Southern Cross information
for 11 BDE 23 INF
3/1 INF 23 INF
174 AHC
For date 700626
11 BDE 23 INF was a US Army unit
3/1 INF 23 INF was a US Army unit
174 AHC was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Operation IRON MOUNTAIN
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Duc Pho
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Division Recap Children reveal caches" by the Americal IO.
CHU LAI - In the Operation Iron Mountain area, the Recon platoon of the 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry engaged two VC in the early morning hours and picked up an SKS at the site of the engagement. Pursuing a blood trail until early afternoon, the recon element spotted three VC and killed one. The action took place in the mountains six miles southwest of Duc Pho. Company D, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry, wounded and detained two VC while working in the lowlands 26 miles northwest of Duc Pho. Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 21st Infantry killed one VC. The kill came in the foothills seven miles south of Duc Pho. Recon 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry accounted for one VC killed with claymores in the mountains six miles south of Duc Pho. In action lasting two days, Sharks of the 174th AHC killed 34 NVA while flying in support of the 4th ARVN Regiment. The action which took place near Nghia Hanh, 18 miles northwest of Duc Pho, netted one enemy light machine gun, two .51 caliber enemy machine guns and an AK-47. A Kit Carson scout working with the ARVN said the enemy force was the remains of his battalion, or about two companies. Recon, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry engaged an undetermined number of NVA with supporting artillery fire from B battery, 6th Artillery. The artillery barrages continued through the evening and a morning check of the area by the Recon element turned up two dead NVA and one AK-47. The action took place in the mountains seven miles southwest of Duc Pho. Company B engaged three of the NVA in the early morning hours when they set off a trip flare in front of the company's NDP. Small arms fire and hand grenades thrown from the company's defensive position accounted for one NVA killed. One pistol was confiscated in the action, which occurred in the foothills six miles west of Duc Pho. Company A, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry, while working along Song Tra Khuc 25 miles northwest of Duc Pho, engaged and killed on VC across the river. A short time later, Alpha engaged three on the opposite bank, killing two. Bravo and Delta Companies, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry engaged eight VC, killing two. One pistol was confiscated by Company B in the action, which occurred in the lowlands north of Duc Pho. Company D, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry engaged two VC in the lowlands 26 miles northwest of Duc Pho. One of the enemy was killed, and one was wounded and detained. The detained VC was carrying a pressure-type firing device. Company C, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry observed and engaged two VC when the enemy came out of the jungle in the lowlands 16 miles north of Duc Pho. Both enemy soldiers were killed in the action. The Recon platoon of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry was led to an arms cache by a Hoi Chanh. The cache consisted of two heavy automatic weapons, two carbines, one SKS and a CHICOM submachine gun. The weapons were located in a cave 22 miles northwest of Duc Pho. Company D observed two VC evading and engaged them, killing one and wounding one. The action took place in the lowlands 26 miles northwest of Duc Pho.
Photo Caption: FSB DRAGON - A combined team of Regional and Popular Forces, National Police Field Forces, and Recon, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry race to the helicopters for a dawn combat assault in the division's area of operations. (Photo by CPT T.N. Thrasher)
The source for this information was 7006_323_scr supplied by Les Hines 12/19/2000
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
12/24/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023