US Operations Order: 22 Feb 1967 SITUATION During interrogation, prisoners taken during the Ap Tau operation confessed the location of their local headquarters, placing it in the abandoned village of Ap Xam. From there, the senior NVA advisor directs the activities of Main Force and local VC units throughout the area. The bulk of Ap Tau sits on a hilltop overlooking a lush valley W of Ap Loh. The village can only be reached by foot or air. Several good potential landing zones speckle the area. MISSION On 22 Feb 1967, Delta Company minus 3d platoon will assault and seize the village of Ap Xam, clearing it of all insurgents. Regiment is especially interested in the collection of documents and the taking of prisoners. EXECUTION a. Maneuver. 1st and 2d squads, 1st platoon will helicopter rapell into Ap Xam, seizing Hill 105 and the bulk of the village by violent assault. 3d sc[uad, Ist platoon, and 1st platoon headquarters will land in LZ Victor, cutting the trail between Hill 105 and the westernmost hamlet of Ap Xam; be prepared to support the attack on Hill 105 or on the western hamlet on command. 1 stand 3d squads, 2d platoon will land in rice paddies East of Hill 108 and seize the westernmost hamlet of Ap Zam. 2d squad, 2d platoon, and 2d platoon headquarters will land in LZ Papa and seize Hill 104be prepared to support the attack on Hili 105 on command. b. Fire Support. Company weapons platoon (Dogbone four-six) and one battery of 105mm (Thunder six) will execute dedicated fire missions on order. SERVICE & SUPPORT a.Enough slicks are available to airlift the entire assault elemept at once. Load plans are due at Battalion NLT 1200 20 Feb 1967. For small LZs, plan on two minutes between each relay discharging passengers. b. Turn in Fire Support Plan NLT 1200 20 Feb 1967. c. RTOs will carry four smoke grenades of various colors. All other personnel will carry two frags each. d. Each squad will carry one satchel charge. COMMAND & SIGNAL a. Dogbone six will accompany 1st platoon. b. All calls for supporting fire will go through Dogbone six. c. Call signs IAW current CEOI. CEOI Company Net Battalion Net: Dogbone 6 = Co Cdr Flapjack 6 = Bn Cdr Dogbone 16 = 1 st Plt Ldr Flapjack 3 = Bn S-3 Dogbone 16 Alpha = 1st Sqd, 1st Plt Thunder 6 = B Btty Cdr Dogbone 16 Bravo = 2d Sqd, 1st Plt June Bug 35 = FAC Dogbone 16 Charlie = 3d Sqd, 1st Plt Dogbone 26 = 2d Plt Ldr Dogbone 26 Alpha = 1 st Sqd, 2d Plt Dogbone 26 Bravo= 2d Sqd, 2d Plt Dogbone 26 Charlie = 3d Sqd, 2d Plt Dogbone 46 = Weapons Plt NVA Player SITUATION Sympathizers have just informed you that the imperialists plan to raid your headquarters today based on information the Americans gleaned from prisoners they took two weeks ago at Ap Tau. Recent operations have depeleted your forces, but higher headquarters has promised reinforcements due to arrive today. In the meantime, you are expected to deal the capitalist running dogs a bloody nose to make up for the debacle forces under your command suffered at Ap Tau. You have the following forces available: HQ element = two SMGs Main Force VC 3d Sqd = one SMG, one RPK, six AK47 Main Force VC 4th Sqd = one SMG, six AK47, two SKS LMG Team = one LMG, one AK47 one sniper w/SKS Fire Support (from off board) = 2 x 82mm mortar x 3 shots each. Select three preregistered points on map. Three bunkers each armed with one LMG Team as above. Mines = one command detonated # 500 bomb; two trip-wire AP Punji stake traps = fifteen inches Additional reinforcements may or may not arrive in time. US After Action Report The air assault began with several chalk loading mistakes that left some units scattered. For example, half of 1st squad, 2d platoon landed adjacent to Hill 105, not Hill 108, and spent most of the operation pinned down by machinegun fire in the rice paddies SW of Hill 105. The landing also turned deadly because of hot LZs. VC anti-aircraft fire shot down the helicopter bearing Dogbone six, killing or injuring four members of the crew or passengers. A second helicopter, hovering over Hill 105, took minor damage. Several other helicopters took superficial damage. 1st platoon's coup de main assault on Hill 105 nearly ended in disaster due to stout resistance by at least a squad sized enemy element armed with automatic weapons. As 1st and 2d squads successfully cleared the upper hamlets, the VC command detonated a 500 lb bomb buried in the center of the village, setting a number buildings on fire. Both squads fought hand to hand, eventually killing or capturing most of the defenders. A subsequent search of the village revealed a treasure trove of documents, records, and communications equipment as well as several bodies and weapons. 2d platoon's assault on Hill 104 yielded two bodies, an LMG and one AK47. 2d squad knocked out a bunker while 2d platoon headquarters provided a base of fire. The rest of 2d platoon's attack on the westernmost hamlet of Ap Xam also suceeded because of the surprise and violent nature of the attack. 1st and 3d Squads, 2d platoon, supported by 3d squad, 1st platoon, took several prisoners and wiped out an enemy element estimated in squad strength. The remainder of 1st and 2d platoons engaged a bunker due south of Hill 105, suppressing it. Although hit by 82mm mortar fire during their assault, they knocked out the bunker. When finally examined, the bunker contained a jammed LMG. At least one blood trail led off to the south. US losses including two aviators were heavy: 14 killed, 2 seriously wounded, and 6 lightly wounded. The dead included several who died of wounds before they could be treated or evacuated. Main Force VC losses consisted of 11 confirmed killed and 5 captured; blood trails found in and around Ap Xam suggest much higher losses. US forces captured several items: a trove of documents and records; one radio, four field phones, and two reels of commo wire, four LMGs, two SKS rifles, one SMG, one RPK, two B40 RPGs, and seven AK47s; a variety of webgear and personal effects; ten bags of rice; and a case of ChiCom fragmentation grenades. ANALYSIS 1. The US airlift plan was unnecessarily complicated and resulted in units being scattered. Landing half of second platoon on each side of Ap Xam, broke up its chain of command. 2. The US player could not use his dedicated indirect fire support because the airlift spread US forces all over the objective area. Other than fire from helicopter door gunners, the US player -had no support. 3. While rapelling into the village created surprise, it unnecessarily exposed the helicopters and the unloading troops to savage enemy fire. Bold move! 4. The complications of the US airlift plan also created difficulty for the defenders, preventing all but a handful from escaping and forcing the VC headquarters element to abandon its files and communication equipment without destroying it. 5. The US player accomplished all of his main objectives except minimizing casualties so we have to declare this a US victory. Congrats to Alan (Dogbone 6), Bryan (Dogbone 16), Sacha (Dogbone 26), Chris (Dogbone 16 Alpha), and Kristen (Dogbone 26 Alpha). We're going to put aside our Nam campaign for a while and probably do some "Full Thrust" next week. Back to Dispatch March 2002 Table of Contents Back to Dispatch List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by HMGS Mid-South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com