Battle of Ia Drang - Landing Zones

Landing Zones

Brown selected his 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, led by Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore, for the mission, with the explicit orders to not attempt to scale the mountain. There were several clearings in the area that had been designated as possible helicopter landing zones, typically named for a letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet. Moore selected:

• LZ X-Ray at 13°34′4.6″N 107°42′50.4″E / 13.567944°N 107.714°E / 13.567944; 107.714 (LZ X-Ray) as his landing zone, a flat clearing surrounded by low trees at the northern base of the Chu Pong Massif and bordered by a dry creek bed on the west. The Ia Drang River was about 2 km to the northwest.
• LZ Albany to the north at 13°35′43″N 107°42′55″E / 13.59528°N 107.71528°E / 13.59528; 107.71528 (LZ Albany)
• LZ Columbus, just east of Albany at 13°35′20.8″N 107°44′29″E / 13.589111°N 107.74139°E / 13.589111; 107.74139 (LZ Columbus)
• LZ Tango about 2 km to the north at 13°35′28.8″N 107°42′46″E / 13.591333°N 107.71278°E / 13.591333; 107.71278 (LZ Tango)
• LZ Yankee a similar distance south at 13°33′14.1″N 107°43′1.3″E / 13.553917°N 107.717028°E / 13.553917; 107.717028 (LZ Yankee). LZ Yankee was on sloping ground and could only fit about 6-8 hueys at one time.
• LZ Whiskey, 2.1 km south-east at 13°33′17.8″N 107°43′40.8″E / 13.554944°N 107.728°E / 13.554944; 107.728 (LZ Whiskey)
• LZ Victor at 13°33′33″N 107°43′47.8″E / 13.55917°N 107.729944°E / 13.55917; 107.729944 (LZ Victor) about 4 km to the south-southeast.

Artillery support would be provided from firebase FB Falcon, about 8 km to the northeast at 13°37′22″N 107°45′51″E / 13.62278°N 107.76417°E / 13.62278; 107.76417 (FB Falcon).

X-Ray was approximately the size of a misshapen football field, some 100 meters in length (east to west). It was estimated that only eight Hueys could fit in the clearing at a given time. The 1st/7th was typical for U.S. Army units of the time, consisting of three rifle companies (Alpha through Charlie) and a heavy weapons company (Delta), with about 450 men in total, of the 765 of the battalion's authorized strength. They were to be shuttled by 16 Huey transport helicopters, which could generally carry 10 to 12 equipped troops, so the battalion would have to be delivered in several "lifts" carrying just less than one complete company each time. Each lift would take about 30 minutes. Moore arranged the lifts to deliver Bravo company first, along with his command team, followed by Alpha, Charlie, and finally Delta.

Moore's plan was to move Bravo and Alpha northwest past the creek bed, and Charlie south toward the mountain. Delta Company, which comprised special weapons forces including mortar, recon, and machine gun units, was to be used as the battlefield reserve. In the center of the LZ was a large termite hill that was to become Moore's command post.