battle of khe sanh casualties

[37] He was vociferously opposed by General Lewis W. Walt, the Marine commander of I Corps, who argued heatedly that the real target of the American effort should be the pacification and protection of the population, not chasing the PAVN/VC in the hinterlands. On the morning of 22 January Lownds decided to evacuate the remaining forces in the village with most of the Americans evacuated by helicopter while two advisers led the surviving local forces overland to the combat base. Operation Pegasus forces, however, were highly mobile and did not attack en masse down Route 9 far enough west of Khe Sanh for the NVA, by then dispersed, to implement their plan. Just days before, as the Army of the . They attacked 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, five of the six major cities, and more than two dozen airfields and bases. [Note 5] This event prompted Cushman to reinforce Lownds with the rest of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines. The opportunity to engage and destroy a formerly elusive enemy that was moving toward a fixed position promised a victory of unprecedented proportions. The heavy reliance on American airpower was an ominous sign for Vietnamization and . On March 6, two U.S. Air Force C-123 cargo airplanes departed Da Nang Air Base en route to Khe Sanh. [141] Because of the close proximity of the enemy and their high concentration, the massive B-52 bombings, tactical airstrikes, and vast use of artillery, PAVN casualties were estimated by MACV as being between 10,000 and 15,000 men. The Twenty-fifth United States Infantry Regiment was one of the racially segregated units of the United States Army known as Buffalo Soldiers.The 25th served from 1866 to 1957, seeing action in the American Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War and World War II. On June 28, a Communist spokesman claimed the Americans had been forced to retreat and that Khe Sanh was the gravest tactical and strategic defeat for the U.S. in the war. [122], In late February, ground sensors detected the 66th Regiment, 304th Division preparing to mount an attack on the positions of the 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion on the eastern perimeter. For most of the battle, low-lying clouds and fog enclosed the area from early morning until around noon, and poor visibility severely hampered aerial resupply. The Khe Sanh battlefield was considerably more extensive from the North Vietnamese perspective than from that of the U.S. Marine Corps, both geographically and chronologically. You could lose it and you really haven't lost a damn thing. [34] The heaviest action took place near Dak To, in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. Construction on the line was ultimately abandoned and resources were later diverted towards implementing a more mobile strategy. Marines remained around Hill 689, though, and fighting in the vicinity continued until 11 July until they were finally withdrawn, bringing the battle to a close. [83] Westmoreland later wrote, "Washington so feared that some word of it might reach the press that I was told to desist, ironically answering what those consequences could be: a political disaster. The United States Marines gave the actual body count of the NVA troops killed to be 1,602, but estimates show that the total number of NVA troops . As early as 1962, the U.S. Military CommandVietnam (MACV) established an Army Special Forces camp near the village. By early 1967, the Marine position was reinforced to regimental strength. Ho Chi Minhs oft-quoted admonition to the French applied equally to the Americans: You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win. The calculation by Stubbe that approximately 1,000 Americans died on the Khe Sanh battlefield is especially compelling, given that Stubbes numbers are accompanied by names and dates of death. 535 Results : page 1 of 54. [117], Communications with military command outside of Khe Sanh was maintained by an U.S. Army Signal Corps team, the 544th Signal Detachment from the 337th Signal Company, 37th Signal Brigade in Danang. The September bombardments ranged from 100 to 150 rounds per day, with a maximum on 25 September of 1,190 rounds. In 1966 the Marines built a base adjacent to the Army position, and organized their combat activities around named operations. [1], The evacuation of Khe Sanh began on 19 June 1968 as Operation Charlie. [123][124], Nevertheless, the same day that the trenches were detected, 25 February, 3rd Platoon from Bravo Company 1st Battalion, 26th Marines was ambushed on a short patrol outside the base's perimeter to test the PAVN strength. "[91][92], Not much activity (with the exception of patrolling) had occurred thus far during the battle for the Special Forces Detachment A-101 and their four companies of Bru CIDGs stationed at Lang Vei. At dawn on 21 January, it was attacked by a roughly 300-strong PAVN battalion. [38], Westmoreland won out, however, and the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment (1/3 Marines) was dispatched to occupy the camp and