COMMAND CHRONOLOGY of The
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DECLASSIFIED BEJI'Iff 10 Lit fi1J:L • (11JCLlSSIFI1!m Fl"A ~~) n 6tA ... ,., . ourrV.r~ ~ COMMAND CHRONOLOGY of the ,. \l 3rd TANK BATTALION I.'" 3rd MARINE DIVISION, FMF ''i,. I "' u FLEET POST OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO 96602 ;~ .. OOWNGI~ADtll f,T ~ ', ~·t.>: HTI~Vl\LS; ··. v DECLASS!fi'::D J\1-T[:( 1% Y[:'rh S ~; 1 ooo o:r; 5!D0.1D fOR THE PERIOD OOfJFIB@~TIAL , I iNGLASSll'lED· . OCT 1966 _j DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED • 3d Tank Bn-·•-Oct 1966 Supportinr Documents Encl 12: Tab A: 8ITREP 258 - 2R8 Tab B: 1ntellig~nc~e Journal Tab C: S-3 Journal I Tab JJ: S-4 Journal DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED W)JX.2U;·.H.TER& • Jd 'l'a::l~ Battalion I 3d Marine Jivision (Rein), ~~ FPO Srjr.. Francis co 96602 CoP,y _L_ ot ~ copies J:ELT:njs 5750 SerNo: 09666 1 November 1966 From: Commanding Officer To: Commaooing General, 3d Marine Division (Rein)_, FNF Subj: Command Chronology for October 1966 Ref: (a) DivO 5750.1 Encl: (1)~ganizational Data (2)hersonnel tlnd .~.dm.l.nistration (3 }/lntelligence (4)Vl'ank Combat Operations (5)iSpecial Operations ( 6 ).o~ra.ining (7)vi.ogistics (8)tiCcmnand an:i Control (9~· ommunications - ~lectronics (1C) £edical and Dental (11 Civil Jd'fairs (12)vSupporting Documents. 1. In accordance ~ith reference (a), Enclosures (1) through (12) are s ul.::mit ted • 2. Downgraded to unclassified upon removal of enclosures ( 1) through (12). ...... .. W. R. CORSON DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED ORG;...~at:~I.Tlul~hL DhTJ-\ • ·Jl-l'f''itl ,_ IJusignc• tion: Third Tank Bat to·:.~ on FhF 1 Third Marine Division Location: Headquarters, 3d Tank Battalion DaNang (J\T 989708) 11 f1. 11 Company, Jd Tank lJattalion Prairie (YD 063544) 11 BII Company, 3d Tank Battalion Da Nang (AT 962611) ncu Company, )d Tank Batt<J)icm Prairie (YO 246599) Period Covered by Heport: 1 - 31 Octol>er 1966 Conunanding Officer: l.tCol W. il. COH:;uN Subordinate Camnanders: H&S Company 1stLt R•. F. BEIRNE IV (1 - 24 Oct 66) 1stLt R. D. MCDANIEL t25 - 31 Oct 66) A Company Capt A. W. FACKLAN,JR B Company Capt E. L. TUNG:t.T (1 - 2 Oct 66) 1stLt D. B. GARNER 3 - Jt Oct 66) C Company Capt P. F. Ll!b~JJID Principal Staff Officers: Battalion Executive Officer l-1a.jor J • lr. Dek.>Cl, JR (1 - 15 Oct 66) :t-1ajor E. R. Lt.hlDN ( 16 - J 1 Oct 66) Battalion Adjutant/S-1/Legal 2d Lt J • HCGANN Battalion S-2 1stLt J. C. HCGE:it ( 1 Oct 66) 2dLt T. J. PiiENDERGAST '·:.,· (2 - 31 Oct 66) •'€' 'J Battalion S-3 l:·~ajor E. R. LAR::>ON ~:~· ( 1 - 150ct 66) Najor E. L. TU!'l:-ET ( 16 - 31 Oct 66 ) 1 DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED Battalion S/4 Capt R.E. Downard ( 1-1.30ct 1966) 2ndLt R.J. Bright ( 14-31 Oct66) Bn CAO 2ndLt W.F. Lockridge (1-.30ct66) Average Mohthly Strength Marine Officers :3.3 Marine Enlisted 484 Navy Officer 0 Navy Enlisted 10 2 DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED • • The Battalion's personnel posture in relation to the strength auth orized by current manning level is unacceptable. This Battalion is cur rently in PER5Uli!N1L l.... ADIN~S CAT:ffiuRY C-3 with a chargeable strength of 32 Narine Officers ani 482 Marine enlisted as compared with an authorized manning level of 36 officers and 597 enlisted. B.y the end of November without additional re:placements, the Battalion will be short 4 officers and 142 enlisted. (These figures do not include combat casualties). Increased operations are anticipated during the coming months; it is ex pected that the casua.lty rate of the Battahon will increase, thus neces sitating more replacements than have been programed based on pust attrition rates. During the month of October, the Battalion joined 5 Harine Officers, and 54 Marine enlisted, and dropped 9 officers ani 64 enhsted. This trend af losses exceeding bains have prevailed for the last few months • and there is no indic:ation of a reversal of this trend based on availa ble infonnation, The following MOS•s are considered critical because in each category they.; are 25% or more below authorized manning level strength; 0141, 1811, 2141, 3041, & 3371. No disciplinary action was required during the 1110nth of October. Norale continues to remain excellent. R&R trips are the major fac tor in maintaining morale as they are the only chance personnel have to take a break and relax for a short time. The Battalion 1s program to voluntarily extend personnel overseas con tinues to have good results. Two requests were submitted during the month for a total of 122 extensions since arriving in-country for a total of 619 man months gained through extensions. ' Enclosure {~) ~ l DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE • DurJ nr; October 1966, weather was a major factor influencing tank combat operati~ns throughout the I Corps ZOA. A total of )O.