unit history information
for A/7/17 CAV
D/7/17 CAV
B/1/10 CAV
1/22 INF
For date 680729
A/7/17 CAV was a US Army unit
D/7/17 CAV was a US Army unit
B/1/10 CAV was a US Army unit
1/22 INF was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Operation MACARTHUR
Darlac Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, southwest Ban Me Thuot
Description: A/7/17 Cav reported their CO was the mission commander for a combined force that consisted of A and D Troops, 7/17th Cav, B/1/10th Cav, D/2/35th Inf, and elements of 1/22d Inf. This force combined to make a sweep. B Troop's lead APC was hit with a B-40 rocket. D Troop deployed and returned fire with 106mm RR and AWs. The NVA withdrew to the east carrying their dead and wounded. A Troop's Scout discovered the fleeing enemy and killed 5 more. This action netted 17 NVA KIA's, 16 packs, 2 57mm RRs, 9 57 RR rounds, 4 60mm mortar rounds, 2 Chicom grenades, and 1 45 cal pistol plus documents captured.
The 4th Inf Div's Operation MACARTHUR report states that the CO of A/7/17th Cav commanded TASK FORCE FEARLESS which conducted a raid on a suspected enemy base area and arms cache on Chu Ta Ting, one of the hills southwest of Ban Me Thuot near the Ea Krong River. D/7/17th Cav (Motorized) and B/1/10th Cav rolled overland to establish blocking positions noretheast and northwest of the objective. B/5/16th Arty (155 SP) and two eight inch howitzers of B/5/22d Arty mvoed to a site at ZU190950, where route 14 crosses the Ea Krong River. At 1145, they opened fire to prepare LZs for the infantry assault force. At about 1205, while ascending the main ridge south of Ban me Thuot (AU246895), APCs of B/1/10th Cav came under fire from an estimated reinforced platoon in a bunker complex. Employing 57mm RRs and small arms, the enemy damaged one APC and wounded one crewman. Returning fire with 50 cals, 106mm RRs, artillery, and gunship support, the cavalry silenced the enemy positions. Heliborne CAs to LZs south of Chu Ta Ting began shortly after noon. While preparing the infantry's primary LZ, A/7/17th Cav gunships received ground-to-air fire. They returned fire on the enemy positions, killing five NVA; the lift ships carrying D/2/35th Inf diverted to an alternate LZ at ZU229867, 1800 meters ESE of Chu Ta Ting. They landed without oppositon, closing at 1305. B/1/22d Inf CAed to an LZ at ZU224863, 1300 meters southwest of Chu Ta Ting, closing at 1500 without oppositon. Although the two companies swept to the summit of Chu Ta Ting, they discovered nothing significant. During the afternoon, D/7/17th Cav explored the area of contact, finding a complex of 40 bunkers and 12 NVA KIA, two of the bodies booby trapped with 60mm mortar rounds and one body booby trapped with a satchel charge. Additonally, they found two 57mm RRs, one AN/GRC-9 radio, one US 45 cal pistol, two AK47s and an eight-inch stack of documents. Read-out of these documents identified the K39 NVA Bn.
The source for this information was A/7/17 CAV 4 FEB 67 - 31 DEC 68 Unit History; Opn MACARTHUR P:46+
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023