UNCLASSIFIED AD NUMBER AD392381 CLASSIFICATION CHANGES TO: unclassified FROM: confidential LIMITATION CHANGES TO: Approved for public release, distribution unlimited FROM: No foreign distribution. AUTHORITY 1980 Group-4 per document markings; OAG, D/A ltr., 29 Apr 1980 THIS PAGE IS UNCLASSIFIED CONFI DEN4TIAL DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY OWICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL WASHINGTON, D.C. 20310 IN RIEPY REFER TO ACAM-P (M) (9 Aug 68) FOR OT RD 682337 26 August .1968 SUBJECT: Operational Report- Lessons Learneds Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), Period Ending 30 April 1968 (U) W r SEE DISTRIBUTION 1. Subject report is forwarded for review and evaluation in accordance ,-•with paragraph 5b, AR 525-15. Evaluations and corrective actions should be reported to ACSFOR OT RD, Operational Reports Branch, within 90 days of-receipt of covering letter. 2. Information contained in this r4.port is provided to insure that the Army realises current benefits from lessons learned during recent opera- tions. 3. To insure that the information provided through the Lessons Learned Program is readily available on a continuous basis, a cumulative Lessons the Learned Index containing alphabetical listings of items appearing in the ' reports is compiled and distributed periodically. Recipients of %sattached report are encouraged to recommend items from it f', Anclusion SOin the Index by completing and returning the self-addresse4 ..,crm provided So • • at the end of this report. aBY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: 44 4 Ck I~1mcl KENETH G. WICKHAM q as Major General, USA - 0•••" The Adjutant General . 4• 1o0 . DISTRIBUTION: U L..) "4 q Commanding Generals S" US Continental Army Command -pf. rI Command (1 . Z, US Army Combat Developments 3P3 1968 q cc Commandants US Army War College School -L ""4 . o• US Army Adjutant General E 'ar , US Army Commnd and General Staff College D US Army Air Defense School - US Army Armor School School i '* .j. US Army AiatioAviation ndSo1 •o Regraded unclassified when separated US Army Chaplain School from classified inclosure. CONFIDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION (Cont'd) b j US Army Chemical School 1 US Army Civil Affairs School US Army Engineer School K US Army Infantry School US Army Intelligence School I US Army Medical Field Service School US Army Military Police School US Army Missile and Munitions School US Army Ordnance School !! I US Army Quartermaster School US Army Security Agency School. " US Army Signal School USý Army Southeastern Signal School US Army Special Warfare School US Army Transportation School Copies furnished: COffpes Chief of Staff, US Army Deputy Chiefs of Staff Chief of Engineers Chief of Research and Development Assistant Chiefs of Staff The Surgeon General The Provost Marshal General Research Analysis Corporation (Library) OSD(SA), Assistant for Southeast Asia Forces National Aeronautics and Space Administration Director, Weapons Systems Evaluation Group Commanding Generals US Army Materiel Command US Army Weapons Command US STRIKE Command US Army Flight Training Center US Army STRATCOM US Army Southern Command Ist Cavalry Division (AM) Commanding Officers US Army Limited War Laboratory US Army Logistics, Doctrine Systems & Readiness Agency US Army Aviation Test Activity Hudson Institute Defense Documentation Center USAF Air Ground Operations School Commandant of the Marine Corps (AO3HlO) Senior Army Representative, Marine Corps Dev & Educ Command Bell Aero Systems Company 2 II LI....- CONFIDENTIAL j' Operatioral Report for Quarterlv Period Ending 30 Arri. 1968 * TABLE OF C0OrENTS Operations •.P 1 Discussion and Analysis of EiJor Operations. ;..... P. 2 "Lessons Learned ... ...... " " P 14 Task Organization dat Cr •@ * pee W •4e... 60tiU U @@C TAR D Weather and Terrain .... *"se0000 -04000 T0• R BMeWr Activity a a oa . aa 0.. a. * a 0a a a . TAB F **h ato ofHt e •e•@4@• ••e@*o• Aerial Surveillance... ,...., ....... ,,,.... d T'a G. Intelligence Support Units.........,........... TAB H Summary of G-1 Activit!.es..P.&a,.. ... ,........... TAB I Strength Report do....*cc.......* . TAB J Casualty Report. a *eases so of* #0:40#804 sea*@ TtLR K - * Replaceete.. ent 1e port .... a ....so@* e.e * oo*s TABTJ.B L Units inthe Ist tdr Cay Div................. ... TAB M Extensions/ senlistment 'Promotions............. TAD 0 Awards and Decoratij o d.-oases@ assesses**@* T B P Special Services Activities.. .............1PAB C Postal Operations.......... .... Tt Finance S erv ice ,...., .. ..... a#. aa T .0I1 T Medical Act.wities .,..... ..... ..... TAB U• Religioi- Activities ... -oss Cd &**a ;# *.,*. TPA V Courts-Martial/Articleinformation Activities *.1... .....a. ,.,...Y.... ...... ....... .. T5TnT10 YYX . Ki-.ptartPoiceActivite,.............?......., TAB Z -, G- Oprtosd@ 0946,00e .. #0 od*0*.. ad,, T ABA, Logisties .,.......0g * ... o. 0.... ,.o. .......t.B a BB. Pdvehological 0p~rations • •; ;*a• , ....so ea #,'I.,f .,ee#fe TAB-CCTa Civil A~fai:cG.