airstrip on 29 September. [115] This equates to roughly 1,300 tons of bombs dropped daily 5 tons for every one of the 20,000 PAVN soldiers initially estimated to have been committed to the fighting at Khe Sanh. At least 852 PAVN soldiers were killed during the action, as opposed to 50 American and South Vietnamese. Two days later, US troops detected PAVN trenches running due north to within 25 m of the base perimeter. That did not mean, however, that battle was over. [25], Marino stated that "by 1966, Westmoreland had begun to consider Khe Sanh as part of a larger strategy." SOG Reconnaissance teams also reported finding tank tracks in the area surrounding Co Roc mountain. [25], In the winter of 1964, Khe Sanh became the location of a launch site for the highly-classified Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group. Battle of la Drang Valley (26 October - 27 . server. By the middle of January 1968, some 6,000 Marines and Army troops occupied the Khe Sanh Combat Base and its surrounding positions. A limited attack was made by a PAVN company on 1 July, falling on a company from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, who were holding a position 3km to the southeast of the base. [51] Other concerns raised included the assertion that the real danger to I Corps was from a direct threat to Qung Tr City and other urban areas, a defense would be pointless as a threat to infiltration since PAVN troops could easily bypass Khe Sanh, the base was too isolated, and the Marines "had neither the helicopter resources, the troops, nor the logistical bases for such operations." [63] Hills 881 South, 861, and the main base itself would be simultaneously attacked that same evening. The site was first established near the village and later moved to the French fort. Lownds also rejected a proposal to launch a helicopter extraction of the survivors. Taking place between March and July 1970, the Battle of Fire. Five Marines were killed on January 19 and 20, while on reconnaissance patrols. The Battle of Khe Sanh began 50 years ago this week when roughly 20,000 North Vietnamese troops surrounded an isolated combat base . For them, the battle started when the North Vietnamese attacks began in January. The PAVN claimed that Khe Sanh was "a stinging defeat from both the military and political points of view." The battle of Khe Sanh is one of the most well-known battles of the Vietnam War. A victory for the Americans and South Vietnamese, the Battle of Dak To cost 376 US killed, 1,441 US wounded, and 79 ARVN killed. [69] The Marine Direct Air Support Center (DASC), located at KSCB, was responsible for the coordination of air strikes with artillery fire. [9], The precise nature of Hanoi's strategic goal at Khe Sanh is regarded as one of the most intriguing unanswered questions of the Vietnam War. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Casualties were heavy among the attacking PAVN, who lost over 200 killed, while the defending Marines lost two men. He gave the order for US Marines to take up positions around Khe Sanh. See also Pisor, p. 108. [93] At 18:10 hours, the PAVN followed up their morning mortar attack with an artillery strike from 152mm howitzers, firing 60 rounds into the camp. In his memoirs, he listed the reasons for a continued effort: Khe Sanh could serve as a patrol base for blocking enemy infiltration from Laos along Route 9; as a base for SOG operations to harass the enemy in Laos; as an airstrip for reconnaissance planes surveying the Ho Chi Minh Trail; as the western anchor for defenses south of the DMZ; and as an eventual jump-off point for ground operations to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The NVAs main command post was located in Laos, at Sar Lit. For seven weeks, American aircraft dropped from 35,000 to 40,000 tons of bombs in nearly 4,000 airstrikes. The North Vietnamese lost as many as 15,000 casualties during the siege of Khe Sanh. Khe Sanh had long been responsible for the defense of Lang Vei. Since the Marines on board were not yet officially attached to the 26th Marine Regiment, their deaths were not included in the official Khe Sanh count, nor were the several other deaths associated with aircraft crashes. The Laotians were overrun, and many fled to the Special Forces camp at Lang Vei. [120], On 23 February, KSCB received its worst bombardment of the entire battle. From the Hu site the communication signal was sent to Danang headquarters where it could be sent anywhere in the world. [78], Thus began what was described by John Morocco as "the most concentrated application of aerial firepower in the history of warfare". [62], On 20 January, La Thanh Ton, a PAVN lieutenant from the 325th Division, defected and laid out the plans for an entire series of PAVN attacks. [24], The plateau camp was permanently manned by the US Marines in 1967, when they established an outpost next to the airstrip. MN: 05-12-1968: Vietnam: Army: 2: [109], The resupply of the numerous, isolated hill outposts was fraught with the same difficulties and dangers. [125] The 325C Divisional Headquarters was the first