Battle of long tan casualties

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 pron video china and overwhelm Nui Dat, battle of long tan casualties, 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 of long tan casualties.

Australian soldiers fought in scores of fierce actions during the war in Vietnam. Few were as intense or dramatic as the actionin the Long Tan rubber plantation on 18 August An isolated infantry company of men, cut off and outnumbered by at least ten to one, withstood massed Viet Cong attacks for three hours. They suffered the heaviest Australian casualties in a single engagement in Vietnam, but prevailed against the odds. Their valiant stand became a defining action of the war. In the early hours of 17 August, the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat was shaken without warning by enemy mortar and recoilless rifle fire. The bombardment lasted just 22 minutes but it left 24 soldiers wounded and raised fears that it could be a prelude to a full-scale enemy attack on the base, established in the heart of Phuoc Tuy province just two months earlier.

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. Once again, nothing to indicate a large force. The constant poor conditions while in the field were generally little better than in camp as at this stage there was a lot of work required in the base camp area to build up defences. Compass bearings were taken by various units as to the direction from which the mortars had been fired, and soon the Artillery at the base camp returned counter bombardment fire. The following morning a further patrol - B Coy, 6RAR - was sent from the base to find the firing location of the enemy mortars, and harass the VC responsible.

McNeill, Ian; Ekins, Ashley Yet with the VC spent no further attack was mounted.

Harry Smith. American intervention Post- Paris Peace Accords — Lists of allied operations. Facing a larger force, D Company called in artillery support.

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.

Battle of long tan casualties

The Battle of Long Tan in a rubber plantation in South Vietnam in could have been an Australian military disaster, but is instead remembered as a decisive victory. They had taken over from B Company in pursuit of enemy forces which a day earlier had attacked the Australian operations base at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy province. About 3. The Australian soldiers continued their advance, the three platoons of D Company - designated 10,11 and 12 - taking up positions around the rubber plantation.

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In the meantime, Buick repaired the 11 Platoon radio and re-established communications with company headquarters, and with Stanley, who was again able to adjust the artillery by radio. With D Company facing a much larger force, 12 Platoon tried to push up on the right at A Coy and 3 Tp were about metres away and they were struggling to get to D Coy. Jackson requested American assistance, and when the US Army liaison officer responded more favourably, Raw felt no alternative than to accede to the original request, offering to effect the resupply instead. Soldiers of B Company located the mortar base plate positions and followed several enemy tracks, but they encountered no Viet Cong. One hypothesis was 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. Having been repulsed on the left, Smith tried the right flank. These reports were followed up by the 1st APC Squadron and a number of military age males were detained for questioning. Lists of allied operations. While the size of the VC force was unknown, the Australians could not discount the possibility it was part of a larger force preparing to move against Nui Dat.

Pipers flank the men who fought in the battle of Long Tan during the dedication ceremony.

It was decided D Company would take the more easterly track, towards the limit of the range of their covering artillery. Under intense enemy fire, the soldiers of D Company fought off successive assaults, assisted by accurate artillery fire from the base at Nui Dat five kilometres away. Retrieved 6 July Although unusual for allied installations in Vietnam, many of which were located near populated areas, the Australians hoped to deny the VC observation of Nui Dat, and afford greater security to patrols entering and exiting the area. The grisly task of counting the enemy bodies was eventually halted at a total of It seemed impossible for D Coy to hold on any longer. Regardless, a few issues cast doubt on this version of events. Had D Company been attacked from the rear the battle would have been more like an ambush, and they would have been in immediate danger, while it would likely have been irrelevant if the forward Viet Cong troops fired first as the Australians were already well into the plantation. Baker, Mark 16 August However, many of the platoon had been killed or wounded, and most of the survivors were now out of ammunition.