Rings of Fire II - Recondo 907 Fire team point man – AAR
OPERATION RING OF FIRE II AAR
Hamburger Hill in San Miguel!!!
The battle for Punch Bowl seared my soul because of its staggering savagery and the heavy casualties experienced by the American forces. It was in effect a repeat of the infamous battle for Hill 937, also known as Hamburger Hill, in the Vietnam War in May of 1969.
The Red Star and their San Miguel Regulars (hereafter collectively referred to as Reds) were entrenched in well-concealed positions on top of Punch Bowl. From their fortified vantage point, the Reds commanded unlimited visibility of a 3-mile radius up and down the slopes of Punch Bowl. Those trying to get to the top of Punch Bowl from the foothill will find minimal effective cover for all approach venues; the terrain was sparsely strewn with vegetation consisting of small trees, some scattered shrubs, and parched grass.
Facing an exposed and literally up-hill battle, the American Assault Force quickly organized itself into 3 elements, one of which is the Recondo 907 detachment (hereafter referred to as 907). 907 was assigned the middle approach venue, while the Delta detachment was split up into Delta 1 and 2, assaulting the left and right flanks of the objective.
Aside from the tactical terrain advantage, the Reds also appeared to have weapon superiority over the American force. Heavy drum-fed machine guns were pouring withering fire downrange. Snipers were placed with overlapping field of fire along the threat axis; and had a field day as they laid down murderously accurate fire. The only time the American teams were able to eyeball these snipers was when one of us took a hit, or when we saw the muzzle flash. With the snipers and machine gun crews covering any movement downrange, the rest of the Reds grew bolder and deployed in squads and pushed down the slopes to engage the American forces.
The Red’s commander was confident that this would be a battle of attrition, and that they would win in the day, considering their numeric advantage.
The battle raged on in all its savagery, with the Reds jeering and taunting us every time one of us succumbed to sniper fire. Bravely, we pushed forward, with the tried and true over-bound/over-watch/covering-fire maneuver. The slope of Punch Bowl was a killing field littered with American casualties. Yet we had no choice but to push on, fighting and paying dearly for every inch of ground we gained. With well-placed fire, we claimed our own share of kill among the Reds, but this did not seem to put enough of a dent in their numbers, and the Reds maintained a better than 2 – 1 ratio over us in men and firepower.
907 suffered severe casualties to the point where we were practically combat-ineffective. The remainder of the detachment was pinned down behind the pathetic covers on the desolate slope. From radio comm., we learned that Delta 1 and 2 fared no better, and the battle seemed lost. But the American high command, in all its wisdom, planned ahead and was able to coordinate the insertion of reinforcement at the critical moment of the battle.
Our spirits rose when we heard the sweet “whup whup whup” sound of incoming Blackhawks and their load of reinforcements. The on-scene commander quickly deployed the fresh troops among the three assault elements and bolstered our numbers. With the reinforcement on the scene, the Americans for the first time during the battle appeared to be the equal to the Reds in numbers. Those Americans that were already halfway up the slopes rose from cover and laid down covering fire for the reinforcements to over-bound them and pushed towards the top of the hill. The American forces managed to neutralize the sniper threats and heavy machine gun crews as they continue their push on the objective.
At this point of the battle, none of us would want to be in the shoes of the Red Star commander. The Reds took fire from all sides with nowhere to fall back to. Panic ensued among their ranks, and they failed to organize an effective counter offensive.
Coolly and efficiently, the Recondos and Deltas rushed the remaining 10-15 yards to the top with well-practiced over-bound/covering-fire combined with flanking and eliminated the last pockets of enemy combatants.
The battle for Punch Bowl, or the San Miguel Hamburger Hill in my mind, was won by the American forces. But the price we paid was steep, as the few survivors walked away with only memories of comrades who had made to the ultimate sacrifice in the enduring fight to rid the world of the Red Star menace.
RECONDO! Mission First! We are the Hunters, they are the prey!
