 2,300 ton dredge, JAMAICA BAY, ,",s mined by

the Viet Congo The dredge, stationed in the My Tho River at. Dong

Tam, was sunk at 0525 by at least two larg~, conti~lled mines

placed on eithe~ side of the hull. The huge craft, one of the few

of its kind in the world, had been engRged in dredging operation~

incident to the establishment of the Riverine Assault Force support

base at Don~ Tam.

There were 20 Amer-ica.n civilians and five Vietr_1.mese on bOA.rd

the civilian-ol<med dredge fit the time of the mining" Three

Americans were killed and one Americp~, trapped below decks, was

rescued and treated for shock~ There were no other serious

CRsua Ities. At the time of the explos ion, the dredge was shut do.,m

for normal weekend mRintenance and most of the crew ",ere ashore"

JAMAICA BAY suffered extensive damagen One explosion tore a

hole seven fect high and nine feet long in the starboard side~ On

the port side, the blast opened a hole 15 reet long am seven feet

high. The main deck was ruptured and distorted extensively. An

LCH-6 moored to the port side of the dredge a.lso was sunk ..

The dredge came to rest on the river bottom in approximate~

25 feet of water, in a position 100 yards east of the Dong Tam

entrance channel and approximately 150 yards from the north bank

of the river. Because its starboard spud was in a lowered position

at the time of the explosions, the dredge settled with a 40 degree

port list.

57 CONr IDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

Salvage operations were begun immediately by Harbor Clearance

Unit ONE (HCU-I). Harbor Clearance Team Three (HCT-)) was .ent

from Vung Tauw-l.th two heavy lift craft (HLCs I and 2) artc! one

light lift craft (LLC-2). On 12 January HCT-4 and eight personnel

of HCT-5 arrived from Subic Bay to assi.,t.

On 11 January the HCU-l Salvage Master and COMSERVPAC and

COMNAVFOfiV salvage officers conducted a joint preliminary salvage

inspection. It was subsequently decided to raise the wreck in

successive stages until the holed areas were eXf~sed and could be

patched above water.

Because of the heavy dead weight of the sunken dredge, two

more heavy lift craft (HIes 3 and 4) were dispatched from Subic

Bay and arrived on the scene by the end of the month~ Harbor

Clearance Team 2 and the reJT\r.'1 inder of HeT 5 also were deployed to

operate the lift craft. In addition, YDT-ll was towed from Subic

Bay to the salvage site to provide berthing, messing and 3hop

f~cilities for salvage personnel.

Excellent progress was made by the salvage forces during the

month. &J 30 January all heavy lift wires had been passed under

the dredge, the .~arboard spud had been r~moved and the JAMAICA

BAY had been returned to an essentia~ upright position.

Maanwljile, efforts continued to make the hull wnter+.ight from

the keel to the 02 level in the event de~tering of the dredge

became necessary to Hupplement the force supplied by the lift

craft. A patch for the hole in the port side was constructed, and

58 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

fabrication of the starbo.,rd side patch was begun. Patching of the

deckhouse at the 01 level on the starboard side was completed.

Another salvage operation conducted in J3nuar~ involved a U.S.

minesweeper. On 14 January HSB-14, while conducting minesweeping

operations in the Long Tau River, collided with the Norwegan motor

vessel, MOl FINN, and sank. The collision occurred at 0625 in the

vicinity of buoy six at the mouth of the Long Tau channel. Three

of the MSB's crew 'Were lost am one of the four survivors was

seriou::il .. v in,4 ,d.

Harb0r Cl~_ance Team 4 and the Salvage Master of HCU-l we~

dispatched to the scene from Dong Tam and began salvage operations

on 15 January. The wooden-hulled minsweeping boat was located

with at least 50 per cent of the port mid-section missing or

demolished.

On 17 January the MSB was raised to the surface by Y0-220.

However, the JJ1t effort was stopped because the hull showed signs

of breaking in half amidships while being lifted clear of the

surface. The MSB was then secured alongside YD-220 and transported

to Vung Tau. There the hull was cut in two pieces and lifted onto

a barge for delivery to Nha Be, where the hull was to be dismantled

and the rnachiner,y and parts salvaged.

L'n 1 January off Chu Lai, USS MAHNOMEN COUNTY (LST-912)

dragged anchor, broached parallel to the beach and came aground on

rocks inside the surf zone. Seventh Fleet salvage forces, assisted

by HCU-l Team 1 from Danang, immediately began an intensive but

59 CONF lDENTlA L

CONFIDENTIAL

unsuccessful effort to save the stricken ship.

All attempts to free KAHNOMEN COUNTY were consistently thwarted

by a rock ledge that extenied to seaward along the full length of

the ship. In addiUon, salvage efforts ~ ... re subjected to northeast

monsoon weather with winds as high as 40 knots and an 18 foot

plunging surf. As a result of the initial impact on grounding and

the working of the ship in heavy surf, MAHNOMWlI COUNTY suffered

seYere damage. All S?B.ces below the third deck were holed a.nd open

to the sea, and the tank deck was cracked completely ath~rtship5

at frame 22. The main deck suffered small, cracks in several areas

and the bow doors were sprung open and the foundations cracked.

Salvage operations were terrnimted on 31 January. Because of

the extensive damage, COMSERVPAC recommended that the ship be

decommissioned and stripped of usable equipment.

Several mirlor salvage operations were completed during the

month. At Cat Lo, a commercial dredge pumping fill into the ~ter­

front area sucked up an 8Jmm shell which exploded And ruptured the

sucticn pipe. The pipe section was removed but not blanked. The

incoming tide caused the dredge to tilt and take on water through

the open tube. The craft subsequently sank. The Naval Support

Activity (NAVSUPPACT) Saigon detachment at Cat La used YD-220 to

raise the dredge.

On 8 January the NAVSUPPACT Danang detachment at Dong Ha used

Mobile Construction Battalion 5 eouipment to refloat Landing Craft

Utility (leU) 1493. The LeU had broached and grounded south of the

mouth of the eua Viet River on 31 December.

