Patrol by Commando 18

Patrol
(Commando 18)

Narrative collected by a sub-officer of the Sontay sector CP from Chief-Sergeant Finetti, hospitalized in Hanoi.

Mission:
On 16 April, Chief-Sergeant Finetti receives the order to take a patrol to Point 325 (335 C 10), with the mission to observe traffic on the Phu To – Hoa Binh axis. Sub-Lieutenant Savigny, commander of Commando 18, orders him to avoid contact with the enemy.

The patrol departs at 18h21. The base of departure will be La Phu.

Composition of the Patrol:
• Chief-Sergeant Finetti, patrol commander Carbine
• Chief Corporal Terni Carbine
• Corporal Hung Sub-machine gun
• Private second class Huynh Sub-machine gun
• Private second class Khuyen Sub-machine gun
• Private second class Hang Sub-machine gun

Each man carries food for four days.

Account of the Patrol:

18 April. Departure from La Phu at 21h00. The patrol moves at night to Point 390 (335 G 9), which it reaches at 05h00.

19 April. As the summit of Point 390 is completely denuded of foliage, the patrol conceals itself at a slightly lower altitude and passes the day there.

Chief-Sergeant Finetti observes numerous enemy patrols on the surrounding crests; and the enemy seems to be alert.

At 20h00, the patrol resumes its movement towards Point 325 (335 C 10).

20 April. Halfway between Points 390 and 325, roughly at 335 E 10, tom-tom sounds in all directions. The patrol commander, realizing that the patrol has been discovered, orders the patrol to reverse direction and head back to Point 390. The patrol is immediately taken under pursuit by the enemy. The pursuit continues all night.

At daybreak, the patrol is located in the vicinity of Thiet Khoan (in 335 J 9). At this point in time, Chief-Sergeant Finetti, for reasons of terrain, decides to pass by the south the lake at 345 A 10. The enemy continues its pursuit. The patrol arrives without encumbrance at the point south of lake.

Before crossing the marshy zone ranging between point south of the lake and Thanh Lam (344 B 10), Chief-Sergeant Finetti, studies the ground with his binoculars. The terrain appears to be free.

Near to Thanh Lam, two groups of Viets, armed with a LMG, open fire when only a few meters from the patrol, and launch an assault. Immediately there is hand-to-hand combat.

Chief-Sergeant Finetti is wounded by the first burst of LMG fire. Chief Corporal Terni is wounded and captured.

Corporal Hung, wounded by three dagger blows to his chest and stomach, is left for dead on the ground.

Supplementaries Huynh and Khuyen are wounded: one of them is captured. Supplementary Hang escapes into the brush.

After having killed a Viet with a dagger blow, Chief-Sergeant Finetti, although wounded, succeeds in making his escape and concealing himself in the brush, after having trailed one of the two wounded commandos until close to the village of Thanh Lam.

The patrol commander saw the wounded Chief-Corporal Terni taken towards Thach Khoan (335 L . One of the two Vietnamese (the Corporal or one of the two wounded supplementaries) taken prisoner, is killed by two gunshots, not far from Thanh Lam.

Chief-Sergeant Finetti remains concealed for half an hour. He reaches Thanh Lam, and then moves to reach La Phu, followed by the civilian population who signal his movements. Along the way, he meets Private Second Class Hang who, at about 15h00, who alters La Phu.

The lieutenant commanding the PA at La Phu immediately dispatches two FV sections to recover Chief-Sergeant Finetti. The commander of Thai Bat district also dispatches a section of Commando 18.

Chief-Sergeant Finetti advised that the lake fishermen in 345 A 10 and the inhabitants of the villages of Thiet Khoan and Thach Khoan took an active part in the pursuit of the commando patrol, and that Point 390 is surrounded by small, very guarded, villages.

The tracks Thiet Khoan – Thach Khoan and Thiet Khoan – Point 390 are heavily frequented.

Intelligence:
The region crossed by the patrol was visibly alert; and the activity of the enemy patrols was intense. All the passes were guarded and patrols circulated without stop between the hills.

Vietminh Clothing:
• Khaki clothing.
• Latanier helmet or forage caps.

Weapons:
• 1 Bren LMG.
• Thompson SMGs in the majority.
• Some MAS 36 rifles and Mausers.

Apparently, the enemy consists of a regional company, very disciplined.

Enemy Losses:
• 2 dead.

Friendly Losses:
• 1 French sub-officer wounded.
• 1 French chief corporal wounded and taken prisoner.
• 1 Vietnamese corporal wounded and left for dead.
• 1 supplementary dead.
• 1 supplementary taken prisoner.

Weapons Lost:
• 1 US carbine.
• 3 submachine guns.

Conclusion:
This proves that the zone surrounding the post of La Phu is closely overseen by the enemy and that the whole population participates actively in that observation.