•, •,, • •,... •,, • •,.., .... .. , TAB D6) *Withdrawn, Hq, DA; published separately as CAAR 68X050 Withdrawn, Hq, DA; published separately as CAAR-63X051 . *** Withdrawn, Hq, DA; published separately as CAAR 68X052 **** Withdrawn, Hq, 'DA DOWNGRADED AT 3 YEAR INTERVALS; DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YEARS. - Li;. ---..............CONFIDENTIAL, ... ............-. DOD DIR 5200.10 /:- -" - -: -' • • : d r ' : .'" • : = • ,•. •.• r • -, - : •, ,. • • • = . ] : , .• • T~j . • •' .,•... .... CONFIDENTIAL -U -DEPARTMT OF THE ARMY "ADQUARTEMS, 13T CAVALRY DIVISION (AFHOBTLE) APO San Francisco 96490. K: 3.3 June 1968 SUBJECT: Operatioral Report for Quarterly Period Ending 30 April 1968 T1RU: Channels TO: Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development! Department of the larw Washington, D.C. 20310 .f Section I- 1. Operations A, General: Following the completion of a major deplovmnent of the 1 ACD from BINH DINH Province and Southern I Corps Tactical Zone in lt.e Janiiarnr, this reporting period covers the initiation of highi-intensitV combat oper- ations in QUAG TRI and THIJA T'"IN Provinces. It encompasses three highly successful ani tactically significant operations: (1) The Teric Offensive, which saw theq 1 ACD preventing the seizure of QCU11PTITRT and assistirn, in the expulsion of the NVA from their foothold in Hue City (Operation Jeb Stx-,rt 1) (2) Operation PEG^I.•S/LAM SON 207A ;which. relieved the VA\ pressure on the 26th %arine Regiment. at KH-E SItMH; and (3) the entirely air-suported Ope':- ation DELAWAREýLAM SON 216, which disrupted NVMactiv.ities by means of a reconnaissance in force in the A SHAU Valley. In each of tMese operat.ions, the applied concepts, tactics, and doctrine of the 1 ACD were aizain provad successful. Cordon and search in con.junction vr•th "Swoop r" operations, initiated and refined or the BONG -SON Plain, were again successful in di6-. rupting the ereuy. infrastructure in' NICTZý and, assisted in deinyVr the evluftv refuge among the populace. In Oper'-t ion Pegasus, entire batt Jlions were Airl ifted over enemy strong points ind assaulted on to critical terrain as4 riie the enemy's route of withdrawal. This bold move with its corresponding us& of firepower had a profound effect on the enenm's will to stand and fight. in many cases he left his fortified dolaying position, abandoning large amounts of supplies and equipment, and fled in small groups to the sr.fety of Laos or to rugged uncontested terrain. At the opposite end of the spectrum of mobility was the ground attack to relieve Hue. Using tactics more akin to breaching the SIEGFRIED LINE than to bold, dashing Cavaly chrages, elements of the division attacked a strong, heavily bunkered enem• in weathor that oft tines precluded effective air and artillery support. The A SHAIT Valley Operation was air-mobility in its finest hour. A dashing assault into an eneoy bastion lonst denied'to US Forces and against modern anti-aircraft defenses enabled the 1 ACD, entirely suprorted by air, to roam the vallev at will for a period of almost 30 days. During these operations,'the 1 ACD demonstrated a considerable flexib- ility of a particular mission, tho task organizae.ion of the I AC) expandwi S3CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL SUBJCT Operational Report for Quarterly Period Ending 30 April !968 and contracted at various times during the reporting, period. At its pealc, *.during Operation PEGASUS (The relief of Khe Sanh Combat Base), the Division controlled the operaitions of 20 infantry battalions plus their normal art- ailry, air and other supporting elements. This was a World War II Corps simed force. During the reporting period, Operation JEB STUART was officially te•'• minated at 240011 31 March 1968. The final results were: (1) Friendly: 291 KIA, 1735-WIA, 24 MIA, 26 AC' lost. (2) Enewy: 3268 KIA, 119 PW, 585 11C., 148 CSWC, 1314. Mine/HG., 76,837 SA ammo, 2906 Ig cal rds, 89 tons rice. Operation PEMASUS/LAM SON 207A beqan at 0001H 1 April 1968 and tcrtin- ated at 08oOH 15 April 1068. The final'results were: (1) Friendly: US Army:'l KIA, 208 WIA, 5 M14; USMC: 5i KIA, 459 WIA, 0 MIA; ARVN TF: -33 KIA, 187 -IA. - - (2) Enemy: -•1044 KIA, 9" PW's, 539 I1,•, 184 CSWC, 12,086 lz cal rds, 9527 mines HG's, 261,760 SA ammo, 3.075 tons rice. Operation DELAWARE commenced on 19 April with AA of. elements of the 3d Bde into the Northern A Shau Valley., The operation continues into the next reporting period. B. lst Brigade: At the beginning of the reportine period, the Brizade was oriented towards the Ba Long Valley and enemy Base Area 101. -{,owever, with the NVA threatening QUANG TRI CITM, the brioade had to ranidl.v redirect. its effort in that direction. B- the end of the first week'*in February-r, the Brigade had redeployed I forces to Quang Tri, defeated the enemr force "alingin the outskirts of the city, seized the initiative in the area batt-from the enew, and commenced pursuit operations. (see TAB A: The Battle of' Quang Tri), After the Battle of Quang Tri, the Brigade pursued the ene'tw . throughout the coastal plains, Ba Long Valley, Base Area 101 and the area ,, ,•xthof the TACH HAN River.