* * * * * 60 CONFIDENTIAL

JAMI'oIC A 2'\y hES'flM; ' )1; 1 HE ~.EKlJI,C RIV~:ic SarTOI~ AFrEli S~ING fllN ED SO( TIi". VIET C0 1,G ON 9 JANUARY 1967

60A

HEAVY LIFT CRAIT RIGHT JAMAICA SAY

608

CONFIDENTIAL

COMMUNICATIONS

. In January, the volume of message tnffi<- handled by the

COMNAVFORV Communications Cento~ increased to 91,094, the highest

single month tota~ to date. Totals during the past six months

were as follows:

August - 73,060

September - 75,970

October - 75,694

November - 76,975

December - 88,687

January - 91,094

Three new circuits were a.ctivuted duri_ng the mor.c.h: a half­

duplex covered teletype circuit to t,he Coa8tal Surveillance Center

at An Thoi; and two circuits (voice ~nd teletype) to Co~mander

Kiver Assault Floti~la ONE p.mbarked in USS wRITFIELD COUNTY

(LST-1l69) at Vung Tau.

At Cani Ranh R"iy, construction work (PROJECT OOl,<,rLINE) on t.he

Communications Center, the transmitter site and the receiver site

.... as, respectively, 87 per cent, 32 per cent and 87 per cent

comr.-lete. r.hen complete, the facilities will provide communications

support for Fleet Ai_l:'" Act-ivities and Coastal Surveillance Forces

~ addition to message center functions for naval activities in

the Cam Ranh Bay area. The electronics installation phase of the

project ~~s expected to begin on 1 February.

In Dan~ng, the construction of new facilities (PROJECT SEA

AN(HOR) designed to upgrade Naval Supnort Activity communications

progressed 5atisfactori~. At month's end, the Communications

Center was 40 per cent complete, the receiver site 30 per cent

61 CONF'IDENTIAL

complete, and the transmitter site 15 per cent comnlete. The

electronics i'1stallation was scheau.l.e.i to start in mid-March • . ;' .

* * * * *

CONFIDF..NTIAL

UNCLASSIFIED

MILITARY CIVIC ACTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS

In Jp.nUIlTY, psychological operations aimed· at Viet Cong

defection io!:!re inteusified aJ":'!.d preoo.rations bY' the Vietnametle

peonle to celebrate the lunar New Year ('tet). In accordance with

the rp.newed emphasis the Tet season places OT'. family reunion,

special anneals "'ere made to persuade Viet Cong to return to their

farilies mJder government protection. U.S. And Vietnameee naval

forces ..... 150 continued to provide varied assista.nce, including

supnort for VietMmese school teachers, medical attention for

indigenous civilians, and distribution of cOJ111loditiee to neetly

viila,2'ers.

In the Rung Sat Special Zone, plastic bags containing

government lit~rature, safe-car.duct'. uasses rind cigA.rette:3 were

Cl.ir-droDr.-ed in Viet Cong area!'::; also dropned were plastic buckets

cont:3.ining, in r.Jdit.i.on t,o soap and cigarettes, a personal appe~l

from thp; 0;uang XlJ.yen District Chief directeri at Vj'dt. Cong COrrP11Anders.

Along the coast, loudspeaker appeals mRcte from peFs ""ere uSI"Jd

in areas in wtich th~ Viet Cong ~~nk and file were kno"'m to be

r: .~rticu:n.rly susceptible. Especially effective were persorl!l.l

appeals W~Ue Qy re~ent reGurnees Some of these ralliers 'l."e:)orted

,~, mounting disposition on the P::lrt of Viet Cong to join the

gove:rnsnent cau.'3e.

In Dan~~g, there ~~re increasing indicatirns that the Naval

SU?~rt ActS.vity's Military Ci"i~ Action program "":>5 1Mking

Sig!lificant progre3s. A key asoect of the program is the Village

6) UNCLASSIFIED

UNCIASSIFIED

Assistanr;e Team (VAT). Six four-man teams are now in the field,

virtually living in villages am perfonning such varied •. ervices

as hel?ing to build homes am school. ~nd holding sick call for

ci vilians on a daily basis.

Medical officers and hospital corpsmen in Danang held sick

callan Monday mornings for orphans and other children at the

dis pensary of the Stella MAris Convent. At the Station Huspital,

over 300 Vietnamese civilip.ns received outpatient tre.1tment and 31

..... ere admitted P.S rMjor 5urgical cases. In 2ddition~ in ~ariou5

hamlets south of Danang, a medic?l team composed of t,,!O volunteer

hospital corpsmen treated over 5.)000 !:ivilifJ.ns for variow3 ailments.

In the First Coastal/Naval Zone, personnel of Coastal Group

14 continued to resettle rf'.fugees in villages near the C0astal

Group b<lse, :JToviding thf'. refugees ,·dth fo:xi and medical aid ..

Meam.-hile, near Chu La~_, Coastal Group 15 personnel helped build a

permanent dispensary in the villare of K,:, Ha.

In the Third (oest'll/Naval Zone, personnel of Coastal Group

32 corducted an Lldependent medical civic action project (MEDCAP)

involving Vietnr~mese doctors, dentists ~nd cor~smen. The project

"':,,5 conceived, organized and executed by the Vietnamese.

In Januuy, a Vietnamese Navy hospital ship, LSM(H) 401,

conducted om extended Dsycholofical warfare mission at vung Tau

and at the Coastal Group 35 base in Hung My. During the 13-day

missi')n, a tot.al of .401 medical and 55 denUtl patients l'_·ere treated.

In arirlition, the shi':J's cultural pLstocn pr()~'ided entertainment

64 UNCLASSIFIED

.

!' 'C:'''~''] ,

. ~. ::-, t;:'~:G

:~~. , I~( 'I ~1:' t\ 1 ~'.'C: ·

".

UNCLASSIFIiD

for the inhabitants of the aress visited.

