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War Stories

NVA offensive Log Entries - 1972

US Marine advisors to the Vietnamese Marine 147th Brigade and 258th Brigade logbooks

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These excerpts are from the US Marine advisors to the Vietnamese Marine 147th Brigade and 258th Brigade logbooks during the NVA offensive in 1972. The logbook entries were provided by Richard Bullen, who served as a radio operator for 20th TASS FAC's and worked Camp Eagle, Hue, and LZ Sally.

8 June 1972

0725 CENTAUR INBOUND FOR BRIEFING

1005 CENTAUR RECIEVED BRIEFING FROM COL BOW WILL WORK WITH HARLIE CENTAUR 5 TALKING TO CHARLIE AND MOVING TOWARD S CHARLIE VIC5 NVA KIA 2 AK-47 AA WEAPON &MISS 18 RD 80MM 10 LBS EXPLOSIVES

1050 "C" REPORTS TIC 61 MM & 82 RR FROM VICINITY OF O??S CENTAUR 5 IS CLOSING

1106 CENTAUR HAS THREE KBH REPORTS LARGE NUMBER NVA ON ??PULLING TO GO WITH CHARLIES TAKE OVER 10 RD A MINUTE A HAS NOTHING TO THERE FRONT AS FAR AS???

1110 CHARLIES RECIEVING 20-30 RDS P/MIN FROM VIC OF "OLYS" CENTAUR 6 WITH TEAM STANDING OFF TIL ARTY IS COMPLETED LARGE NVA UNIT BETWEEN S AND R REPORTEDLY NGF SHIP AIR ON STATION WITH

1200 CENTAUR HIT VIC 510495 WENT DOWN BACK UP TOOK FIRE 510508 AND ATTACKED RTB TO REFUELAND REARM

1217 CENTAUR 6 GOING TO REFUEL/REARM BE BACK IN 45 MIKES

1310 CENTAUR 5 INBOUND FOR FUEL

1335 37MM CENTAUR ON HILL 19 CHECKING IT

1355 CENTAUR 6 NVA ON RUN N/W OF HILL 19 AREA

1400 CENTAUR 6 KIA 1 WIA 505510

1420 CENTAUR SAYS 5054 JUST REFUGEES NOW

1431 CENTAUR RTB

1545 CENTAUR HAS TROOPS IN HOLES W/ WEAPONS AND THEY WANT TO SHOOT AT BIRDS/HOSING THEM DOWN W/ DOOR GUNS/3 KBH RUNNING N AT THIS TIME

1600 5025496 BUNKER LINE W/CENTAUR ATTACKING AT THIS TIME
1613 CENTAUR BIRD HIT LANDING AT"C" POSITION IN SIGHT LOACH

1615 EST COMPANY 485505 WHERE LOACH WAS HIT AT ALSO 41 SAYS 489502

1755 FORWARDED REQUEST TO DIV FOR CENTAUR TEAM SUPPORT TOMMORROWS OPERATION REQUEST 0700 REPORT TIME

1800 DIV ADVISES WE'LL GET CENTAUR SUPPORT AS PER REQUEST FOR TOMMORROWS OPERATION

9 June 1972

0720 centaur 25 at my position for briefing on todays activitys

0735 briefing completed centaur to brief team and return approx 0800 slow working with "A" feet wet5th bn v-1 neither spot team has comm 6th bn v-2 with ship at this time

0805 centaur 25 will be covered by wm 23 & covey 68 requested comm up v-1 now loud and clear with old gold on 6

0900 centaur reports refugees from h to e but no sign of enemy or enemy positions many refugees closing

0910 centaur 25 has two 50 cal vicinity of "P" N?E side of highway at least a company with heavy weapons covey 10 has not checked into replace 68 enemy positions extend all the way to obj S very small distance between friendlies and enemy Multiple secondaries out of 8-10 explosions

1141 cf arty for centaur

1445 centaur 25 arrived for briefing will be sent out to work with 5th bn 6th bn presently taking heavy incoming and unable to contact centaur 25

1500 pink team diverted from 5th bn to 6th bn

1515 pink team unable to work with 6th bn due to incoming artillery sent back to work with 5th bn

10 June 1972

0730 centaur 43 pickedup for ceroemony briefed for mission ridgebeam to recieve primary support covey 112 to cover

0750 centaur 43 positive identification of friendlies cleared by 7th bn and working n on 555 arty ad 527517
0820 cancel cf centaur within friendly lines coming out for debrief went ti vicinity of 602 & negspots or fire recieved 503496 nva flag 488512large bunker 495595 fresh activity new bunkers 495498,485518 foul smell 39.90 centaur control

1300 centaur 43 on his way up to "A" and cf on arty and ngf

1400 during 1 hour centaur had neg our ao has gone to refuel and will come back up on 369 and work for them

