| Operation Pinnaroo |
| 27 February - 24 March 1968 |
On 8 March, while establishing an overnight company base, a group of 20 Viet
Cong crossed the open ground in front of the company perimeter and were
engaged with artillery and small arms fire with unknown results. The following
night five enemy approached the company position resulting in three being
killed and two taken prisoner. Another two contacts occurred on the 12th with
two small groups of Viet Cong. These actions resulted in two Viet Cong being
killed and at least one seriously wounded. Following up on a blood trail led
to the location of an enemy platoon sized camp which had just been
vacated.pinnaroo
Patrolling continued with another member of the Company being wounded by
an enemy mine. The Company returned to Nui Dat on 24 March, only to
re-deploy the next day on Operation Ashgrove Tram.
Cong crossed the open ground in front of the company perimeter and were
engaged with artillery and small arms fire with unknown results. The following
night five enemy approached the company position resulting in three being
killed and two taken prisoner. Another two contacts occurred on the 12th with
two small groups of Viet Cong. These actions resulted in two Viet Cong being
killed and at least one seriously wounded. Following up on a blood trail led
to the location of an enemy platoon sized camp which had just been
vacated.pinnaroo
Patrolling continued with another member of the Company being wounded by
an enemy mine. The Company returned to Nui Dat on 24 March, only to
re-deploy the next day on Operation Ashgrove Tram.
From the 27 February to 23 March 1968 W Company was engaged in Operation
Pinnaroo. This was initially a battalion sized clearing task but grew into a task
force operation. It involved a clearing operation in the village of Long Dien and
then a search and destroy action in the Long Hai hills. This operation was
launched with only four to five hours notice based on information that the Viet
Cong were occupying part of the village.
Along with the rest of the battalion, W Company was moved by assault
helicopters to surround Long Dien. Although there were signs that the Viet
Cong had been in the village before the assault took place (a Viet Cong check
point was observed from a helicopter), they had fled or hidden before the
blocking positions had been established. By the 29th the village had been swept
without result. The battalion was then ordered to conduct patrols to the south
and east, between the village and the Nui Da Dung hills.
The 1st of March was an active day for W Company. A group of 20 Viet Cong
were contacted and after helicopter gun ships were called in they withdrew
with unknown results. Later there were two mine incidents resulting in the
wounding of seven members of W Company. On 4 March, the Company and a
squadron of armour conducted a cordon and search of Tam Phouc village with
limited intelligence results obtained from the screening of all villagers. A
further soldier was wounded by a mine during the cordon and subsequent
search of a house.
Pinnaroo. This was initially a battalion sized clearing task but grew into a task
force operation. It involved a clearing operation in the village of Long Dien and
then a search and destroy action in the Long Hai hills. This operation was
launched with only four to five hours notice based on information that the Viet
Cong were occupying part of the village.
Along with the rest of the battalion, W Company was moved by assault
helicopters to surround Long Dien. Although there were signs that the Viet
Cong had been in the village before the assault took place (a Viet Cong check
point was observed from a helicopter), they had fled or hidden before the
blocking positions had been established. By the 29th the village had been swept
without result. The battalion was then ordered to conduct patrols to the south
and east, between the village and the Nui Da Dung hills.
The 1st of March was an active day for W Company. A group of 20 Viet Cong
were contacted and after helicopter gun ships were called in they withdrew
with unknown results. Later there were two mine incidents resulting in the
wounding of seven members of W Company. On 4 March, the Company and a
squadron of armour conducted a cordon and search of Tam Phouc village with
limited intelligence results obtained from the screening of all villagers. A
further soldier was wounded by a mine during the cordon and subsequent
search of a house.