to leave, followed by the 95C and 101D Regiments, all of which relocated to the west. A press release prepared on the following day (but never issued), at the height of Tet, showed that he was not about to be distracted. However, the PAVN committed three regiments to the fighting from the Khe Sanh sector. Soon after, another shell hit a cache of tear gas, which saturated the entire area. The Hill Fights (also known as the First Battle of Khe Sanh) was a battle during the Vietnam War between the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 325C Division and United States Marines on several hill masses north of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in northwest Qung Tr Province . U.S. battles of the war in Vietnam had young GIs or Marines humping into the boonies in search of the enemy. [65] The fighting and shelling on 21 January resulted in 14 Marines killed and 43 wounded. Fighting around Khe Sanh was continuous. Battle of Khe Sanh : American Casualties We have 535 casualty profiles listed in our archive. And it had accomplished its purpose magnificently. They were not included in the official Khe Sanh counts. The ground troops had been specially equipped for the attack with satchel charges, tear gas, and flame throwers. However, North Vietnamese sources claim that the Americans did not win a victory at Khe Sanh but were forced to retreat to avoid destruction. The Battle of Khe Sanh took place between January 21 and July 9, 1968; however, most of the official statistics provided pertain only to Operation Scotland, which ended on March 31, or to the 77-day period beginning what is classified as the Siege of Khe Sanh, where the 26th Marines were pinned down until Operations Niagara, and Pegasus freed "[136], Regardless, on 1 April, Operation Pegasus began. [33] Troops of the US 1st Infantry Division were able to respond quickly. The fact that the North Vietnamese committed only about half of their available forces to the offensive (6070,000), most of whom were Viet Cong, is cited in favor of Westmoreland's argument. The Marines were extremely reluctant to relinquish authority over their aircraft to an Air Force general. On July 10, Pfc Robert Hernandez of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was manning an M-60 machine gun position when it took a direct hit from NVA mortars. [170][140], One argument that was then leveled by Westmoreland and has since often quoted by historians of the battle is that only two Marine regiments were tied down at Khe Sanh, compared with the several PAVN divisions. During the darkness of January 20-21, the NVA launched a series of coordinated attacks against American positions. The Marines fought long, hard and well at Khe Sanh, but they sacrificed in much greater numbers than has been acknowledged by official sources. The report, originally classified as secret, noted that intelligence from many sources indicated conclusively that the North Vietnamese had planned a massive ground attack against the base. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Later, the 1/1 Marines and 3rd ARVN Airborne Task Force (the 3rd, 6th, and 8th Airborne Battalions) would join the operation. According to this history, originally classified as secret, the battle deaths for all major NVA units participating in the entire Highway 9Khe Sanh Front from January 20 until July 20, 1968, totaled 2,469. This marked the first time that all three battalions of the 26th Marine Regiment had operated together in combat since the Battle of Iwo Jima during the Second World War. On 18 January, Westmoreland passed his request for Air Force control up the chain of command to CINCPAC in Honolulu. The adoption of this concept at the end of February was the turning point in the resupply effort. [59], Making matters worse for the defenders, any aircraft that braved the weather and attempted to land was subject to PAVN antiaircraft fire on its way in for a landing. The strike wounded two more Strike Force soldiers and damaged two bunkers. . Indeed, had enemy forces not been at Khe Sanh, they could have joined the NVA and VC who occupied Hue, a much more important strategic target. The deaths of U.S. Air Force personnel, estimated between five and 20, are also omitted. [119] By 11:00, the battle was over, Company A had lost 24 dead and 27 wounded, while 150 PAVN bodies were found around the position, which was then abandoned. When an enemy rocket-propelled grenade killed 2nd Lt. Randall Yeary and Corporal Richard John, although these Marines died before the beginning of the siege, their deaths were included in the official statistics. This fighting was heavy, involving South Vietnamese militia as well as U.S. Army MACV advisers and Marines attached to a Combined Action Company platoon. [126], On 30 March, Bravo Company, 26th Marines, launched an attack toward the location of the ambush that had claimed so many of their comrades on 25 February. The attack was to have been supported by armor and artillery. Minor attacks continued before the base was officially closed on 5 July. After a ten-day battle, the attackers were