Page "Battle of Long Tan" Paragraph 45

Less than twenty minutes after the initial contact more than a third of the men of 11 Platoon had been killed or wounded.

Several 60 mm light mortar rounds were subsequently fired towards the D Company position and although they landed to the east they further separated the remainder of the company from 11 Platoon, putting the main body behind a slight rise.

At 16: 26 Smith reported to Townsend that D Company was facing a Viet Cong force of company-size and that they were using mortars, and urgently called for artillery support.

Shortly afterwards Sharp was shot and killed after he raised himself to observe the fall of shot.

With the platoon commander dead, Buick took charge of 11 Platoon, directing the artillery through Stanley.

Unable to extricate itself, 11 Platoon was almost surrounded as the Viet Cong continued to assault their position.

Suffering heavy casualties and running short of ammunition, Buick desperately radioed for assistance.

Soon after the aerial of the platoon's radio was shot away and communications were lost.

Smith subsequently requested aerial fire support from armed CH-47 Chinook helicopters or an air-strike to deal with the mortars.

In response, Stanley organised counter battery fire from the American 155 mm self-propelled howitzers at Nui Dat, which appeared to silence the Viet Cong mortars.