Timeline, October 27th

[David]

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
October 1962 (Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): Hanoi orders COSVN to reorganize the PLAF command structure into military regions in order to make it more consistent with North Vietnam.

October 27, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): During the night of the 27th-28th, Viet Cong sappers under covering mortar fire, in two separate attacks on US Marine airbases at Marble Mountain and Chu Lai, destroy or heavily damage a number of helicopters and jet aircraft, losing 46 men in the process. There's some variance among sources as to the amount of damage: according to TVW, 24 helicopters are destroyed and 23 more are damaged at Marble Mountain, and two Skyhawks are destroyed and six more damaged at Chu Lai. Earlier on the 27th, US artillery fire and a patrol unwittingly foil a planned third attack aimed at the Da Nang base when they engage VC forces in "Happy Valley" and near An Tu, respectively.

Per Osprey, a PLAF sapper battalion consisted of some 170 men, with a 20-man HQ and three 50-man companies, each made up of three 15+-man platoons. Each man in each section carried at least two grenades, 3 kg of 04 explosive and a dagger. Overall, the equipment could also include up to 81 AK-47s (with at least nine men carrying AK-47s in each section), four K-54 heavy machine guns, two RPG-2's, one RPD light machine gun, one shovel per man, any number of Claymore mines, one 60 mm mortar, three RPGs, four B-40 rocket launchers, one .30 caliber machine gun, three Thompson submachine guns, 15 pistols, three SKS rifles, six CKC's, three K44 carbines, four AR, and 35 other carbines/rifles. There must have a wide variation from this "typical" configuration, given not only the different missions sappers might be on, but also the sometimes very informal conditions in the south and the various types of weapons in circulation, dating from the Second World War on through, as well as home-made variants, that might be available at any one time. Have read, for instance, that usually only VC officers had handguns. Many sapper attacks, including these two, also included the use of bangalore torpedoes. But this gives you some idea of what the men at Marble Mountain and Chu Lai were facing that October night.

October 27, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): The month-long Ia Drang campaign begins as the US 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry passes through the Plei Me CIDG camp and retakes the southern outpost from the NVA, marking the first time an American infantry unit has battled in response to a besieged SF CIDG camp. Troops of the Cav successfully ambush retreating NVA forces.

October 27, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): The NVA 88th Regiment attacks the command post of a battalion of the ARVN 9th Regiment near the Song Be in Phuoc Long Province and is driven off with heavy losses.

October 27, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): 7 RAR starts Operation Santa Fe.

October 27, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III) (AR): Operation Wheeler/Wallowa update: "Captain Leads Assault on 21st NVA Positions."

October 27, 1967 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Coronado VIII begins in the Rung Sat, according to some sources. Other sources say there was no Coronado VIII, and that Coronado VII lasted until 10/29, with Coronado IX beginning on 11/2.

October 1972 (Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): "Two crewmembers of an F-4 Phantom are shot down deep in North Vietnam. Fortunately, they eject over rugged terrain and land safely away from populated areas. Unfortunately, the enemy has observed their descent, and even before the two survivors land, recovery teams are sent to intercept them. Joining up, the two men quickly size up their situation and decide to climb to higher ground...."

October 1973 (Year of the Ox [Quy Suu]): The North Vietnamese seize and occupy Bach Ma Mountain, at the end of that part of the Hai Van Ridge that forms the boundary between Thua Thien and Quang Nam Provinces eastward from Bach Ma to the sea. Westward, the ridge continues and eventually descends into the valley of the Song Ta Trach at Ruong Ruong, where the NVA has a forward operating base. Local route 545 runs from Ruong Ruong north and joins Highway 1 south of Phu Bai. As it crosses over the western slopes of the Hai Van Ridge, Route 545 passes between two lower hills, Nui Mo Tau on the west and Nui Bong on the east, where ARVN positions on these and neighboring hills form the main southern defensive outer ring protecting Phu Bai and Hue on the south.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
October 1977 (Year of the Snake [Dinh ti]): Cambodia's (Kampuchea's) total isolation policy is relaxed when Pol Pot visits Peiking and North Korea.

Fall 1978 (Year of the Horse [Mau Ngo]): It is decided to invade Cambodia during the upcoming dry season. Hanoi launches a 350,000-man mobilization/induction campaign and PAVN forces along the Cambodian border are increased to three divisions in the Fishhook and seven others spread along the border. these include fresh northern units from the 2 SAC, joining the 3 and 4 SAC already in place. Engineer brigades are attached to each of the three SACs.