March 1968 DTOC
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DAILY STAFF JOURNAL OR DUTY OFFICER'S LOG Page No. No. of Pages 1 4 CONFIDENTIAL Period Covered From To Organization or Installation Location Hour Date Hour Date Americal Division TOC CHU LAI, RVN 0001 01 Mar 68 2400 01 Mar 68 Item Time Incidents, Messages, Orders, Etc. 1. 0001 Journal Opened. 2. 0110 Nghia Hanh, 615643, 0110H, receiving mortars at this time. 0113H – fire ceased, harassing only. 3. DELAYED ENTRY Spot reports on Trawler and contact action. 29 Feb: At 1900H Lt Wentworth reported 2 trawlers will land tonight; 1st trawler vic CR1050 hit coast vic 2 K north Quin Nhon. 2nd Trawler vic BS7985 at Cap Batangan 23-2400H tonight. Call from DaNang request we prepare in some way. At 1915H, called and requested two gunships and 2 flareships on call. (2) III MAF, 1950H, recd call from III MAF concerning possibility of 2 trawlers entering Americal area tonight. Major Finn said that 2 trawlers are on way and that they had sent a flash message. Recd message at 1955H. Informed 198 and 11th Bde, G3, G2, and Arty. Also checked with Avn on availability of gunships and flareships. Major Finn gave identification # to trawlers. One due east of Batangan is 29F2 and one east of Sa Huhn is 29F1. Gave loc of 29F2 as of 1911H as 15° 08’ N 110° 12’ E on course of 241° with speed of 10 knots. (3) 2045H, Lt Wentworth, the 2000H loc of the trawler is CG 9672 - 250° at 10 1/2 knots, will probably change course and speed again. Probably heading to BS8833. (Duc Pho Area). (4) Swift Boat, Lt Kriggler, 2100H, Ref previous telephonic report on trawler. The expected time of arrival in southern Quang Ngai is 0130-0200H at BS8833 however the possibility of the boat coming into BS7782 still exists. (5) Lt Wentworth, 2200H For opns tonight, request gunships come up on freq 31.0, Same Drink Zulu. Also freq 37.5, New India. (6) Swift Boats, Lt Wentworth, 2207H, stated that III MAF is a little behind on status of trawler – as It stands right now – there is only one expected to land in I Corps area and two in the II Corps area. At least that’s all we are aware of t this time. (7) Swift Boats, 2210H, CS 7378 on course 230° tracking at 10.5 knots, arrival at 0150 approx BS8833, expected to alter course (remaining 2 or 3 words are indecipherable – original was typed over preprinted words on form and was covered by CONFIDENTIAL stamp). (8) G3 to 11th Bde 2235H, alerted 11th Bde to be prepared to furnish ground reaction force of one company for possible use if trawler lands a Batangan Peninsula 11th Bde informed Americal that B-4-3 at LZ Uptight would be used. Avn have alerted helicopters for possible mission. (9) III MAF, 2330H, trawler loc and course: 14° 56’ N. 109° 27’ E heading 235° at 10 knots. 4. 0012 Continuation of trawler reports starting at 0012H – Lt Cmdr Price from Coastal Surveillance in DaNang reported trawler 18 miles off coast SE of Duc Pho. 0015H – Savage notified to have gun and flareships on standby for scramble at 0100H. 0020H – Lt Wentworth, Swift Boat Opns reported trawler 19 mi E of Duc Pho travelling at 10 knots, expect to land 2-3 miles N of Duc Pho if same course maintained. Still expects trawler to head for Batangan Peninsula. 0040H - Lt Cmdr Price requested 1 flare ship only, be scrambled at 0100H, report to BS9440 and contact Same Drink Zulu on 301.0 MC or Newsboy India on 37.5. 0042H – C/S advised. 0047H – 11th Bde notified to scramble 1 flare ship only and provided above frequencies. 0110H – Lt Roal, Coastal Surveillance DaNang reported that BS 820465 was probable site that trawler would beach (2 1/2 ?? either side of coordinates). Request that reaction force be alerted. 0114H – Lt Roal reported trawler 12 mi off coast, ETA 0145, request gunships be scrambled. 0115H – Avn off notified Savage to scramble 2 gunships and have airborne at 0125H and to join flare ship on station. 0120H – C/S, ADC, CG advised of situation. 0125H – Gunships reported airborne and en route to join flare ship. 0133H – Seaborne elements report trawler having been engaged and was burning or laying a smoke screen. 0137H – trawler returning fire (AW) fire on Swift Boats. 0140H – flare ship advised Seaborne Control that he was low on flares and had requested another flare ship. 0143H – Seaborne Control requested gunships to close with target and take under fire. 0145H – III MAF COC, G- 3 advised of status. 0146H – gunship reports receiving AW fire. 0148H – flare ship reports departing area (out of flares). 