Daily Staff Journal 15-Feb-67

Daily Staff Journals maintained by 1st Brigade
Thanks to Matt Vuolo for obtaining and sharing this report.

ITEM`	TIME	INCIDENTS, MESSAGES, ORDERS, ETC.
		Initial log entries contain hourly sit/rep, no change.
8	0800	C Co reports relieving 2/27 Inf on Outpost Ann Margaret at 0800 hrs.
9	1030	A Co 3rd platoon reports that Arty or mortars were to the left of OP Ann Margaret. No friendly casualties reported. 7/11 Arty called a check fire.
11	1230	From 1st Bde Avn to 33: UH-1D helicopter for 2/14 Bn CO and Staff will be at Viking resupply pad at 1400 hrs today.
13	1510	From S3 to Bridge, bunkers 21,20, A/M: Informed bunker line that a platoon size patrol will be going through FFL at 152200 Feb 67 and will be entering FFL at 160900 Feb 67.
14	1550	From S3 to Co A and C: Have the commitment for one reinforced rifle squad size ambush patrol each for the night of 15 Feb 67.
16	1730	From S3 to Co B: Co B will take over the bunker line if Co C has to be committed.
21	2015	From S3 to Bde: Notified Bde that Patrol #2 was cancelled, ARVN Training in area that patrol was going in.
22	2040	From 1st Bde to S3: PFC Dennis W Brewer has been nominated by Div for reassignment to the 173rd Airborne. He must be cleared and processed by tomorrow and on the convoy

Evaluation of Sniper Operations and Requirements
15 February 1967

1. Reference: Unclass Msg, AVDCOP, 25th Inf Div, subject as above, dated 041700E Feb 67

2. During Operation LANIKAI, a search and clear operation conducted in Long An Province during period 10 December 1966 - 13 February 1967, this battalion borrowed two US rifled M-1D, cal .30 with 3X power scopes, from the CAS sponsored Provincial Reconnaissance Unit. The weapons were further issued to a provisional two-man sniper team in a line company for tests.

3. On 17 January 1967 the team, while on a company search mission, engaged a VC cell operating along nipa palm mangrove tree lines 500-700 meters away across open dry and wet rice paddies. Four VC body count were derived from this and a similar incident. One armed VC observer was hit and knocked off a building roof at a distance of 700-750 meters. The incident took place near Rach Kien vicinity XS764780.

4. The marksman had fired approximately 100-120 rounds for zeroing of the scope and familiarization prior to the engagement. Subsequently, the team provided good coverage against long range slow-moving or fixed targets beyond the effective range of grenade launchers and XM-16E2 and available M-14E2 rifles without scopes. In the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta this battalion normally armed the IMG assistant gunners and ammo bearers with US rifle M-14E2. Recommend that at least six, and ideally twelve, 3-6X power scopes be issued to each rifle company for similar use. The scopes could also be used for long range IMG fire adjustment and for surveillance along tree lines and hedgerows, and down canals.

5. Currently the battalion has a total of nine sniper scopes for US rifle M-14 and M-16. However, mounts are not currently available. The 725th Maint Bn has been tasked to build necessary mounts for the rifles as materials are made and become available.

6. On hand equipment includes: Telescope M84 Amount: 9 Condition: Excellent

FOR THE COMMANDER:

DARRELL E. MOORE
Capt., AGC
Adjutant

Small Unit Action Report, B Co 2nd Bn, 14th Inf (3-10 Feb 67)

     1. During the period Dec-Jan 1966-67 2nd Bn, 14th Infantry conducted an area search and clear operation, Operation LANIKAI, vic RACH KIEN. On 3 Feb 67, Co B, 2/14th Inf was given the mission of establishing a company base area approximately four kilometers northwest of RACH KIEN. Co B was to construct a platoon size offensive base and conduct local search and clear operations astride VC LOC's in an area 4 kilometers in radius from the base area. After completion, the base was to be turned over to ARVN for use as an RF outpost. Co B had one platoon, 1/46th ARVN and 1 platoon, 65th Engineers attached.

