Springing the Trap - Battle of Courtenay Plantation - Campaign Series Vietnam 1948-1967
0 - 0 - 0
| Rating: | 0 (0) |
| Games Played: | 0 |
| SM: | 3 |
| Turns: | 25 |
| Type: | Stock |
| First Side: | US |
| Second Side: | N. Vietnam |
Jason Petho
12 April, 1966
[Courtenay Plantation, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam]: [SIDE A / H2H] [HIS] [CSL]:
Commencing on March 29, 1966, Operation Abilene was a U.S. Search and Destroy mission through Phuoc Tuy Province, targeting the VC 274th and 275th Regiments of the 5th Division and their base areas in the May Tao Secret Zone.
It involved two brigades of the US 1st Infantry Division, while the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery were also attached.
Operation ABILENE was designed to be a spoiling attack to destroy the supplies and base camp areas supporting the 5th Division’s planned offensive against the capital.
Up through 8 April, intelligence information from the division G2 indicated that, 'local force units presently operating in the area were scattered and disorganized with little capability to mount effective operations.'
Indeed, the G2 had information that the two VC main force regiments that the Big Red One was looking for were not even in the province. However, there were also indications that one unit, the D800 Battalion, a unit subordinate to the VC 94th “Dong Nai” Regiment of the 5th PLAF Division was still somewhere in the Area of Operations.
On 8 April, the 2nd Battalion received orders for another mission. The plan was for the battalion to move northwest toward Xa Cam My and Highway 2 through the Courtenay Plantation in separate, but mutually supporting columns.
If one company ran into the VC unit, it could fix it in place while another company to its right or left would move to that location and pile on. The companies would be about two kilometres apart so that they could arrive at the place of contact fairly quickly. What was not known at the time was how thick the jungle was in some regions of the AO.
The battalion started movement on 9 April and each night established a new NDP each night. Contact with enemy forces was sporadic and very light until the well-trained VC Main Force unit had sprung a trap around one of the companies.
[ALL, NO VV] [CSEE, Variable Objectives] [1.00]
12 April, 1966
[Courtenay Plantation, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam]: [SIDE A / H2H] [HIS] [CSL]:
Commencing on March 29, 1966, Operation Abilene was a U.S. Search and Destroy mission through Phuoc Tuy Province, targeting the VC 274th and 275th Regiments of the 5th Division and their base areas in the May Tao Secret Zone.
It involved two brigades of the US 1st Infantry Division, while the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 161st Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery were also attached.
Operation ABILENE was designed to be a spoiling attack to destroy the supplies and base camp areas supporting the 5th Division’s planned offensive against the capital.
Up through 8 April, intelligence information from the division G2 indicated that, 'local force units presently operating in the area were scattered and disorganized with little capability to mount effective operations.'
Indeed, the G2 had information that the two VC main force regiments that the Big Red One was looking for were not even in the province. However, there were also indications that one unit, the D800 Battalion, a unit subordinate to the VC 94th “Dong Nai” Regiment of the 5th PLAF Division was still somewhere in the Area of Operations.
On 8 April, the 2nd Battalion received orders for another mission. The plan was for the battalion to move northwest toward Xa Cam My and Highway 2 through the Courtenay Plantation in separate, but mutually supporting columns.
If one company ran into the VC unit, it could fix it in place while another company to its right or left would move to that location and pile on. The companies would be about two kilometres apart so that they could arrive at the place of contact fairly quickly. What was not known at the time was how thick the jungle was in some regions of the AO.
The battalion started movement on 9 April and each night established a new NDP each night. Contact with enemy forces was sporadic and very light until the well-trained VC Main Force unit had sprung a trap around one of the companies.
[ALL, NO VV] [CSEE, Variable Objectives] [1.00]
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