On 20 January in the Fourth Riverir.e Area, eight craft of

Ri ver Assault Groups (RAGs) 31 and 33 conducted a psychological

warfare mission in the villages of Vam Ky Mom and Xuan Do~qt in

Dinh Tuong province. In addition to providing medical treatment

for over 3)0 villagers, RAG personnel distributed 40 SAcks of

rice, 50 rolls of cloth, and assorted governm€nt literature. On

23 January, elements of RAG 25 conducted a psychological operation

with Aw~ricAn medical help in the remote h;mlet of My Binh in

Phong Dinh nrovince. The h~~let, situp.ted near the strate~ically

imoortant Tra On can~ 1, became the Bcene of fJ. flurry of activity

as hundreds of inhabitants received medical treatment from

Vil'!tn.!l...mese and American corpsmen. l., addition, foodstuffs and

-:1eriodic~, 15 ~!ere dis tributed to the peoplp..

In January t th~ number of special Se~ bee Teams in country

increase.d to six with the arrival of teams 0510 and 0~~7.

During the month, Team 0510, assigned to the city of Tan An

in Long An province) conducted extensive training sessions at the

Chieu Hoi (open arms) village in Tan An. The training included

instruction in Cel'llent mixing, block mold tamping and curing

techni.)ues. Twelve Hoi Cl'tanhs (returnees) Ho!'ked with the team.

~veiltually, four of the returnees will be permanently assigned to

th~ team as construction workers. The team's hospital corpsman

and his Vietnamese trainee held sick call twice a week at the

Chieu Hoi Village.

65 UNCLASSIFl~D

UNCLASSIFIED

Meanwhile, Team 0807 was assigned to Dien Khanh in Khanh Hoa

province. During the month the team began a number of construction

jobs a,s ,,'ell as land fill and road grading projects. The team also

started fabricating playground e'1uipnent for schools in the

district. In addition, the team began training inhabitants of a

nearby hamlet in the techniaues of mixing and plBcing reinforced

concrete.

Throughout the month, the other Seabee Teams continued to help

the Vietn1mese build :;,nd improve homes, schooL~l hospi+,als, roads,

r.nd stor2.ge ROO se ... :er.::ge systems. At the same time, te:irn corpsmen

t.r~ated hundreds of civilian pB.tients in remote vilMges and hamlets.

In An Girtng orovince, the corpsman of Team 0509 received letters

of B.r'prec:L:!. ticn from the Nui Choc Hamlet Chief for the corpsman's

rx:e1ic:tl ass i;; t?.nce.

Th".! fo::"lo .. :ing is a t",buV~.tion of certain military civic action

-:-::rojoe C~3 t::onjucted by n? vrll forces during Janul:I ry 1967. Construc-

tion :JTOjects involving renovation or repair are so indicated \\':'.th

USN VNN TOTAL

1. Constr....:.ction: rt. nridges lR 0 lR b. C1.11 VP.rt.9 lR 0 lR o. Dis ;~ns-3.ries 1 0 1 d. D""'~llings/number of fn..m..i1ies L.L./56 0 1.1./56 e. Levelin"s/grad in,; ~~rojects 2 0 2 r. Market DlE.ces 1 0 1 v. Playgrourrls 2R 0 2R h. Schools/classrooms 1/4 0 1/L. L Toilets, public 1 0 1 j. School desks 70 0 70

66 UNCLASSIFIED

UNCUSSU'lED

k. School owings 1, School seesaws

!!§!!.

4/4R 4

!Wi o o

2. Hedical treatments: a. General medicine b. Dent"l c. Surgery d. Emergency evacuations e. Cleft palate operations f. Medical patrols g. Laborator,y procedures

24.416 811 119

24 4

18 16.3

251 55 o o 2 o o

3. Health and sanitation:

4.

A. Immunizations b. H'edical aides/nurses trained c. Physical exe.minations

2,514 6

99

o o o

Distribution of commodities (pounds unless otherwise a. Blacksmith kits (each) 1 0 b. Cement 72,320 0 c. Clothing 2,965 )80 J. Food 45,694 10),6c8 e. Lumber (board feet) 100,520 0 1'. Medical, non-prescriution 1,902 0 g. Physical educatior kl.ts (each) 1 0 h. School kits (each) 1,370 3 L Soan 3,938 463 j. Tir. Sheets (each) 374 0 k. Woodworker kits (each) 13 2 1. Buildinp supplies (Mils) 1,750 0 m. Salad oil (gallons) 869 0 n. Blankets (each) 51 2,258 o. Scrap lumber 9,000 0 D. Fire "'ood (truck loads) 5 0 ']. Corn meal 48,000 0 r. F,olled wheat 12,000 0 8. Powdered milk ),124 0 t. Baby food (jars) 500 0 u. Cigarettes (packs) )10 0 v. Toothbrushes (each) 3,868 0 w. Pencils (each) 4,000 0 x, Toothpaste (tubes) 4,363 6 y. Textile kits (each) ) 7 z. Toys (each) 5,643 0 aa. Sand (bags) 1,000 0 bb. Personal kits (each) 1,058 0 cc, Health kits (each) 96 0

TOTAL

4/4R 4

24,667 866 119 24

6 18

163

2,514 6

99

specified): 1

72.)70 3.345

149,302 100,520

1.902 1

1,373 4.401

374 15

1,750 869

2.309 9,000

5 48.000 12,CXX> 3,124

500 )10

3.868 4.000 4,369

10 5.643 1.000 1,058

96

67 UNClASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

5.

dd. Psy\\ar buckets (each) ee. Se¥ing kits (each) ff. Plywood (sheets)

Recovered goods redistributed to the a. Sewing machines h. Sampans

USN

92 2

107

people: 3 2

6. Educational efforts:

7.

a. English classes/attendance 173/2,412 4/500 b. Movies/attendance

Voluntary contributions (piasters) in support a. Religious needs 1,000 h. Schools 197,713 c. Festiva Is 4,800 d. Teachers t salr!ries 5,000 e. Needy families 2,000

* * -1:. * *

68

of:

~

o o o

o o

.'!f!lli

92 2

107

3 2

o 173/2.,1.l2 o 4/500

0 0 0 0 0

1,000 197,713

4,800 5,000 2,000

UNCLASSIFlED

CONFIDENT !AL SPEC~4L HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONAlS

NAVAO, ADVISORY GROUP

VIETNAMESE NA VY

At the end of January. the personnel strength of the Vietnamese

Navy was 16,222 officers and enlisted men. This increase of 244

men over lafit month's total p1aced personnel strength 146 men over

the authoriz~d allowance of 16,076. The number of deserters

discharged during the month increased from December's total of 39

to 624 Thp. nurnber of unauthorized absences rose from 214 to 229.

