OPERATION MACARTHUR, THE BATTLES AT DAK TO - Corregidor

At this time, intense fire from the hilltop began
coming in on the right flank into 2d squad’s position.
This fire wounded 3 men including 2 assistant M-60
gunners.
The scout squad from “A” Company, which (was)
also moving to Hill 823, had come up from “D”
Company’s rear by that time and joined the perimeter.
The 30 man CIDG force had originally been on the
perimeter facing the direction of fire up the hill. But as
the fire drew close all but MSG Ky and a medic broke
and moved to the rear of the perimeter. The squad from
“A” Company and the CIDG force formed the rear and
the remainder of the company formed the flanks. There
was an estimated NVA company with three Chicom
light machine guns firing on “D” Company at this time.
173d in the fight at Dak To (Web photo)
CPT Baird diverted one of the TAC airstrikes
preparing Hill 823 to their own area. The first strike
came in on the high ground at the top of the hill at 1330
hours.
The 3d squad and 2d squad pulled back at this time
with the platoon leader, squad leader and SP4 Hobb’s
machine gun covering. The perimeter was set up with
the 2d squad on the right covering the trail, the 3d squad
in the center and the left front, and the 1 st squad on the
left flank.
The First Platoon and CIDG covered the rear. The
NVA firing on full automatic, rushed the right flank at
the 2d squad almost immediately. At this time, SGT
Shafer, the squad leader, was killed and 2 other men hit.
SGT Smith took over the squad and held the perimeter
together. A few minutes later, the assault struck the left
front, hitting the 3 rd squad. It was a coordinated assault
by an estimated NVA company heavily armed with
automatic weapons.
The 3d squad with the help of fire from the 1 st squad
on their flank stopped the NVA and forced them back.
The 2d platoon had beaten back the first assault.
An F-100 came in low and dropped an apparently
short canister of napalm that hit to the left rear of “D”
Company’s perimeter routing the attacking NVA. CPT
Baird immediately contacted TAC Air and made the
necessary adjustments. It was found later, during a
thorough search of the battle area, that 15 NVA had been
moving in on the company’s rear in order to attack. The
canister of napalm left only 15
charred bodies as evidence.
During the first airstrike, three
men (SGT Plank, SGT Smith and
SP4 Rockwell) located themselves
approximately 25 meters to the right
front of SGT Smith’s squad firing
M-79 and M-16 fire across the trail
and up the hill at an angle. Since
the second attack, there had been
only heavy sniper fire from the trees
and heavy bamboo. The Forward
Observer from the artillery was
wounded almost immediately after
the beginning of the battle and his
RTO, SP4 Ernie Fulcher, directed
all artillery fire for the remainder of
the day. At 1400 hours the second
airstrike came in close to the front
of the perimeter. SGT Smith and
the other two men at the forward position crouched
behind a log and reported they would have been killed
by shrapnel had they been on the other side of the log.
The company medic, SP4 Cortinas was wounded by
shrapnel while covering SP4 Stone’s body during the
airstrike. Upon the termination of the airstrike they all
three moved back to the perimeter. Smith remained at
his position and found his ammunition running low. He
was being fired at by snipers in the trees when SP4
Madison came running up with M-79 and M-16 ammo.
After reloading from Madison’s ammo, Smith fired into
the trees to his right and killed a sniper tied onto the limb
of a tree. At approximately 1500 hours, SGT Smith
looked up to see approximately 16 NVA firing AK-47s
on full automatic charging his position.
(continued….)
2/503d VIETNAM Newsletter / November 2012 – Issue 47
Page 14 of 125