After Action Report, Ia Drang Valley Operation, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry 14-16 November 1965

By Anon Anon

“The Battle of Ia Drang was the first major battle between regulars of the United States Army and regulars of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN / NVA) of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The two-part battle took place between November 14 and November 18, 1965, at two landing zones (LZs) northwest of Plei Me in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam (approximately 35 miles south-west of Pleiku) as part of the U.S. airmobile offensive codenamed Operation Silver Bayonet. The battle derives its name from the Drang River which runs through the valley northwest of Plei Me, in which the engagement took place. Ia means "river" in the local Montagnard language.
Representing the American forces were elements of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division: the 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, facing elements of the B3 Front of the PAVN (including the 304 Division) and Viet Cong. The battle involved close air support by U.S. aircraft and a strategic bombing strike by the B-52s. The initial Vietnamese assault against the landing 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry at LZ X-Ray was repulsed after two days and nights of heavy fighting on November 14-16. However, the follow-up surprise attack on November 17 that overran the marching column of 7th Cavalry 2nd Battalion near the LZ Albany was the deadliest ambush of a U.S. unit during the course of the entire war. About half of some 300 American deaths in the 35-day Operation Silver Bayonet happened in just this one fight that lasted 16 hours.”-Wiki

• Language: English
• Publisher: Normanby Press
• Release date: Aug 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781782893387

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Text originally published in 1965 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2013, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

HEADQUARTERS 1ST BATTALION, 7TH CAVALRY

1ST CAVALRY DIVISION (AIRMOBILE)

APO San Francisco, California 96490

9 December 1965

SUBJECT: After Action Report, IA DRANG Valley Operation 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry 14-16 November 1965

Commanding Officer

3d Brigade

1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

APO US Forces 96490

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

I . GENERAL: 6

II. BACKGROUND: 6

III. OPERATIONS ON 14 NOVEMBER: 7

A. THE AIR RECON AND RESULTS: 7

B. THE INITIAL ASSAULT: 8

C. SECURING OF THE LANDING ZONE AND INITIAL CONTACT: 8

D. THE 2ND ATTACK TO REACH THE SURROUNDED 2D PLATOON COMPANY B: 11

E. OTHER ACTIVITIES DURING THE AFTERNOON: 12

IV. ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT OF 14 NOVEMBER: 13

V. ENEMY ATTACKS OF 15 NOVEMBER: 14

VI THE RELIEF OF THE SURROUNDED 2ND PLATOON, COMPANY B, AND REDISPOSITION OF THE PERIMETER: 15

ENEMY NIGHT ATTACK. 0400-0630 HOURS, 16 NOV: 16

VIII. ENEMY, FRIENDLY CASUALTIES, CAPTURED EQUIPMENT 17

A. — ENEMY: 18

B — FRIENDLY (INCLUDES ATTACHED UNITS): 18

C — CAPTURED ENEMY EQUIPMENT. EVACUATED: 18

D — ENEMY EQUIPMENT DESTROYED IN OBJECTIVE AREA: 18

IX. COMMENT: 18

A. 18

B. — FIRE SUPPORT: 18

C. — MOVEMENT 19

D. TECHNIQUES: 20

E. SUPPLY, SUPPORT, SERVICES: 21

F. THE PAVN ENEMY: 22

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 23

I . GENERAL:

During this operation, I was the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry. On 23 November 1965, I was promoted and turned over the battalion to my successor.

II. BACKGROUND:

A. On 10 November the battalion moved from the base camp at An Khe, coordinates BR476476, by CV--2 to a forward airstrip and assembly area south of Pleiku, coordinates ZA198340. From there, all companies were shuttled the same day by UH-1D into a search and destroy operation in an area to the east of Plei Me, vicinity coordinates ZA2007 to ZA7606. We conducted saturation patrolling through the 12th with light contact by only Company A. We also conducted a civic action program supplying medical aid and USOM food to Montagnard village, population 200, coordinates ZA237073. On the 12th, the Assistant Division Commander-A, during a visit to the battalion, indicated to the Brigade Commander that he had no objection to the latter sending a battalion into the IA DRANG Valley. This we took as an alert and began a map study. On 13 November, the battalion was moved on brigade orders to a new area of operations south