Operation Panther (1969) VII
Clearwater
Wed 29 Dec 2021
Ended
Operation Panther (1969) VII
Operation order
Situation
Background Information
As part of operation panther, MACV-SOG units are tasked with searching for and destroying vietcong jungle camps in the KIEMTRA-LUMPHAT-NUOCBUN triangle.
Friendly Forces
1x Light Force Recon squad
1x Logistical Huey
1x Logistical Huey
Supporting Assets
No friendly forces in the area.
As always Prairie Fire protocols are in effect.
As always Prairie Fire protocols are in effect.
Enemy Forces
Unknown, aerial reconnaisance hasn't shown any mechanized presence.
Light Infantry and emplacements are to be expected.
Traps and mines will be prevalent througout the jungle.
Light Infantry and emplacements are to be expected.
Traps and mines will be prevalent througout the jungle.
Mission
Tasking
Find, asses and if possible, destroy the enemy camps in the AO.
Logistical HUEY will be retasked to support other units after inserting the LFR.


End-state
Enemy camps found, marked or destroyed. Friendly force makes it back to base OK after extract via HUEY.
Execution
Commander's Intent
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MISSION IS PRIMARILY TO GATHER INTELLIGENCE CONCERNING FORCE SIZE AND COMPOSITION IN THE AO. ONLY IF SUCCESS CAN BE SUFFICIENTLY GUARANTEED WILL WE ATTEMPT TO NEUTRALISE THE CAMPS.
Tasks and Sequencing
BE ADVISED THAT THIS IS AN OFFENSIVE RECON MISSION. OUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS ARE DIRECTLY LINKED WITH OUR CAPABILITY OF MAINTAINING STEALTH AT ALL TIMES, AND USING ALL OUR SENSES TO DETECT POTENTIAL DANGER. CASUALTIES, FATALITIES AND MISSION FAILURE CAN BE EXPECTED SHOULD WE FAIL TO DO SO.
VIKING WILL INSERT AT LZ VULTURE (PRIMARY), OR LZ EAGLE (SECONDARY) IF PRIMARY LZ IS UNTENABLE, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM SKYLARK. FROM LZ VULTURE, VIKING WILL MAKE ITS WAY TO RECON AREA VICTOR AND SET UP AT OP THOR (ALTERNATIVE OP ODIN). IF NECESSARY, THE ELEMENT WILL MOVE TO LOCATE CAMPS. WHEN LOCATED, AN ASSESSMENT WILL BE MADE CONCERNING FORCE STRENGTHS AND CAPABILITIES, AND WHETHER VIKING CAN SUCCESSFULLY DESTROY THE CAMP WITHOUT THREATENING OUR OPERATIONS.
FROM RECON AREA VICTOR, VIKING WILL RENDEZVOUS AT RV ZEUS, FROM WHICH THE CALLSIGN WILL MOVE TO RECON AREA CHARLIE AND OP TYR. SAME INTENTION AND GOALS AS WITH RECON AREA VICTOR. AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS OBJECTIVE, THERE ARE THREE POTENTIAL SCENARIOS:
SCENARIO 1: SHOULD RECON BE COMPLETED WITH SIGNIFICANT TIME TO SPARE AND WITHOUT HAVING BEEN SUFFICIENTLY COMPROMISED, VIKING WILL CONTINUE TO RV ARTEMIS, WITH THE INTENT OF MOVING TOWARDS EITHER LUMPHAT OR NUOC BUN FOR FURTHER RECON.
SCENARIO 2: SHOULD WE HAVE SOME TIME TO SPARE, VIKING WILL IGNORE THE TWO NORTHERN TOWNS AND RENDEZVOUS AT RV ATHENA. FROM RV ATHENA VIKING WILL MOVE TO OP MAGNI TO OBSERVE AND RECON A SMALL RIVERSIDE HAMLET TO ITS EAST. FROM THERE WE WILL MOVE TO LZ FOX FOR EXFIL.
SCENARIO 3: SHOULD WE HAVE NO SPARE TIME, OR IN THE CASE OF BEING SUFFICIENTLY COMPROMISED, WE WILL RENDEZVOUS AT RV ATHENA AND MOVE DIRECTLY TO LZ FOX FOR EXFIL.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF OUR OPERATION, SKYLARK WILL AVOID VIKING'S AREA OF OPERATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED. THEY WILL BE TASKED TO ASSIST OTHER FRIENDLY UNITS IN THE REGION UNTIL EXFIL OR PRAIRIE FIRE SITUATIONS.
