Battle of long tan casualties

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

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. In the years immediately following the battle of Long Tan, the main focus of Australian task force operations gradually shifted to the more remote regions of Phuoc Tuy province and beyond.

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 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. After two months it had moved beyond the initial requirements of establishing itself and securing its immediate approaches, beginning operations to open the province. For several weeks Australian signals intelligence SIGINT had tracked a radio transmitter moving westwards to a position just north of Long Tan; however, extensive patrolling failed to find the unit. A number of weapon pits were subsequently found, as were the positions of the mortars and RCLs. D Company took over the pursuit around midday on 18 August. At the lead element, 11 Platoon, clashed with a Viet Cong squad and forced them to withdraw. Shortly after resuming the advance, at the platoon came under small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from a flank after drawing ahead of the other platoons and was isolated.

Canberra: Department of Defence. Over the following five years, aggressive Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army forces periodically threatened the peace and stability within the province and forced the task force to retaliate.

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.

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. An isolated infantry company of men withstood massed Viet Cong attacks for three hours in torrential rain in a rubber plantation near the small village of Long Tan. They were outnumbered by at least ten to one, and they might have been overrun, but for a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base at Nui Dat, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier But victory came at a high cost: 17 Australians were killed and 25 were wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds. After the battle, the bodies of enemy soldiers were found. There was evidence that many more bodies had been carried away.

Battle of long tan casualties

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. In the years immediately following the battle of Long Tan, the main focus of Australian task force operations gradually shifted to the more remote regions of Phuoc Tuy province and beyond. Few Australians visited the site of the battle in the Long Tan rubber plantation, although it lay less than five kilometres from the task force base at Nui Dat. 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. This epic battle reinforced traits for which Australian soldiers have become world renowned: courage and determination, mateship and teamwork, leadership and tenacity, compassion and humour," said Major General Jeffery on the 40th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan. On 18th August a large force of Viet Cong advancing through a rain-swept rubber plantation encountered infantrymen from D Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment.

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There were also 1, missing from the units. The thunderstorm added to the deafening din of the battle, making all communication difficult. At that distance, the spacing between the Australians was now greater than the maximum effective range of their weapons. This position would afford greater protection, while the helicopters would be less likely to attract ground fire. Archived from the original on The southern side of the base was only lightly defended and an assault from that direction would have allowed the Viet Cong to attack the gunline first, and if they succeeded in breaking-in would have then crossed metres yd of open ground before reaching Headquarters 1 ATF. The events in Canberra included a four-gun salute and flyover by Vietnam-era aircraft, including Iroquois helicopters, Hercules and Caribou transports and two B bombers. After inspecting the area and a quick meal of combat rations, D Company entered the rubber plantation at about 3 pm to search eastwards. The artillery had been almost constant throughout and proved critical in ensuring the survival of D Company. Archived from the original on 24 May Lacking any reserve, the assault was halted, although many of unwounded attackers attempted to crawl around the D Company perimeter, and snipers fired from the trees. B Company were due to go on leave, and therefore returned to Nui Dat on the morning of the 18th.

Harry Smith. American intervention Post- Paris Peace Accords —

With the route largely dictated by the terrain, the possibility of the relief force being ambushed concerned Townsend and Jackson, but given the dire situation, they saw no alternative, and considered it unlikely, given the ground had been covered by frequent patrols, the proximity of D Company's position to Nui Dat, the open country between the base and rubber plantation, and that it was not yet dark. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. This was considered unlikely, although not impossible, and thus 5RAR were ordered to return to Nui Dat. At , just as the forward sections entered the tree line on the other side, but before platoon headquarters could follow, a group of six to eight VC approached their right flank along the track from the south. According to the official D Battalion history, the officers of the units involved met in early August to finalise plans for the attack. The movement continued at a rate of 1 kilometre 0. The Long Tan cross. Require drop through trees. I remember making it down to the Guns when the call went out for Ammo Assistance and spent the next 10 hours doing just that. Major Smith managed to draw his platoons together and organise his force into a defensive perimeter around the company headquarters. Photographs from the unveiling of the Long Tan cross. A Company disembarked and took up firing positions between the vehicles, joining 2 Platoon. These reports were followed up by the 1st APC Squadron and a number of military age males were detained for questioning.