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 Ambushes (currently 1 views) |
| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: October 4th, 2011, 11:02pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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Thanks for doing this , Ken.
I wonder if an L-shaped ambush would work.
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967
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Jim posted this on Ken's post about spammers and it got me thinking. I must have gone out on at least 100 ambushes and never sprung a one. I heard where some squads would just go out a couple of klicks and set up in a circle and sleep all nite. I was always afraid of that because of routine rolling artillary barrages and if you weren't where you were supposed to be, they you would be toast.
Did anyone ever have a successful ambush?
Greg |
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| MartyOdette |
| Posted on: October 5th, 2011, 12:48am |
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Medium Member D 2/1 july 69-70
Posts: 34
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| We went on many night ambushes too! Some successful-all scary as hell! On one a lone NVA turned on a small side trail and walked up a m-60 firing lane at the mid-ambush point. He surprised us-we REALLY surprised him! |
Marty Odette D 2/1 11B July 69-70 |
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Reply: 1 - 14 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: October 5th, 2011, 1:16am |
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Posts: 131
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Triggered an L-shaped ambush with a grenade once, after I was transfered to the 25th. Four VC walked through with their rifles balanced on their shoulders. They were only feet away, (I was on the flank), and I flipped the grenade just in front of them in the kill zone, and then waited an eternity for it to go off. Heard them jabber and start to run before it exploded.
I jumped to my knees to fire, and the safety jammed on my rifle. The machine gunner was next to me and I told him to open up. He was new and scared and wouldn't fire. Everyone else was sleeping.
The Platoon Sergeant wanted me to go out front to check but I wouldn't go out in front of these guys (mostly newbies). It was so dark I was afraid they would shoot me.
He was going to stay there for the rest of the night, but I convinced him to move us to a new site.
Don't like to think about it... I was getting short. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: October 5th, 2011, 12:47pm |
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Posts: 131
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Just thought of another incident on ambush (there were plenty of them). We had set up in the treeline at the edge of a field. Around midnight, artillery began bracketing us, beginning 500 yards away and slowly closing in on our position.
We called in to make sure they knew we were there, but were told by our CO that they didn't know who was firing.
We continued to call in as the rounds came closer, and were finally told they had notified the battery where we were.
Another few rounds came in and then they stopped. We figured they knew we were there.
When we got back into our base, we were told by his RTO that the CO actually never got hold of the battery that was firing, and just lied to us.
Never did like that guy... |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: October 6th, 2011, 10:22pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Sorry guys, i dont have ambush stories....like everyone else, I too did pull ambush duty...how many? i have no idea...once or twice a month? im guessing....
we took turns....but NONE of them were "productive" and no we didnt all nap ... |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 4 - 14 |
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| joemahoney |
| Posted on: October 7th, 2011, 5:06pm |
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Posts: 56
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| Operations Cedar Fall’s was one long Ambush. We set up along the river and the other units drove the VC to us. The plan was we would catch them as they crossed the river. The problem was we could not see much on the river. The one time we did see the VC the Company CP was running a com check and the VC herd us answer. One of our guys saw them in their boat as they turned away. He started firing and they fired back. I cut lose with the M60 but when they stopped firing I had no target (it was dark as the inside of a boot in a coal mine). The rest of the Ambush just laid down fire across the river. The next day we did find a shot up boat with papers and other gear including a CHICOM ID card and a Walther PPK. |
Joe Mahoney
B 2/1
66/67 |
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Reply: 5 - 14 |
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: October 8th, 2011, 3:00pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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while waiting for you guys to land I was at Cu Chi and went out with the Wolfhounds, bunch of crazies. They made so much noise it was like they were daring the VC to come get us. Same with the Marines up in Chu Lai when we relieved them. We'd go out on patrols/ambushes with them to get the lay of the land and they would have their radios blaring and slung rifles, again daring the VC to open up. Joe was right about Cedar and Attleborro too, I forgot we were the "anvil" :-) I don't know which was worse, doing an ambush at nite, or making a sweep through a village during the day.
