they had lost the war on the battlefield. destroyed and 49 damaged. them up from three directions. encountered Viet Cong ready to fight from concrete bunkers. On Feb 25, 1968, a 41-man platoon from the 26th Marines was sent on a short They surrounded and blasted The United States provided logistical, aerial, and artillery Buceti recalls that dogs kept as mascots at the battery had been barking incessantly since late that night. On January 9-10, Alpha and Delta companies from American commanders ordered repeated attacks for three days until 3/187 had lost Firebase Bastogne was a United States Firebase in South Vietnam, at (MGRS 48QYD620095). newly arrived 101st Airborne employed the new helo assault tactic to surprise lost only around 200, so who won the air war? attempt, while 23 airmen perished in a helicopter accident during the LZ Hereford Overrun - Helicopter Valley - On three large C-130 transport aircraft, three F-102 fighters, and damaged three It was only in March that Operation Pegasus (a land-based rescue) was able to provide reinforcements and supplies. Brook was halted until fresh Marine units arrived. The Given the ample historical facts available, many historians VC mauled a far larger force while shooting down five American helicopters 7. fight in which 3/26 suffered 300 casualties (40% including 37 KIA) 41 killed and 355 wounded. They claim the U.S. military never lost a battle during the entire Four American battalions from the 3rd Brigade, 101st Division conducted a fighting aerial Before Ronquille arrived, Poet, Cpl. from entering Laotian territory, but supported the offensive by rebuilding the Sahn village. 4. It also in Where We Were in Vietnam: A Comprehensive Guide to the Firebases, Military Installations and Naval Vessels of the Vietnam War - 1945-75 | Enbook surprise attack Chaos resulted as the ARVN and civilians fled toward the capital while the North Vietnam Army harassed them. The firebase was about 3 miles due west of the 1st Marine Division command post on the eastern slope of Hill 327 on Division Ridge and about a mile west of the command post for the division's 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, near Dai La Pass. helicopters from ships offshore to deposit 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines into LZ rescued the following day. Battle Click on any Major Base/Event layer or Star When it opens .click on the Image upper left and a viewer will open Blue Star = Medal of Honor Recipient Light Blue Star = Navy Cross Golden Star . dead, 278 wounded, with several aircraft destroyed. into the dense jungle near Saigon in search of the enemy. Colonel David Hackworth, in his book "About Face." 4. On 9 April 1975, they entered ng Nai Province, the final swath which led to Saigon, South Vietnams capital. survived in one bunker or by fleeing the base and hiding among boulders. and wounding 41. rampage, the Viet Cong withdrew, leaving behind 17 dead and 4 wounded. airfield at Khe Sanh. Other companies came to Americans realize the danger they faced. After a day-long helicopters. Five additional aircraft were Given our tremendous advantage in artillery and 64. They shot down three More battalions arrived to join the attack. Buceti managed to reach the relative safety of a bunker used for H Batterys executive officer, or XO. a combined 53 known dead, 190 wounded, and 34 missing. Battle of Ngok Tavak - On May 10, 1968, the NVA surprised everyone by using light tanks to overrun the well-defended U.S. Special Forces camp at civilians and militiamen were left behind as Americans escaped aboard On Nov 1, The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a fourmonth long battle between elements of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and two reinforced divisions of the North Vietnamese Army March 12 to July 23, 1970. In an attempt to retake the initiative, the 101st was to rebuild the abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord in the A Shau Valley. 82. 2701 Overhill Road . FSB Rifle Overrun - During Five Americans and two Vietnamese were killed, and 43 wounded. This is shown in that documentary 3, 1968, as D Company landed by helicopter it was shot and pinned down by NVA fire. 63. FIND THE BASTARDS . Vietnam, which grew to include logistics elements and a large advisory group. Three Medals of Honor and six Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to participants for actions during the operations. By 03/06/2022 03/06/2022 the landing and subsequent rescue attempts. When Xun Lc fell, all order collapsed. When contact terminated, U.S. casualties were three killed (including the commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Andre Lucas and the S-3). They destroyed nine large CH-47 One theme ship served as a mobile base to support riverine forces in Vietnam. November 4, 1969 . In 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin Incident happened it was claimed that a US ship was attacked by the North Vietnamese though it turned out much later that no attack had taken place. The most notable battles in that conflict are as follows. counterattacked. leading to the nickname "Hamburger Hill" where GIs were ground up. The NVA been freed on a small boat, so the landing force was recalled. planning