As far as PAVN casualties were concerned, 1,602 bodies were counted, seven prisoners were taken, and two soldiers defected to allied forces during the operation. Once the aircraft touched down, it became the target of any number of PAVN artillery or mortar crews. Khe Sanh had long been responsible for the defense of Lang Vei. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. [121] Casualties from the bombardment were 10 killed and 51 wounded. [108] The most dramatic supply delivery system used at Khe Sanh was the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System, in which palletized supplies were pulled out of the cargo bay of a low-flying transport aircraft by means of an attached parachute. Throughout the battle, Marine artillerymen fired 158,891 mixed rounds. The low figure often cited for US casualties (205 killed in action, 443 wounded, 2 missing) does not take into account U.S. Army or Air Force casualties or those incurred during Operation Pegasus. [55] They were supported logistically from the nearby Ho Chi Minh Trail. Hundreds of mortar rounds and 122-mm rockets slammed into the base, levelling most of the above-ground structures. [57][58] They were assisted in their emplacement efforts by the continuing bad weather of the winter monsoon. It was later renamed "Dye Marker" by MACV in September 1967, just as the PAVN began the first phase of their offensive by launching attacks against Marine-held positions across the DMZ. [80] Westmoreland had already ordered the nascent Igloo White operation to assist in the Marine defense. The deaths of U.S. Air Force personnel, estimated between five and 20, are also omitted. Senior Marine Corps General Victor Krulak agreed, noting on May 13 that the Marines had defeated the North Vietnamese and won the battle of Khe Sanh. Over time, these KIA figures have been accepted by historians. Only nine US battalions were available from Hue/Phu Bai northward. [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. [120], On 23 February, KSCB received its worst bombardment of the entire battle. [88] Westmoreland was so obsessed with the tactical situation that he threatened to resign if his wishes were not obeyed. A myth has grown up around this incident. 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. Construction on the line was ultimately abandoned and resources were later diverted towards implementing a more mobile strategy. Early in the war US forces had established a garrison at Khe Sanh in Quang Tri province, in the . But Pisor also pointed out that 205 is a completely false number. One had to meet certain criteria before being officially considered KIA at Khe Sanh. The Marine defense of Khe Sanh, Operation Scotland, officially ended on March 31. [135] The Marines had constantly argued that technically, Khe Sanh had never been under siege, since it had never truly been isolated from resupply or reinforcement. The Marines fought long, hard and well at Khe Sanh, but they sacrificed in much greater numbers than has been acknowledged by official sources. An additional 413 Marines were killed during Scotland II as of the end of June 1968. When the weather later cleared in March, the amount was increased to 40 tons per day. The September bombardments ranged from 100 to 150 rounds per day, with a maximum on 25 September of 1,190 rounds. [112][113][114] In addition, over 100,000 tons of bombs were dropped until mid-April by aircraft of the USAF, US Navy and Marines onto the area surrounding Khe Sanh. However, the PAVN committed three regiments to the fighting from the Khe Sanh sector. As the relief force made progress, the Marines at Khe Sanh moved out from their positions and began patrolling at greater distances from the base. An airborne battlefield command and control center aboard a C-130 aircraft, directed incoming strike aircraft to forward air control (FAC) spotter planes, which, in turn directed them to targets either located by themselves or radioed in by ground units. The NVA surrounded Khe Sanh in an attempt to force the Marines to break out of their fighting positions, which would make it easier to engage and destroy them. [161], Whether the PAVN actually planned to capture Khe Sanh or the battle was an attempt to replicate the Vit Minh triumph against the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu has long been a point of contention. ~45,000 in total[11]~6,000 Marines at the Combat Base of Khe Sanh[12] [69] Due to the arrival of the 304th Division, KSCB was further reinforced by the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment on 22 January. North Vietnamese Army gained control of the Khe Sanh region after the American withdrawal. 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. newsletter for the best of the past, delivered every Monday and Thursday. The Battle of Khe Sanh began on January 21, 1968, when forces from the People's Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) carried out a massive artillery bombardment on the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh, located in South Vietnam near the border with Laos. On April 15, Operation Pegasus ended and Operation Scotland II began. U.S. reconnaissance forces continued to monitor the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Ten American soldiers were killed; the rest managed to escape down Route 9 to Khe Sanh. by John Prados. U.S. battles of the war in Vietnam had young GIs or Marines humping into the boonies in search of the enemy. [87], Heated debate arose among Westmoreland, Commandant of the Marine Corps Leonard F. Chapman Jr., and Army Chief of Staff Harold K. Johnson. That did not mean, however, that battle was over. About two hours later, an NVA artillery barrage scored a hit on the main ammunition dump at Khe Sanh Combat Base, killing Lance Corp. Jerry Stenberg and other Marines. [139] The 11th Engineers proclaimed Route 9 open to traffic on 11 April. As a result, 65% of all supplies were delivered by paradrops delivered by C-130 aircraft, mostly by the USAF, whose crews had significantly more experience in airdrop tactics than Marine air crews. [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. 