0150H – 11th Bde notified to alert reaction force and be prepared to marry up with lift ships on order. Lift ships notified to stand by on strip alert in cockpits. 0157H – new flare ship reported on station. 0159H – III MAF reports trawler loc at BS88737. 0200H – trawler reported as aground. 0201H – Swift Boats directed by Seaborne Control to close on target and keep under fire. 0203H – 11th notified to alert personnel at Bronco to be used as possible reaction force. 0205H – Maj Martin, III MAF requested and was provided current status. 0206H – 11th Bde alerted A-1-20 to move to site of where trawler was aground – approx 1 Km from their current locations. 0207H – info recd from Swift Boats that trawler may be rigged for self destruction – 11th Bde advised and requested to notify reaction force. 0210H - ADC advised of status. 0212H – Seaborne Control directed all units to cease fire and close on beach. 0215H – Avn off directed to hold lift ships at Chu Lai on standby and not to send them to LZ Uptight until directed. 0216H – 11th Bde notified that lift ships at Chu Lai are on standby for them if required. Swift Boats directed to cease fire by Seaborne Control. Swift Boat fired green flare for forces on beach. 0217H – friendly troops moving to site of grounding – trawler reported to be 50 ft off shore in surf. No personnel obs leaving trawler. 0220H – no troops obs approaching the grounding site on beach. Rpt from Swift Boats. 0220H – Seaborne Control rept neg casualties, 10 small boats (fishing) on beach but not movement obs in area. 0223H – III MAF COC advised of status by LTC Balmer. 0225H – 11th asked if they required airlift on standby at Chu Lai. Reply? 0226H – 11th reported that trawler just blew – 50% destroyed. 0228H – III MAF given status report by LTC Balmer. 0231H – second explosion of trawler reptd. Swift Boat personnel 500 meters away reported debris in area – no cas. 0235H – III MAF reported that 3 of 4 trawlers had been destroyed. 1 in Duc Pho area (dest), 1 near Nha Trang (dest), 1 down south (dest), 1 loc 35 miles E of Qui Nhon heading due E (not engaged). 0240H – Nothing above water at this time, trawler has sunk. 0241H – loc of trawler is BS882346. 0250H - another flare ship DAILY STAFF JOURNAL OR DUTY OFFICER'S LOG Page No. No. of Pages 2 4 CONFIDENTIAL Period Covered From To Organization or Installation Location Hour Date Hour Date Americal Division TOC CHU LAI, RVN 0001 01 Mar 68 2400 01 Mar 68 Item Time Incidents, Messages, Orders, Etc. 4 Con’t reported on station. 0255H – Dolphin flare ship made pass over beach area – obs oil slick – negative debris or movement in area. 0315H – 11th Bde reports that A-1-20 arrived at site. 0320H – Swift Boats resumed normal patrol operations – left one boat on station a contact site. 0400H – BS882346, A-1-20 reports finding one K44 rifle and parts of other wpns – type’s unk. Captured 9 military age males but do not believe they are from trawler. 0315H – from Major McKnight, 11th Bde. 11th Bde Journal entries on action: 0030H – alerted gunships and flare ship shortly thereafter. 0120H – gunships scrambled. 0145H – Swift Boats engaged trawler 2 miles off shore. 0210H – flare ships provided illumination – trawler released smoke screen – gunships engaged with rockets – a small explosion observed by gunships. 0215H – trawler reported as beached and burning. 0220H – large explosion reported. 0240H – larger explosion – trawler disintegrated. No evidence of survivors. 0215H – time that ground troops (A-1-20) began movement. 5. 0630 196, 0630H, recd word that 196th would go off the cmd net but remain on secure. Cmd net will be established upon arrival at Baldy. 6. 0405 (Delayed) 11th, A-1-20, BS882346, 0400H, A-1-20 reports finding 1 K44 rifle, parts of other weapons type unknown. Captured 9 military age males. 11th Bde does not believe these personnel are from the trawler. 7. 0445 (Delayed) 1-1, 1-20, 0425H, LZ Thunder received small arms fire. Negative casualties or damage. 8. 0535 11th, Capt Holbrook, 0535H, search party on beach have a total of 71 detainees. None of them are wet. 9. 0705 11th, R-1-20, 2005H spot report reads R-1-20 engaged 3 VC killed, 3 should read R-1-20 engaged 4 VC, killed 4. (Follow up). 10. 0710 11th, A-1-20, 882346, 0700H, 1 VC evading. Result: 1 VC KIA, 208 AK47 barrels. 11. 0730 Naval Support Agency, NSA will provide 2 underwater teams to the 11th Bde. To be picked up at 0830H at the Admin Pad. There will be 1 officer in charge and one intelligence officer in addition to the 4 man diving crew. 12. 0745 11th, C-3-1 – vicinity BS612857, (Reference action) 292330H, observed 1 VC, engaged. Result: 1 VC KIA.