Two Brothers in Vietnam

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

What a fight. That first volley!! 

[Techno II]

Cracking stuff again, Jack ! 

Cheers - Phil

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

1800 Local Time
4 March 1966
Near Hill 50, Quang Ngai Province, RVN
Operation Utah

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines had been in contact all day; even before they were landed via helos they were taking fire on the way in, heavy enough that two Marine choppers and an F-4 Phantom had been shot down, and more than 20 helicopters had been damaged badly enough they'd had to head back for repairs, necessitating another helicopter squadron be committed to the fight.  Once on the ground, the Marines joined an ARVN battalion that landed before them, and it was being mauled by North Vietnamese Army (NVA) defenses on and around Hill 50.  2/7 sprung into action, basically coming online and pushing east, with Fox Company to the left (north), tying in with the ARVN, Golf Company in the center, and Hotel Company on the right (south).  The ARVN were hard pressed and weren't keeping up with the Marines, so Fox Company was pulled farther and farther north as Golf and Hotel struck the NVA defenses on Hill 50.  Now it was the Marines turn to be mauled; the enemy were numerous, well-armed, and dug in, letting the Marines get close enough so that it was very difficult to leverage supporting air and artillery ("hugging the belt").  The Marines, Golf Company in particular, were able to breach the enemy defenses on Hill 50 in several places, but they were spread too thin and didn't have any reserves to exploit the success.  And then battalion realized another problem brewing; while Golf and Hotel were essentially 'stuck in' and not going anywhere on Hill 50, a gap had opened between Golf Company and Fox Company, with NVA pouring into the gap, near the village of Khanh My.

The boys had accompanied Golf Company on its assault of Hill 50, reaching the enemy trenches but not able to push past, while suffering heavy casualties.  They settled into a bit of a stalemate (like the rest of Golf and Hotel), but were then pulled back and sent north to reestablish contact with Fox Company, where they had a short, sharp firefight with a squad of NVA, sent them packing, and linked up with Fox.  But now Hotel Company was being counterattacked by NVA on the southern side of Hill 50 and was in danger of being overrun, so the boys were sent south to help them out.


Overview, north is up.  Enemy entrenchments atop the southern tip of Hill 50 are visible at far/top right, while the northern tip of the village of Chau Nhai (5) (not to be confused with Chau Nhai (3), which we'll see tomorrow), and the rest is scattered jungle.  The beleaguered Marines of Hotel Company have withdrawn into a relatively small defensive perimeter to fight off the marauding NVA, the northern tip of which is visible at bottom left, while the squad will be entering from the northwest (top left), seeing to relieve pressure on Hotel Company.

You can see several Marines from Hotel Company in the jungle to the southwest (bottom left); the rest of their perimeter stretches off camera to the south, where they are already heavily engaged by attacking NVA infantry.  The squad is entering in the northwest (top left), as the NVA Platoon, split in half, is entering through the village (bottom center) and streaming down Hill 50 (center right).


The NVA push through the dense undergrowth (top left to bottom right), closing in on the Marine positions (top right)...


Where they launch an RPG!


Doc is treating the wounded (far left)...


As Nik (bottom left) keeps the M-60 hammering away...


And Danny moves to the flank (bottom right), where he's able to catch the NVA (top left) with enfilading fire!


But the NVA have already dispatched three men (far right, from bottom left) to flank him (just visible at top right, behind the bamboo)!

To see how the fight turned out, please check the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2021/03/two-brothers-fight-14.html

Next fight coming soon.

V/R,
Jack

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Crickey What a tense fight!

[Techno II]

What Will said.
Good one , Jack ! 

Cheers - Phil.

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys.

Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

2300 Local Time
4 March 1966
Near Hill 50, Quang Ngai Province, RVN
Operation Utah

2nd Battalion, 7th Marines had been in contact all day, for the first time in a stand-up, knockdown drag-out fight with the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) in and around Hill 50.  The Marines had been in heavy combat, and while they'd certainly put a hurtin' on the NVA, they'd taken a pretty good beating themselves.  They'd managed to break contact, fall back to the south, and establish a night defensive position, where they could treat and evacuate their wounded, replenish their ammo, and grab a bit of grub and rest.  But while things were relatively quiet on the ground, Marine Air was having a helluva time, drawing heavy fire every time they came near Hill 50.  Three helos and an F-4 Phantom had already been shot down, and approximately thirty more choppers shot up by NVA antiaircraft weapons, mostly Dshk 12.7mm heavy machine guns, which the Marines often referred to as ".51-cals". 

But the Marines cut a lucky break; firing to the southwest drew the attention of one of the battalion officers, who grabbed a few Marines and headed over to check it out.  "I'll be damned," he thought, somehow the NVA gotten a .51-cal HMG in behind them, dug into a trench and expertly camouflaged.  The officer headed back into the Marine perimeter to inform the Colonel what they'd found.  The decision was made to launch a raiding party to destroy the NVA anti-aircraft emplacement.  Not long after, Corporal Little was informed he'd be leading the raiding party.


Overview, north is up.  2/7's night defensive position in Chau Nhai (4) is off camera to top right.  At top right is a small knoll that Corporal Little used to screen the squad's approach on the enemy AA Position, which is located to the south (bottom center/left).  There is a thick patch of jungle in the southeast (bottom right), while the rest of the table is covered with scattered rice paddies, one of which has a stand of trees located nearby (center top).