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. [54] In attempting to determine PAVN intentions Marine intelligence confirmed that, within a period of just over a week, the 325th Division had moved into the vicinity of the base and two more divisions were within supporting distance. One headquarters would allocate and coordinate all air assets, distributing them wherever they were considered most necessary, and then transferring them as the situation required. The fire of PAVN antiaircraft units took its toll of helicopters that made the attempt. "[168][Note 7], Marine General Rathvon M. Tompkins, the commander of the 3rd Marine Division, pointed out that had the PAVN actually intended to take Khe Sanh, PAVN troops could have cut the base's sole source of water, a stream 500 m outside the perimeter of the base. Once the base came under siege, a series of actions were fought over a period of five months. [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. For them, the battle started when the North Vietnamese attacks began in January. [15], Unknown (1,602 bodies were counted, US official public estimated 10,00015,000 KIA,[19][20] but MACV's secret report estimated 5,550 killed as of 31 March 1968)[1]. [36], Things remained quiet in the Khe Sanh area through 1966. The aircrew then had to contend with antiaircraft fire on the way out. They were not included in the official Khe Sanh counts. [43] Lieutenant General Robert E. Cushman Jr. relieved Walt as commander of III MAF in June. [157], Commencing in 1966, the US had attempted to establish a barrier system across the DMZ to prevent infiltration by North Vietnamese troops. Later, the 1/1 Marines and 3rd ARVN Airborne Task Force (the 3rd, 6th, and 8th Airborne Battalions) would join the operation. [158] The question, known among American historians as the "riddle of Khe Sanh," has been summed up by John Prados and Ray Stubbe: "Either the Tet Offensive was a diversion intended to facilitate PAVN/VC preparations for a war-winning battle at Khe Sanh, or Khe Sanh was a diversion to mesmerize Westmoreland in the days before Tet. [56], At positions west of Hill 881 South and north of Co Roc Ridge (163340N 1063755E / 16.561N 106.632E / 16.561; 106.632), across the border in Laos, the PAVN established artillery, rocket, and mortar positions from which to launch attacks by fire on the base and to support its ground operations. [105] At 07:40, a relief force from Company A, 2nd Platoon set out from the main base and attacked through the PAVN, pushing them into supporting tank and artillery fire. [67], At the same time as the artillery bombardment at KSCB, an attack was launched against Khe Sanh village, seat of Hng Ha District. The Tet Offensive was about to begin. [66] Hours after the bombardment ceased, the base was still in danger. Gordan L Rottman, Osprey Campaign 150: The Khe Sanh 1967-68, p. 51. Military History Institute of Vietnam, p. 222. [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. [1], The evacuation of Khe Sanh began on 19 June 1968 as Operation Charlie. The distinctions between Operations Scotland, Pegasus and Scotland II, while important from the command perspective, were not necessarily apparent to individual Marines. The PAVN 130mm and 152mm artillery pieces, and 122mm rockets, had a longer range than the Marine artillery support which consisted of 105mm and 155mm howitzers. The monumental Battle of Khe Sanh had begun, but the January 21 starting date is essentially arbitrary in terms of casualty reporting. Thirty-three ARVN troops were also killed and 187 were wounded. Declassified documents show that in response, Westmoreland considered using nuclear weapons. The relief of Khe Sanh, called Operation Pegasus, began . By early January, the defenders could count on fire support from 46 artillery pieces of various calibers, five tanks armed with 90-mm guns, and 92 single or Ontos-mounted 106-mm recoilless rifles. He believed that was proved by the PAVN's actions during Tet. The Marines knew that their withdrawal from Khe Sanh would present a propaganda victory for Hanoi. The village, 3km south of the base, was defended by 160 local Bru troops, plus 15 American advisers. Mobile combat operations continued against the North Vietnamese. Marine Khe Sanh veteran Peter Brush is Vietnam Magazines book review editor. He subsequently ordered the US military to hold Khe Sanh at all costs. The Soviet-built PT-76 amphibious tanks of the 203rd Armored Regiment churned over the defenses, backed up by an infantry assault by the 7th Battalion, 66th Regiment and the 4th Battalion of the 24th Regiment, both elements of the 304th Division. [138], On the following day, the 2nd Brigade captured the old French fort near Khe Sanh village after a three-day battle. Armies and Commanders Allies General William Westmoreland Colonel David Lownds Approx. To support the Marine base, a massive aerial bombardment campaign (Operation Niagara) was launched by the USAF. [12], Following the closure of the base, a small force of Marines remained around Hill 689 carrying out mopping-up operations. 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. The platoon withdrew following a three-hour battle that left six Marines dead, 24 missing, and one taken prisoner. McNamara's thinking may have also been affected by his aide David Morrisroe, whose brother Michael Morrisroe was serving at the base. 