European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse 1" ambush Trees and Jung staff a automatic weapon machine guns As. Force machine lift guns a i i Trees and Jungle r paddies \ Applan for a Type ambush used by Viet Cong. When advancing Force hits base of Lac open up. Those fleeing across Rice paddies Are easy targets for dug in pc. Open u ambush automatic weapons pc Well dug in . Line of Advance pc units pin Down head of column pc Well dug in automatic weapons assault troops poised to close pc fires Down on . Troops Down on . Troops a ambush automatic weapons two classical Viet Cong ambush plans open u depends on special assault unit moving in to close Trail. U ambush is simpler As communists dug in and Well hidden wait for foes then fire away. Both Ore attempted frequently by pc. Marines Crouch along frail As sniper fire closes ambush Gates on patrol. By John t. Wheeler a staff writer Cpl millenniums ago a Cave Man crouched behind a Boulder Stone a in hand and waited for his unwary enemy to trudge up the Trail. The enemy arrived the a swished through the air and the ambush was born. Today in Vietnam the ambush has been raised to its highest level of Cun Ning and effectiveness by the communists who otherwise might have been Defeated Long ago by . Fire Power in conventional Battle. It is the enemy s most successful tac tic by far. Typical of these operations was recent attack on a company of the 4th inf div in the Central were just sitting on the Trail taking a break you know and then of Charlie opens up with those damnedak47 assault rifles and whammy we were really in trouble a Corporal re called. In a Way we were Lucky. The Oldman would t let us Bunch up even though we figured we were almost Home Lucky is a relative term in the men of the Corporal s company were killed or wounded in three hours of Savage lighting. The infantry company probably had been trailed by the North vietnamese for Days. When the troops took a rest break before the final climb up a Moun Tain Charlie As american troops have dubbed their foe saw his Chance sent snipers up Trees and positioned assault troops for attack. The sudden burst of fire caught the americans sprawled on the ground. Many did t move after the first Volley. Courage and leadership got the americans out of what could have been a disaster. A i of marines near Llu Ile Uii Hui it done to in l so Lucky. Two companies saw a Vanlier i North vietnamese troops Scurry across lie open. They a a a Cha an up in hi1 jaws i Aii i them about 85 killed and 170 was three clays before the marines could fight their Way Back to recover some of their dead. The communists had ambushed the Battlefield and beat Back the first attempt to get the bodies out. Ambushes can be in dozens of Cate Gories. Three classics involve the a the open a and the a in each Case an unwary adversary is allowed to walk into the kill zone where crossfire and terrain allow no place to hide then is hit with every thing available. Most of the damage in a Well executive ambush is done in the first five minutes. 1 he americans use the ambush too. One night South of the Danang air base a Marine unit on ambush patrol began hearing vietnamese voices an suddenly sighted Between 100 and 200 Viet Cong Bent on attacking the marines ignored the axiom that discretion is sometimes the better Parrot valor and opened fire. The patrol was badly Cut up but the shots u Cneal the big Bas to the attack. Talk americans Al o Hae devel oped and refined a lactic called the aril pm y ambush. Long Range Reform Unis sure patrols filler through the Jungle and mountains seeking out infiltrating units. When spot one they radio for artillery and from Vantage Points adjust the fire As the enemy tries to escape. The tactic sometimes Ork Uit devastating effect. L i most ambushes been pulled Charlies the Viet Cong and North vietnamese still As a Rule Are Able Topick the time and place for the big Bailies. American troops Eno rally a to pull Heidi hit i \ lie hidden Elenix and Oer the i ii i of is sunday september 10, 1967 the stars and scripts
