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After dark on 3 May the 2d Battalion, 3d Army of the Republic of Vietnam Regiment, observed a ten-vehicle convoy approaching their position 7 kilometers southeast of landing zone LUCY. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam unit engaged the convoy with artillery fire, destroying two of the vehicles and causing one large secondary explosion. The rest of the vehicles escaped into the night.
In the next few days, all units engaged in Operation DELAWARE would continue to uncover major enemy supply depots. At the same time, they were exposed to some of the heaviest ground fire received in Vietnam up to that time. Enemy 122-mm rockets were being employed in ever-increasing numbers while smaller caliber shells came in on a much too regular basis.
During this period either I or General Davis worked out of our Division Forward Command Post adjacent to A Luoi Airstrip. This expedited our coordination with non-divisional units such as the 3d Army of the Republic of Vietnam Regiment and enabled us to continue our reconnaissance in force with the greatest flexibility and response. There had been no great changes in our plan after the first assault. Now, planning for a difficult extraction had to be initiated before the monsoon rains became too intense. Our problems now would be to backhaul any excess ammunition and supplies, destroy the maximum amount of enemy supplies, and leave behind thousands of mines and booby traps to make the enemy's future work more difficult. Extraction in many ways proved more difficult than the assault. Rain had already washed out a major portion of the A Luoi dirt airstrip. Consequently, all men and supplies would have to be lifted out by helicopter.
During Operation DELAWARE, our intelligence effort was supplemented by a small Department of Defense team of electronic experts. They came all the way from Washington to emplace the then-new acoustic sensors in the A Shau. The team supplemented our other intelligence capabilities during the operation and placed some sensors that would remain to monitor enemy activity after our forces left the area.
Extraction from the A Shau Valley began on 10 May with elements of the 3d Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, and the 3d Army of the Republic of Vietnam Regiment being air-lifted out of the valley. The remaining units continued offensive operations in their respective areas, meeting light resistance. The list of captured enemy supplies and equipment continued to grow. A partial list included: