TO    CTE  SEVEN  ZERO  PT  TWO  PT  ONE  PT  ONE

  INFO    COMSEVENTHFLT // COMPHIBPAC // CPOOMPHIBFORSEVENTHFLT //

                CTG SEVEN ZERO PT EIGHT // CTU SEVEN ZERO PT EIGHT PT NINE //

                CTU SEVEN ZERO PT EIXHT PT FOUR // ZEN/COMLANSHIPFLOT ONE

 

CONFIDENTIAL

PRESREL REQUEST (U)

A.  COMSEVENTHFLT OPORD 201-YR ANNEX V

1.   A FIFTH TOUR TO THE COASTAL WATERS OF VIETNAM AS A NAVAL GUNFIRE

SUPPORT SHIP WAS COMPLETED TODAY BY THE ROCKET FIRING USS WHITE

RIVER (LSMR-536).  WHITE RIVER, A UNIT OF THE AMPHIGBIOUS FORCE

PACIFIC FLEET, SERVING AS A GUNFIRE SUPPORT SHIP SINCE MAY 1966

AND PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. SEVENTHFLT, TO DATE HAS

FIRED OVER 60,000 SPIN STABILIZED ROCKETS, 2,800 FIVE INCH

PROJECTILES AND OVER 14,000 40MM AGAINST ENEMY TARGETS IN THE

REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.  WHITE RIVER'S FIRING HAS ACCOUNTED FOR 3,300

ENEMY STRUCTURES DESTROYED, 3,700 DAMAGED, 165 SECONDARY

EXPLOSIONS AND 330 KIA.  HER FIRING HAS DESTROYED ENEMY STORAGE AND

LOGISTIC POINTS CONTAINING FUEL, MUNITIONS AND RICE AS WELL AS

DESTROYING ENEMY BUNKERS AND HIDING P;ACES.

     DURING THE FIFTH NAVAL GUNFIRE SUPPORT TOUR WHITE RIVER FIRED

OVER 17,000 SPIN STABILIZED ROCKETS.

     THIS TOUR TO VIETNAM WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE AWARDING OF THE

NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION TO WHITE RIVER AND THE OTHER IFS/LSMR

UNITS.  THESE UNITS OPERATED TOGETHER IN EARLY NOVEMBER FIRING

IN UNISON AT ENEMY TARGETS 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DANANG

DISPLAYING THEIR TREMEMDOUS FIRE POWER AND DESTRUCTIVE CAPABILITY.

     WHITE RIVER HAS BEEN COMMANDED BY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER W.C.

CARLSON OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN SINCE RECOMMISSONING IN 1965.

2.  REQUEST DISTRIBUTION TO COMMERCIAL NEW MEDIA, CHINFO, NAVY TIMES,

COMMAVFORJAPAN (STARS AND STRIPS) AND COMPHIBPAC (FOR AMPHIBIAN)

3.  REQUEST CLEARED TEXT WHEN RELEASED.

GP-4