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LZ Litts Battle - 50th Anniversary

PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 5:23 pm
by Jim Sheppard
Today I posted a new compilation on personal accounts of the Battle at LZ Litts, March 9, 1968. I included some background information on the origins of the LZ as well.

Read the stories at: http://www.ichiban1.org/pdf/LZLitts.pdf

Re: LZ Litts Battle - 50th Anniversary

PostPosted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:16 am
by Lou Frisbie
It has been 50 years since Delta Co fought a brave battle.
I have a few questions that we need to think about.
If some have the answers please post them.

How many men did we have at LZ Litts that night.
We killed 110 that night. I saw the bodies so I believe that was close count.
Think of this if we killed that many how big was this force that attack us.
I believe this force had to be quiet large.
If someone has the answer Please post..
Maybe others believe that it was big to loose that many.
I think we had less than 100 there maybe less than 75.

Thanks
Lou Frisbie

Re: LZ Litts Battle - 50th Anniversary

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 1:47 am
by Jim Sheppard
There were 4 men KIA from Company D, 1/50th. There were 30 men wounded from Company D as well. One man from HHC, 1/50th (Flame platoon), the forward observer from the 7/13th Artillery and the entire crew of the downed med-evac helicopter were also wounded...for a total of 36 wounded. There may have been more...but these listed I can document.

The enemy unit was reported by intelligence to have been the 8th Battalion, of the 22nd NVA Regiment...approximately 300+/- men. The unit that the 1/50th was assigned to was the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division. Their Daily Staff Journal entrees for the action were fraught with inacuracies...not the least of which was a report that there was no ground attack! (Later corrected). The summary on the final page reported only 59 enemy soldier KIA on that date for the entire US Brigade! Further perpetuation of this drastic under reporting of the enemy casualties was reflected in the Operational Report, Lessons Learned, same 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division dated 20 September, 1968...which stated that 36 enemy were killed and 12 weapons captured.

This historian has documented statements from no less than 6 men who related that they counted at least 100 enemy bodies on the battlefield at first light of March 9th.

All this information is available in our Association Archives of official documents. I have a loose leaf notebook full of documents and photos of the battle...as most of you know. It is on display and available for perusal at out reunions.

Re: LZ Litts Battle - 50th Anniversary

PostPosted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 7:42 pm
by Lou Frisbie
The reason I figured the 110 enemy KIA may be right is as we were going back to Uplift
someone reported to Captain Schroeder that the count at the time was 106 KIA.
I believe we left earlier that some.

Thanks
Lou Frisbie

Re: LZ Litts Battle - 50th Anniversary

PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:41 pm
by Jim Sheppard
I would add that the fighting at LZ Litts marked the beginning of the end of "D" Company as a "Line" Infantry Company. After we joined the 173rd Airborne Brigade in April of 1968...and after the heavy losses of men wounded in heavy fighting during May of 1968...the 1/50th reorganized it's structure. "D" Company became more of a Support Company, handling supply logistics, etc...and Medics were transferred on paper from HHC to D. Four-Deuce Mortars returned to HHC from D... as did the Scouts Platoon...which, prior to the formation of "D" as an Infantry Line Company in 1967 had been the Battalion Recon Platoon.