HOl'ever, 293 returned deserters were reintegrated into the Navy

and were a5signed billets 't:ith river assault and coastal groups.

neet Conunand

The Vietnamese Navy maintained 13 ships on station off ~he

coast of South Vietnam ~nile four ships were assigned to river

ratrols and one ship escorted convoys to Cambodia. Fleet Command

ship operations included: patrols; gunfire support missions;

psychological warfare operations; Rnd river assault operations

support. ISIL 329, assigned escort duty, provided security for

merchRnt ship convoys transiting the Mekong River to Tan Chau near

the Cambodian border. The duration of each convoy transit from

Vung Tau to Tan Chnu and return is eight days. Each convoy is

composed of seven or eight ships carry_ing fuel and other commodities

to Cambcx:iia4

PCs and peEs patrolled coastal areas ia the 1st, 2nd and 4th

69 CONFIDENTIAL

·~~:~~~~NH~;A~ND~.LnD REQUffit:D NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

. "

VIETNAMESE NAVY COASTAL OPERATIONS AND

VIETNAMESE MARINE CORPS GROUND OPERATIONS

J,'Uluary 1967

lEGEND:

o Coastal SurveillPncp. Center • - Coast a 1 Group Base X - Vietnamese Navy Inc1ueuL €I - Vie.tnamese l-f..arine Corps Incident

\J~G 4"/40/4

AN tHOI

CG

8 JanX

70

CG

CG

SCAlE: o

CONJo'lDENTlAL

CONFlDENTIA L SPEC IA L HANDL ING liEQU iRED NOT HELEASABLE TO fUliEIGN NATIONAlS

N~val Zones. These ships fired three gunfire missions in support

of coastal group bases har~ssed by the enemy.

On 11. Jhnu:iry, the wtfe of Nguyen V{l.n TH l.EU, South Vi.etnam I s

Chief of Stat" christened a new patrol craft (PCE-U) in a cerem?ny

he 1d in S<1ip,on, Thp. cnrt. named NGOC HOI (formel'ly USS BRATTLEBORO

lI';PCEH-852))! \Ol~5 rei'urbish€-.d at the Portsmouth Nav."\l Shipyard in

Virginia, and (ie Livf':red to a Vietn11Tlese Navy ere,,!. The c","ew sailed

PGH;:: ... ;ere ut.ilil.ed for coastal and river petrols in all four

i~O!.val Zones and in the Rung Sat Special Zone~ The PG-Ms conducted

ic,ur gunfi~'e support missi'Jns, At 1355 on 8 Janu~ryJ PGM 602

,i~t.s.ined one of t ... ;o Thai fishing boats v~olating the t,,"rritorial

't::J.L:r3 o!' t..he Republic of VietnaJII at Fausse Ubi Island j ;~O miles

;'''.-·S1 __ cd th"~ COd.3t 0';'· the C;:.,. Mau hminsula.~ The PUH towed the

fishing v~5'3e1 to An Thoi where a search "Was conducted in l.iaison

~.;.-: rh,~ ::r~:",memhr-r:-:; of the Thai PGM 12 which Gerves with the Free

·,,'or ld P.i 1 i t;"'1 ry For(:~s i r. Vietnam o After a search th.a t reve;, led

1.5.31.:" 'ind I~-)'!J ') ..... ·rovided :O!':l.trol. gunfire sur-Dort A.nd convoy

··,,:.,:,!·t sE'r'Ji:::2;::. in t,hf; 2nd and 3rd. Nrtval Zones, the Rung Sat Special

