ROBERT HUFFSTUTTER says:
Tan
The Battle of Long Tan (18 August 1966) took place near the village of Long Tan, 27 kilometres (17 mi) north east of Vung Tau, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between Australian forces and Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units after the 108-man D Company, 6 RAR clashed with a force of over 2,000 men from the Viet Cong 275th Regiment, reinforced by at least one North Vietnamese battalion and elements of D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion. The 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) had arrived in South Vietnam between April and June 1966, constructing a base at Nui Dat. After two months 1 ATF had moved beyond the initial requirements of establishing a base and securing its immediate approaches, beginning operations to open the province. Meanwhile, in response to the growing threat posed by the Australians the 275th Regiment was ordered to move against Nui Dat. For several weeks prior Australian signals intelligence (SIGINT) had tracked a radio transmitter moving south to a position just north of Long Tan; however, aggressive patrolling failed to find the unit. At 02:43 on the night of 16/17 August Nui Dat was heavily bombarded by Viet Cong mortars, artillery and recoilless rifles (RCLs) fired from a position 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) to the east. Although the Australians expected the Viet Cong to have withdrawn, a number of company-sized patrols would be dispatched in response. The following morning B Company, 6 RAR departed to locate the firing points and the direction of the Viet Cong withdrawal. A number of weapon pits were subsequently found, as were the firing positions of the mortars and RCLs.
Around midday on 18 August, D Company took over the pursuit. At 15:40, the lead element clashed with a Viet Cong squad and forced them to withdraw. Shortly after resuming the advance, at 16:08 11 Platoon came under small-arms and rocket propelled grenade fire from a company-sized force after drawing ahead of the other platoons and was isolated. Calling for artillery support, a heavy monsoon rain began which reduced visibility and turned the ground to mud. Beginning as an encounter battle, heavy fighting ensued as the advancing Viet Cong attempted to encircle the Australians. After less than twenty minutes more than a third of 11 Platoon had become casualties, while shortly after the platoon commander was also killed. 10 Platoon attempted to move up on the left but came under heavy fire and was forced to withdraw. With D Company facing at least a battalion 12 Platoon attempted to move up on the right at 17:15, fighting off an attack on their right as they advanced, before pushing forward another 100 metres (110 yd). Suffering increasing casualties, they clashed with several groups moving around their western flank to form a cut-off force prior to mounting a frontal assault. They subsequently opened a path to 11 Platoon yet were unable to advance any further and threw smoke to mark their location. With D Company nearly out of ammunition, two UH-1B Iroquois helicopters from No. 9 Squadron RAAF arrived overhead at 18:00 to resupply them. Meanwhile, the survivors from 11 Platoon withdrew back to 12 Platoon's position during a lull in the fighting, suffering further casualties as they did so. Still heavily engaged, both platoons then returned to the company position under the cover of the artillery.
By 18:10 D Company had reformed into a position of all round defence. Yet with D Company in danger of being overrun, B Company, which was still on its way back to Nui Dat, was ordered to return on foot. Meanwhile, A Company was dispatched mounted in M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from 3 Troop, 1st APC Squadron. Departing Nui Dat at 17:55, the relief force moved east, crossing a swollen creek before encountering elements of D445 Battalion forming up to outflank D Company and assault it from the rear. The Viet Cong were caught by surprise as the Australian cavalry crashed into their flank and with darkness falling they broke through to D Company at 19:00, while B Company arrived at the same time. The APCs continued to assault a further 500 metres (550 yd) before being ordered to return to the company location. Arriving at a crucial point in the fighting, the relief force turned the tide of the battle. 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 to fight, forcing them to withdraw as night approached. The artillery had been almost constant throughout the battle and it proved critical in ensuring the survival of D Company. By 19:15 the firing had ceased and the Australians prepared for another attack. However, after it became clear the Viet Cong were not going to counter-attack, they were ordered to withdraw to a position 750 metres (820 yd) to the west from where the casualties could be evacuated by helicopter. With the dead and wounded loaded on to the carriers D Company left at 22:45, while B and A Company departed on foot. A landing zone was subsequently established by the cavalry and the evacuation of the casualties was finally completed after midnight.
Forming a defensive position ready to repulse an expected attack the Australians remained overnight, enduring the cold and heavy rain. They returned to the battlefield in strength the next day, with 6 RAR sweeping the area and locating a large number of Viet Cong casualties. Although initially believing they had suffered a major defeat, as the scale of the losses suffered by the Viet Cong were revealed it became clear that they had in fact won a significant victory. As the clearance continued two wounded Viet Cong soldiers were shot and killed after they moved to engage the Australians, while three more were captured. The missing men from 11 Platoon were also recovered; their bodies found lying where they had fallen, largely undisturbed. Two of the men were discovered to have survived despite their wounds, having spent the night on the battlefield in close proximity to the Viet Cong as they attempted to evacuate their own casualties. Due to the likely presence of a sizeable communist force nearby the Australians remained cautious as they searched for the Viet Cong. Over the next two days they continued to clear the battlefield, uncovering more Viet Cong dead as they did so. Yet with 1 ATF lacking the resources to mount a pursuit of the withdrawing force, the operation ended on 21 August. Despite being heavily outnumbered, D Company had held off a large Viet Cong assault of regimental strength supported by heavy artillery fire, before a relief force consisting of cavalry and infantry fought their way through and forced the Viet Cong to withdraw. Eighteen Australians were killed and 24 wounded, while the Viet Cong lost at least 245 dead which were found on the battlefield over the days that followed. A decisive Australian victory, Long Tan proved a major local set back for the Viet Cong, indefinitely forestalling an imminent movement against Nui Dat and challenging their previous domination of Phuoc Tuy Province. Although there were other large-scale encounters between the Australians and Viet Cong in later years, 1 ATF was not fundamentally challenged again.
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