1500 passed centaur to 369 passed fac to cover "C"

1530 repeat for centaur submitted for 11 june

11 Jun 1972

1005 CENTAUR 6 ON BOARD W/ PAPERWORK REQUESTED

1125 DREADNAUGHT DS ASSET CAPT HAYNIED.L.F/4 CENTAUR COBRA PLT LEADER CENTAUR 21 ABOARD FOR BRIEF

1300 CENTAUR 48 FEET WET WORKING SHORTLY NOW NNB FOR 5TH BN CLEARANCE COVEY 10 HAD STRIKE FOR 4850 GRID OK BY CENTAUR MUST HAVE PREPLANNED OR SOMETHING

1315 A/S IN AT 484 BY COVEY 10 CHECKED W/ CENTAUR OK

1330 CENTAUR HELD UP BY A/S COVEY 10 GETTING NUMEROUS SECONDARIES STILL GOING W/ NAIL 34 ON STATION TO COMNTINUE PUT CENTAUR OVER W/Z OF 369 AND WORKED CANAL

1400 CENTAUR HAD 4 IN THE OPEN GOT 1 ALSO SAW LONG TUBE PENETRATOR WORKED A/S AREA TOOK FIRE FROM THE NORTH OF STRIKE ZONE

145 CENTAUR RTB TO REFUEL AND REARM WILL BE BACK UP TO 555 TO THE A/S ZONE

1830 REQUESTED CENTAUR FOR SUPPORT 121000H AND 101600H FOR AREA DESCRIBED BY GRIDS449509, 470489, 515548, 494563, 479508, 504489, 532535 REQUESTED SPECIAL ATTENTION TO FAC COVERAGE OR CENTAUR

REQUESTED SPECTRE TO WORK KNOWN CONCENTRATIONS OF ENEMY FORCES FROM 46527--500500 BETWEEN 112100H AND 112300 OR SOONER

12 June 1972

0950 NO CENTAUR COVERAGE TODAY X RAY SENDS GIMLET 781
1420 REQUEST CENTAUR SUPPORT 1310 AND 131600H FOR AREA DESIGNATED BY GRID449509, 472489, 515???, 494563 AND 479508 502489

REQUEST SPECIAL ATTENTION TO FAC COVERAGE OF CENTAUR

1650 CENTAUR 5 SHOWED UP IN AREA WITHOUT BRIEF HAD 2 LOACHES AND SNAKES NO CHASE BIRD WORKED WITH ALPHA FOR SHORT VR IN FRONT OF ALPHAS POS ADVISED CENTAUR 5 WE APPRECIATE THEIR HELP BUT CONCIDER IT IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE THEM IN FOR BRIEF BEFORE THEY WORK IN OUR AO

1835 RECIEVED WORD FROM DIV THAT WE WILL RECIEVE FOX OF FOURTH AIR CAV AT 0700 13 JUNE C&C BIRD WILL BE HERE 20 MIN EARLY FOR BRIEF

13 June 1972

1245 CENTAUR 3A CHECKING IN FOR BRIEFING 504494 MO 4000

1305 BRIEFING COMPLETE WILL RETURN FOR WORK AT 1345 ARTILLERY AND NGF PREPS OF AREA BEGINNING AT 1325 494523, VN ARTY 470500 7000 227* 2300

1420 CENTAUR REPORTS TRACKED ACTIVITY IN REFUGEE VILLAGE WITHIN LAST 48 HRS

1440 BUNKERS AND CASHES VIC OF HILL #9 7TH BN REPORTS ENEMY MOVEMENT VIC 5355000, 533493

1450 507520 BUNKERS UNDER CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL 37MM NOT YET SETUP HEAVY BUNKER CONSTRUCTION BUMP 502513 HEAVY BUNKER CONSTRUCT 223* 1750

1630 POL DRUMS 920) 50 CAL 50 RDS 130 STACKED NEAR BEACH@526537 UNDERGROUND BUNKERS 486571 LARGE COMPLEX POL POSITION 485565 BUNKERS WITH AMMO

1745 RIDGEBEAM REQUESTS CENTAUR CHECK OUT HILL 19 TOMMORROW

1813 FOLLOWING REQUEST SENT BY X RAY REQUEST CENTAUR SUPPORT 140700H ALONG 555 AND GRIDS 507520, 502513, 535500 THIS REPORT FOLLOWS UP UNTIL CENTAUR REPORT OF POL SITE BUNKER MATERIALS STORAGE AREA AND AMMO STORAGE SITES LOCATED TODAY
REQUEST FAC GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION CENTAUR MISSION