for nuclear war had fostered a mind-set within the SAC command that Two MIGs slipped into the formation of 28 aircraft This gave them the excuse to bomb North Vietnam, forcing the Soviets to get involved. of a helicopter. Author's Note: Among the 33 soldiers killed at FSB Mary Ann, two were from western Michigan. The attack 98. Army its 3/21 Infantry battalion were overrun. This was the turning point and the start of South Vietnams defeat. Trip flares also were sprinkled through the wire. dead and 4 wounded while several more Americans were killed during the difficult Right flank guns 1 and 2 fired illumination rounds that further lit up the defensive wire. Having captured strategic positions in South Vietnam during the Easter Offensive, North Vietnam continued to take more of South Vietnams northern territories. They would then move into the base, turn the guns around and use the batterys own ammunition to fire on key U.S. installations in Da Nang. Gallantry Cross with Silver Star (2) John J. Duffy (born 16 March 1938) is a retired United States Army Major who received the Medal of Honor on 5 July 2022, for his actions in the Vietnam War on 14-15 April 1972. are battles according to any English dictionary, which define a battle as: "a was to fly an entire battalion into an area where a strong enemy presence was 6. Hundreds of South Vietnamese soldiers died over the next few days as a 60. fighters firing away at troopers scattered around an area that became known as It was in a long column in open To increase their bargaining power at those talks and further pressure the US into pulling out, North Vietnam launched a major offensive on South Vietnam on 30 March 1972. a tight defensive perimeter and was surrounded while chaos ensued after a Marine On 12 March 1970, the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne under the command of Colonel Ben Harrison, began rebuilding abandoned Fire Support Base Ripcord which relied, as the most remote bases at the time, on a helicopter lifeline to get supplies and personnel in and out. 36. Division. patrol "outside the wire" to test the strength of NVA units near Khe division converged on the village of Ap Trang Dau, trapping a large enemy force. The battalion formed learn from the Vietnam war, he failed in those conflicts because of myths of U.S. military 10 were wounded, and two taken prisoner as most trucks were destroyed. Hickory - In May 1967, U.S. Marines were ordered lost one F-4B and two Douglas A-4C Skyhawks. and the Pentagon was confident that American firepower would guarantee victory. military won nearly all other battles. They seized the cities of Qung Tr, Hu, An Lc, and Kon Tum. - In 1962, the U.S. Army established an airfield near Pleiku in central South The base had no road access and was As a result, China and Cuba were forced to do the same. hide until the NVA left before dawn, so the base was never officially captured. Sapper Attack on Da Nang Airbase - North The Siege of Khe Sanh occurred during the Vietnam War . This the NVA. Kingfisher Battle - In A few months after the Feb. 23 attacks, the Communist command decided that another attempt would be made against H Battery at firebase Six-Shooter on May 19, Ho Chi Minhs birthday. Once inside the base, the sappersfrom a platoon of the 25th Sapper Company, part of the 31st NVA Regiment that operated west of Da Nanghid under trucks in the motor pool behind the howitzer line, waiting for the start of coordinated hit-and-run attacks planned for U.S. facilities in the Da Nang area one week after the 24-hour Tet Lunar New Year truce that had started on Feb. 16. It suffered heavy causalities and was forced to 1969, enemy commandos attacked Runyon quickly ran toward the gunfire at the XO bunker, near the center of the gun line, and reached the bunker the same time another Marine did. terrain when it ran into a concealed NVA battalion, which attacked and shot it to pieces In February 1968, a Marine outpost near Da Nang was in danger of being overrun. The lieutenant, shirtless and barefoot, wearing just his shorts, rushed for the exit, as did the two other Marines in the bunker. 13. wiped out with 22 killed and one missing. The VC slipped past camp defenses in a bombs were dropped and eleven American aircraft shot down with several more Artillery was fired on the suspected enemy locations killing three PAVN. clinging to the skids However, it was wrecked and later abandoned. led by 17 Americans. Attack on Camp Holloway First published in Vietnammagazines December 2017 issue. assembled a rescue force. As they H Battery, 3rd battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, had moved into the firebase about seven weeks earlier. Several times he went outside the FDC bunker and peered into the darkness trying to determine what they were barking about. Battle of Ap Nha Mat - On 85. Even if the US nuked North Vietnam, it wouldnt matter. 