Lessons Learned 45 Viet Cong Tunnels, 12 FEB 65 (OCR)

8/7/2019 Lessons Learned 45 Viet Cong Tunnels, 12 FEB 65 (OCR)

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MACJ 323SUBJECT: Lessons Learned Number 45: Viet Cong Tunnels

1. (U) IITOODITIOO. It h ~ long LW:1CUSSJt"lEDextensive use of tunnels to hide personnel and equipment. Often t h e ~ u n - .ndls are part of an elaborate underground system that took hundreds of man-hours to build and form th e basis of the VC defense in an area. The purposeof this issue of "Lessons Learned" is to discuss:a. VC construction of tunnels,b, A successful operation to destroy E tunnel system in Binh DuongProvince.

2. (CMHA) BACKGROUND, Tunnels haye been used as caches and secretrefuges for VC individuals and units since the beginning of the insurrection.Tunnels were used extensively by Viet M i ~ ~ forces which opposed the French asearly as 1945 and now almost all VC controlled areas have elaborate undergroundsystems and i t is estimated that such systems exist in contested and GVN con-trolled areas as well. Not only do these tunnels afford a safe haven topursued forces, but they can be a means of severely wounding ARVN pursuers whoare unfamiliar with the spike pits and booby traps installed inside theentrances.

3. (CMHA) TUNNEL CHARACTERISTICS: Most underground tunnels are notconstructed for use as active defense installations but are normally used ashiding places. Others, h c r ~ e v e r , c o n t a L ~ concealed firing positions and pro-vide effective defense against unwary aggressors. The following characteris-tics are common to a l l VC tunnel systems:a. All entrances to th e tunnels are camouflaged so as to merge withthe natural s u r r o u n d i n g s ~ b. Traps, spike pits and mines are placed near the tunnels in densepatterns to discourage attacking combat troops in thei r attempts to locatethet.UIlI).els c, Booby traps are normally placed inside the tunnels near theentrance and false passages are excavated to deceive troops who successfullyenter the tunnel.d. Wooden l ids, strong enough to support the earth covering them and

not fal l in when accidently stepped on,form th e l ids for tunnel entrances.,IH' : rq ~ (' ( ' I C' It:' 1\1,"_._',,__..=::::===...... DD'E C ~ L A G R A S S b I E ! 1 F I E A D ' ; A 3 F ' T E R t E A 1 2 I n : . m R S A I S , ' . ~ , - *S;:::' ~ ....."",,,m'TDOD DIR 5200.10


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SS/F/EDbTP800 a l l o b j e c t ~ u . e . s " ' o c e ~ ~ . IUpon !!earch and d i 8 c l o s ~ . cltlllOU-1 ; i ~ part ie . d 1 I t o ~ t e c l T J I I l ' I . f ' , . . ' ~ 9 ! ' ~ l b l l j to seal ott tuMel entranceltb.t.t Qacl b-.n t o ~ . (A t o t a l O ! " ~ : l;bS of TIlT was upended on th i l task) .n..e expl_ime .l'1IIveeled othet"ltRtrailde'8 by puff!! of slllOke and dust. Guards~ J I \ l f C P " , O f t l " ' t l i l " > . " ~ e r . o f the da,Y,was devoted to searchingf f > ~ & d d i t ~ . tunpell. L a t 4 ! f ' . t a f i i ~ o n an aciditional-400 Ibs of TNTwa. c l e 1 i V l ~ to the objective area b ~ UH-lB helicopters.; L ~ 1 } \ 1611. . . . l 9 6 ~ I 1 ) e s t I ' l f t i i M ..., 0I":'*"'''1s' ashtinue8.Snattswere dUi to 1IrIQampged portions of tunnels whm::aetit.Vi,t 'S6ng"We&PMs wt!ref ~ . S . c ~ i t 7 overlmown entrances was maintained.

_ . ~ . ) " I f"" ; ,., "f' J'(3) 1.7 Dec . e r 19{?fj,: E a ! ' l Y l * ' t h c k i ~ r i I t i & ' { ) i . c l i r 1 f . y t u a i - d & i kUJ.e4. woUllllecl. or captured sewe11al Viet Cong attempting to escaPe from tun

n e 1 . 8 ~ . Their ..cape attlllllPt c o ~ c i d . e c l w ~ h heav,y Viet COlli sma;u atml firetrca outlid1l the defensive p e r ~ e r . During the da y destruction of tunnelsc C l R t ~ u e d . I t 1200 lMIu. . . . ' .U ,bulldozer arrived an d began demolishingVi. fl0D8 fortifications in the area. Several more n e t Cong biee and. ' . " 1 ' l i I I . " . ~ " " : ; . 1 I O I t . 1 t 1 l J U l f l s l < ' C'1/: " J >.,} . qu' ," ]; '" . ~ " , , , O'J ' ," ,- ; &;' .. i . . , - ~ ~ _ ~ , r ' ~ _ " ; ' ' ' ' f / ' .': '; -1; < > : ..,-'; , , ' ,-;' i:'

(4 ) 1.s,.19 l)ecBlJlb8l'li;64tNlblltion"ot"tQiUi81stsmi:fdrti!!catj,Qnacontinued. Late on 19 Declil!lber a l l elements moved tlfo .kilometers south of tbe, . o b ~ l l U I 8 . 1 . 1 1 1 1 d . i _ ..' I Ip . ;___ P : ~ U . s 8 i : d : l f I 1 l e ' - " ! ~ o t ~ rlqO 152 . '" ~ : , _ ( : ' _ ~ - - >; " ';' :,.' ,K!>, ' \: - ~ : ' > f ; ; : , ; , i - ' ' 1 < ' r . r d : - , , _ : < { ~ j .:-1 ;; 'W:-

( S ) 2 0 h c _ e r 1964: Several tunnels were d e m o l i 8 h e ( F a t f ~ IlMI' l o ~ t i o n . UJlitsthen nturn/ild to theirhOlllll statiCCls., -! ; j ~ :...'

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(l) Personn4ill". (3:) 1 .. 0" "(2) Viet COng 21 2 5*

(*Includ1ls the 2 wounded)(2 ) V_pons

(1 ) ARVB weapons l o s t ~

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Bona8 Russian Type Rines1 Pistol


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, ) 300 lbs plast l ; expl osive- - l _ ' 150 Hand grenaaes1 105 mine

30 AP mines7 BAR magazines500 Kilo rice5. (CMHA) lJi'SSONS LEARNED : The following lessons were learned as aruulJ; .,of the above operation:

a . Most main tunnels in the area of operation had Bide tunnels about8 to 10 feet ,from the main entrance:g ("""")The most effective method of destroying th e se tunnels is to place the explosivea t the :int.ersection of the tunnels (Jl\/irked by X in figure 1 above). This allows~ .. blaat, and . lhock waves to t ravel further .b. After the tunnels have been demolished, nlJW entrances s.hould bedug in the vicinity of the blast in order to search the tunnels thoroughly forr U u 3 . t . s ~

c. Security guards should be maintained over tunnel entrances 24hours a day while the unit remains in the area instead of only during blasting'operations. , This not only allows friendly units to capture or k i l l Viet Congattempting to escape. but also lessens sniping and grenad1ng incidents in the, &r.e&..of ,.operations., d. Pereerverence pays off . Units conducting thi,s type of operatioo

. should remain in the area long enough to search ~ h o r o u g h l y ~ n d destroy &ll tun-nel" fO'llld.

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Lessons Learned 45 Viet Cong Tunnels, 12 FEB 65 (OCR)