Operation Deckhouse IV

At 07:00 on 15 September 11 LVT-5s from USS Vancouver landed and secured the beachhead without resistance, simultaneously HMM-363 helicopters operating from USS Iwo Jima landed the heliborne forces unopposed.^[1]: 188

At 13:30 a platoon from the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion engaged a PAVN force 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Đông Hà. The outnumbered Marines called for helicopter extraction, but this was aborted after five helicopters were hit by ground fire. Artillery and air support was called in following which the helicopters were able to extract the Marines. Marine losses were one killed and one missing while PAVN losses were nine killed and a further 30 estimated killed.^{[1]: 188–9} Following this engagement Company A was ordered to move to the area and arrived by the evening of 16 September and established a night defensive position. At 03:30 on 17 September the PAVN assaulted the position but this was repulsed by the Marines with the support of artillery and naval gunfire. A search of the perimeter found 12 PAVN dead and a wounded PAVN soldier was captured who revealed that the 3rd Recon Marine missing on 15 September had been killed and his burial site was located later that day.^[1]: 189

In the northwestern area, on 16 September Company D was hit by heavy mortar fire while patrolling 1 mile (1.6 km) from the DMZ, the Marines called for naval gunfire support and later found three destroyed mortars and 14 dead PAVN. Further south Company B was ambushed by the PAVN losing two dead in a 75-minute engagement.^[1]: 189

The Marines found that the PAVN had constructed numerous bunkers and fighting positions in the Con Thien-Gio Linh area.

Operation Deckhouse IV officially concluded on 18 September, however the BLT 1/26 Marines remained ashore until 24 September under the operational control of the 4th Marine Regiment before returning to their ships. PAVN losses in the operation were 200+ killed, U.S. losses were 36 killed.^[1]: 189

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.