Lon~ ::'!.ni tho:- ;. tt hi vE'rinp. Area. Toe:;.€; ships conducted three gunfire

~~~~ort missions 1..33L 228 sucnorted River Assault Group 23

71 C(jliF fDENTIA L

CONFIDENTIA L SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RElEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

MSCs were deployed on coastAl patrol in the let Naval Zone.

MSC 116 carried out a psychologicp.l "",rfa,.e mission on Cu V., Cham

IsIRnd 22 miles ,'5outhwest of DarH~ng.

MLMSs continued their daily sweep op8r~tions on the Saigon,

Nhrt Bp., ~nd Long Tau rivers in"soite of increased Viet Cong

h:1r;J,",sment. Six host.iJe fire or mining incidents occurred in

the;-:r;: rivers during the month:

DATE TIME

9 1110

17 1150

23 12}5

25

IDeATION) (MHe )

26

32

28

31

28.5

MLMSs 154 and 159 carne under re­coilless rifle attAck. One U.S .. enlisted advisor and sUr Vietnamese SCi i lors ,,"ere .... "Ounded.

MlMS 153 personnel noticed a. pro­nounced str!3in on the 5,,"'eep gear cable just before a mine exploded 65 feet astern of the boat. The :=iweep gear '~ras slip-htly damage'l.

MIMSs 153 and 160 received automatic \o.'e;:; pons fire. '1\:0 \ii~tn~mes'2

s:3.ilors 'It--ere wounded.

HLMS 161 >las sunk bv " Viet Cong mine. Five VietrBmese saiJors were \<'ounded and t.he U.S~ arivisor. Boat­s\<'ain's Mate First. Class Frederick A. SIJ.1S, USN t was reported missing. Later, his body was recovered.

MLMS 160 personnel observed a mine

tTh~ m.!;in 5hi~ping channel numbering system begins one mile from S:Jie:on (Mile l) .god continues to Vung Tau; e .. g. t Mile 32 is 3~­mi]F~s do;.nstrep..m from Saipon~ See ch:>rt on f'..'3ge 7) for locations of incidents.

72 CONFIOENTIA r.

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO ~OR.EICm NATIONALS

VIETNAMESE NAVY RUNG SAT SPECIAL 20NE OPERATIONS

January 1967

SCALE : O';;---;-;-~--=~ __ 5

Nautical Miles

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RElEASABLE TO FOREIGN NA TIONAI.~

DATE TIME

In5

LOCATION (Mile)

27

ACTION

explosion 25 feet off the port bow. One Vietnrunese sailor ,,'as "rounded al'l tne bORt received minor damage.

MIl'."S 153 am 158 came unde,. small arms J i'I.utom<'1tic ",.e<lpons anj recoilless rifle fire. The t.,,'o boats return3d fire. No casualties \orere sustained ..

Fleet COrTl.JllAnd logistic ships lifted .3,343 tons of cllrgo and

3,':,17 '["'IP.Tsonnel in ;"9 mi..ssions during January. LSTs moved 2,004

tons of cargo: LSMs moved 339 tons; LCUa moved 100 tons.. LSTs

Thf"J logistical effort for January was a marginal improvement over

th~ p'(~vious month If; effort.

LD:.~ ({JOT) C;1,ctivities ,",,"ere hindered by· h.;avy we'lther most of

the month. A hydrogrA phic reconnai 5sance a pp. r.: ticn to be carri.ed

out in ::,.n area near Vun~ Tau ~'a5 finally cancelled on 29 December

'tftt:::r 22 LDJ\t\ hAd ",'aiteci SAven days for the seas to subside •

.six I.DNN personnel .... :.'litcd on Pculo Obi lsl.'!nd from 2 to 10

J:-"nu""ry to bep.in diving effort~ to find the rf-~m;;tins of R. Viet Cong

tr(1:·'l'~r "'hier. '"'CiS :'ossibly sunk off the coast of the Ca Mau

~)~rLi.:lsulct by MAHKF,T TIME fOrC(15 on 1 JanUAry. Ho ..... ever, heavy sea5

crf;c.luded th'O' completion of this mission.

From 25 to 27 JF.nU.:Iry, six LDNN personnel and their u.S.

;,dvisor n:;rt..icit~"I.ted in t.he :jttempted salvage of MLMS 161 ,"'oich

74 CONFIDENTIAL

•

~.

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING HE?UlRED NOT RELEA SA BLE TO FOPEIGN NATIONAL~

h.d been ,unk by a Viet Cong mine on Christmas Day, LCU(R) 537

supported the oper:ttion on 27 JcnuRry. On the same day, a shipyard

diver ,,'as dro"med; his body \-:as not recovered. :5alvage o~rations

\oiere terminFlted ,"'i thout Ruccess.

Coastal Grout)!:'

The Northe~3t Monsoon continued to hamper maritime and

CO-'lstA.l f''1trol ~ctivity 1.n the 1st and 2nd N.3.val Zones. The 125

.~unks prr;r-loyed in the four co?st1l1 zonp_"1 searched. 16,144 junks, an

ilVp.Trlpe of 1..2 .iunk~ se::trcl'1eci each d;ty by eilch C01l.st.;ll group craft

during the month.

Bcgi.nninp at 0400 on 13 ";n.:-!UHty, ~n offensive operatior. was

c0ndllcted by Con.st~l Graun 12 "'it Tu NhAm in ThuR. Thien province

",'hich t,.r<l5 9u~rorted by PGM 610. During thA oneration, four- Viet

(;cnl~ ',-"ere kilJed. C'n~ was wounded :lnn seven :,mrrendered.. The

co~~tRl graun unit ~lso caotured 16 of the p.nemy, eight of ~~cm

;..p-re felT'.<'I.IA (,Arir~. The opf!r~tion, ..... 'hich ended at 1830 on II

Janu.1ry, ;)1::::0 netted .1 nuantity of Ammuni.tion And documents

Ci1cturHi.

At 1315 on 11, January, a Coastal Group 16 unit launched an

:unbush t",·o miles northwest of Co Lay. The Viet Cong suffered 20

;,Li.l,,:d o!" .... ounded. One H-l rifle, a nurr.ber oJ h::md grenades, a.

l~rgp. 'luantity of r:iasters, FInd one samr-.an i'-ere captured. '!wo

s;.r.lpans ~-ere destroyed,.

75 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABlE· TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

At approx:im:ttely 0)00 on 15 JanuRry, the rear base poeitions of

CoastAl Group 11 at CUA Viet in Qu~ng Tri provinoe were mortared

by the Viet Gong. No cR.sualtie~ were 5usl,..aine(i. Four hours later,

a militia post just west of the COA.strtl Gr')up 11 base suffered a

"'Jiet Cong attA.ck~ Coast.aJ Group personnel t,:a.me to the aid of the

besieged rost.

In the 2nri ~a VCi-l Zone, heavy ,,'eather adversely affected patrol

-1.ctivity. Onf~ o~"\p.rA.tion was conducted by units of Coastal Group

23 in 1m :,r~n. sev·'m miles SQUthW6cSt of the base at Song Cau in Phy

Yen ::'ITovinc:e. Thp. o!1eration, \o;hich comnenced at 2200 on 20 J;muary

~nrj .c;:nded at 1700 the next day, accDuntp.d for 't"'o Viet Cong killeJ,

om~ "'ollnded and one captured.

Blocking operrltions in support. of Operation DECKHOUSE V were