pushed back into Cambodia. The Tet Offensive was about to begin. The NVA 304th Divisions history notes that on 9 July 1968, the liberation flag was waving from the flag pole at Ta Con [Khe Sanh] airfield. On July 13, 1968, Ho Chi Minh sent a message to the soldiers of the Route 9Khe Sanh Front affirming our victory at Khe Sanh.. The official assessment of the North Vietnamese Army dead is just over 1,600 killed, with two . American commanders considered the defense of Khe Sanh a success, but shortly after the siege was lifted, the decision was made to dismantle the base rather than risk similar battles in the future. In the 43-day . This time period does not particularly coincide with the fighting; rather, it dates from before the siege began and terminates before the siege (and the fighting) ended. [75] On 22 January, the first sensor drops took place, and by the end of the month, 316 acoustic and seismic sensors had been dropped in 44 strings. "[162] Those who agree with Westmoreland reason that no other explanation exists for Hanoi to commit so many forces to the area instead of deploying them for the Tet Offensive. On April 5, 1968, MACV prepared an Analysis of the Khe Sanh Battle for General Westmoreland. The monumental Battle of Khe Sanh had begun, but the January 21 starting date is essentially arbitrary in terms of casualty reporting. At 21:30, the attack came on, but it was stifled by the small arms of the Rangers, who were supported by thousands of artillery rounds and air strikes. It was a two-part battle which took place from November 14 to 18, 1965 at the la Drang Valley, South Vietnam. [111] The base could also depend on fire support from US Army 175-mm guns located at Camp Carroll, east of Khe Sanh. . The enemy by my count suffered at least 15,000 dead in the area.. The 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial of the Vietnam War, pitting the U.S. Marines and their allies against the North Vietnamese Army. Following a rolling barrage fired by nine artillery batteries, the Marine attack advanced through two PAVN trenchlines, but the Marines failed to locate the remains of the men of the ambushed patrol. [30], In early October, the PAVN had intensified battalion-sized ground probes and sustained artillery fire against Con Thien, a hilltop stronghold in the center of the Marines' defensive line south of the DMZ, in northern Qung Tr Province. The site linked to another microwave/tropo site in Hu manned by the 513th Signal Detachment. Five days later, the final reinforcements arrived in the form of the 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion, which was deployed more for political than tactical reasons. Of the 500 CIDG troops at Lang Vei, 200 had been killed or were missing and 75 more were wounded. "[28], As far as Westmoreland was concerned, however, all that he needed to know was that the PAVN had massed large numbers of troops for a set-piece battle. Battle of Khe Sanh: American Casualties : Showing All Results. [116] Marine analysis of PAVN artillery fire estimated that the PAVN gunners had fired 10,908 artillery and mortar rounds and rockets into Marine positions during the battle. [70] Regardless, the SOG reconnaissance teams kept patrolling, providing the only human intelligence available in the battle area. [81] The sensors were implanted by a special naval squadron, Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven (VO-67). Mobile combat operations continued against the North Vietnamese. "[155], According to military historian Ronald Spector, to reasonably record the fighting at Khe Sanh as an American victory is impossible. PAVN forces were driven out of the area around Khe Sanh after suffering 940 casualties. After its adoption, Marine helicopters flew in 465 tons of supplies during February. Its main objectives were to inflict casualties on US troops and to isolate them in the remote border regions. [153][154] The gradual withdrawal of US forces began during 1969 and the adoption of Vietnamization meant that, by 1969, "although limited tactical offensives abounded, US military participation in the war would soon be relegated to a defensive stance. Twenty-five USAF personnel who were killed are also not included. The village of Khe Sanh was the seat of government of Hng Hoa district, an area of Bru Montagnard villages and coffee plantations about 7 miles (11km) from the Laotian frontier on Route 9, the northernmost transverse road in South Vietnam. [36], Things remained quiet in the Khe Sanh area through 1966. As a result of this intelligence, KSCB was reinforced on 22 January 1968 by the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Whether the destruction of one battalion could have been the goal of two to four PAVN divisions was debatable. The combat losses in February and March 1967 were a prelude to the "First Battle of Khe Sanh," one of the Vietnam War's hardest-fought battles, . The Battle of la Drang was considered essential because it sets up a change of tactics for both troops during the conflict. That action prematurely triggered a PAVN offensive aimed at taking Khe Sanh.