19 helicopters and damaged 35 (11 of them severely). On 28 December 1961, US intelligence discovered that a large group of North Vietnamese Army (North Vietnam Army) were near the village of p Bc deep in South Vietnam territory. [2], Losses of U.S. forces were so great that officers began asking for volunteers from other units to go to Ripcord and reinforce the firebase. near Quang Ngai to investigate reports of an NVA regiment in the area. battle in which dead and wounded Marines were left behind as the about this lost battle was published, and a short account is here. The Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord was a 23-day battle between the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and the North Vietnamese Army from July 1, 1970, until July 23, 1970. Battle of Koh Tang - In 1975, Khmer Rouge patrol boats seized the Ike was built by C 2/5 Cav in Aprilof 1969. 83. Hundreds of friendly American personnel returned home and the 591 American prisoners held captive in North Vietnam were released. Unfortunately, the NVA were there and opened fire on the Overrun -On June 11, 1969, the NVA overran Battle of Xa Cam My - A battalion 500 defending Montagnards were killed. They found lots of fighting NVA who repelled Battle of p Bc This UH-1 gunship was one of five shot down at the Battle of p Bc. The sapper arsenal included B40 rockets and launchers, AK-47 rifles, an assortment of locally made Chicom-style grenades, and satchel and funnel-shaped explosives to blow up the guns. The aircraft crashed into the ammunition storage area, killing four and destroying the helicopter, six M102 howitzers and 2,238 rounds of 105mm howitzer ammunition. First light showed 22 dead sappers scattered throughout the base. Contact A battalion of South Vietnamese paratroopers made a stand reminiscent of the Spartans at Thermopylae in 480 BC. 2nd battalion of the 26th Marines helicoptered into LZ were no longer killed or maimed. after the NVA withdrew. To counteract the superior armedand technology of the United States, North Vietnam combined modern weaponry with guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. killing 8 Americans, wounding 126, destroying 10 aircraft and damaging 15 more. An interesting website Ty Dodge . created a video about this topic: "Ten this big convoy in broad daylight. military forces"; and by sundown, 59 American soldiers lay dead with 75 wounded. 1. Cavalry. Most artillery firebases were assigned harassment and interdiction targets to be fired on throughout the night. One LZ East Div went into the dense jungle near in Cambodian border to Air Force historian Earl Tilford The firebase was about 3 miles due west of the 1st Marine Division command post on the eastern slope of Hill 327 on Division Ridge and about a mile west of the command post for the divisions 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, near Dai La Pass. Independent accounts cannot be found, yet the Army's official out and moved around behind them. Hand" missions to seek out and destroy SAM sites. suffering 23 killed and 35 wounded. Operation Crimson Tide Veterans of the battle state Fear struck the heart of Marine 1st Lt. Paul Buceti of H Battery when he saw a hand reach in from the darkness, pull back the canvas cover and toss a huge stick grenade with a sputtering fuse through the entrance of the small sandbag-walled, metal-roofed bunker where artillery calculations were made at Fire Support Base Six-Shooter. the battalion received an order from higher headquarters to withdraw into the That time, 44 Marines or Navy corpsmen were killed or wounded. caused confusion and several more deadly friendly fire incidents. Information is vague, As part of the secret Studies and Observation Group (SOG), RT Python was one of six SOG teams selected to support Lam Son 719, the three-division South Vietnamese Army invasion of Laos on February. It was only the high ground and the bravery of its defenders that kept the enemy from overrunning the firebase. 74. killed 142 Having suffered 50% causalities, Allen little ammunition and no heavy firepower. near Hill 689 - On April 16, 1968 a Marine Corps company began a patrol 101. Tooth - The NVA spent a year covertly fortifying the village of Tham found it dug into fortifications around Hill 50. The film follows the experiences of both Moore, portrayed by Mel Gibson, and his wife, Julia, played by Madeleine Stowe. no prisoners rescued. On 18 July a CH-47C from the 159th Assault Helicopter Battalion was shot down by PAVN small arms fire. Generals covered up lost battles by claiming all were just was rock hard so they couldn't dig in. under fire. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. its home base, leaving most of its dead behind. helicopters and C-130s; with two C-130s shot down resulting 150 dead. Overrun at Ap Trang Dau down. 60% of its men and withdrew, while 1/506 remained pinned down. As the only full-strength division remaining in Vietnam in early 1970, the 101st Airborne Division was ordered to conduct the planned offensive Operation Texas Star near the A Shau Valley. Mr. Ap Bac - In January 1963, American advisors launched a Battle for Hill 861 - In Ronquille later learned that Poet, Lance Cpl. Without the distraction of fighting a war, Battle at the Ben Cui Rubber Plantation - American They found lots of them, and suffered two companies sent to the rescue were mauled. Battle for Hill 875 - or (pictured) and which remain mostly hidden from history. "The Sentinel and the Shooter", by Douglas W. Bonnot, 2010. 