connuct"2d hy ,Iunks of the 3rd Naval Zone durir.g el1rly January.

COA.st::l.l Groups 31 ... , 3), 16, .:nc 37 supported PER patrols throughout

the Jeriod of operRtion~ by Drovicting temporRry base and logistic

stor:\g~ ::trf"!~5 for the GAME. WARDEN boats.

Un 'I Jantl~;-y~ CC:1stal Group 36 units eng-lred the enerry in a

fir"! f,ight on the Hau Ciang channel near the mouth of the Bass'!}c

r l"1<=>.r' , 1] miles east of Soc Trang. 1\:0 Viet Cong ",-ere killed and

one T)artially hurner1 junk containing fo0dstuffs 'WaS captured.

Un the sa!')lC: OR.y, Cr.r-_.3tal Grouo 35 ~r50nnel landed A.nd engo:lged

thr:: "'n"!my in a fire fight on the northern bank of th~ Ham Luong

76 CONFIDENTIAL

!

COliFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONAIB

River, )4 miles downstream from Ben Tre. One Viet Cong, captured

in the action, ,-.'as delivered into the custody of Vinh Binh sector

forces.

On 12 January, Coastal Group 36 and Long Phu subsector forces

conducted an operntion t\>IO miles south of the Long Phu base ".Ln &.

Xuyen nrovince. Four Viet Cong ",'ere killed.; two Russian rifles and

B nurr.b~r of dc :uments ",'ere seized.

At 1200 on 30 December, Coastal Group 43" 1~4 and 1.5 units,

coordin~ted with Regional and PopuL~r forces (RF/fF) of Kien An,

a.m'iJushed the ~iet Cong near the Kien An bAse in Kien Giang

Drovince. One sailor, a member of Coastal Group 1~4, was killed.

Enemy cC3;suR.lties could not be detennjned.

River ASSRult Groups

Of the 159 riverine craft Rvail;:tble each day for ooorations,

ll(j ... !~re utili7f:d. Thesf} boats were employed in escort, river

Dlltrol, stAtic defense rJnd combat operations. River Assa.ult Groups

(H.A~) provided highly professiona.l sup1-.'''Ort for operations FAIRFAX,

CEDAR HUB, ,,00 DECKHOUSE V. Additi~nally, RAGs of the 4th

Riverine Are"l assisted in the training of a.pproximately 60 U.S.

personnel assigned to the new Riverine Assault Force. All

vietn~mese P~G pArsonnel from comrranding officers to non-rated men

hll,'''~ bE:en t,'1kinR an active A.nd enthusiastic p.<ort in this training.

In thp. 3rd hiver:i.nF! Area the Vietnamese Navy RAGs !'8rticipated

77 CONFIrKNTIA L

· CONFlDENTIA L SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

in Or~ration XAY DUNG 69/SL (U.S. code name: CEDAR FALLS) which

commenred on 8 January and ended on the 20th. The Vietnamese Navy

assi~ned 15 boats from RAGs 24. 26 and 30 and two boat·s from the

Ftiver Tr:tnsDort ::lnd Escort Group. I.lso, ,Regional Force Boat

Com~~nip.s 25 and 28 provided 12 manned boats to support the

OflcrA.tion. These HAG fI,nd boat company craft \-!ere utilized to lift

troops, D~trol thp. rivers rtnd transport refugees from the Iron

Triangle region into government-controlled areas. By the time

OnerA.tion XAY DUNG 69/SL was termi.nll.ted, riverine craft hnd lifted

1,857 civilia.n refugees, 21..0 civilian employees, 2,716 troops, 635

tons of Arrnnunition. tea tons of food, 25 tons of equipment and 32

mili tary vehicles.

On :3 .JF.lnlHlI"y, 17 boats of H..~G5 22 and 28 ",,'ere assigned to

5u-pr,ort Oneration FAIRFAX, a search and destroy opera,ticn in an

<lre;l ~dj;;ccnt to the Rung Sat Special Zone (RSSZ). The RAG units

conducted patrols, transported troops and acted as blocking forces.

In 15 other operations in the RSSZ, HFjPF compRnies and RAG

cr'lft .,JOrking CiS a combined force accounted for one ""ounded Viet

(;OrlP: and thp- <::arlture of one junk and a '1uantity of anununition.

In the 4th Riverine Area. 17 boats of RAGs 23 and 31 supported

1.,,'0 Vietnamese t-1:J..rine battalions, D.:\rt of DECKHOUSE V forces, in a

3P',qrch .Bnd destroy operation in Kian Hoa province bet)"een the My

Tho ;wd the Ba ~i rivers. The mi3sion of the RAG cr:lft \<-'"I'l:S to

78 CONFIDENTIAL

,

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RElEASABLE TO FOP~IGN NATION AlB

cRrry troops and to transport rcfuf;ees into~ secure areas.

Operation CUU LONG 51/30 ~~. conducted by the 7th ARVN

Divi3.ion, 8 miles v,'est southwest of Go Cong. Nineteen boats of

EAGs 21 :md 27 rrovided sU!1port for this operat.ion lo!hich began on

27 Janurtry And ended 1 February. Vietnamese Army forces reported

thr,t nine Viet Cong: ... :ere killed, 49 Viet Cong defected, ~nd 60

suspects .. :pre detained. Four of the detainees were identified as

AhVN deserters. Six individual "leapons, three mines, five reels

()f electrical Ir:ire, 61 fuses ami a iluantity of ..... estern medicines

Find documents were seized. Also, 38 mines and one medical sta,tion

~/ere destroyed.

Maintenance Rnd SUDoly

J.1(1.inten~nce Abol"rd Fleet Command ships continued to remain

b~lo;., U.S. mini..IM.l st'lnd ... rds. Althcli.e-h seven major casualties on

five ship~ v:ere repaired by ships' force personnel during JanuRry,

a shorta.ge of s;Jecialists and electronics ratings adversely affected

the abiJity of ships! crews to maintain equipment. To help

alleviat~ this Droblerr., six enlisted U.S. advisors were deployed

on four ;-,,;>~trol ::;hins in J:;nuary. By month's end, the advisors had

~lready be~ln to make their influence felt, and definite imorovement

.... ·as noted on the nart of a number of Vi~tnl:!;rnese petty officers in

such areas as le~dership, initiative and professional knowledge.

The VietnAmese Navy re~ir facilities continued to la=k

79 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

skilled personnel. Consenuent~J repair and overhaul periods were

much longer than originally schp.duled. This situation received

ton-level attention during the month. Captain Tran Van CHON, the

Commander in Chief of the ,Vietnamese Navy, conducted a thorough

ins;:,€ction of the facilities of the Saigon Naval Shipyard find

revie"Jed the yard's admjnistrative policies. As a result of the

ins-cection, Canti'iin CHON directed thAt management technif"'lues be

