Battle of An Ninh
Battle of An Ninh | |
---|---|
Part of Gia Lai Province | |
Result | see Aftermath |
South Vietnam
Rangers
The Battle of An Ninh took place from 18–19 September 1965 between elements of the
.Background
In August 1965 the 1st Brigade,
Battle
At 07:00 on 18 September 1965 the 2/502nd Infantry and an
The VC did nothing to contest the first group of helicopters, but when the second arrived, fire from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars became so intense that the American commander on the scene, Lieutenant colonel Wilfrid K. G. Smith, had to wave off the rest of the helicopters before all the men could land. As a result, only 224 men were actually on the ground. After some initial confusion, the troops organized a defensive perimeter and began to return fire.[1]: 42
Over the next few hours the VC pressed their attack, throwing the survival of the force into question. Complicating the situation, the Americans had neglected to bring along mortars and recoilless rifles; the battalion commander never considered the possibility that his men could use them in mountain country. Artillery support was unavailable because recent rains had rendered a critical ford impassable and helicopters capable of carrying artillery within range of the battle were flying other missions. Although A-1E Skyraiders had struck the landing zone prior to the insertion, none were available from shortly after 07:30 until 09:00 as the fuel at Bien Hoa Air Base had somehow become contaminated. The force on the ground was thus on its own for almost two hours, encountering enemy fire so intense that it brought down or damaged 26 helicopters during the course of the day. Shortly after 09:00 F-100 Super Sabres finally arrived. Fifty more airstrikes followed as the day lengthened. Smith called in some of the strikes to within 100m of his position and two of his men died in the bombing. But air power did the job and reversed the situation.[1]: 42
A U.S./ARVN relief force began moving into the area by helicopter during the late afternoon. But by the time it had landed and reorganized, night had fallen, making it impossible to travel the final distance overland to assist the beleaguered troops.[2] Setting out early the next day, the group reached the American perimeter by midmorning. By then the fighting had ended. Joined on 20 September by other units approaching from the west, the relief force searched the area but found little. The 1st Brigade shut down Gibraltar on the 21st.[1]: 43
Aftermath
In all, 13 Americans died in the encounter and 28 were wounded. VC losses reportedly ranged from 226 to 257 by body count, most killed by airstrikes.[1]: 43 A total of 11,000 artillery rounds and 100 tactical air-strikes were conducted to avert the potential disaster that awaited US forces[3]
It was the first serious firefight between regular forces of the U.S. Army and the VC. The battle was covered by CBS News reporter John Laurence who interviewed the 1st Brigade commander, Colonel James Timothy and paratroopers who had been in the fight. One said their boots were falling apart in the tropical climate and they had eaten corn from the fields because they were out of food. "I was like a proud papa out there," an older sergeant said. "The privates led the charge. The privates went first." "It was a nightmare," a private said. "Nobody slept all night." A sergeant said, "I spent three years in Korea and never saw nothing like this." Laurence witnessed the violent interrogation of an enemy prisoner who had been captured during the battle.[4]
Although soon overshadowed by other events, the battle produced contradictory interpretations. Timothy considered the engagement "particularly significant because it marked the first conquest of a VC Main Force unit by any U.S. Army element in Vietnam.”
References
- ^ .
- ^ Stanton, Shelby (1995). The Rise and Fall of an American Army: U.S. Ground Forces in Vietnam, 1965-1973.
- ISBN 9780786487561.
- ISBN 1586481606.
- ISBN 9780671695347.
External links