Americal Daily News Sheets information
for 23 INF DIV
123 AVN
For date 681227
23 INF DIV was a US Army unit
123 AVN was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Tin Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Chu Lai
Description: The following is an edited version from the Americal Daily News Sheets Vol. 2 No. 253 Saturday December 28
Vol. 2 No. 253 SATURDAY December 28, 1968
CHU LAI (AMERICAL IO) - Americal Division forces reported killing 16 NVA and 33 VC, discovering 1 VC body, detaining 38 VC suspects and capturing eight individual and one crew-served weapon, and 4 1/2 tons of rice in heavy action in southern I Corps yesterday.
Two units of the 198th Inf. Bde. one supporting gunships killed 14 NVA and 11 VC and captured seven weapons, one crew-served, plus seven mortars and 26 hand grenades in three encounters while on patrol seven miles west of Tam Ky.
Two NVA were killed in each of the first two incidents, including a pair surprised at a distance of less than 100 meters. Two AK-47 rifles, a pistol, an RPD machinegun, and the grenades were taken.
Two more NVA were killed and their AK-47's captured in mid-morning by Co., C, 1-52 Inf., led by CPT James Hall (San Antonio, TX), on patrol nine miles west of Tam Ky. Ten hand grenades were also recovered.
Busiest division troopers were the "Aero Scouts" of the 123d Avn. Bn. who engaged enemy troops eight times and killed seven NVA and 11 VC in the Tien Phuoc and Binh Son areas.
In a four-hour period around noon, the "Aero Scouts" encountered VC three times southwest of Binh Son and killed six. Shortly afterwards, in a two-hour period, the gunships engaged NVA and VC troops three more times south of Tien Phuoc and killed four NVA and four VC.
In the evening the "Aero Scouts" killed three NVA and one VC in two incidents within 15 minutes. In all eight sections, the gunships were flying visual recon missions in support of 198th Bde, infantrymen.
The seven mortar rounds, four 82mm and three 81mm, were captured in a joint effort by Co. A, 1-6 Inf. and a recon platoon of Co. E, 1-6 Inf. They were led by CPT John M. Plese (Granite City, IL) and 2LT William Christy (Lebanon, IN), respectively.
Two NVA and 15 VC were killed, 53 refugees relocated and 4500 pounds of rice captured in the 196th Inf. Bde. area.
The day's largest single encounter with enemy troops occurred outside Cobra, an observation post of the 2-1 Inf. west of Tam Ky. Cobra observed seven VC enter a nearby hooch and called in artillery fire which killed all seven. To the northwest, Tiger another 2-1 OP, located a ton of rice in a hooch.
Co. A, 1-46th Inf. joined the rice harvest by collecting 2500 pounds in three finds 11 miles southwest of Hoi An. Two caches of 800 pounds each were found in two woven baskets and behind a paddy dike while 900 more pounds were unearthed in a hooch.
Troops of the 3-21 Inf., operating in company, OP, and recon groups, accounted for six dead VC northwest of Tam Ky. Co. A killed four VC moving west and took documents from their packs. A/3-21 recon platoon killed one VC scrambling into a hole, while a 3-21 OP called in artillery fire to kill a VC in a bunker complex.
Artillery fire also killed two NVA after Co. A/4-31 Inf. spotted three NVA in khaki uniforms going west at a point 22 miles west of Tam Ky.
Cavalry units working with 196th troops relocated refugees, and killed two VC northwest of Tam Ky.
F Trp., 17th Cav., moving with the 4-31 Inf., helped relocate 53 refugees who asked to be moved from an area 23 miles west of Tam Ky. They were taken to Que Son.
A Trp., 1st Sqdn., 1st Cav., OPCON to the 2-1 Inf., killed two VC moving west, both were carrying M-26 fragmentation grenades.
Moderate action in the 11th Inf. Bde. area revolved around two units of the 4-3 Inf. as six VC were killed, one VC body found, 38 VC suspects detained, and the weapons and two tons of rice captured.
C/4-3 Inf. engaged three VC and killed them after being ambushed six miles southwest of Que Son, while Co. B found three VC killed by artillery fire seven miles west of Que Son.
Both companies were busy eight miles southwest of Duc Pho in a village near the coast. Co. C, led by 1LT Ralph Burkhart (Kansas City, MO), detained 28 VC suspects and took a carbine and a K-44 rifle. Seven suspects were held with one confirmed as a VC and another believed to be the local guerrilla chief. Co. B found a wounded VC hiding in a hole and detained one VC suspect west of the village.
D/4-21 Inf. uncovered a two-week-old grave of a VC killed by air strikes and then found a newly constructed base camp with 15 stone-walled huts and two tons of rice hidden in a nearby hut encircled with barbed wire.
Companies of the 1-20 Inf. detained nine VC suspects.
One VC was killed by B Trp., 1st Sqdn., 1st Cav. in contacts five miles southeast of Que Son.
No Americal Division soldiers were killed and four were wounded and evacuated for medical treatment, according to an initial report.
The source for this information was NEWS6812.AML & AVN supplied by Les Hines
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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