In the early hours of the morning of 17 Feb 1967 1 ATF was faced with an emergency when the Viet Cong attacked the fishing village of Long Phouc Hai, situated on the coast 25 kilometres by road from our base at Nui Dat.The Task Force commander Brigadier S Graham assumed that the VC would leave the area in small numbers and head for the safety of their jungle bases. Any reaction would have to be swift to catch them before they disappeared. 6 RAR was mobilized with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC's) Artillery and Air in support. The Battalion was inserted in 2 groups. C Coy mounted in APC's was ordered to move direct to the enemy position and the remaining Companies of A, B and D were flown in by helicopters.It was about l pm when A Coy under command of Major Owen O'Brien reached the Landing Zone. A Coy then deployed into the jungle to protect the LZ. They had only moved a short distance when they were subject to a heavy fusillade of rifle and Machine Gun fire and subsequently had soldiers wounded. D Coy was deployed to the east as a blocking force. B Coy commanded by Major Ian Mackay, arrived soon after and immediately deployed in assault formation and moved into the jungle to assist A Coy. Major O'Brien OC A Coy had estimated that there were at least 5 or 6 Machine Guns firing at them across a 200 metre front and they were dug in and well camouflaged, and that snipers were up in the trees. The enemy was not going to run away and it was estimated that we were up against at least a Company plus. At this point in time Artillery could not be used as air space was still being used by the helicopters and C Coy had the Battalion mortars in the APC's and were not within mortar range.
Without support any further advance would have been suicidal, we had virtually walked into the centre of an enemy defence location. The Commanding Officer Lt Col Townsend soon arrived and was briefed by both OC's of A and B Coys. Artillery fire was then called down on the area occupied by the enemy. The CO then gave orders for a quick attack. A Coy was to advance as far as possible until they came under heavy fire and then give support to B Coy. We were to assault across the front of A Coy. B Coy formed up with 4 platoon on the left and 5 platoon on the right and 6 platoon in depth. The 2 forward platoons covered a frontage of about 100 metres, as we were moving to the forming up area a soldier from 4 platoon was hit by sniper fire, he later died back at the landing zone. We had only moved a short distance when a Machine Gun to the front of 4 platoon began firing on to our left forward section. Sniper fire intensified and the noise from the clatter of the Machine guns, grenades and rifle fire from both sides created a major problem as we found it difficult to hear orders. Lt John Sullivan my platoon commander decided to use fire and movement with 1 section supporting 2 section as we tried to advance. Each time we moved we were being constantly shot at by snipers as well as the bursts from the MG, our visibility was only about 15 metres due to the jungle foliage and we were soon pinned down by the sheer volume of incoming fire. I estimated at this stage we were only about 60 to 70 metres away from the enemy dug in positions. 4 platoon was then ordered by the OC to stay put and protect Company Headquarters. 6 platoon under command of Sgt Kevin Brady advanced through our position to take out the Machine Gun position, but they came under heavy fire and were pinned down also. Meanwhile 5 platoon on the right under 2 Lt John O'Hallaran was also copping a battering from Machine Guns and suffered heavy causualities, they had enemy MG's to their front also. Artillery and mortars were now dropping but it was falling to the rear of the enemy dug in position.
The OC then ordered 5 platoon to advance another 30 metres to maintain momentum and out flank the MG post, this I believe was later changed to 60 metres when yet another enemy MG opened up close to their position. When they moved 5 platoon were virtually out by themselves and were required to attack a Company plus enemy position.
Fire was now coming from the left front, front, right front and right rear, the Company was trapped in a horse shoe shape formation.
5 platoon could not continue, Cpl R Jones had no one left in his section as his soldiers were either killed or wounded. The situation was desperate and 6 platoon sent a section across to reinforce 5 platoon. Then another catastrophe occurred when 2 rounds of our own artillery fell short, one hit a tree and the other one landed close to 5 platoon headquarters, this resulted in 2 of our own being killed and 2 more wounded. Then an enemy rocket hit a tree near 5 platoon wounding another soldier.
