VENETIC

Killer Team Ambush

Phước Tuy Province

12 February 1969

by W.S. McCallum

The backblocks, somewhere up-country in Phước Tuy Province. A cart track cuts across uninhabited land.

The track and dry paddy fields are the only signs of man's presence here.

A creek runs roughly parallel to the cart track....

… with dense bush to the east.

Just across from the bush, there are two men out in the open...

New Zealand soldiers, checking the wiring of a concealed claymore mine.

Behind them, concealed in the scrub, is a Killer Team. They are expecting VC and are ready to roll.

Further back, in a patch of scrub and bushes behind the Killer Team, are the rest of their platoon (3rd Platoon, 2nd Company, ANZAC battalion).

They are deployed and ready for action should the VC show up in large numbers.

In the middle of their position, the platoon HQ and a forward observer, ready to call in fire support if needed...

While they are checking the claymore, one of the two New Zealanders spot VC moving through the bush.

The two men quietly move back to the ambush position and the platoon receives word that the VC are bypassing the ambush position. While the VC are still being slowed down by the dense bush they are moving through, the NZ platoon commander orders a squad to move quickly across open ground to the west to cut them off.

Another section is then sent out to protect the lead section’s flank.

The lead section cuts across a dry paddy field and takes up a new ambush position.

The second section remains in position, guarding their flank.

By this time, the lead VC squad has managed to cut through the dense bush and is leading the way up the creek.

To their rear, another VC squad falls victim to Australian artillery, which has been called in on pre-set co-ordinates by the platoon’s forward observer in response to noises he is hearing coming out of the bush.

The lead men in the squad are killed.

The rest of the squad hurries to get out of the fire zone and catch up with the lead squad waiting in the creek.

Behind them, now aware that there must be enemy in the area, the trailing VC squad guards the rear.

The two leading VC squads hurry along the creek, wanting to get as far away from the enemy as possible.

Their noise security is however not good enough: a radio call back to the forward observer results in more Australian artillery fire on a pre-set co-ordinate:

Hearing the screams from the lead VC being killed and wounded in the artillery fire, the NZ section lying in wait at the paddy field is relocated further downstream to cut the VC off.

They hide along the bank on the far side of the creek.

While the second section is taking up position on the other side of the creek, there is further movement behind them.

The Killer Team and the platoon commander and forward observer have hurried over to the dry paddy field so they can secure the flank.

Word now comes via radio that their earlier call for air support is being answered: A US ground attack aircraft is approaching.

They pop green smoke to let the US aircrew know their position.

The order is given to the two squads along the creek to do likewise or they might become the victims of friendly fire.

An OV-10 Bronco flys over them, noting their positions, and targets the VC further along the creek.

The VC, who are still tending to their wounded from the artillery strike, open fire at the approaching aircraft, miss, and are then hit by bombs.

There are further casualties.

The Bronco, having successfully dropped its load, leaves the battlefield.

The down side is that, having popped green smoke, the VC are now aware that the enemy are awaiting them ahead. The second NZ section, on the near side of the creek, falls back to the dry paddy and takes up a supporting position on the flank of the platoon HQ.

The persistent green smoke giving away their location is annoying, but the NZ commander is confident that he is in a strong position and the VC would be stupid to assault him frontally.

The VC move out, wanting to get away from the creek in case more aircraft turn up. Unfortunately their noise security is poor again. Although he cannot see them, the NZ forward observer calls down fire on pre-registered co-ordinates and they are hit by more Australian artillery fire.

Having lost a few more men, the VC platoon commander rallies his men and orders them to move on to the area of scrub and tall dry grass beyond.

They take up positions on the far side of the terrain feature.

This puts them within striking distance of the paddy field, but they cannot see the enemy ahead.

The New Zealanders are hearing more noise and are aware of the approximate position of the VC. Their forward observer calls down more fire on pre-set co-ordinates.

And the VC take further casualties.

Just to make things worse, then another Bronco turns up. The VC open fire, but miss once again.

The Bronco drops another load of bombs on the VC and there are further casualties.

The VC commander once again rallies his men and orders them into a defensive line. Things are not looking good.

It is a good defensive position, but the VC commander has orders to reach another location and he does not want to be caught by more air and artillery strikes.

A scouting party is sent out to see if they can find a safe path around the paddy fields.

This time the forward observer has direct line of sight and calls down more artillery fire on the advancing VC.

The survivors rush back and report that there is no safe path directly ahead.

The VC commander, deciding that he has already lost too many men, decides to bug out, back across the creek.

His orders to rendez-vous at a certain time and place will have to wait: they will have to backtrack out of this killing zone and take the long way around.

It was a clear tactical victory for the NZ commander, but although the VC platoon lost several men, it did survive to fight another day.

In real life, the NZ platoon commander took a safer approach and remained in the unit’s initial position. At 6 pm on 12 February 1969, Sergeant Deasley and Corporal Horn were checking a claymore set up alongside the cart track when Cpl Horn spotted 35 VC moving through the bush. They withdrew to their ambush position, informed their commander, and then called in artillery fire when the VC began moving across open ground in front of them. Two ground attack aircraft were also called up to engage with the VC, who took an unknown number of casualties before they managed to escape.

Sketch from the original AAR by Sergeant Deasley, courtesy of the NZ National Archives, Wellington.