Tropical Lightning News information
for 2/27 INF 25 INF
D/3/4 CAV 25 INF
For date 680219
2/27 INF 25 INF was a US Army unit
D/3/4 CAV 25 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Incident reference: 68013034.BAT This information is available on CD-ROM.
Binh Duong Province, III Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Ho Bo Woods
Description: Tropic Lightning News Vol. 3 No. 8 February 19, 1968
Hounds Aid Cav - HoBo Fight Kills 68
CU CHI - A relief column of U.S. infantrymen battled an estimated Viet Cong battalion recently to air a stricken reconnaissance patrol, 55 kms NNW of Saigon. Elements of the 2/27th Inf "Wolfhounds," smashed through 250 meters of enemy bunkers, machine gun nests and trenches to save a 3/4th Cav platoon that had been pinned down by heavy enemy fire. Sixty-eight VC were killed during the bitter fighting. Eight Americans died and 15 were wounded in the eight-hour battle. The dug-in enemy gunners opened fire on the cavalry patrol shortly after helicopters dropped them into a landing zone in the northern sector of the HoBo Woods, late in the afternoon. An hour later, the three-company relief force landed just south of the Viet Cong's position. Describing the action, CPT Michael Wikan, Charlie Co commander, sated that his unit came under heavy RPG, automatic weapons and grenade fire minutes after landing. The Wolfhounds returned fire and pushed their way to the edge of the tree line. SSG James McCosh described the action as a pointman's fight. "The VC would wait until you were looking down their gun barrels before they'd shoot." It was McCosh's platoon that was the first to break through to the cavalrymen. LTC Walter E. Adams, Wolfhound battalion commander, said his men did a magnificent job. "We landed just before nightfall, fought an enemy that was armed to the teeth in there, and fought all the way through the woods to that platoon," he said. Adams explained that the gunships killed 25 of the 40 enemy reinforcements who were moving up during the critical stage-moments before his troops could link up with the reconnaissance platoon. Many of the enemy were armed with brand new automatic weapons, rockets launchers, and equipment, and seemed to have a limitless supply of ammunition, according to intelligence officers. Captured in the encounter were eight AK-47 assault rifles, an SKS assault rife, a badly damaged RPG-2 rocket launcher, an 82mm mortar, one U.S. radio and hundreds of pieces of web gear, ammunition, and doucments.
Editor's note: LT Dale Dow, Blue Platoon leader in D/3/4th Cav provided the copy of this article which basically documents the battle of 30 January 1968 in which five of their men were killed.
Comments: CPT Wikan, Michael; CO C/2/27 Inf; ;
The source for this information was Vol 3 No 8, supplied by Dale Dow
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: Gary Roush Email address: webmaster@vhpa.org
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