     2. On 3 Feb, Co B (and 1 platoon 65th Engr) moved north from RACH KIEN and picked up 1 platoon, 1/46th ARVN enroute to proposed site. By nightfall on 3 Feb the inner triangle double apron protective wire had been completed. One of the outer triangles had been staked and concertina wire partially emplaced. One 81mm Mortar bunker was 50% completed. APC's from 3/10 Cav had hauled in sandbags and all construction equipment necessary during the first day. An aerial resupply had brought in C-rations, mail and ammunition.

     Capt. Brown: "I moved my CP to XS725725 about 75 meters from the compound because of better cover and concealment at that location and deployed my elements in a defensive position for the night. I considered the base which was in an open rice paddy area to be less desirable for defense. My night perimeter was large due to good observation across the paddies. I used six starlights."

     3. On 4 Feb protective wire was completed on one of the large triangles and the second was staked out. The 81mm Mortar bunker had been completed except for an ammo storage bunker. The walls of the north and west corner bunkers were completed. An A-ration supper meal was supplied by aerial resupply.

     Capt Brown: "From then on we had a hot supper and 2 C-ration meals every day."

     Lt. Cope: "Local fruit and vegetables were never bothered by the troops until the civilians offered to give them to us. Some foodstuffs were obtained from local civilians; however, the troops never accepted anything form the civilians unless they paid for it."

     Capt Brown: "One of my platoon sweeps discovered 1 1/2 lbs of documents and 3 fresh graves marked with VC flags. Normally I sent two platoons out on search and clear operations during the day while the other two platoons and the engineer platoon continued to work on the base area. Ambushes and LP's were sent outside my perimeter at night."

     4. On 5 Feb the staking of the 2nd outer triangle was completed. When the triple strand of concertina on the first triangle was completed the supply of wire was exhausted. The walls on the north machinegun bunker were completed.

     Lt. Maxwell: "We had received sniper fire from the north on 3 and 4 Feb. I conducted a sweep of this area on the 5th. We had three small engagements. None of my men were hit be we counted 5 VC KIA (Poss) bu the Arty that we had called in during the firefights. We found trails of blood leading out of two sites, but couldn't find the VC. Anyway, we were never fired upon from the north any more."

     5. On 6 Feb, 3 APC's with sandbags came from RACH KIEN. The entire 81mm Mortar area was completed. The north and west corner bunkers were all completed except for roofs. Lumber was brought in by UH-1D and the walls on the southeast corner bunker were competed.

     6. On 7 Feb the walls of the southeast bunker were completed. Wire was still unavailable to complete the last outer triangle.

     7. On 8 Feb at 0700 hours the TET truce began. The southeast bunker walls were completed. Roofing was begun on west and southeast bunkers with pickets and 1 layer of sandbags.

     Lt Maxwell: "During TET the civilians invited all of my men to meals with them. I thought the relationship with the civilians was outstanding. When they understood why we were there and what we were doing, they couldn't do enough for us."

     8. On 9 Feb the road was opened by the engineers. Four resupply convoys were run and construction began to progress rapidly due to the availability of materials. Wire and lumber were delivered and the three corner bunker roofs were completed. Nine 3/4 ton truck loads of filled sandbags and two 5 ton dump trucks with laterite aided greatly. By nightfall on the 9th the following had been completed:

     All three corner bunkers were completed and the wall of the south rifle bunker was completed.

     Both outer wire triangles were completed and the outer wire obstacle had been staked out,

     9. On the 10th, Co B was relieved by 1/46th Inf ARVN but completed the roof on the south rifle bunker and lay wooden floors in all bunkers before leaving.

     Capt Brown: "One of the hardest tasks was filling the sandbags from the dry paddies. The civilians in the area really helped with everything they could once they understood what we were doing. That was a very rewarding experience. My men gained a great deal. I feel this is a very suitable outpost for an RF platoon."

     10. Results:

          VC KIA (Poss) 11
          Bunkers Destroyed 48
          Documents 1 1/2 lbs

     11. Material Utilized:

          Rolls, barbed wire 100
          Concertina, bales 9
          Sandbags 40,000
          Pickets, assorted 3,000

FOR THE COMMANDER:

DARRELL E. MOORE
Capt, AGC
Adjutant

1st Brigade S2-S3	Daily Action reported to Brigade HQ
2/14 Bn S-3	Unit Action reported to 2/14 Battalion HQ
Report: Snipers	Report on use of sniper rifles by 2/14
Report: Small Unit Action	Report on building of Company-size base for RF forces