revised in "n effort to improve utilizatior- of personnel a.nd

material resources at the yard.

It cormnittee of three Vietnrtmese Navy officers and three U.S.

field 5unply ;odvisors has been e5t~blished to deal with adminis-

tration matters re12tive to locating a supply depot at each repair

facility. Th~ committee hAS held briefing:'j in thf! field to explain

sllpply procedure:=;.

VI]';TNAl'lESE > .... ~RlNE CORPS

The vietn~mese mrine Brigade's operAtional battalions ,"'ere

corrunitted to ~ction 84 rer cent of thf3 time in January. Although

eOl'?my conv..ct ""as light, 8 favorable kill ratio of 1:2.5 "ras

Oittained.

Vietnamese Marine Brigade Force Bravo, composed of two infantry

battAlions, a l05nun ho~'itzer battery and other controlling and

5u~porting elements, oarticipated in OperAtion DECKHOUSE V, 11

combined U.S. Barine Corps a.nd Vietnamese Marine Corps amphibious

80 CON FIDEN'T'::::.-, !..

I

CONFIDENTIAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOftEIGN NATIONALS

operation in the Thanh Phu area of Kian Hoa province. The brigade

force, emborked in U.S. 7th neet ships, underwent "at-net training

at Vung Tau on 2 Rnd 3 January. After several postponements

because of heavy ,,'eather, the force "'as landed in a combined

helicoDter and surface assault on the operations area on 7 January.

Throuphout the operation, light contact was IIl2.de lI."ith the enemy_

No friendly personnel casuA.lties were sust·dned as a result of

enemy cont:;ct. Oper"ltion DZCKHOUSE V ;:as tenninated 15 Janu8ry

and the brigade force \o.'as returned to Vung Tau.

Brig"'lde Force Alph.<i, composed of three infantry battalions,

a l05rrm hm"itzer battery and other controlling and supporting

elements, conducted operations north And northwest of Dong Ha in I

Corns. The bri~8de force carried out search and destroy missions

b.v dr..y and set mnbushes at ni.v.ht in an ~rea Adjacent to the

demilit~rized zone. Contact with the enemy was light.

On 25 J.::tnlltlry, Brigade Force Bravo, after having completed

Dartici~tion in Oneration DECKHOUSE V, moved to Qui Nhon and Bong

Son in II Corps. The force supported t.he 22nd Vietnamese Army

Division t ... ·o days later with the Jn2rines acting as a blockin~

force.

The 6th ~iet~mese Marine Batt~lion continued Phase II of its

fornVitive training at the bRse camp in Thu Duc. Small unit tactics

were stressed. The 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion completed its

81 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENT IAL SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

'\

retraining course at the National Trainfng Center, Van Kiep, Bl\'

Ria. Other Marine units conducted training as conmitments permitt'~~d"

During: January the Vietnamese Marines accounted for 37 enemy

killed, 12 Viet ConI( captured and 41 Viet Cong suspects detained.

The IMrines alse captured ';9 mines, 30 grenade launchers, 17

individu~l ~~aPOn5 and one crew-served ~~apon. Friend~y

caSU:!i lties ,,-ere 15 marines killed and 47 wounded during the month.

The VietnpJnese Marine Corps continued to demonstrate that it

is an efficient fighting for(.~ \o.'i.th high morale and excellent

le,quership.

* * * Vip.tnamese Navr Statistics

Coast,q 1 Force I CNZ

II CNZ III CNZ

IV CNZ

Fleet Command Patrol Ships

Riverine Area Craft

TOTAL

Searched Junk5-------People 4,907 21,8ll 2,967 8,964 6,204 2),406 2,061, 6,179

312 1,4)6

1,792 5,080

18,)06 66,876

tTunks --1

Detained People

22 62

5 2

° ° °

° ° ° 39

'3 128

Vietnamese M:3.ri)ie Corps Statistics

Cantu red WeaDOn5/E~uiPment/Facilities:

Grenades 60mm mortars Submachine guns

82

70 ) (1 U.S.-lMde) 6

CONFIDENTIAL

j

•

,

CONFIDENTIA L SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

• Rifles Booby tra.ps Machine gun barrel Machine gun tripod Mixed rOlloo5 of small anus Pack Cartridge belts Arms factory (mines) Pounds lead Pounds steel Pounds copper 50 KW generator Drill press Vise, screw turn Bags cement (100 kilogram bags) Boxes TNT (60 pound boxe,. B-3.se camp

* -;;- * * *

83

9 12

1 2

275 I 3 1

150 2,000 1,200

1 1 1

-,-00 26

1

CONFIDENTIAL

UNCLASSIFIED

<!PHV Vavoc.

PROVINCE BOUNDARIES

OF SOUTH VIETNAM

OCTOBER 1966

SCALE :

100 o -~-.-.~~,r;r;'-,' i- ii' , 1 i , Statute Miles

I,

I Corps TactiCalAI)§.,._....,~

II CTZ

14°+ 1070

\

,

CONFIDENl'IAL

APPENDIX II

SOME LESSONS LEARNED DURING RIVERINE OPERATIONS

Since the spring of 1966 the teI:lpo of riverine operations has

increased substantially. The following is a swrJn.aIY of some of the

lessons learned during these operations,

1. River Patrolling:

a. Boats should patrol in open colturn with an interval that

... rill provide maxilfiUIn radar coveraf:e and at the same time afford

l7'".utt:al support.

b. =oats stould conduct truly random patrols using the following

techniques:

(1) Drift v:ith the tide or current..

(2) THO boats proceed dmmstream at low speed while two

two boats sarr.e ciista."1ce astern drift with the cl.!rrent.

(J) Patrol to the left or right of the center of the river.

c. At night, when patrol boats encounter sw.all caliber non­

autorr.atic fire from the beach, the best tactic is to ignore the

sn-Lping or to answer only with non-automatic small anns until the

S0~rce of the sniping is pinpointed. If the sniper is within range,

t~e srenade launcher provides an effective response.

d. noat patrols should be alPI't to the Viet Cong tactic of

err.plo}~ng harassing fire from one bank in order to drive a patrol

craft toward the 0F~o5ite bank where an ambush has been set.

e. Vfnen fired upon from the shore by heavy weapons, patrol

boats should respond Hitil all a''',;ilable fire pOlver and withdraw

II-I CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

