1st ARMOURED REGIMENT ASSOCIATION INC
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RADETZKY, Regimental Quick March
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Commander's Diaries
B Squadron
11 February 1969 - 23 December 1969
20 October 1969:
One troop remained at Horseshoe Hill. Elements of SHQ plus one troop and supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. The Tango Force was joined by another callsign of SHQ plus one tank troop. One troop remained op con to 9RAR. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby.
21 October 1969:
One troop remained at Horseshoe Hill. Elements of SHQ plus two troops plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con to 9RAR. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby. One company of 5RAR deployed on ambush and recce tasks in AO Sabot op con to B Sqn 1 Armd Regt. Sqn HQ (-) moved from the Horseshoe Hill to conduct ops with ARVN troops; on return trip one engineer from the mini-team was KIA cleared [sic] Route 326.
22 October 1969:
One troop carried out combined operations with ARVN/RF Aust troops in vicinity YS 5455. Elements of SHQ plus two troops plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con to 9RAR. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby. C Company 5RAR remained on recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. At 1932hrs, elements of B/1 Armd Regt located two old bunkers and one animal trap one week old. Cuttings indicate fresh bunkers in the area.
23 October 1969:
One troop carried out combined ops with ARVN/RF/Aust troops in vicinity of YS 5455. Elements SHQ plus two troops plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con to 9RAR. One tp remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby.
At 1100hrs,
Elements of B/1 Armd Regt found tracks one day old of one enemy heading on a bearing of 3600mils. One a bearing of 1200mils, tracks of three enemy were also located.
At 1115hrs,
Elements of B/1 Armd Regt located approx 19 bunkers. Other elements located approx 20 bunkers. One 500lb UXB was also located.
At 1150hrs,
elements of B/1Armd Regt with the aid of SVN National Police and a Hoi Chanh, detained two VC female medical orderlies, two persons without documents and six suspects. The detainees were taken to Duc Thanh Military Post and after investigation were handed to the National police for further interrogation.
24 October 1969:
Elements of SHQ plus two troops plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush operations in AO Sabot. One troop returned from AO Sabot to Nui Dat. One company of 5RAR returned to 1ATF Base from ambush and recce tasks in AO Sabot op con to B/1 Armd Regt. One troop remained op con to 9RAR. One troop remained at Horseshoe Hill op con 6RAR. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby.
At 2120hrs [sic],
C/5RAR located a bunker system measuring 300x260 metres and containing 24 eight by four by four feet bunkers and nine cookhouses. Bunkers had three feet of overhead cover and were last used six to nine months ago, however, were occupied by two men in last two days. Recovered were nine RPG boosters, three RPG fuses, a tin containing medical equipment, various miscellaneous items and a quantity of documents. The documents identify C41 CHAU DUC Company with a strength of 34 and 17 X AK47s.
25 October 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con 9RAR. One troop remained 1ATF Ready Reaction standby. One troop remained at Horseshoe Hill. 190 RF Company and 655 RF Company elements operated with B/1 Armd Regt in AO Sabot carrying out ambush and recce ops.
26 October 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con 9RAR on ambush and recce ops. One troop remained 1ATF Ready Reaction standby. One troop remained at Horseshoe Hill on recce and ambush ops. 190 and 655 RF Companies operated with B/1 Armd Regt in ambush and recce ops in AO Sabot. 27 October 1969 Elements of SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Stuart op con to 9RAR. One tp deployed from Horseshoe Hill to AO Linton op con to 6RAR. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction standby.
At 0905hrs,
in AO Stuart, 3 Troop B/1Armd Regt heard five to six rounds of AK fire in a south east direction, 50--75m away from their location.
At 1015hrs,
in AO Sabot, elements of B/1 Armd Regt and RF forces contacted six enemy. Located in the contact area were five houses with bunkers underneath. Results: one enemy PW (female and accompanied by a child), one enemy WIA (blood trail), three SKS rifles, one 60mm mortar round, one anti-tank grenade, quantity SA ammo, large type medical kit and a quantity of documents captured in action.
28 October 1969:
Elements of SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Stuart op con to 9RAR carrying out recce and ambush ops. One troop remained in AO Linton op con to 6RAR carrying out ambush and recce ops. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby. 190 RF Company, 655 RF Company continued ops in the Duc Thanh area with elements B/1 Armd Regt.
29 October 1969:
Elements of SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Stuart op con to 9RAR carrying out recce and ambush ops. One troop remained in AO Linton op con to 6RAR carrying out ambush and recce ops. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby.
30 October 1969:
Elements of SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Stuart op con to 9RAR carrying out recce and ambush ops. One troop returned to the Horseshoe Hill from AO linton doe ops in AO Dorset. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction Force standby.
31 October 1969:.
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained op con to 9RAR, supporting recce and ambush ops in AO Stuart; the troop was then released [from] op con 9RAR and became op con 5RAR for operations in AO Grace. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction standby. 37 PF Platoon continued combined ops with elements of B/1 Armd Regt.
At 1515hrs,
Tango Force located a camp for 12 people, having been shown the area by a Hoi Chanh. The camp was destroyed. Three VC took advantage of the Hoi Chanh programme and surrendered as a result of Tango Force H&I missions into their camp area.
1 November 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Stuart op con to 9RAR, supporting recce and ambush ops. One troop remained on Horseshoe Hill. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction standby.
2 November 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Grace op con to 5RAR on recce and ambush ops. One troop escorted 3/52 ARVN group deploying into AO Phi Long and returned to Horseshoe. One troop remained on 1ATF Ready Reaction standby.
3 November 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Grace op con to 5RAR. One troop moved from Horseshoe to 1ATF Base.
At 1145hrs,
3 Troop with B/5RAR located 30 bunkers with two feet of overhead cover, plus 30 open pits. Quantity of ammo and equipment found. System to be destroyed by 3 Troop.
At 1545hrs,
Tango Force located fresh tracks of approx five people moving north east.
4 November 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Grace op con to 5RAR.
5 November 1969:
Elements SHQ plus one troop plus supporting elements continued recce and ambush ops in AO Sabot. One troop remained in AO Grace op con to 5RAR joined by further troop.