Timeline, November 4th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
November 4, 1953 (Year of the Snake [Quy Ti]): Lai Chau, the capital of the T'ai people and the seat of their federal president, has been isolated for more than two years and is known among pilots as the only airport in the world where aircraft can be shot down by AA guns firing down on them. With Viet Minh troops controlling the hills around the town, it's only a matter of time before it falls, and rather than suffer the political consequences of losing the last government seat in the northern mountains, the French decide to evacuate Lai Chau and transfer the government of the T'ai Federation to the new airhead planned for Dien Bien Phu, some 60 miles to the south.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
November 4, 1963 (Year of the Hare [Quy Mao]) (US Advisory): President Kennedy dictates some notes concerning the coup in South Vietnam against President Diem.

November 1964 (Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): By now, all helicopter companies in South Vietnam have their own Eagle Flights, with each company maintaining at least one flight in an alert status on a continuing basis. The Eagle Flights usually operate on a standby basis or sometimes go out searching for their own targets. A typical Flight consists of one armed Huey as the command and control ship for US and ARVN commanders, seven unarmed Hueys to transport the combat troops, five armed Hueys for fire support and escort to the troop-carrying helicopters, and one Huey designated as a medevac ship. The Eagle Flights also provide a basis for larger operations, and sometimes several Eagle Flights will be used against targets that turn out to be too large for a single unit.

Eagle Flight: "[A] tactical concept involving the employment of a small, self-contained, highly-trained heliborne force. Tactical planning emphasizes the use of this force to locate and engage the enemy or to pursue and attack an enemy fleeing a larger friendly force. As an airmobile force, 'EAGLE' is also prepared to engage an enemy force located or fixed by other friendly forces. The inherent flexibility of the 'EAGLE FLIGHT' as a force ready for immediate commitment either alone or in conjunction with other forces is its most significant factor."
-- MACV definition, quoted in "Airmobility," Chapter 2

November 4, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Ia Drang: Cavalry air scouts spot a regimental aid station several miles west of Plei Me, and aerorifle platoons are called in. The airborne scouts detect an enemy battalion nearby and attack from UH-IB gunships with aerial rockets and machine guns. Operating beyond the range of their ground artillery, Army units engage the enemy in an intense firelight.. The Communist troops again "hug" American forces, then break contact as reinforcements begin to arrive.

November 4, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Attleboro update: The problems of coordinating and controlling several units maneuvering on a battlefield in dense jungle become apparent as American forces set out to consolidate command of all 195th LIB units as well as to prevent the 9th VC Division from escaping to the southwest.

At 0800, the 4/31 heads northwest from their battalion base to reach their blocking position and encounters no opposition. B/1/27 starts to move west to link up with the 1/27, but later is ordered to reverse its direction and become part of the 4/31 blocking force. At 1040 the 2/1 begins moving east, and the 1/27 commander holds off the attack until 1140 to give the 2/1 time to deploy well to the east.

The 1/27 moves out with A/1/27 in the lead, followed by the battalion command group, then C/3/21 and C/l/27 at the rear. They advance approximately 200 yards through triple-canopy jungle when all of A/l/27 comes under heavy fire from small arms and automatic weapons. C/3/21 and C/1/27 are ordered to move to the left flank of A/l/27, as the VC appear strongest there. However, C/3/21's 2nd platoon goes right, hearing "right" instead of "left" during the noise of battle, and soon is in a heavy firefight. Sergeant Lester Armstrong, a squad leader, takes out a VC bunker with an automatic weapon recovered from a badly wounded squad member, and 2nd Platoon pulls back to the company CP and moves into proper position. Meanwhile, the C/1/27 platoon that was supposed to go to A/1/27's right flank isn't making much progress because of heavy fire, and the A/1/27 CO orders his right-flank platoon to curve back and link up with that platoon from C/1/27, which it does. At this point there is no radio communication with 196th headquarters. An Air Force forward air controller is relaying messages to the 196th CP.

The 2/27, at Cu Chi, is brought in as reinforcement. B/2/1 and C/2/1 reverse direction and start moving north and west to help the 1/27. Almost immediately, they come under extremely intense automatic weapons and rifle. To the east of the firefight at 1435, the CO of B/1/27, without orders from the 196th commander to do so, turns his company west, away from the planned linkup with the 4/31, to go to the aid of his own battalion. Meanwhile, C/2/27 has been ordered into the battleground to relieve the pressure on the 1/27's left flank and lands at a LZ without the 1/27's knowledge, and much farther west and north than where they were requested to be inserted. C/2/27 immediately heads east in an attempt to roll up the VC right flank and travels less than 2 km through the dense underbrush in two hours. They believe they're they on the VC's flank, but are actually to the rear of the VC dug-in defensive positions.

At 1451, an estimated 100 VC in a skirmish line made a frontal assault on the first platoon, A/1/27. The second assault comes at 1515 against A/1/27 and C/3/21. Meanwhile, C/2/1 has reached a point about 300 meters to the southeast of the 1/27 and is under fire from the VC left flank at 1515. B/2/1, that had been moving to aid the 1/27 with C/2/1 and the 2/1 S-3 command group, is ordered to instead maneuver and protect the right flank of A/1/27 and C/1/27. By 1600, C/2/l has broken contact with the enemy and is ordered to the southwest to cover the southeast portion of the perimeter to the right of B/2/1.

The third and weakest frontal VC assault is made at 1630 and has no effect on the l/27, which has already deployed. At about this time, A/2/27 lands on a cold LZ to join the 1/27 and assist 2/27 in securing the left flank. By 1715, when C/2/27 comes under heavy fire and the company commander is killed, the company's true location is realized. Under the command of the ranking platoon leader, the company assaults the VC position unsuccessfully. After determining their position in relation to the 1/27, a company squad moves out at 1734 in an attempt to link up, but crosses a well-concealed lane of fire, and the ranking platoon leader, the company first sergeant, another platoon leader, a platoon sergeant and several radio operators are killed. C/2/27 is now completely isolated on the battlefield, and the men are ordered to stay where they are and form a tight perimeter. During the next 12 hours, a night attack by C/2/1, followed by a daylight attack by A/2/27, are ordered in a continuing attempt to rescue C/2/27.

November 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Prairie update:. US Marines contact a reinforced NVA company of two hundred in the Caubretviet Valley, five miles southwest of Dong Ha. It is the last Marine fighting of the Prairie operation.

November 4, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): B/7/17 Cavalry begins a six-day operation around Bao Loc to support the 173rd Airborne's 3/503 Infantry and the 2nd ARVN Ranger Group.

November 4, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI) (AR): "Four Korean pilots train, fly with 1st Avn company"

November 4, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI) (AR): "Reach isolated village MEDCAPS go airmobile"

November 4, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): South Vietnamese troops engage North Vietnamese forces near Duc Lap in their biggest battle in four months.

November 4, 1973 (Year of the Ox [Quy Suu]): Just before dawn, after several days of shelling, the NVA 205th Regiment, with the 429th Sappers and two companies of tanks and armored personnel carriers, attacks and overruns ARVN forces at Bu Prong, destroying two ARVN howitzers and towing the other two away. Outside the camps, the Communists disperse four RF battalions. During the assault, the NVA 205th CO is seriously wounded and has to be evacuated. With the situation in Quang Duc Province deteriorating, the ARVN 23rd Division is ordered to pull the 53rd Infantry out of western Kontum and get it started toward Ban Me Thuot.