at maximum speed. The attack should be reported and requests made

for air or artillery support. The boats should stand by out of

ranGe to assist the supporting unit in pinpointing the ambush site.

f. When conducting search operations, boat patrols should be

alert to Vj.et Cong decoy tactics. An example of such tactics is

positior~ng one boat w~thout contraband and proper documents in a

jr,anner that Hill perrrd. t detection and the distraction needed to

dllo'l,' other craft to escape.

:r 0 When approaclling a contact, patrols should close at an

ar;;:::le that pemi ts the maximum number of weapons to bear on the

-:ar8:et. At night, contacts should be approached darkened and at

!~igh speeds, and illuminated 2_t close range o Spotlights should be

air.::'!d before being turned on.

2. 30ardinG and Search:

a. Patrol boats should not proceed directly alongSide a

suspicious contact; instead, Hhen 1-rithin optimum illumination range,

the contact should be called alons-side ¢ This allONS maximum sur­

v~illance at rt21 times.. Patrol boats should remain in mid-stream

as J7":"Uch as possible. If it is necessary to close a contact it

should be done quickly, and the contact taken in tow and returned

~o ~id-stream before searching begins.

b. Boats being searched should not be moored too The use of

:~oat hooks or the engines to stay alongSide will facilitate a quick

breakaway.

Co When searching a boat, close attention should be paid to

II-2 CONFI DENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

the drift of the boats in order to avoid grounding or being set

dangerously close to a hostile shore.

d. All lines leading into the water should be checked for

contraband. A line should be passed down both sides and under

the keel when checking a particularly suspicious craft.

e. All craft that are searched should be checked for a false

or double bottom.

3. Offensive River Ambushes:

a. When conducting or planning offensive ambushes, effort

should be made to conduct coordinateci ambushes with Vietnamese

Navy (VNN) ships and River Assault Group craft, Regional Force/

Popular Force boat companies, National Police unite and Vietnamese

Army forces ashore.

b, Prior arrangements should be made for air, artillery and

VNN support of the aIr.bush force in case it is attacked by a

superior force.

c. Tidal and river currents should be used to reach ambush

positions Hith engines shut down. Noise from the boat's engines

carries a long ~!ay and warns the Viet Cong of approaching craft.

h. River Assault Group (RAG) Opdrations:

a. Pre-planning indoctrination should include:

(1) Action to be taken when ambushed.

(2) Requirements for the wearing of life jackets and

flak jackets.

(3) The conditions of readiness required when underway.

II-3 CONnDENTIA"

Wl'PITPElZ7 5

b. When planning and conducting operations in new areas, aerial

Y'econl,aissanc2! of the areas should be made.

~aps and charts are not up to date.

Generally, existing

c. Each boat in c:m q:~. ' ... tion should be clearly marked for

ider.ti.f'ication from t!lC' rt5 .. I ..

d. The COITEand Post'~ location, i.e., ashore, afloat or air­

borne, should be decided as early in the planning as possible.

e. Tir:-;ely earl:/ coordination Hith the local district and

province chiefs is essential. Canals or rivers often mark the

boundaries bob-Jeen districts and provinces.

5. l<ines in River hTarfare:

a. The Viet Cong use both corrrr.and-detonated a,"1d tirr.e-del.ay

Hater JT.":'1l8S.

o. The Viet Cong utilize small craft or s"lirrJl1ers to Flacs mines

in rivers and waten\'ays. It is estimated that the majority of water

,,:ines are positioned and made ready to fire in a matter of S to 10

ffiinutes.

c. The Viet Conz delay placerr,ent of mines until patrol craft

and rdnesHeepers have passed a selected target area.

d. 'I'he Viet Cong r.1ark the locations of mines by use of small

!'lo;::..tip..g c.evices sl;ch as coconuts or sticks and utilize them as

ran:;in~ ;uides to indicate Hhen an int.ended target is within lethal

ran:;e.

e. The Viet Cone emplace "later mines in the narrows of- a river

to lir::.i t the len.:;th of the corr.rnand-detonatine 'tv-ire, and to p:':"ovide

II-4 .. il . IDE" T tT

UNCLASSIFIED

I

UNClASSIFIED (].J Ffi 2 2Al:JVi U CGWil82ii lIb

tor greater accuracy by capitalizing on the restrl,cted maneuvera-

bilHy of the intend"d target.

, f. As a diversion, the Viet Cong will initi.ate an ambush

against patrol craft anj minesweepers at a locatioil other than

the area to be rr.ined.

g. The use of a chairJ drag sweep appears to be the most

effecti ve cou:nte:rmeast:.re against cOITLiland-detonated mines. However,

the Glow speed at which it must be towed presents a hazard to the

towing craft and ~r€·.ents its use as a precursor sweep.

6. River Patrol Boat Cr'o-!rations During Delta Flood Conditions:

a. If the Viet Con~ remain in a stronghold for at least a

short period after the flood waters start rising, River Patrol

Boats (PBRs) should be moved into the area before the water

, reaches flood stages in order to detect t.he Viet Gong as they move

out of the stronghold.

b. :\:edeingJ using a erapnel, is the only effective way of

.... lOrkin~~ PERs tilrOllr;h old callaIs overgrown with 1',,055.

c. The usual planning factors for rr.oving PBRs ar3 not adequate

during flood operations. The large amount of debrie, and the need

to use slow sjJeeds to avoid washing o,~t hOUSeS and swamping boats,

nece.;3~_: ~,ate an abnorrr.ally slow speed during transits.

d. Snakes are a continuing problem during flood operations.

Snakes are fourd flot only in the trees and waters j often they clog

pux;,ps. Training in recognizing poisonous varieties is essential t

e. Each boat should have a qualified swirr~er aboard to go

II-S 3rT LSiIlJiL

DNCLASSlflED