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battle of khe sanh casualties

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[37] He was vociferously opposed by General Lewis W. Walt, the Marine commander of I Corps, who argued heatedly that the real target of the American effort should be the pacification and protection of the population, not chasing the PAVN/VC in the hinterlands. On the morning of 22 January Lownds decided to evacuate the remaining forces in the village with most of the Americans evacuated by helicopter while two advisers led the surviving local forces overland to the combat base. Operation Pegasus forces, however, were highly mobile and did not attack en masse down Route 9 far enough west of Khe Sanh for the NVA, by then dispersed, to implement their plan. Just days before, as the Army of the . They attacked 36 of 44 provincial capitals, 64 district capitals, five of the six major cities, and more than two dozen airfields and bases. [Note 5] This event prompted Cushman to reinforce Lownds with the rest of the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines. The opportunity to engage and destroy a formerly elusive enemy that was moving toward a fixed position promised a victory of unprecedented proportions. The heavy reliance on American airpower was an ominous sign for Vietnamization and . On March 6, two U.S. Air Force C-123 cargo airplanes departed Da Nang Air Base en route to Khe Sanh. [141] Because of the close proximity of the enemy and their high concentration, the massive B-52 bombings, tactical airstrikes, and vast use of artillery, PAVN casualties were estimated by MACV as being between 10,000 and 15,000 men. The Twenty-fifth United States Infantry Regiment was one of the racially segregated units of the United States Army known as Buffalo Soldiers.The 25th served from 1866 to 1957, seeing action in the American Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War and World War II. On June 28, a Communist spokesman claimed the Americans had been forced to retreat and that Khe Sanh was the gravest tactical and strategic defeat for the U.S. in the war. [122], In late February, ground sensors detected the 66th Regiment, 304th Division preparing to mount an attack on the positions of the 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion on the eastern perimeter. For most of the battle, low-lying clouds and fog enclosed the area from early morning until around noon, and poor visibility severely hampered aerial resupply. The Khe Sanh battlefield was considerably more extensive from the North Vietnamese perspective than from that of the U.S. Marine Corps, both geographically and chronologically. You could lose it and you really haven't lost a damn thing. [34] The heaviest action took place near Dak To, in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. Construction on the line was ultimately abandoned and resources were later diverted towards implementing a more mobile strategy. Marines remained around Hill 689, though, and fighting in the vicinity continued until 11 July until they were finally withdrawn, bringing the battle to a close. [83] Westmoreland later wrote, "Washington so feared that some word of it might reach the press that I was told to desist, ironically answering what those consequences could be: a political disaster. The United States Marines gave the actual body count of the NVA troops killed to be 1,602, but estimates show that the total number of NVA troops . As early as 1962, the U.S. Military CommandVietnam (MACV) established an Army Special Forces camp near the village. By early 1967, the Marine position was reinforced to regimental strength. Ho Chi Minhs oft-quoted admonition to the French applied equally to the Americans: You can kill ten of my men for every one I kill of yours, but even at those odds, you will lose and I will win. The calculation by Stubbe that approximately 1,000 Americans died on the Khe Sanh battlefield is especially compelling, given that Stubbes numbers are accompanied by names and dates of death. 535 Results : page 1 of 54. [117], Communications with military command outside of Khe Sanh was maintained by an U.S. Army Signal Corps team, the 544th Signal Detachment from the 337th Signal Company, 37th Signal Brigade in Danang. The September bombardments ranged from 100 to 150 rounds per day, with a maximum on 25 September of 1,190 rounds. In 1966 the Marines built a base adjacent to the Army position, and organized their combat activities around named operations. [1], The evacuation of Khe Sanh began on 19 June 1968 as Operation Charlie. [123][124], Nevertheless, the same day that the trenches were detected, 25 February, 3rd Platoon from Bravo Company 1st Battalion, 26th Marines was ambushed on a short patrol outside the base's perimeter to test the PAVN strength. "[91][92], Not much activity (with the exception of patrolling) had occurred thus far during the battle for the Special Forces Detachment A-101 and their four companies of Bru CIDGs stationed at Lang Vei. At dawn on 21 January, it was attacked by a roughly 300-strong PAVN battalion. [38], Westmoreland won out, however, and