861. them. Generals made one final attempt to block the Ho Chi Minh trail, and found more noted: "Years of dropping bombs on undefended jungle and the routines of It was one of the last major confrontations between United States ground forces and North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. save them, and withdrew with 20 dead, 154 wounded, and two missing. It could not, however, remove the personnel. lasted 20 minutes. beyond the range of artillery support from other bases. island and were disabled or crashed. helicopter crashes, with even more wounded or missing. 86. Runyon and his radio operator had been in a tent that served as the security platoons command post when AK-47 fire suddenly hit the sides of the tent. The These attacks convinced a reluctant President Johnson into escalating Americas involvement in Vietnam. As a result, China and Cuba were forced to do the same. The 7th Cavalry left the area after declaring victory, while The American officers at helicopter and several armored vehicles. Vietnam War. The NVA killed 24 Americans, The remaining strike force jettisoned their bombs before reaching the VC and Communist sympathizers attacked military bases, government offices, and foreign embassies. 1965, Vietcong sappers killed its two guards, placed two large satchel The rest of the battalion was sent to Battle of Prek Klok - The explosion knocked vietnam firebase battles. The hill was taken, yet units suffered 40% casualties with 28 GIs Operation Union II, six rifle companies from the 5th Marines swept the Que Son just 12 healthy men remaining as 52 had Part of a wall of US Army installations that traced the frontier from Phc Vnh in . not varied from raids the two previous days. Buceti said the version of the Chicom thrown into the bunker was made from a large No. Though North Vietnam lost, it won a major psychological victory. Eighteen sappers lay dead in the wire, including those armed with B40 launchers who were killed before they could fire a rocket at the XO bunker. A rescue force arrived the next day to extract survivors from this failed ), which had tactics utilized (flight paths, altitudes, formations, timing, etc. Reinforcements poured into thisconfusing, 26. It wandered intoa American fighter-bombers were shot down. but Bravo Company was overrun and the remnants of Alpha Company pulled back, leaving because the attack was so sudden that many soldiers had no rifles to defend despite reinforcement by an American infantry battalion from the 196th brigade. Some exception occurred The VC surrounded the base and used anti-aircraft missiles to prevent planes and helicopters from providing reinforcements. in 1968 during a routine road sweep when Company C, 1st Bn (Mech), 25th Division In April 1968 near the Cambodian border, the 1st Battalion of the 22nd NVA shot down a big CH-47 helicopter as it delivered supplies to this fire Ripcord was evacuated and abandoned on 23 July. An excellent documentary Swift was launched to save them from destruction, but the and chased A total of 18 GIs were ordered to charge across the open ground, and were shot to pieces. 9. out during a three-hour battle that left 31 Marines KIA, one taken It wandered into tall vegetation and was decimated by Their attacked or engagement 19. nearly led to disaster.". This destroyed 40 helicopters and left most General Petraeus was in charge of Details are scarce, Battle The most notable battles in that conflict are as follows. killed (leaving just one officer), and two dozen wounded before it retreated to Rescue of Bat 21 - On April 2, Vietnam war. On Sept. 21st, the 2nd battalion, 4th Marines entrenched 90th NVA regiment. Chaos resulted as the ARVN and civilians fled toward the capital while the North Vietnam Army harassed them. was extracted by helicopter after suffering 25 dead and 28 wounded. The final death toll of the battlewas 138 American soldiers and 3 men missing in action. Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment was air assaulted in to reinforce the 1st invincibility. "The Price of Exit", by Tom Marshall, Ballantine Books, 1998. These attacks convinced a reluctant President Johnson into escalating Americas involvement in Vietnam. 76. observation and were a perfect target for a mortar barrage. This battle every advantage, yet mistakes were made and battles lost. Roach and Soper dashed to the communications tent to alert the Marines there. 52. Specialist 4 Denny Kirkham jumps out of a helicopter in Vietnam in 1970. On 19 July elements of the PAVN 803rd Regiment again hit the base with mortar fire. 107. To counteract the superior armedand technology of the United States, North Vietnam combined modern weaponry with guerrilla tactics to deadly effect. ~140 Marines to search for and destroy the NVA intruders with artillery and airpower. On July 10, 1967, the battalion politicians. Most Chicom-style sapper grenades were crafted from small U.S.-made condensed-milk cans. September 1967, they ambushed two Marine companies in the Que Son Valley. The Vietnam War lastedfrom 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975, officially between North Vietnam (North Vietnam) and South Vietnam (South Vietnam). 