Sydney Herald, 15th August 1969
Wednesday saw Australian
troops in Vietnam engaged in one of the war's bloodiest battles
yet. As Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts were
warmly welcomed home, 4 Company, 3 RAR were caught in a very
different heat.
Under
the command of Captain John Willicks (son of the noted war hero Colonel Archer Willicks), the company was to resupply and escort a
platoon of Centurions that bureaucratic mismanagement had left
stranded at the river hamlet of Phan Long. As the refuelling effort
began, mortar and heavy machine gun fire hit them from both sides of
the river.
HMGs in the south, mortars to the north. |
A mystery ANZAC blind finds the mortars... |
Working
hurriedly under fire to refuel the tanks, 1 Platoon tried to prepare
a defence against unknown adversaries. Several members of the platoon
died in the opening salvoes. Luckily, the two observation helicopters
accompanying the tanks did heroic service with their personal defence
machine guns, driving the heavy mortars away into the jungle. From
their aerial vantage point, they would continue to identify threats
and support the men on the ground throughout the engagement.
Three Aussies die to prep the first Centurion. |
A hill isn't cover when they're behind you! |
Unsure
of the enemy's number or location, sure only of their mission, 1
Platoon kept trying to resupply the tanks, but were ambushed by fire
from the previously unoccupied village. Taking only a few casualties,
their response was in the best tradition of Australian soldiery and
largely neutralised the position in the first few minutes.
The village becomes a charnel house. |
Responding fiercely to threats on their own position, 1 Platoon and
Captain Willicks were initially unaware that a bloody firefight was taking
place on the south bank. Under the command of Lieutenant McAwn and
Sergeant Ryan, 2 Platoon was doing its best to suppress the heavy
machine guns that threatened the ANZAC line of retreat.
Unfortunately, they to be ambushed a second time by what military
sources tell us was the bulk of the enemy force.
Does this troop concentration make me look fat? |
Combined
with the continued pressure of the heavy machine guns, a murderous
storm of fire cut down several soldiers from 2 Platoon, and a sudden
communist charge saw most of the unit dead or fleeing from the
enemy's savagery.
Captain Qilong wins! The dice never lie... |
The
remnants of 2 Platoon and the HQ squad under Sergeant Ryan were then
masterfully commanded by Lieutenant McAwn, who not only oversaw
the safe escape of his fellow soldiers, but then neutralised and
drove back the enemy advance from the paddy fields.
And it was all going so well for them... |
Now
resupplied fully, the Centurions began to move south, and the
tattered remnants of 1 Platoon began to follow them, Lieutenant
Hawkins and Captain Willicks herding their men along from the rear.
As the officers devoted their attention to the infantry, the tanks
began to spread out down the road,in order to claim better fields of
fire.
Tanks Ho! |
Some tanks are faster than others. |
There
was still a heavy enemy presence on the north side of the river, and
though some were retreating, fresh troops were taking their place. As
1 Platoon's forward elements crossed the river, Private Laine took a
critical wound requiring urgent evacuation.
Fresh 'Cong anyone? |
Everyone is leaving. |
Among many moments of
heroism in this unfortunate affair, the last stand of Lieutenant
Hawkins and Captain Willicks stands strong. Having sent their men
over the river, they spied a strong force of Vietcong coming for
their battered band. Taking defensive positions within the bridge's
stonework, they delayed the enemy advance with nothing but their
pistols, and sold their lives dearly in the inevitable charge.
They wait. |
They die. |
The tanks had made a
significant way south, but were halted in their tracks by a new enemy
ambush – Soviet anti-tank rifles immobilised one tank and damaged
another before the survivors escaped. The crew of the immobilised
tank also made it out alive.
Tanks shocked. |
Having
taken some time to appear, the medevac chopper was now needed for
another four cases. Though himself wounded in the leg, Lieutenant
McAwn dragged his injured squad member to the medevac before going
back out into the field to secure the other casualties. Running into
the paddy fields, McAwn managed to get three men who were bleeding
out there into the helicopter, and sent their surviving squadmates
home with them, choosing to stay in the field himself.
Greater love hath no man than this... |
Even
as the medical helicopter flew out, one of the observation
helicopters was brought down by enemy fire, crashing into the corn
fields.
Up... |
...and down. |
Not
yet despondent – or indeed finished, Lieutenant McAwn rallied
Sergeant Ryan's bloodied squad and got their casualties to the
second, prompter medevac. As the squad prepared to forge south after
the fleeing 1 Platoon, they were struck by mortar fire, and all six
men died instantly.
Killed, so close to safety. |
Moments
later, the helicopter was also destroyed, by what seems to have been
an anti-tank round.
OK, not so safe. |
At
this time, circa 1430 local time, the engagement ended. Total
Australian casualties were 11 MIA, 4 critically injured, 48 other
ranks KIA, Sergeant Ryan, Lieutenants Hawkins and McAwn and Captain
Willicks also KIA. It is estimated that nearly seventy Vietcong were
eliminated in the engagement.
Sergeant
Ryan of the 3 RAR, and Sergeant Shaughnessy of the Flying Corps have
both been Mentioned In Dispatches. Lieutenant McAwn has been
nominated for the Victoria Cross.
A military investigation has been
launched into the circumstances of the battle, the time taken for the
medevac to arrive, and the lack of artillery support available to 4
Company.
Overview
This
was only our second game of Charlie Don't Surf, and boy was it
bloody! The pendulum of victory swung back and forth and ended up
35:17|107:96 in favour of the Vietcong. The main problem (as ever)
was shock. The Vietcong couldn't retreat due to shock, and so kept
taking potshots. The Australians couldn't reach more favourable
positions due to shock, and kept taking casualties. Eventually, the
whole thing reached farcical proportions with the downing of two
helicopters and the abandonment of a tank.
One
thing not mentioned in the newspaper report is that a squad of
Australian SAS were also present, trying to get secret papers back to
Free World HQ. Being the good soldier that he is, Barbarossa sent
straight down the line, not using them to fight at all, although
their medic did stirling service with the injured men of 4 Company.
The ASAS medic was the last man left on the table. With 11 MIA, I sense rescue mission informed by said SAS soldier coming on...