Battle of Cửa Việt

Coordinates: 16°54′N 107°11′E / 16.900°N 107.183°E / 16.900; 107.183
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Battle of Cửa Việt
Part of the
Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam
Result North Vietnamese victory
Belligerents Vietnam North Vietnam South Vietnam South Vietnam
 United States (until 28 January)Commanders and leaders Lê Trọng Tấn
Cao Van Khanh South Vietnam Ngô Quang Trưởng
South Vietnam Nguyen Thanh TriCasualties and losses South Vietnamese claim: 1,000 casualties[1] South Vietnam 26 armored vehicles destroyed (27 January)
40 killed, 20 armored vehicles destroyed (between 28–31 January)
2 aircraft shotdown[2]
United States 3 killed
2 aircraft shotdown
North Vietnamese claim: 2,330 killed and wounded, 200 captured
113 tanks and APCs destroyed
12 tanks and APCs captured[3]

Battle of Cửa Việt took place during the

Quảng Trị Province. The battle involved a combined task force of South Vietnamese Marine and armored units that tried to gain a foothold at the Cua Viet Port just as the ceasefire was about to take effect on January 28 in accordance with the Paris Peace Accords. The South Vietnamese forces were finally forced to retreat by a North Vietnamese counterattack with considerable losses on both sides.[4]

Background

In late October 1972 as part of the counteroffensive to the Easter Offensive launched by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) began attacks north of Quảng Trị to try to regain positions along the south bank of the Cam Lộ/Cửa Việt River. The attacks were met with stiff PAVN resistance and were stopped at the Thạch Hãn River. A further attack from the coast by the Vietnamese Marines in November made limited gains. By the end of 1972 the Marines and ARVN occupied positions 5 km south of the river.[2]: 129–31  As the ongoing peace negotiations would soon lead to a ceasefire, the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff sought the most advantageous battlefield positions possible and so ordered a further effort to regain the south bank of the Cam Lộ/Cửa Việt River.[2]: 134 

Opposing forces

Since March 1972, the Cửa Việt base had been controlled by PAVN, particularly the 5th Regiment of the People's Navy of Vietnam.

On 15 January 1973 planning began for a final assault on Cửa Việt . A special combined unit called Task Force Tango was organized, consisting of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Battalions and elements of the 1st Armored Brigade. The task force was put under the command of Colonel Nguyen Thanh Tri, Deputy Commander of the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division.[2]: 134 [5]

Battle

The operation began at 06:55 on 26 January with Task Force Tango advancing in two columns.

Republic of Vietnam Air Force planes with SA-7 missiles.[2]
: 135 

On 27 January an

23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron acting as forward air controller for the attempted rescue of the F-4 crew was hit by an SA-7 missile, both crewmen ejected and radio contact was established with one of them who said he was about to be captured. Neither crewman was returned during Operation Homecoming and both are listed as presumptive finding of death.[7][8]

At 01:45 on 28 January the Marines made a final assault and by 07:00 had broken through the PAVN lines to recapture the base. At 07:45 the

LCM was destroyed as it tried to resupply the Marines. The Marines attempted to break out on the early morning of 31 January and the PAVN recaptured the base.[2]: 136 [5]

Aftermath

South Vietnamese losses were recorded as 40 killed and 20 armored vehicles destroyed in the battle between 28–31 January.[2]: 136 

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

  1. .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-1482384055.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain
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  3. ^ Phạm Phán, "Bẻ gãy cuộc hành quân 'Tango Xi-ty'" Archived 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine (in Vietnamese), People's Army newspaper, retrieved on November 23, 2014
  4. ^ Oral History Interview of Enemy Proselyting Department Colonel Luu Dinh Mien, 13 June 2007, Hanoi" Archived 9 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Vietnam Interviews Project, retrieved on December 8, 2014.
  5. ^ .
  6. ^ "U.S. Accounted-For from the Vietnam War" (PDF). Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Service Member Capt Mark Allan Peterson". Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Service Member Capt George William Morris Jr". Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Retrieved 16 July 2021.