~S inchos of rainfall was recorded, The majority of rain fell during the period 17 through 24 October. nnring this time rivers overflowed their banks into the rice '1aridies, tank foros became impassahle, and some cL'lss 60 ton pontoon bridges 1"ere damagen. Tank movement in the ~anang TAOR came to a stannstill south of the Song Cau Do River. vlithin the Southern Sector of the ni,ri~>ion Rear Are"' D'cfense there Here 4 VC initiated .S/A inci,.'ents. T~is is a substantial ~e crease from what was reoorted in Se'1tember. This is pr~bably due to Operation Manison in the Cam Ne area an~ Ooeratton Teton in the Tra Khe area. These village complexes are ;ust south ~n~ southeast of the southern sector and· are lt:nl:Jwn vc· !nft!tll'ation routes. Both operations mentioned above were c,nducted ~uring October. In the Danang TAOR, with the exception of one minin~ incident, there were no VC initiated antitank actions as were prevalent dur~ ing the summer months. In the Cam Lo - Con Thien area, on Operation Prairie, there was one sizeable }NA initiated ambush directed at elements of company "A" and 11 C11 on 12 October at coordinates (YD 126 666). The terrR.:tn in the ambush area is t"'ic~ with vegatation and affords the attacker concealment to wit~in twentv meters of his target. During this engagement a heavy volume of RPG-2 antitank rocket fire t,.Jas received resultine in three tanks 1Jeing penetrated. The following is a chronolop:icnl listitv:; of antitank mines de- tonated during October 1966: . 1. On 1209000 a company 11 B11 tank r1etonated an AT mine at (AT 9~ 545) resulting in mcxlerate dA-mage to the susl)ension system. 'J'wo tanlc crc1 ..rrn.an Here 1~JIA, non mr~devac. 2. On 131100H a compart~r "C" tank rletonated an 1\T mine at (Yn 134719) re3ult.in<>; in morernte r:lam,qge t" t.,e suspensi..,n svstem. Mine esti '1l0.tcd to cont,in 30 - .'3.5 ll->s of T't\lT. On en.ch of the nbove il1ctrlento; tl-le mines 'loTere n'lt ooverea by enemy fire. I DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED __.... • Ti.NK CONBi.T OPER.J.TIONS Tank combat operations dur~ng the r.1onth of October wero in,si.\pport of two major operations, Nacon ani Prairie 1 ani othC;r operations in the Tf,OR 's. These operations accounted for 60 VC KBGF confirmed, 40 VC KBGF prob::cble, 1 VC WOOF confirmed, 2 VC WBGF probable, 9 VCC c:,nd. 12 VCS apprehended. i~.dditionally, tunk action was responsible for the sinking of 4 boats. <Jlll1lunition expendit.ures for the month were 11 .349 rounds of 90nrn, 2, 010 rounds of caliber .50, 18,010 rounds of caliber • .30, 1,505 rounds of 7.6~~J and 500 rounds of caliber .45. Tank tlObility was greatly reduced dur~ October 1966 because of heavy rains. Certain areas j_n both the Da Nang and Prairie Ti•OR 1s became com pletely i.L1passable for tanks for several dnys due to flooding, deep mud and washed out river ard stream fords. OPERJ.T ION MJ..CON The 2d Platoon of Company 11B11 remained in direct support of J/9 through out the month of October on Operation Macon. hlthough the tanks were act ively engaged, ena~ contacts were negligible with no known eDGOf~baeualties inflicteti throiJgh: tnnk .acti·on. OPE.:R..TION PRhlRIE Company 11 C11 , 3d Tank Bn, remained in direct support of the 4th Harine Regiraent on Operation Prairie. On 6 October 1966, Ca:tpany 11 A 11 canmenced I deployment fraa tho Da Nang Ti~.OR to the Prairie TJ.~.OR. Deployment was caa pleted on 9 Octobor 1966 and operations were conducted during the remain dur of the month in support of elements of the .3d Marine Division on Op eration Prairie. DECLASSIFIED DECLASSIFIED OPERATION HJ', CON 2nd Platoon Company "B" 3d Tank Bo.ttalion • 1 3 October 1966: At 031030H while in support of elements of the 3d Battalion, 'to.nks located at (AT 875507) fired at· 2 VC moving through orush along the river bank at (AT 874510). Results of fires unknown as tho a.r~a was not seo.rc:hed. At 0.31210H while in support of elomente of the 9th Marines, infan- tr,y and tanka located at (AT 866496) received 15 to 20 rounds small arms fire from enemy loccted a.t (AT P.64499). The tanks returned fire into the enenw loM.Mc•n. Results of thG fire were. unknown as the aren wa.s not searched.