Hell in a Small Place

Map is a composite of Cam Lo Sheet 6342 I and Quang Tri Sheet 6442 IV

          From; 3/26 Command Chronology.
          3^rd Tk. Bn. Command Chronology.
          Book "Ambush Valley" by Eric Hammel
          Book "Lima-6" by Col. R. D. Camp W/Eric Hammel
          Book "Con Thien" by James P. Coan

Tank and Ontos Crewmen w/rank as of then.

            2^nd Lt. Paul Drnec Plt Ldr. (B-21 and B-25)
            Sgt. Frank Vining TC (B-21)
            Cpl. Jack Wilder TC (B-22) WIA
            GySgt. Harold Tatum Plt Sgt. (B-25) KIA
            Cpl. Gary Young Loader (B-25) WIA
            L/Cpl. Louis Ryle Driver (B-25) WIA
            PFC James Wilson Gunner (B-25) KIA
           Cpl. Guy Wolfenbarger TC (F-23) WIA
           L/Cpl. Wayne Chapman Gunner (F-23) WIA
           Sgt. Charles Witkamp Plt. Maintenance Man
           Sgt. Leroy Davis Jr. TC Ontos KIA
           L/Cpl. Randall Browning TC Ontos WIA (Navy Cross)

(1) On Sept 6, 1967 Co’s "I", "K" & "M", 3/26 relieve two companies of 1/9 in a defensive position vic. (YD 120-668) (refereed to as "The Church Yard) Nha Tho Bai Son. They assumed operational control of a light section of Ontos’s (2 Ontos from "A" Co. 3^rd AT Bn.) and a heave section of tanks (3 tanks from 2^nd Plt., "B" Co., 3^rd Tk Bn., (B-21, 22, & 25)) also a flame tank from "B" Co., (F-23).

(2) On Sept 7, at 1150 the lead elements of Co. "I’s" 2 Plt. Patrol began recieving small arms fire from 3 side’s vic. (YD110-670). Initial results were 3 USMC WIA and 2 USMC KIA. A perimeter was formed and air strikes were called in.

(3) At 1320 all WIA’s were med-evaced and more air strikes were called in resulting in 4 NVA KIA (C). The AO sited a squad of NVA vic. (YD106-674) and called in artillery fire. He also reported a foot trail vic. (YD093-659) (4) with much evidence of movement and many new bunkers at (YD094-665) (5).

(6) At 1700 Co’s "K" and "I" joined vic. (YD110-670) Co. "K" turned OpCon of the (3 gun and 1 Flame) tanks over to Co. "I" to carry out the 2 USMC KIA’s. At 1735 "I"-1 fired at 3 NVA sighted vic. (YD122-667). The tanks were in the open and were drawing a lot of mortar fire. The "I" Co. C.O. was WIA while on B-21 directing tank fire. B-21 took two RPG hits, one disabled the transmission and another hit one of the hinges on the rear access doors. The tank could not move. The breach block was dropped and the crew bailed out.

(7) From 1745 to 1805 the Bn tightened its perimeter. Co. "K" moved into the perimeter and "I"-2 moved from (YD121-667) (8) to (YD118-667) (9).

(10) At 1910 "I"-1 moved from vic. (YD121-667) to vic. (YD120-667) (11) to tighten up perimeter, coming under and returning fire inflicting 3 NVA KIA (P). At 0800 on Sept. 8, Co. "K" went out to get Co. "I" and B-25 was hooked up to the disabled B-21 which was towed back to the Bn. perimeter. With KIA’s and WIA’s. At 1000 on Sept. 8, Co. "K" (-) with the tanks moved to the MSR to evacuate remaining WIA’s and meet w/Co. "L". B-25 towed B-21 to C-2 where it was left to be repaired and to get fuel and ammo. But ordered to stay with the Bn. they had no time to refuel or get ammo, they took the ammo from B-21.

(12) Bn. Relocated to nighttime position at unnumbered hill at (YD113-659).

(13) At 1600 on Sept. 9, Bn. moved to Hill 48 vic. (YD113-652) where it established a night defensive position.

(14) At 0720 Sept. 10, Co. "L" began a sweep along ridgeline to vic. (YD108-645).

(15) At 1330 Co. "I" began moving west passing Co. "L" towards the Bn. Objective vic. (YD101-643).

(16) At 1500 "I"-3 moving towards hill vic. (YD093-643) came under intense small arms fire. (2 USMC WIA).

(17) At 1520 Co. "I" began forming a defensive perimeter vic. (YD102-644). Co. "L" w/2 gun and 1 Flame tank moved forward to link up w/Co. "I". B-22 w/Lt. Dernec aboard broke a track and stayed w/"M" Co.. B-25 and F-23 moved up to Co. "L"s position.

(18) At 1615 Co.s "M" and "K" w/Bn Command Group received mortar and rocket fire followed by a coordinated attack by NVA wearing USMC flack jackets and helmets. A defensive perimeter was formed vic. (YD112-648).

(19) At 1655 Co.s "I" and "L" came under an extremely heavy attack from the North and West by an estimated NVA Bn.. B-25 opened fire with the 90mm, coax and .50. F-23 opened fire with the .30 and .50. NVA were knocked down like bowling pins. Then the gun and Flame tanks took direct hits from RPG’s. The Flame tank (F-23) was destroyed and burned. The gun tank (B-25 ) was hit in the turret and the ammo exploded, burning out the turret and rolled into a draw vic. (YD103-643). The NVA attacked towards the Bn. CP across Co. "M’’s and B-22’s front. B-22 fired what ammo it had left, (WP) and .50. The .50 jammed and the WP gave the NVA a smoke screen. With no close in infantry support, out of ammo and a disabled track. The breach block was dropped and the bailed out.

At the Bn. CP, which was also under heavy attack, the two Ontos were brought forward and opened fire mowing down NVA. One Ontos was knocked out by an RPG killing the Commander. The other Ontos Commanded by L/Cpl. Browning (see Navy Cross Citation) kept firing with devastating effect.

The attacks were overall repulsed with the help of a lot of air and artillery support, but it was a long night and a number of WIA’s died because med-evac’s could not get in.

Sept. 11. At 1100 a tank recovery group from "A" Co. 3^rd Tk Bn arrived from Gio Linh. B-25 seemed to be derivable even with the turret burned out. As was B-22 with the weak track. When the retriever tried to get to F-23 it drew a lot of rocket and artillery fire. It was abandoned, and later air strikes were called in on it. B-22 was driven to C-2 and had the track repaired. Cpl. Wolfenbarger and L/Cpl. Ryle HIGHBALLED it to Camp Carroll non-stop with B-25.

From Sept. 7 to the 10^th the Battalion and attached units had a losses of 56 KIA’s and 290 WIA’s. A photo recon of the area on Sept. 10^th showed more than 300 NVA bodies lying in the area.

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