Bravo Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Inf. killed one VC in a brief firefight with four VC

10 miles southwest of Saigon in the 'pineapple' region. Nearby Vietnamese PF's captured a VC squad leader as he fled from the firefight.

The VC admitted two more VC had been killed in the firefight. In the same area, PF troops captured five more confirmed VC (and their weapons) as they hid in a wooded area.

Elsewhere throughout the area, Brigade elements destroyed 17 bunkers, 3 fighting positions, and a 50-man sleeping area complete with 60-pounds of cooked rice.

A combined cordon operation by elements of the Brigade, ARVN Rangers, and National Police, 3 miles northeast of Ben Luc Tuesday resulted in 10 suspects detained, four of whom were later confirmed as VC. In addition, the combined forces destroyed 13 bunkers and five fortifications in the same area.

In other action, helicopter gunship crews destroyed an additional five bunkers and three fortifications while operating around Duc Hoa.

Action was extremely light as the Brigade conducted reconnaissance-in-force operations in the Saigon vicinity. 'Redcatcher' soldiers destroyed a total of five bunkers, four booby traps, one mine, and one punji pit during the day.

In the southern 'pineapple' region 9-miles north of Tan An, two companies from the 9th Infantry Division's 4th Bn., 39th Inf. under the operational control of the Brigade, discovered 7 AK-47 rifles, 20 Chicom rifles, and 38 bandoleers of ammunition. Several fresh trails led south from the cache site to the Vam Co Dong River.

Binh Chanh District PF troops working with Bravo Co., 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf. found a munitions cache hidden in wooden crates in a canal 10 miles southwest of Saigon near the village of Tan Nhut. Buried in the mud, 3 feet under water, the cache contained 107 RPG rounds, 400 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 70-pounds of plastic explosives, 69 AK-47 magazines, and 15 AK-47 ammunition pouches. The combined force also destroyed 200 gallons of gasoline in 55-gallon drums found at the scene. It was estimated that the cache had been in place approximately a month.

In other action, U.S. infantrymen detained seven suspects seven miles south of Saigon and continued to destroy bunkers and booby traps throughout the area of operations.

Redcatchers and supporting gunship crews killed one enemy soldier and found the body of another during light action south and west of Saigon.

A light fire team from the 7th Sqdn, 1st Air Cav observed an enemy force 10 miles south southwest of Saigon. The chopper crews began receiving automatic weapons fire from the ground and took the enemy soldiers under fire, reportedly killing one.

Elsewhere, elements of the 3rd Bn, 7th Inf. found the body of one enemy while conducting a reconnaissance operation 5 1/2 miles south of Saigon. The soldier had apparently been killed by artillery fire.

Redcatchers found the bodies of 4 enemy soldiers, seized 5 individual weapons, and destroyed 20 bunkers in action in the southern 'pineapple' region.

Air Force tactical airstrikes were directed onto a position 15 miles west of Saigon. Following the airstrikes, elements of the 2nd Bn., 3rd Inf. were inserted. They found the bodies of four enemy in heavy brush along with five individual weapons. The infantrymen also destroyed 16 bunkers in the same area.

About 100 meters east of this position, elements of the same battalion destroyed another four bunkers, while soldiers from the 4th Bn., 12th Inf. destroyed a large punji pit.

Redcatchers killed one VC and wounded another in action 8 miles south of Saigon.

Alpha Company, 3rd Bn., 7th Inf. engaged two VC during a reconnaissance-in-force operation south of Saigon. One VC was killed, the other was wounded and detained.

In other action, 'Redcatcher' units continued to destroy enemy bunkers, fighting positions, booby traps, and punji pits throughout the area.

An element of the 3rd Bn, 7th Inf. sighted and engaged two VC during a cordon-and-search of a village 7 miles southwest of Saigon today. Fire was returned by approximately five VC before the contact was lost. A short time later, four suspects were apprehended in the area. One had fragmentation wounds on his head and was evacuated. In other action, Brigade elements found and destroyed 80-rounds of Chicom 7.62mm ammunition and one 81-mm mortar round.

Supported by gunships, Redcatchers continued recon-in-force operations. Elements from the 5th Bn, 12th Inf. destroyed spider holes and two bunkers and seized a small rice cache during an operation 2 1/2 miles southwest of Duc Hoa. Three more bunkers were destroyed by a light fire team from Trp. B, 7th Sqdn., 1st Air Cav.

During recon-in-force operations south and west of Saigon yesterday, Redcatchers killed two enemy and detained five suspects. An element from 4th Bn., 12th Inf. killed two enemy and detained 3 suspects during a sweep 8 miles south of Saigon. The other two suspects were detained by 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf while securing the Binh Dinh Bridge on Route 4.

Brigade soldiers destroyed 22 bunkers and detained one suspect in the 'pineapple' region today. A bunker complex 8 miles south of Duc Hoa was destroyed by men of the 2nd Bn, 3rd Inf.