1830 LATE ENTRY CENTAUR MISSION AT 1400 VIC 496514 AND 500 METERS AROUND DISCOVERED STACKS OF 4X4'S AND 6X6'S LUMBER NEW WITH BANDING STILL ATTACHED 6-8 NEW BUNKERS COMPLETED 3--12X 12 BUNKERS IN PROCESS OF BEING BUILT 3 PEOPLE OBSERVED RUNNING INTO BUNKERS CENTAUR MISSION AT ABOUT 1600 VIC 48657 DISCOVERED 60-80 FULL 55 GAL DRUMS OF POL IN OPEN 5-6 LONG ROWS OF SUPPLIES COVERED WITH TARPALINS VIC 485565 SEVERAL BUNKERS 6X8 WITH PSP AND SAND COVERING ALSO 6X8 REVETMENTS FILLED WITH AMMUNITIONS IN CRATES WITH CHICOM MARKINGS LOH LOH PICKS UP CASING OR TUBE TO TAKE BACK TO G-2

14 June 1972

0730 CENTAUR TEAM WORK APPEARS TO BE DIVERTED TO AIRBORNE ACTIVITIES NO INDICATION AS TO WHEN OUR MISSION WILL RUN

1630 REQUESTED CENTAUR TEAM 130800H TO WORK 5304000, 450510, 490530, 540500 ONE TEAM ALONG BEACH REQUESTED C&C 20 MIN EARLY FOR BRIEFING REQUESTED PENETRATION IF POSITBLY REQUESTED SPECIAL ATTENTION FAC COVERAGE OVER CENTAUR REQUESTED MAXIMUM FAC COVERAGE REQUEST SPECTRE AT 142200H OR SOONER

1700 PINK TEAM SCHEDIULED FOR 151610H WILL BRING PENETRATOR

1935 DIV PASSES THAT CENTAUR WILL WORK FIRST LIGHT MISSION WITH 19 THEN WILL WORK WITH AIRBORNE WILL REPORT TO US AT ABOUT 1300

1950 DIV ADVISES THAT 15 DESIRES WE HAVE CENTAUR AT FIRST LIGHT C&C BIRD WILL REPORT AT 0645 TEAM WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR MISSION 0700-0830

11 July 1972

0930 AIR REQUEST FOR 12 JULY
1) REQUEST CENTAUR COVERAGE FROM 395542-395560 AND IN SUPPORT OF "N" UNIT AT 0730 REQUEST C&C BIRD REPORT TO THIS LOCATION 20 MIN EARLY FOR BRIEFING

1214 CH 53 HIT AND ON FIRE ON DECK

1230 2 CH 46'S ALSO HIT AND ON DECK After much checking it was determined that birds made it to hai long crews picked up security against pilferage provided birds later extracted much of afternoon spent determining status and location of ch 53 crew. finally located in bomb crater 50-100se of downed ac in voice comm with fac one member burned others ok. also had problem determining exact number with survivor group when finally extracted count was 5

AT ABOUT 800 IT WAS AGREED UPON BY SENIOR 53 PILOT OIC OF SAR BRIGADE SENIOR ADVISOR AND 1ST BN ADVISOR THAT DUE TO TACTICAL SITUATION IT WOULD BE BETTER TO ATTEMPT EXTRACTION IN MORNING BURNED CREWMAN COULD MAKE IT THROUGH TI;L THEN WORD OF DECISION PASSED TO DIV AND IT WAS NEGATED WITH SANDY A/C LOW ON FUEL CENTAUR BIRDS WERE SENT TO MAKE PICKUP

1900 C.O. 1ST BN FEELSWILL NOT CLEAR ANY FIRES O SUPPORT U.S. EXTRACTION IN MEANTIME1ST BN HAS HAD MODERATE TO HEAVY CONTACT SINCE L HOUR HAS TAKEN FIRE FROM ALL SIDES OF LZ AS WELL AS INCOMING ARTILLERY AND MORTORS COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN MARGINAL AT BEST AND MOST TRAFFIC HAS BEEN RELAYED THRU THE FAC

1905 LT BIDDULPH HAS BULLET WOUNDS BOTH LEGS BUT FEELS ABLE TO CONTINUE TIL MORNING WHEN A MEDAVAC CAN BE RUN

1910 2ND BN ON MOVE

1915 SAR A/C TAKING FIRE FROM 300M OF DOWNED PILOTS

1920 RESCUE A/C TAKING FIRE FROM S OF RIVER 1 SA-7 AND AAA FIRE ALSO

1928 CENTAUR 6 ON STATION READY TO MAKE EXTRACTION

1935 CENTAUR 6 IN FOR PICKUP NVA TANKS REPORTED BEARING DOWN ON 1ST BN FROM N ARTILLERY NGF FIRING ON TANKS "P"FEELS INFANTRY FOLLOWING TANKS

1950 CENTAUR EXITING HOT LZ SHOT LONG INTO 369 AREA 1 KNOWN WIA