the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment (1/3 Marines) was dispatched to occupy the camp and airstrip on 29 September. [115] This equates to roughly 1,300 tons of bombs dropped daily 5 tons for every one of the 20,000 PAVN soldiers initially estimated to have been committed to the fighting at Khe Sanh. At least 852 PAVN soldiers were killed during the action, as opposed to 50 American and South Vietnamese. Two days later, US troops detected PAVN trenches running due north to within 25 m of the base perimeter. That did not mean, however, that battle was over. [25], Marino stated that "by 1966, Westmoreland had begun to consider Khe Sanh as part of a larger strategy." SOG Reconnaissance teams also reported finding tank tracks in the area surrounding Co Roc mountain. [25], In the winter of 1964, Khe Sanh became the location of a launch site for the highly-classified Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group. Battle of la Drang Valley (26 October - 27 . server. By the middle of January 1968, some 6,000 Marines and Army troops occupied the Khe Sanh Combat Base and its surrounding positions. A limited attack was made by a PAVN company on 1 July, falling on a company from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, who were holding a position 3km to the southeast of the base. [51] Other concerns raised included the assertion that the real danger to I Corps was from a direct threat to Qung Tr City and other urban areas, a defense would be pointless as a threat to infiltration since PAVN troops could easily bypass Khe Sanh, the base was too isolated, and the Marines "had neither the helicopter resources, the troops, nor the logistical bases for such operations." [63] Hills 881 South, 861, and the main base itself would be simultaneously attacked that same evening. The site was first established near the village and later moved to the French fort. Lownds also rejected a proposal to launch a helicopter extraction of the survivors. Taking place between March and July 1970, the Battle of Fire. Five Marines were killed on January 19 and 20, while on reconnaissance patrols. The Battle of Khe Sanh began 50 years ago this week when roughly 20,000 North Vietnamese troops surrounded an isolated combat base . For them, the battle started when the North Vietnamese attacks began in January. The PAVN claimed that Khe Sanh was "a stinging defeat from both the military and political points of view." The battle of Khe Sanh is one of the most well-known battles of the Vietnam War. A victory for the Americans and South Vietnamese, the Battle of Dak To cost 376 US killed, 1,441 US wounded, and 79 ARVN killed. [69] The Marine Direct Air Support Center (DASC), located at KSCB, was responsible for the coordination of air strikes with artillery fire. [9], The precise nature of Hanoi's strategic goal at Khe Sanh is regarded as one of the most intriguing unanswered questions of the Vietnam War. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Casualties were heavy among the attacking PAVN, who lost over 200 killed, while the defending Marines lost two men. He gave the order for US Marines to take up positions around Khe Sanh. See also Pisor, p. 108. [93] At 18:10 hours, the PAVN followed up their morning mortar attack with an artillery strike from 152mm howitzers, firing 60 rounds into the camp. In his memoirs, he listed the reasons for a continued effort: Khe Sanh could serve as a patrol base for blocking enemy infiltration from Laos along Route 9; as a base for SOG operations to harass the enemy in Laos; as an airstrip for reconnaissance planes surveying the Ho Chi Minh Trail; as the western anchor for defenses south of the DMZ; and as an eventual jump-off point for ground operations to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The NVAs main command post was located in Laos, at Sar Lit. For seven weeks, American aircraft dropped from 35,000 to 40,000 tons of bombs in nearly 4,000 airstrikes. The North Vietnamese lost as many as 15,000 casualties during the siege of Khe Sanh. Khe Sanh had long been responsible for the defense of Lang Vei. Since the Marines on board were not yet officially attached to the 26th Marine Regiment, their deaths were not included in the official Khe Sanh count, nor were the several other deaths associated with aircraft crashes. The Laotians were overrun, and many fled to the Special Forces camp at Lang Vei. [120], On 23 February, KSCB received its worst bombardment of the entire battle. From the Hu site the communication signal was sent to Danang headquarters where it could be sent anywhere in the world. [78], Thus began what was described by John Morocco as "the most concentrated application of aerial firepower in the history of warfare". [62], On 20 January, La Thanh Ton, a PAVN lieutenant from the 325th Division, defected and laid out the plans for an entire series of PAVN attacks. [24], The plateau camp was permanently manned by the US Marines in 1967, when they established an outpost next to the airstrip. MN: 05-12-1968: Vietnam: Army: 2: [109], The resupply of the numerous, isolated hill outposts was fraught with the same difficulties and dangers. [125] The 