Battle of long tan casualties

The defining battle of the Vietnam war is now the subject of the film Danger Close.

Although the Australians were heavily outnumbered and almost overwhelmed by the Viet Cong the battle ended in a decisive victory for them, establishing their dominance over the province. This has included the possibility that the Viet Cong had intended to attack and overwhelm Nui Dat, with the initial plan to mortar the base to draw a response force into an ambush after which the base would be attacked and captured, but that they had been prevented from doing so after clashing with D Company, 6 RAR. A second possibility was that they may have had the more limited aim of drawing D Company into an ambush to destroy it and secure a small victory over an isolated force. Finally, it was possible no ambush was planned at all, and that the Viet Cong had been moving on Nui Dat in regimental strength when they unexpectedly ran into D Company, resulting in an encounter battle. Later interviews conducted by an Australian veteran of the battle Terry Burstall, with commanders of the th Battalion and D Battalion including the battle commander and later Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Thoi Bung indicate that mortaring was intended to draw out the 6 RAR out of their base, in which an ambush was to occur followed by a retreat before artillery and air support can be utilised, typical of the grab-by-the-belt tactic.

Battle of long tan casualties

D Company was on a company patrol named "Operation Vendetta" that remained in place until approximately hours 18 August The Task Force then commenced "Operation Smithfield". The Battle of Long Tan occurred in the late afternoon of 18 August in a rubber plantation some metres to the east of the Task Force base at Nui Dat. The events of previous days set the scene. They were trying to locate enemy identified in the latest intelligence reports. Estimates of enemy strengths operating in the area varied from - However the most recent patrols had only fleeting contacts with 3 - 6 man groups. There appeared to be little to add any substance to reports of three enemy Regiments operating in the area. A Coy, 6RAR were also away from the Nui Dat base involved in patrol work, but they were operating to the east and north-east. A Coy had been in three small contacts, killing 2 VC and capturing one.

One soldier ran forward to 10 Platoon under heavy enemy fire carrying a spare radio. Paddy Durnford stepped in and grabbed me as one of his Sgt Mess Lackies.

The battle of Long Tan was fought on 18 August During the battle, 17 Australians were killed and a further 25 were wounded, one of whom later died of wounds. This was the highest number of Australian casualties incurred in any one engagement of the Vietnam War. The losses on the Vietnamese side were at least dead, an estimated wounded, and three captured. The battle of Long Tan was Australia's most costly battle in Vietnam.

On August 18, , in a rubber plantation near the small village of Long Tan, Australian and New Zealand soldiers found themselves encircled by an overwhelming force of over 2, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops. These men, vastly outnumbered, fought for their lives in the face of insurmountable odds. What led to this dramatic confrontation in the jungle? And how did a small contingent of ANZAC troops manage to hold their ground against such a formidable enemy? The Vietnam War , a protracted conflict that lasted from to , had entered one of its most intense phases by the mids. This period saw increased involvement from the United States and its allies, including Australia and New Zealand, in support of South Vietnam against the North Vietnamese forces and their Viet Cong allies. The region, known for its rubber plantations and dense jungle, became a focal point for operations against the Viet Cong.

Battle of long tan casualties

Harry Smith. American intervention Post- Paris Peace Accords — Lists of allied operations. Facing a larger force, D Company called in artillery support. Heavy fighting ensued as the VC attempted to encircle and destroy the Australians, who were resupplied several hours later by two UH-1B Iroquois from No.

Rowing glasses

The battlefield was a scene of devastation, with rubber trees stripped of leaves and branches and bleeding sap, while the area around D Company's final position was heavily cratered. There was a pause in the fire and 5 section Sect was moved to bring fire onto the enemy position. The Viet Cong had been massing for another assault which would have likely destroyed D Company, yet the firepower and mobility of the armour broke their will, forcing them to withdraw. Pennells, Steve 14 August They had won a legendary victory against odds of at least ten to one. As a result, they appear to have been unready when D Company entered the plantation and were likely somewhere on its eastern edge instead. Lists of allied operations. The Sydney Morning Herald. I especially want to congratulate D Company for its outstanding performance. The assault commenced at , with several bugle blasts marking the beginning of a series of attacks against D Company. I initially recommended 20 of my men.

Pipers flank the men who fought in the battle of Long Tan during the dedication ceremony. Erected in memory of the 18 young men who died in one of the most intense and dramatic actions of the Vietnam War, the cross has been adopted by veterans to symbolise all Australians who died or were wounded in that conflict. At its recent unveiling, the men who fought in the now famous battle of Long Tan joined with those who built the cross and placed it on the battle site, to reflect on its significance.

Davies, Bruce; McKay, Gary Soldiers spent a restless night as artillery and air strikes continued to pound the battle site and likely enemy withdrawal routes. Both had recently been occupied. Yet as they did so an accurate barrage from the Australian artillery fell among them, effectively destroying the rear echelon. The company halted just under a rise in the ground. What Smith and his soldiers did not know was that the task force headquarters signals intelligence unit, Signal Troop, had been monitoring the transmissions of a radio set belonging to the Viet Cong Regiment. With the likely firing point plotted, rounds were fired that made the mortaring cease. One was hit in a brief action after the platoon sergeant, Sergeant Bob Buick, engaged them, while the remainder scattered. A third wounded VC was later captured; and all three wounded were given first aid then being evacuated. Well worth veiwing! You have to ask what he thought the reconnaissance was for. Sydney: Hachette Australia. Hong explained the ambush was sprung within range of the artillery at Nui Dat because they correctly assumed no reaction force would move outside the cover it provided, and instead planned on rapidly closing with and destroying it before artillery or air support could be brought in. The Australian. Unable to see either platoon, the D Company forward observer was unsure of 11 Platoon's exact position.