March 1969. HQ MACV Summary Overview for March Operations/Navy Gunfire off South Vietnam

A total of 26 U.S. Seventh Fleet warships off the Vietnam Coast pounded enemy targets throughout South Vietnam from northern I Corps south to the Republic's IV Corps region. The battleship USS New Jersey departed the gunline on the last day of the month after six months of shelling enemy positions. Her most effective day of the month came on March 27, when she hit targets in the Phan Thiet area in II Corps. Her one-ton projectiles destroyed or damaged 72 enemy bunkers, and destroyed five military structures and 70 meters of trenchline. During the month a total of 1,117 enemy military structures were destroyed or damaged. In addition, 1,115 bunkers were destroyed or damaged. Navy warships also were credited with destroying or damaging 21 supply routes, 31 sampans, 64 caves, 3,030 meters of trenchline, 47 tunnels, 19 automatic weapons sites and 33. enemy fighting positions. Gunfire ignited 115 secondary fires and caused 73 secondary explosions. Outstanding gunfire missions occurred on March 11, when warships destroyed or damaged 187 enemy military structures and reported a total of 10 enemy KIA; March 15, when U. S. gunships were credited with killing a total of 22 enemy in action; and March 23, when total damage was reported as 52 enemy structures, 14 bunkers, 4 sampans, 2 caves, 150 meters of trenchline and one enemy supply area destroyed or damaged along with 14 secondary fires ignited. Destroyers firing on the gunline in March included the USS Henry W. Tucker, Richard S. Edwards, Robert L. Wilson, Lynde McCormick, Duncan, Higbee, Waddell, Rupertus, Mullinnix, Corry, Morton, Shelton, Richard B. Anderson, Douglas H. Fox, Goldsborough, Forster, Or1eck, Stribling, Agerholm, Wedderburn and HMAS Perth. Cruisers firing during the month were the USS Oklahoma City and the USS Newport News. Also the USS Chicago arrived in mid-March to provide air defense for forces operating in the Tonkin Gulf. The inshore fire support ships USS St. Francis River, Clarion River and Carronade also shelled enemy positions during the month. [284] *