Overview, this time with troops.  The NVA are manning their AA emplacement, with everyone in the trench except a single sentry out on foot, to the south (in the trees at bottom left center), while Cpl Little has placed his base of fire element in the copse of trees in the center, and led the assault element up  to the dense stand of trees to the east (center right).

The plan is for the base of fire element to get into place while Cpl Little and the assault element cover from the knoll.  Once Jackson signals Cpl Little the base of fire element is in place, Cpl Little will begin moving the assault element into their jump-off positions at the corner of the western point of the patch of jungle in the southeast under the cover of a pre-arranged fire mission by the battalion's 81mm mortars.  Once the mortars lift the base of fire element will engage the AA position while Cpl Little leads the assault element into the east end of the enemy trench, clearing west to destroy the NVA's HMG. 


A look at the NVA position: two riflemen in the west (bottom left), the HMG in its emplacement (center left), two riflemen in the east (far right), a picket to the south (in the trees at center right), and the NCO, LMG, and a rifleman in the center (center top).


The base of fire element gets into the copse of trees in the center (right), signals Cpl Little, and he begins moving the assault element up (bottom left).


The battalion mortars begin pounding the NVA trenchline...


Covering the approach of Cpl Little and the assault element (bottom left, with the base of fire element off camera to far right and the NVA position at left/top).  Cpl Little peers out around the copse of trees.  "Well, I guess we're ready," he murmurs as he signals Jackson with a red penlight, letting the base of fire element know the assault element is ready to jump off.


The mortars lift and the base of fire element (bottom right, with the assault element at bottom left) cuts loose, Rivera on the M-60 and McCaffrey pumping 40mm HE rounds and flares out of his M-79...


Corporal Little leads the assault element forward (right, from far right), at the NVA trenchline.


But NVA fire catches them in the open, hitting White and Floyd while pinning Nik and suppressing Cpl Little!


Only one Marine would make it into the NVA trench, for which he would be awarded the Silver Star.

Please check the blog for the whole story:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2021/03/two-brothers-fight-15.html

More to follow.

V/R,
Jack

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

More good stuff

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Amazing Jack, so atmospheric!

[Techno II]

Another goody, Jack ! 

Cheers - Phil.

[bigjackmac]

Thank you, gentlemen.

V/R,
Jack

[bigjackmac]

All,

1330 Local Time
5 March 1966
Near Hill 50, Quang Ngai Province, RVN
Operation Utah

Earlier this morning 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines pulled back and the boys humped over to join 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, which was now charged with securing Hill 50.  The squad linked up with 3/1 and was briefed on the plan to assault Hill 50 from the northeast, with ARVN units attacking further west; as a matter of fact, the ARVN were claiming they had already secured Hill 50.  However, preliminary recon by 3/1 proved that was not the case.  So the battalion marched south, to its jump-off positions, where the Marines flopped down in the grass to enjoy a nice C-ration lunch and enjoy the show put on by the 105mm howitzers of 12th Marines and assorted airstrikes by Marine A-4 Skyhawks and F-4 Phantoms.  The Marines even joined in with the occasional 'oohs' and 'ahs,' as napalm sent flame and roiling black clouds into the sky, as Willie Pete burst on the slopes, sending its white tendrils in every direction, or a string of 500-pound bombs went off, sending shockwaves across the valley.  All a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend one's lunch hour.

"Look at all that," Rivera exclaimed.  "This'll be a walkover, nobody could survive all that pounding."  "Don't kid yourself, Rivera," Cpl Little replied. "Don't any of you kid yourself, there'll be plenty of dinks up there waiting for us, and they'll be plenty pissed of, just like yesterday.  So you keep your @#$% wired tight, we're gonna be in for another helluva fight, and we're gonna need everyone pulling his weight," said Cpl Little, shooting a glance at Contreras.  "And I do mean everyone."


Overview, north is up.  The northeast corner of Hill 50 is visible from far left to bottom center, with two NVA bunkers present, linked by communications trenches and otherwise dotted by patches of jungle and craters from the Marine artillery and airstrikes.  Too the southeast is the western end of the village of Chau Nhai (3), which is known to be fortified and occupied by the NVA as well.  The squad will be entering from the northeast (top right), looking to make use of the few hedges and thickets of jungle offering cover amongst the slew of rice paddies.

The NVA have both bunkers occupied with troops, men in the trenchlines in the west, and several men manning the trenchline in the ville (bottom right), while the Marine squad is in its jump-off position (top right), ready to launch their assault.


Nik hammers away with his M-60 (bottom right) at the bunkers atop Hill 50 (top center left) as Cpl Little leads the assault element forward (center, from right), looking to get into that stand of trees below the hill (far left).


The assault element reaches the copse of trees (far right), then begins pushing into the ville (far left).


But they've gotten away from the base of Hill 50 (center left top), far enough that the NVA in the East Bunker (bottom right) can spot them and open fire...


A Marine is hit (casualty figure in the grass at right, between the craters and the urns) and Doc fearlessly dashes forward to treat him, ignoring the torrent of NVA fire coming his way.


Two Marines (left and center) are able to work their way out of the village (far right) and clamber up the slope of Hill 50, towards the East Bunker (just visible at far left).


The NVA in the East Bunker saw movement go off to their right and realized they are being outflanked, so they fall back out of the bunker and come left to meet the threat...

To see how the fight turns out, please visit the blog at:
https://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2021/03/two-brothers-fight-16.html

Next fight (the last of Operation Utah) coming soon.

V/R,
Jack

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Still excellent stuff, keep it up

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Quite a scrap Jack, well done.