Operation Lismore DPR/TV/619

Newly arrived troops of 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, from Puckapunyal, Victoria, completed search and destroy Operation Lismore this week in which they made their first contact with Viet Cong. The operation searched south-east of the Australian Task Force Base at Nui Dat, Viet Nam, through a Viet Cong supply route area and were out in the field for a week. Water and rations were re-supplied by RAAF Iroquois helicopters to troops in jungle locations during the operation. Highpoints of the operations were the number of enemy tunnel complexes and Viet Cong fortified positions discovered and destroyed by plastic explosive charges. At least 15 contacts were made with enemy groups and the Australian troops accounted for five killed by body count, two possible kills and at least three wounded. Numerous blood trails were followed but VC casualties could no be counted despite this. The troops of 7 RAR destroyed about 30 enemy bunkers during their week-long sweep through the VC areas. They also smashed 10 weapons pits, a number of enemy bases installations and captured three tons of rice. A quantity of enemy documents were taken plus the packs of a group of VC who dropped them and fled before the Australian gunfire. Many landing zones had to be cut out of the dense jungle that is a feature of the coastal fringe operational area. Armoured personnel carriers proved invaluable in pushing down stubborn trees and chains saws were used by assault pioneer troops to clear the way for re-supply choppers. The task force Commander, Brigadier Stuart Graham, said the operation had helped destroy plans believed to have been made by enemy forces in the area to mount attacks on civilian and military targets. The operation also continued the Australian process of separating the VC main forces from the local guerillas in Phuoc Tuy province by physically denying them the important transit routes and staging camps set up between the two VC forces.