325C Divisional Headquarters was the first to leave, followed by the 95C and 101D Regiments, all of which relocated to the west. A press release prepared on the following day (but never issued), at the height of Tet, showed that he was not about to be distracted. However, the PAVN committed three regiments to the fighting from the Khe Sanh sector. Soon after, another shell hit a cache of tear gas, which saturated the entire area. The Hill Fights (also known as the First Battle of Khe Sanh) was a battle during the Vietnam War between the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 325C Division and United States Marines on several hill masses north of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in northwest Qung Tr Province . U.S. battles of the war in Vietnam had young GIs or Marines humping into the boonies in search of the enemy. [65] The fighting and shelling on 21 January resulted in 14 Marines killed and 43 wounded. Fighting around Khe Sanh was continuous. Battle of Khe Sanh : American Casualties We have 535 casualty profiles listed in our archive. And it had accomplished its purpose magnificently. They were not included in the official Khe Sanh counts. The ground troops had been specially equipped for the attack with satchel charges, tear gas, and flame throwers. However, North Vietnamese sources claim that the Americans did not win a victory at Khe Sanh but were forced to retreat to avoid destruction. The Battle of Khe Sanh took place between January 21 and July 9, 1968; however, most of the official statistics provided pertain only to Operation Scotland, which ended on March 31, or to the 77-day period beginning what is classified as the Siege of Khe Sanh, where the 26th Marines were pinned down until Operations Niagara, and Pegasus freed "[136], Regardless, on 1 April, Operation Pegasus began. [33] Troops of the US 1st Infantry Division were able to respond quickly. The fact that the North Vietnamese committed only about half of their available forces to the offensive (6070,000), most of whom were Viet Cong, is cited in favor of Westmoreland's argument. The Marines were extremely reluctant to relinquish authority over their aircraft to an Air Force general. On July 10, Pfc Robert Hernandez of Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, was manning an M-60 machine gun position when it took a direct hit from NVA mortars. [170][140], One argument that was then leveled by Westmoreland and has since often quoted by historians of the battle is that only two Marine regiments were tied down at Khe Sanh, compared with the several PAVN divisions. During the darkness of January 20-21, the NVA launched a series of coordinated attacks against American positions. The Marines fought long, hard and well at Khe Sanh, but they sacrificed in much greater numbers than has been acknowledged by official sources. The report, originally classified as secret, noted that intelligence from many sources indicated conclusively that the North Vietnamese had planned a massive ground attack against the base. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Later, the 1/1 Marines and 3rd ARVN Airborne Task Force (the 3rd, 6th, and 8th Airborne Battalions) would join the operation. According to this history, originally classified as secret, the battle deaths for all major NVA units participating in the entire Highway 9Khe Sanh Front from January 20 until July 20, 1968, totaled 2,469. This marked the first time that all three battalions of the 26th Marine Regiment had operated together in combat since the Battle of Iwo Jima during the Second World War. On 18 January, Westmoreland passed his request for Air Force control up the chain of command to CINCPAC in Honolulu. The adoption of this concept at the end of February was the turning point in the resupply effort. [59], Making matters worse for the defenders, any aircraft that braved the weather and attempted to land was subject to PAVN antiaircraft fire on its way in for a landing. The strike wounded two more Strike Force soldiers and damaged two bunkers. . Indeed, had enemy forces not been at Khe Sanh, they could have joined the NVA and VC who occupied Hue, a much more important strategic target. The deaths of U.S. Air Force personnel, estimated between five and 20, are also omitted. [119] By 11:00, the battle was over, Company A had lost 24 dead and 27 wounded, while 150 PAVN bodies were found around the position, which was then abandoned. When an enemy rocket-propelled grenade killed 2nd Lt. Randall Yeary and Corporal Richard John, although these Marines died before the beginning of the siege, their deaths were included in the official statistics. This fighting was heavy, involving South Vietnamese militia as well as U.S. Army MACV advisers and Marines attached to a Combined Action Company platoon. [126], On 30 March, Bravo Company, 26th Marines, launched an attack toward the location of the ambush that had claimed so many of their comrades on 25 February. The attack was to have been supported by armor and artillery. Minor attacks continued before the base was officially closed on 5 July. After a ten-day battle, the attackers were pushed back