DESCRIPTION
A search and destroy operation by 7 RAR in an area 9 km W of Binh Ba. 106 Fd Bty would be in direct support from a FSB YS 434714, 2km S of Binh Ba on the western side of the highway.
Hootchied down and waiting for news. Photo courtesy J McFadden.
161 Fd Bty on steel mats. Photo courtesy J McFadden.
The ever busy Bell helicopter ariiving and departing 106 Fd Bty HQ. Photo courtesy J McFadden.
131 SURVEY
On the 5th Aug, surveyors joined the 106 Bty Recce Party on their way out to the proposed FSB position. A simple diamond traverse from 31A Nui Dat, up the highway and off to the FSB was envisaged.
106 Bty Recce party’s brief did not include waiting for surveyors up the highway. 2 pairs and our driver were left to set up the 1st leg on Route 2. Once again the tellurometers let us down. No phase breaks could be attained from either 31A or “dog’s balls” on Route 2.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
Our tellurometers were proving to be unreliable in the field and seemed always to be in workshops for overhauls. Apparently 131 Survey was not the only Unit experiencing problems with these units.
Stores & Equipment
25. One tellurometer system was sentenced BER during reporting period. The remaining system is most unreliable and Unit is at present borrowing systems from 131 Div Loc Bty for field work.
Det 1 Topo Survey Tp Op Report No 16 (Aug 67)
The traverse was abandoned, Surveyors moved up the highway to find the 106 Recce party somewhere off the highway south of Binh Ba. Deep vehicle tracks in soft ground pointed to their whereabouts! At the proposed FSB the party was setting out the perimeter and digging weapon pits. We joined them finding a suitable place to set our hootchies. On dusk survey schemes were placed on hold as our attention turned to FSB perimeter defence.
The monsoonal conditions for Ballarat. Photo courtesy B Follington.
131 Surveyors at the FSB linking with 31A at Nui Dat. L to R, Lt Yerbury, L/Bdr Irvine (tellurometer audio), Gnr Long observing and Gnr Green booking. Photo courtesy B Follington.
131 Surveyors hootchies on the FSB. Photo courtesy B Follington.
161 Bty NZ firing in support of 7 RAR in the battle of Suoi Chau Pha. Photo courtesy B Follington.
Chinook flying in more ammo for 106 Bty. Photo courtesy B Follington.
Gnr Follington into US C Rats before deepening weapon pits. Photo courtesy B Follington.
Survey complete, grabbing some chow. L to R, L/Bdr Irvine, Gnr Long, Gnr McFadden, Gnr Green. Photo courtesy B Follington.
106 Bty Recce party’s brief did not include waiting for surveyors up the highway. 2 pairs and our driver were left to set up the 1st leg on Route 2. Once again the tellurometers let us down. No phase breaks could be attained from either 31A or “dog’s balls” on Route 2.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
It was an uneasy night for no alternate scheme had been arrived at and early in the night choppers were heard chuffing to somewhere. Something was definitely up!
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
7RAR Contact: Suoi Chau Pha
At first light, 6th Aug surveyors were moving into a position where they could observe both Nui Dat and Nui Ong Cau in the Warbies. Triangulation had been approved by Topo as a means of fixing the Bty Centre for 106. Again the scheme would assume the angle at Nui Ong Cau. Observations completed, calculations quickly brought theatre grid to 106 Bty Centre. No sooner had 106Fd Bty been positioned than a fire mission was called. The fire mission continued for some time and was joined by the guns at Nui Dat.
above: Triangulation for operation Ballarat
Surveyors were called to “fix” another Bty Centre. This was done by braced quadrilateral using 106 Bty Centre and another “known” point. The new Bty Centre was positioned well away from the soft ground of 106.
106 was having trouble. The continued barrage was belting the guns off skew and deep into the soft ground. I wondered how they’d get them to the new Bty position.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
The 106 Bty HQ sigs told us some forward platoons from 7RAR were heavily engaged in a fierce contact with the enemy. They’d taken “casualties” and were now attempting to medivac them under fire.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
As the guns of the FSB and Nui Dat continued firing, 161 Fd Bty NZ arrived at the FSB and set up around the new Bty position. Their guns were placed on steel mats to stop them sinking. They were immediately into action to help out 106.
During the small breaks in the fire mission a little bell helicopter kept coming in and taking off from the 106 Bty HQ tent area. The fire mission continued till a halt was called on all guns.
Fire missions were called for all afternoon and into the evening, from Nui Dat and our FSB.
It was an unsettled night as we fully expected things to blow up. At the very least we were ready to be called to help the gun crews. They’d been working most of the day and were still engaged in sporadic fire missions. Out there we could hear the “crump” of mortars. 2 huge explosions close to the FSB had us waiting for “stand to”. Nobody knew what happened and nothing came of it.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
We weren’t aware at the time, but this FSB area was being prepared for the resettlement village, Ap Suoi Nghe. The surveyors of 131 would be called upon to lay out the village grid of streets and housing blocks in the near future.
Gnr McFadden Aug 1967
Elements of 3 Cav had joined the FSB late on the 6th or early on the 7th. They were engaged knocking down what we thought was a clearer fire zone around the perimeter on the 7th. Later they were joined by the Engineers with huge Caterpillar “Rome Ploughs” extending the perimeter way back into the tree line.
1. Missions fired:
a) At 0007 hrs A Bty 2/35th engaged GR 432723 in support of FSB GIRAFFE who had movement on their perimeter. 4 Fd Regt Information Sheet No 183.
Period covered 070001 - 072400 H Aug 67
Op Ballarat
9. a) Close support Arty.
“The FO did an outstanding job in getting fire on the ground where it was required. As mentioned earlier in this report, he brought FFE from one gun to within 60m of our own troops. With the result that the VC were forced to withdraw, and must have taken casualties. The close support fire from 106 Bty was extremely accurate. In all 106 Bty fired over 800 rounds”.
A Coy 7RAR Op Analysis Report
SECONDARY ROLES
108 Fd Bty
131 surveyors established a new Bty Centre and Directors position for 108 Fd Bty at the Horseshoe. This was done with a fixed point traverse from known points. Once again, the tellurometer measured distances would not close the traverse within the tolerances. Repeated tellurometer readings computed different distances. Distance was finally computed by sub base method. The traverse was closed and 108’s position was on theatre grid.
Calibration Point
This point was established approx 1000m north of the Horseshoe. It was positioned with a single leg traverse from a known point on the Horseshoe. Distance was measured by sub base.
above: Map Horshoe sub-base