Greg |
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| Bob Kotch |
| Posted on: October 8th, 2011, 7:10pm |
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Posts: 187
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| We went on night ambushes when I was on river patrol on the Anton River. We had a couple 16 ft. Boston Whalers with 85 hp motors on the back, all painted OD green, and M 60s on the front. The crew for each boat was 3 or 4 11Bs and 1 95B. We would go to the designated location, conceal the boat and set up the ambush. It was usually raining and cold. No one slept, we were too pumped up and it was too uncomfortable. They were long nights! One night, which was as dark as the inside of that boot that Joe mentioned, we were approaching the island we were going to set up on and all of a sudden we started taking heavy fire from the beach. The VC beat us to it and they were already there. The only light I can remember was from the muzzle flashes, the tracers and an eerie greenish-purple phosphoresence in the wake from our motor. I was later told that it was from an algea that emitted |
HHC, MP Plt. 9-67 through 9-68 |
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| Bob Kotch |
| Posted on: October 8th, 2011, 7:27pm |
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Posts: 187
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| I mistakenly posted my last message before I finished it, not sure how, but I did. Anyway, to finish, the phosphoresence in our wake was from an algea that was stirred up by our prop. It was a really strange sight. We charged the beach at full speed firing the M60, our M14s and a M79, then break off and swing around and do it again and again. At day break, we searched the area and found some blood and torn clothing, but no bodies or equipment. The hull of our boat took a few rounds, but, fortunately none of us on board were hit. A night I will never forget! |
HHC, MP Plt. 9-67 through 9-68 |
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| Bob Kotch |
| Posted on: October 8th, 2011, 7:37pm |
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Posts: 187
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| Another slip of the finger. As you guys know, i meant M16s, not M14s. |
HHC, MP Plt. 9-67 through 9-68 |
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Reply: 9 - 14 |
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| Fletchw2zero |
| Posted on: October 8th, 2011, 11:25pm |
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Posts: 175
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Was in the middle of a du ma may ambush the last week of August 69. We ran over hill and dale trying to break out and finally made it on the third lap. Seemed like we ran all frikkin night! Got pretty familiar with some of the terrain what with spinning circles.
sorry about the spelling, the translator included some punctuation and accent marks that don't translate |
Fletch
Co B 4/31 May through November 69
C Btry 1/82 Arty Nov 69 thru April-ish 70 radio handle whiskey two zero
Craig Fletcher |
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Reply: 10 - 14 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: October 9th, 2011, 4:12pm |
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Posts: 203
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You got me with "du ma may."
I know very little Vietnamese, but I thought I knew Vietnamese/G.I. slang.
Had to look it up. Wash your mouth out. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 11 - 14 |
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| Fletchw2zero |
| Posted on: October 10th, 2011, 1:42am |
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Posts: 175
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| That's the name of the ambush they taught us at the Combat Center... As in, you don't want to be in the middle of that mofo. |
Fletch
Co B 4/31 May through November 69
C Btry 1/82 Arty Nov 69 thru April-ish 70 radio handle whiskey two zero
Craig Fletcher |
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Reply: 12 - 14 |
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| joemahoney |
| Posted on: October 10th, 2011, 3:58pm |
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Posts: 56
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| This is another cluster F. The Army kept sending us Staff Sergeants. They didn’t last long and found jobs in the rear. (We never saw the E7 Platoon Sergeant after Attleboro, though he was still listed as our Platoon Sergeant when we moved to Chu Lai). Anyway, we go out on this Ambush along the river. It was still light when we left? As it starts to get dark, the E6 sets us up along a dike overlooking a rice paddy. We all look at each other and wonder who we are going to Ambush in the middle of this paddy. As it turns out the VC come walking down the dike we are positioned next to. My assistant gunner and I are in the middle of the AMBUSH. Somehow, the VC have walked past two positions and the VC in front falls over my M60 thats sitting on the dike. Tex shoots him and the rest of the VC run across us (we are facing the paddy) and go toward the river. The E6 wants to call Artillery but that is when we find out he has lost the compass and has no idea where we are. He did call for a marking round but we never saw it. We decided it was time to “get out of Dodge” and see if we could find our way back to the Company. |
Joe Mahoney
B 2/1
66/67 |
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| JimStone |
| Posted on: October 15th, 2011, 9:59pm |
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Minimum Member A 3/21 67-68 Lexington, Ne
Posts: 18
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| Was on an LP up at Nhi Ha. The CO said to go out 500 meters. No way. We went out about 200 and got in a bomb crater. About 2 in the morning the NVA were coming right at us. I was on guard and we had no choice but turn it into an ambush. We fired them up and returned to the perimeter without permission. It was scary as hell as they wer firing at us as we went in hollering the running password. The next morning we checked it out and had killed four including the plt leader and machine gunner. When we carried in the machine gun, two AK's, and a RPG we got a good reception. It put everyone on alert that night so probably saved some guys. Stoney |
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