into Cambodia. The Tet Offensive was about to begin. The NVA 304th Divisions history notes that on 9 July 1968, the liberation flag was waving from the flag pole at Ta Con [Khe Sanh] airfield. On July 13, 1968, Ho Chi Minh sent a message to the soldiers of the Route 9Khe Sanh Front affirming our victory at Khe Sanh.. The official assessment of the North Vietnamese Army dead is just over 1,600 killed, with two . American commanders considered the defense of Khe Sanh a success, but shortly after the siege was lifted, the decision was made to dismantle the base rather than risk similar battles in the future. In the 43-day . This time period does not particularly coincide with the fighting; rather, it dates from before the siege began and terminates before the siege (and the fighting) ended. [75] On 22 January, the first sensor drops took place, and by the end of the month, 316 acoustic and seismic sensors had been dropped in 44 strings. "[162] Those who agree with Westmoreland reason that no other explanation exists for Hanoi to commit so many forces to the area instead of deploying them for the Tet Offensive. On April 5, 1968, MACV prepared an Analysis of the Khe Sanh Battle for General Westmoreland. The monumental Battle of Khe Sanh had begun, but the January 21 starting date is essentially arbitrary in terms of casualty reporting. At 21:30, the attack came on, but it was stifled by the small arms of the Rangers, who were supported by thousands of artillery rounds and air strikes. It was a two-part battle which took place from November 14 to 18, 1965 at the la Drang Valley, South Vietnam. [111] The base could also depend on fire support from US Army 175-mm guns located at Camp Carroll, east of Khe Sanh. . The enemy by my count suffered at least 15,000 dead in the area.. The 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial of the Vietnam War, pitting the U.S. Marines and their allies against the North Vietnamese Army. Following a rolling barrage fired by nine artillery batteries, the Marine attack advanced through two PAVN trenchlines, but the Marines failed to locate the remains of the men of the ambushed patrol. [30], In early October, the PAVN had intensified battalion-sized ground probes and sustained artillery fire against Con Thien, a hilltop stronghold in the center of the Marines' defensive line south of the DMZ, in northern Qung Tr Province. The site linked to another microwave/tropo site in Hu manned by the 513th Signal Detachment. Five days later, the final reinforcements arrived in the form of the 37th ARVN Ranger Battalion, which was deployed more for political than tactical reasons. Of the 500 CIDG troops at Lang Vei, 200 had been killed or were missing and 75 more were wounded. "[28], As far as Westmoreland was concerned, however, all that he needed to know was that the PAVN had massed large numbers of troops for a set-piece battle. Battle of Khe Sanh: American Casualties : Showing All Results. [116] Marine analysis of PAVN artillery fire estimated that the PAVN gunners had fired 10,908 artillery and mortar rounds and rockets into Marine positions during the battle. [70] Regardless, the SOG reconnaissance teams kept patrolling, providing the only human intelligence available in the battle area. [81] The sensors were implanted by a special naval squadron, Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven (VO-67). Mobile combat operations continued against the North Vietnamese. "[155], According to military historian Ronald Spector, to reasonably record the fighting at Khe Sanh as an American victory is impossible. PAVN forces were driven out of the area around Khe Sanh after suffering 940 casualties. After its adoption, Marine helicopters flew in 465 tons of supplies during February. Its main objectives were to inflict casualties on US troops and to isolate them in the remote border regions. [153][154] The gradual withdrawal of US forces began during 1969 and the adoption of Vietnamization meant that, by 1969, "although limited tactical offensives abounded, US military participation in the war would soon be relegated to a defensive stance. Twenty-five USAF personnel who were killed are also not included. The village of Khe Sanh was the seat of government of Hng Hoa district, an area of Bru Montagnard villages and coffee plantations about 7 miles (11km) from the Laotian frontier on Route 9, the northernmost transverse road in South Vietnam. [36], Things remained quiet in the Khe Sanh area through 1966. As a result of this intelligence, KSCB was reinforced on 22 January 1968 by the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Whether the destruction of one battalion could have been the goal of two to four PAVN divisions was debatable. The combat losses in February and March 1967 were a prelude to the "First Battle of Khe Sanh," one of the Vietnam War's hardest-fought battles, . The Battle of la Drang was considered essential because it sets up a change of tactics for both troops during the conflict. That action prematurely triggered a PAVN offensive aimed at taking Khe Sanh. Radar Intercept Officer Salary, Articles B

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