17 September 1971
Abductions and assassinations had increased in the adjacent Long Khanh Province. The Vietcong and North Vietnamese were preparing for the withdrawal of the 1st Australian Task Force from Phước Tuy Province, and were hoping to defeat the Australians.
South Korea had announced the withdrawal of their 48,000 troops by June 1972. We were getting short and lonely.
We moved out of Nui Dat to search east of Xuyen Moc. Riding in an enclosed, hot and smelly APC, with diesel fumes, does nothing for a severe hangover. We said bugger it and rode on top of them. The only thing we had to watch out for here were the ants in the trees; and Dogs Kearney took great delight in shaking them off onto the following APC.
No sooner had we got to our area of operations than we heard that elements of 3/33rd NVA Regiment were infiltrating the area north of Duc Thanh. 4RAR/NZ Battalion would be the sweeping force and 3RAR would be the blocking force. We moved into ambush positions. We sat and waited.
Previously in the Battle of Long Khan we had been the sweeping force and 4RAR/NZ were the blocking force. But we didn't mind swapping roles. We were getting way too short for another major battle.
18 September 1971
Charlie Company, 3 RAR had settled into
our ambush positions. Using techniques
learnt from Enemy Camps, 8 Platoon made A frame stretchers; Boodgie Barrett
from 7 Platoon made tables and chairs from split bamboo tied together with
vines. & Platoon didn’t need the A
Frames, because we used silk hammocks – which of course were outlawed by the
Army.
4 RAR/NZ had
commenced their Operation Northward on 5 August 1971. With all the activity going on 4RAR/NZ
concluded Operation Northward on 18 September 1971. They moved south from Duc Than towards Long
Dien. Charlie Company were deployed
along the Song Rai (river) to the west of Xuyen Moc ... to the left as you look
at the map.
The Australian
Government’s website commemorating the Vietnam War has a brilliant map.
To View the map of Phuoc Tuy Province.
To View the map of Phuoc Tuy Province.
We had 14 & a wakey to go. We were nicely settled into our ambush positions and feeling very comfortable and relaxed. We had done this before and it was nice and relaxing and the VC & NVA would dodge everything, and we would just laze around which was better than scrub bashing all day.
Meanwhile Intelligence reports had alerted 4RAR/NZ to the presence of North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops in northern Phuoc Tuy. 4 RAR/NZ commenced Operation Ivanhoe, a reconnaissance in force against any North Vietnamese or Viet Cong forces who may be in the north of Phuoc Tuy Province.
D Company, 3RAR was attached to 4RAR/NZ for the operation. Other units committed to the operation were:
• 1st Troop, A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment;
• 4th Troop, C Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment;
• 2 Troop, 104th Field Battery;
• elements of 104th Signal Squadron; and
• 161st (Independent) Recce Squadron
There were no centurion tanks available, as they had been withdrawn from Vietnam earlier. This left the infantry to bash around the bush, without armour support.
During the morning of 19 September 1971, there was an accidental clash between 10 & 11 Platoons, Delta Coy, 4RAR/NZ. Max Rhodes (10 Platoon) was mistaken for a VC soldier by 11 Platoon and was shot.
During the night of 19 September 1971, North Vietnamese Army forces fired rockets and mortars at a South Vietnamese Regional Force outpost at Cam My on Route 2.
Australian M113 armoured personnel carriers were sent to investigate and to relieve the outpost. En route they were ambushed. They came under attack from rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire from what was considered to be large force.
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