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. The new anchor base was established at Ca Lu, a few miles down Route 9 to the east. By late January 1967, the 1/3 returned to Japan and was relieved by Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (1/9 Marines). The Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base broke out of their perimeter and began attacking the North Vietnamese in the surrounding area. Taking a larger but more realistic view, the Khe Sanh campaign resulted in a death toll of American military personnel that approached 1,000. "[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. The assault began on 10 May 1969 w ith the 101st Airborne Division and troops of the 9th M arine Regiment, the 5 th Cavalry Regiment, and the 3 rd ARVN Regiment. On January 21 at Khe Sanh, 30,000 North Vietnamese troops attacked an air base held by just 6,000 United States Marines. Time magazine, in an April 12, 1968, article titled Victory at Khe Sanh, reported General William Westmoreland, commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, after flying into Khe Sanh by helicopter, declaring: We took 220 killed at Khe Sanh and about 800 wounded and evacuated. The 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment (2/1 Marines) and the 2/3 Marines would launch a ground assault from Ca Lu Combat Base (16km east of Khe Sanh) and head west on Route 9 while the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigades of the 1st Cavalry Division, would air-assault key terrain features along Route 9 to establish fire support bases and cover the Marine advance. Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the war's most famous siege, a 77-day struggle for a rain-swept plateau in central Vietnam that riveted the U.S. in 1968, and opened a year of . SOG Reconnaissance teams also reported finding tank tracks in the area surrounding Co Roc mountain. Its mission was to destroy the Special Forces and their Vietnamese allies and to ambush any reinforcements coming from Khe Sanh. Over 100,000 tons of bombs were dropped by US aircraft and over 158,000 artillery rounds were fired in defense of the base. "[52], Brigadier General Lowell English (assistant commander 3rd Marine Division) complained that the defense of the isolated outpost was ludicrous: "When you're at Khe Sanh, you're not really anywhere. Siege at Khe Sanh: ~17,200 (304th and 308th Division), Defense at Route 9: ~16,900 (320th and 324th Division), This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 15:52. "[136], Regardless, on 1 April, Operation Pegasus began. [81] The sensors were implanted by a special naval squadron, Observation Squadron Sixty-Seven (VO-67). Minor attacks continued before the base was officially closed on 5 July. [28], In early December 1967, the PAVN appointed Major General Tran Quy Hai as the local commander for the actions around Khe Sanh, with Le Quang Do as his political commissar. The Marines found a solution to the problem in the "Super Gaggle" concept. None of the deaths associated with Scotland II are included in the official count. [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. [78], Thus began what was described by John Morocco as "the most concentrated application of aerial firepower in the history of warfare". The Marines claimed 115 PAVN killed, while their own casualties amounted to 10 dead, 100 wounded, and two missing. Battle of Hamburger Hill The 29 th North Vietnam Army had entrenched themselves on Hamburger Hill in South Vietnam; a joint US-South Vietnamese force was ordered to remove them. 129131. The most controversial statistic in Vietnam was the number of killed in action (KIA) claimed by each side. [1] According to Brush, it was "the only occasion in which Americans abandoned a major combat base due to enemy pressure" and in the aftermath, the North Vietnamese began a strong propaganda campaign, seeking to exploit the US withdrawal and to promote the message that the withdrawal had not been by choice. [125] On the night of 28 February, the combat base unleashed artillery and airstrikes on possible PAVN staging areas and routes of advance. Nevertheless, the US commander during the battle, General William Westmoreland, maintained that the true intention of Tet was to distract forces from Khe Sanh. The border battles, however, had two significant consequences, which were unappreciated at the time. [93], The situation changed radically during the early morning hours of 7 February. [12], General Creighton Abrams also suggested that the North Vietnamese may have been planning to emulate Dien Bien Phu. Enemy artillery rounds slammed into the runway. [82], By the end of the battle, USAF assets had flown 9,691 tactical sorties and dropped 14,223tons of bombs on targets within the Khe Sanh area. [122] The majority of these were around the southern and southeastern corners of the perimeter, and formed part of a system that would be developed throughout the end of February and into March until they were ready to be used to launch an attack, providing cover for troops to advance to jumping-off points close to the perimeter. [96], The Marines at Khe Sanh had a plan in place for providing a ground relief force in just such a contingency, but Lownds, fearing a PAVN ambush, refused to implement it. American intelligence estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 PAVN troops were killed during the operation, equating to up to 90% of the attacking 17,200-man PAVN force. As a result of this intelligence, KSCB was reinforced on 22 January 1968 by the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Ray Stubbe has published a translation of the North Vietnamese history of the siege at Khe Sanh. [74], During January, the recently installed electronic sensors of Operation Muscle Shoals (later renamed "Igloo White"), which were undergoing test and evaluation in southeastern Laos, were alerted by a flurry of PAVN activity along the Ho Chi Minh Trail opposite the northwestern corner of South Vietnam. Murphy 2003, pp. . Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, then began planning for incursion into Laos, and in October, the construction of an airfield at Khe Sanh was completed. [107] The greatest impediments to the delivery of supplies to the base were the closure of Route 9 and the winter monsoon weather. With Khe Sanh facing a full-scale. On June 19, 1968, another operation began at Khe Sanh, Operation Charlie, the final evacuation and destruction of the Khe Sanh Combat Base. Aug 23, 2013. Taking place between March and July 1970, the Battle of Fire. On January 14, Marines from Company B, 3rd Recon Battalion, were moving up the north slope of Hill 881 North, a few miles northwest of Khe Sanh Combat Base.
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