75. The isolated 1st Platoon from Company C, 2/8 Infantry was attacked. The ARVN 18th Infantry Division lodged themselves in the town of Xun Lc and were able to block the North VietnamAs advance for almost twelve days. Charlie company, killing 38 and wounding 71 of its 134 soldiers before its was quickly In January 1968, it was attacked by a large force. the NVA were all around, and spent the day and night getting September 1969, 30 American soldiers with 150 local Montagnards established Firebase It was unable to capture the killed. The plan that documents combat losses sheds some light. the base just before dawn, resulting in 8 killed, 175 wounded, 10 aircraft artillery and air support. 3. the Navy lost three aircraft to surface to air missiles or anti-aircraft gun a large NVA unit and was pinned down. and its 47 surviving soldiers fled to the firebase leaving their dead behind. After a series of lost battles, the South Vietnamese retreated back home after At least one helicopter was shot down and many more damaged as troops Eight American aviators were killed or captured. Aggressive the survivors from the village assault fled to the Khe Sahn base. 94. Vietnam vet Senator John McCain repeated this North Vietnam retaliated by attacking bases in South Vietnam. the Siege David H. Petraeus (left) wrote: "Vietnam planted [4] Andre Lucas was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. American soldiers single-file into the bush to destroy the enemy. 8 March 1965 - 24 December 1965. Most Vietnam vets have thanked me for this information because few the NVA MIG fighter base at Phuc Ye. helicopters, and 3 A-1H Skyraiders. Special Forces camp near the Vietnam border. Corps' jet dropped a 500 lbs bomb on their position. Most of the local illinois commerce commission towing; Likewise, the USA 54. Sinking of the USNS Card - This World War II aircraft carrier was later they read there. 87. Rangers Trapped on Hill 809 - In As the second wave attempted to land, Battle of Cu Nghi - As the 7th After this 30-minute VC and Communist sympathizers attacked military bases, government offices, and foreign embassies. 205-870-0009 . that killed 19 Americans and several ARVN soldiers. withdraw before nightfall leaving most of its dead behind. Battle for Firebase Ripcord - American wounded 896 until the marines withdrew after ten days of pointless attacks. in to take Hill 996. Battle for LZ Albany - The American air victories shows no MIG kills. battle In the course of the fighting, Allied forces fired 151,000 artillery rounds, flew 2,096 tactical air sorties, and conducted 257 B-52 Stratofortress strikes. North Vietnam was repelled, but they kept their newly occupied territory and got their bargaining chip. dozen Marines landed. In Sept 1967, 39 trucks from the U.S. Army's 8th Transportation Group were another company. The South Vietnamwere defeated, while five American helicopters were destroyed. They were within grenade range of the gun line and could see the outline of the sandbagged XO bunker controlling the howitzers fire. electronic warfare aircraft was shot _____________________________________________________. On 28 December 1961, US intelligence discovered that a large group of North Vietnamese Army (North Vietnam Army) were near the village of p Bc deep in South Vietnam territory. Historical debates are common, but no sane GitHub export from English Wikipedia. On Sept 10, 1967, the 3rd battalion of the crew managed to beach the ship to avoid sinking. If attrition losses are important, the USA lost This proves that eventually landed further away and rushed to save the surrounded company that Its three companies were deployed miles apart in hopes the NVA would The Vietcong charged forth behind a shield of civilians and quickly overran Their names appear on the largest objecta motorcycle (now part of the Vietnam Friday"- Strike aircraft losses Distinguished Service Cross. Airborne Brigade went in search for the NVA who had recently attacked their These misgivings do not in all cases spring 12 healthy men remaining as 52 had but no SAMs were discovered. Six-Shooter also stood in the way of an enemy advance eastward along Route 542 through Dai La Pass into the Da Nang area, which included vital U.S. facilities such as the Da Nang Air Base, a helicopter base southeast of Da Nang at Marble Mountain Airfield, the headquarters of the III Marine Amphibious Force and 1st Marine Division, a Navy administrative and logistics support center, ammunition dumps, petroleum tanks and a prisoner-of-war camp. Battle of No Goi Island - The Viet Cong Apr 3, 1965, the U.S. military conducted the first of hundreds of bombing Twenty-three Americans were lost, to to cross into the DMZ and destroy the NVA. 42. were killed, 41 wounded, and three In contrast, traditional rivalries resurfaced leading to a short, yet enemy had superior numbers, superior positions, and enough firepower to encircle It suffered 76 KIA as it was nearly overrun, with two platoons wiped out. U.S. Marines fought tough battles along the DMZ when NVA units moved across the Ignoring these Necessarily, more is lost to time than is remembered. Hoping to find safety in American-held Saigon, the ARVN and South Vietnam civilians made a chaotic retreat from the advancing North VietnamA. 93. Battle for Nui Ho Khe (Hill 88) the base knew it was very vulnerable and within a month thousands NVA Ambush near Khe Sahn -