It was now getting towards dusk and B Coy had suffered heavy causalities 5 platoon was at half strength. The squadron of APC's which were held back at the LZ were called in to assist B Coy, this was a combination of tragedy, heroism and sacrifice. As the column of APC's thrashed their way through the terrain and being shot at by enemy Anti Tank weapons, they eventually found us. In the meantime the enemy counter attacked our position and at the same time gathered up their dead and wounded. Major Mackay reacted with an airstrike and continued with further Mortar and Artillery fire. The first APC into our area took on board some of the wounded soldiers and was struck by an enemy recoilless rifle wounding the vehicle commander and re-wounding some of the causalities. Shortly after a second round hit the drivers hatch killing the driver instantly and destroying the APC.
B Coy was still being constantly attacked and finally the APC's lined up and swept the area with its heavy machine guns but the enemy were equally intense with their return fire. Attempts were made to recover the damaged APC but it became jammed up against a tree, eventually it was set on fire using fuel and grenades.
B Coy broke contact and withdrew because of the light and was losing soldiers trying to recover the wounded and the dead. The Battalion established a night harbor and the abandoned area was engaged by air strikes, mortar and artillery fire.
Next morning C and D Coy returned to the area and found LCpI Vic Otway of 5 platoon still alive, he had been wounded in the last assault by the enemy and was lying only metres away from the enemy. Bombs and shells fell around him during the night and he was again hit by shrapnel. He had laid doggo for several hours and then crawled some 70 metres into a crater. Further searches recovered 6 bodies of 5 platoon. Only 8 enemy were found but it is not known exactly how many they took with them. 50-70 casualties, were assessed by Intelligence.
A Sqn 1 Cav Regt recovered their APC and on the side written in blood was `DU ME UC DAI LO' (Aussies Get Stuffed), it was eventually towed back to Nui Dat.
6 RAR suffered total of 7 KIA and 26 wounded. A Sqn l Cav Regt 1 KIA and 1 wounded. It remains a testimony the tenacity and strength of the enemy, their use of snipers, their camouflage and fire discipline. The position was an enemy concentration area, used before and after their ambush with the enemy holding ground until their Command Group had been given time to withdraw. They were well organized and were expecting some reaction from Nui Dat as their position was well prepared.
But let us not forget the grit and determination of the Aussie soldier a lot of these young men displayed courage and discipline while under constant fire for several hours. To see their comrades killed and wounded was a very traumatic experience for everyone involved in the battle. We were the ones without protection and were easy targets for the enemy, without airsupport, artillery, mortars and the fire power of the APC's we would have been beaten decisively.
The Task Force Commander had received reports that the base was going to be attacked that night. 5 RAR had a Company at Dat Do protecting the Gun Battery and was needed for an operation the next day. This had repercussions at all levels of command as there was no detailed reconnaissance done of the area to determine the exact location of the enemy, their strength and their condition before committing troops to an assault of this type.
Both A and B Coy did what they could under the circumstances but 5 platoon became trapped in the middle of the enemy position and were unable to go forward or back. They were vulnerable at being over run by the enemy as they were very light on the ground after taking so many casualities.
Operation Bribie with the highest casualities since Long Tan was no Australian victory but it remains a testimony to the tenacity and the grit of the Australian soldier.
2 soldiers from 5 platoon were awarded Military Medals, Cpl R Jones and Pte R Odendahl and 3 awarded MID's 2Lt J O'Hallaran, Pte K Bartsch and LCpI K Rooney.(posthumously). 6 platoon had Lcpl D Thomas and Pte C Gannon awarded MID's also.</h3>
Henry Chisholm
[
Sign my
Guestbook]
- [Read
my Guestbook
]
[Guestbook by TheGuestBook.com]