Battle of Hill 488
Battle of Hill 488 | |
---|---|
Part of Operation Kansas, Quảng Nam Province South Vietnam 15°20′N 108°17′E / 15.34°N 108.29°E | |
Result | American victory |
North Vietnam
1st Battalion, 5th Marines
1/5 Marines: ~250
The Battle of Hill 488 was a military engagement of the Vietnam War that took place on the night of 15–16 June 1966. A small United States Marine Corps (USMC) reconnaissance platoon inflicted large casualties on regular People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) fighters before withdrawing with only a few dead.
Background
In June 1966, the
On the afternoon and evening of the 13th, seven teams from
Team 2 was deployed at dusk on 13 June, a platoon of 16 Marines and 2
Battle
On the 14th, the PAVN began organizing a force to attack the post.
After fending off another coordinated assault, the Marines were low on ammunition, and all of them had been wounded by that point. While the frustrated pilots circled the area without being able to see clear targets, a
As the PAVN/VC launched their third assault, Howard forbade the use of automatic fire to conserve ammunition. Out of grenades, the Marines threw rocks in the hopes that the enemy would confuse them for live explosives.[4][5] A pair of UH-34 Choctaws attempted to land at about 03:00, but were driven off by heavy fire.[1] By 04:00, six of the eighteen Americans had been killed, and Howard was immobilized by a wound to his back, using Binns to relay commands to the platoon while he called in air strikes. The PAVN/VC ceased offensive tactics and dug into cover (as daylight made them vulnerable to unassisted air attack), but kept the Marines trapped on the hilltop. During a lull in the fighting, Major William J. Goodsell, commanding officer of VMO-6, risked a landing to medevac the wounded, but was shot down and later died of his wounds.[4][5] When a second UH-1 offered itself as bait to draw out enemy positions, it too was shot down, killing a crew chief. Two other Marines were killed of gunshot wounds in their helicopters.[5]
Just before 10:00, Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines arrived on the south face in UH-34s.[6] While the reconnaissance team was evacuated immediately, the infantry company remained for a few hours to finish the fight.[1] After brief resistance, the PAVN/VC retreated in the face of the reinforcements, leaving forty-two of their dead behind.[3]
Aftermath
After both sides had retreated, the battle had lasted approximately twelve hours of vicious fighting, some hand-to-hand. The marines of Team 2 lost six men, Company C lost four, and the two aviation squadrons lost two Marines each, along with two UH-1Es. US claims the PAVN/VC casualties range from 42[7] to 100[6] or 200.[3]
The first phase of Operation Kansas ended on the 16th, and the second phase of the operation was modified. The ARVN forces were unavailable due to the Buddhist Uprising at Huế, but Lieutenant General Lewis William Walt, the commander of III MAF, ordered the operation to continue. With 141 reported sightings, Marine infantry and fire support dispersed PAVN troops from the area, and the operation ended on the 22nd. The next month, Sullivan would take his battalion onto Operation Washington.[1]
Each member of Team 2 was decorated for their actions, each also receiving the
The desperate nature of the fighting, often hand-to-hand,[4][7] lead to comparisons with Battle of the Alamo[2][3] and The Longest Day.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Murphy, Edward F. (1997). Semper Fi—Vietnam; From Da Nang to the DMZ: Marine Corps Campaigns, 1965–1975. New York City: Ballantine Publishing Group.
- ^ a b c d e Hubbill, John G.; David Reid (May 1968). "Hill 488: A Fight to Remember". Reader's Digest. pp. 60–66.
- ^ a b c d e Adelhelm, Robert (16 May 2006). "The Forgotten Heroes amongst us…". Leatherneck ezine. Marine Corps Association. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Sterner, C. Douglas. "Jimmie Howard's Story". Home of Heroes. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k West Jr., Capt Francis J. "Howard's Hill: Small Unit Action In Vietnam Summer 1966". History and Museums Division. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b Richard, Hart. "Hill 488 Correspondence". hill488.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Tom (June 1996). "Vietnam: 30 Years Ago: The Alamo With Survivors". Leatherneck. Marine Corps Association. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ Adelhelm, Robert (4 December 2010). "Stolen Valor & Forgotten Heroes". Jacksonville Semper Fidelis Society. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Gunnery Sergeant Jimmie E. Howard, USMC (deceased)". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. United States Marine Corps History Division. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "USS Howard (DDG 83)". Naval Vessel Register. United States Navy. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "In Memory of 1stSgt Jimme E. Howard". Force Recon Association. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "Ricardo C. Binns". Military Times. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
- ^ "Billie D. Holmes". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "Jerrald Rich Thompson". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "John Terry Adams". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ "Richard J. Fitzpatrick". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
"Alcadio Norber Mascarenas". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
"Thomas D. Glawe". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
"Charles William Bosley". Military Times. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
"Ignatius Carlisi". Military Times. Retrieved 29 December 2010.