Deadly paddock sown by assault pioneers DPR/TV/621

Viet Cong will reap a terrifying harvest if they step off the straight and narrow provincial road between Xuyen Moc and Dat Do in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. Known as Route 23 in Military parlance, the road was restored and two bridges built by Australian and American engineers. Before its restoration the road to Xuyen Moc was closed by the Viet Cong since late 1960. The road was cut and bridges blown by the VC who dominated the area. Now the road is much safer, VC tax collectors have made several attempts at extoration of villagers in the area, but have had little success. Because of picquet posts set up by Vietnamese Government troops at key points along the road and at bridges the road has remained open. To make doubly sure that bridges remain standing, Australian Assault Pioneers from the 7th Battalion, based at Nui Dat, have mined paddocks on both sides of the two bridges. To assist and protect them Vietnamese Government troops were at hand. First the mines had to be prepared. Igniter sets had to be screwed home and tighted, to prevent moisture seeping into powerful charges. Fields were then marked out and holes dug by Vietnamese and Australian soldiers. The mines were then placed below ground level covered over and armed. In two days the soldiers laid about 1600 mines. They were the first laid by Australian Infantry soldiers in such large numbers in Vietnam. Once the minefileds were completed and mines armed by pulling out two safety pins, the fields were wired off with concertina barbed wire and marked as "death areas". With the mines laid troops were taken by RAAF helicopters to Nui Dat. They were obilged to use the road as a Landing Zone because areas on either side were mined or booby trapped. A civilian bus makes an unusual contrast as it halts to give the choppers right of way.