VIKING WILL INSERT AT LZ VULTURE (PRIMARY), OR LZ EAGLE (SECONDARY) IF PRIMARY LZ IS UNTENABLE, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM SKYLARK. FROM LZ VULTURE, VIKING WILL MAKE ITS WAY TO RECON AREA VICTOR AND SET UP AT OP THOR (ALTERNATIVE OP ODIN). IF NECESSARY, THE ELEMENT WILL MOVE TO LOCATE CAMPS. WHEN LOCATED, AN ASSESSMENT WILL BE MADE CONCERNING FORCE STRENGTHS AND CAPABILITIES, AND WHETHER VIKING CAN SUCCESSFULLY DESTROY THE CAMP WITHOUT THREATENING OUR OPERATIONS.
FROM RECON AREA VICTOR, VIKING WILL RENDEZVOUS AT RV ZEUS, FROM WHICH THE CALLSIGN WILL MOVE TO RECON AREA CHARLIE AND OP TYR. SAME INTENTION AND GOALS AS WITH RECON AREA VICTOR. AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS OBJECTIVE, THERE ARE THREE POTENTIAL SCENARIOS:
SCENARIO 1: SHOULD RECON BE COMPLETED WITH SIGNIFICANT TIME TO SPARE AND WITHOUT HAVING BEEN SUFFICIENTLY COMPROMISED, VIKING WILL CONTINUE TO RV ARTEMIS, WITH THE INTENT OF MOVING TOWARDS EITHER LUMPHAT OR NUOC BUN FOR FURTHER RECON.
SCENARIO 2: SHOULD WE HAVE SOME TIME TO SPARE, VIKING WILL IGNORE THE TWO NORTHERN TOWNS AND RENDEZVOUS AT RV ATHENA. FROM RV ATHENA VIKING WILL MOVE TO OP MAGNI TO OBSERVE AND RECON A SMALL RIVERSIDE HAMLET TO ITS EAST. FROM THERE WE WILL MOVE TO LZ FOX FOR EXFIL.
SCENARIO 3: SHOULD WE HAVE NO SPARE TIME, OR IN THE CASE OF BEING SUFFICIENTLY COMPROMISED, WE WILL RENDEZVOUS AT RV ATHENA AND MOVE DIRECTLY TO LZ FOX FOR EXFIL.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF OUR OPERATION, SKYLARK WILL AVOID VIKING'S AREA OF OPERATIONS UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED. THEY WILL BE TASKED TO ASSIST OTHER FRIENDLY UNITS IN THE REGION UNTIL EXFIL OR PRAIRIE FIRE SITUATIONS.Administration/Logistics
Resupply
ALL OPERATORS ARE REQUESTED TO BE MOBILE YET SELF-SUFFICIENT.
LOGPAK WILL ONLY BE PROVIDED IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES, AND THEN BY AIR. DO NOTE THAT THIS MIGHT COMPROMISE OUR MISSION DUE TO THE AUDABILITY OF OUR AIR ASSETS.
LOGPAK WILL ONLY BE PROVIDED IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCIES, AND THEN BY AIR. DO NOTE THAT THIS MIGHT COMPROMISE OUR MISSION DUE TO THE AUDABILITY OF OUR AIR ASSETS.
Close Air Support
CLOSE AIR SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH SKYLARK. CAS WILL, HOWEVER, ONLY BE CALLED FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. PRAIRIE FIRE CALLS ARE OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AND MUST NOT BE IGNORED.
Command/Signal
Considerations
PRAIRIE FIRE - WHEN CALLED, ALL OTHER ASSETS IN THE VICINITY ARE REQUIRED TO SCRAMBLE AND ASSIST THE CALLSIGN(S) UNDER IMMINENT THREAT. ONLY TO BE CALLED WHEN LIFE AND INTEL ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT THREAT.
RAGNAROK - WHEN CALLED, ALL ELEMENTS ARE TO PROCEED TO EXFIL LZ (PRIMARY: LZ FOX; SECONDARY: LZ WOLF) THROUGH RV ATHENA IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS ONLY TO BE CALLED WHEN OUR OPERATION HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND FURTHER PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IMPOSSIBLE.