Operation Carentan
Operation Carentan | |
---|---|
Part of Thừa Thiên Province, South Vietnam | |
Result | US operational success |
South Vietnam
2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division
1st Division
157 suspects detained
488 individual and 93 crew-served weapons recovered[1]: 174
Operation Carentan and Operation Carentan II were security operations conducted during the
Background
Following the conclusion of the Battle of Huế, Lieutenant general William B. Rosson, the I Field Force commander ordered Major general Olinto M. Barsanti, commander of the 101st Airborne Division to deploy the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and the newly deployed 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division to take over the Jeb Stuart operational area from the 1st Cavalry Division as it prepared for Operation Pegasus, the relief of Khe Sanh Combat Base.[2]: 502
Operation
Operation Carentan I
The initial phase of the operations called for the 2nd Brigade, 101st and the 3rd Brigade, 82nd to secure
On 18 March the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division established a command post at Firebase Birmingham, 10 km southwest of Huế overlooking Route 547. The following day, the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment was sent further west on Route 547 to seize an old French fort, while the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry, advanced along the northern side of Route 547, and the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, screened the southern side of the road. These moves were unopposed and engineers began building Firebase Henry (16°20′56″N 107°30′58″E / 16.349°N 107.516°E) near the French fort.[2]: 504 [3]
The 1st Brigade continued moving west along Route 547 and on 21 March 8 km west of Firebase Henry Company C 1/327th Infantry, ran into a small PAVN outpost on the north side of the road. After overrunning that position, Company C then found a larger group of bunkers. Company A moved to join Company C and they overran the position, losing six killed and 20 wounded. Several hundred meters further west they encountered more PAVN bunkers and this time their assault was repulsed for the loss of six killed and 52 wounded. The units were withdrawn so that air and artillery support could be brought in. When the assault resumed the next morning the PAVN had abandoned their positions. As the U.S. forces continued their advance they encountered small groups of PAVN who would usually abandon their positions rather than stand and fight.[2]: 504
General Barsanti ordered the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne to search the foothills west of Huế, that held the PAVN's Base Area 114. On 22 March, the 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment deployed into Base Area 114. Over the next few weeks 35 U.S. soldiers were killed in firefights with the PAVN, while a misplaced artillery barrage killed 11 more. PAVN losses were 175 killed.[2]: 504
On 27 March the 1st Brigade established Firebase Bastogne which became the brigade’s forward operating base. More than 20 artillery pieces were soon in place putting the A Sầu Valley within artillery range.[2]: 504
Operation Carentan II
On 1 April Operation Carentan II commenced in the same general area.
On 3 April a
On 29 April the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Hac Bao (Black Panther) reconnaissance company of the 1st Division made contact with a PAVN force in a hamlet 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Huế. They exchanged small arms fire until elements of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne arrived and cordoned off the area blocking escape routes. Artillery, airstrikes and helicopter gunships then attacked the hamlet and ARVN forces then swept the hamlet until contact was lost at dusk. PAVN losses were 352 killed while ARVN losses were eight killed.[1]: 165
On 1 May elements of the 101st Airborne’s cavalry unit engaged a PAVN platoon 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Huế, the PAVN withdrew into a bunker complex which was then targeted by artillery, airstrikes and helicopter gunships until contact was lost at 19:45. PAVN losses were 82 killed for US losses of one killed.[1]: 166
On 5 May 3 Brigade, 82nd Airborne engaged a PAVN force 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Huế until contact was lost at 16:00. PAVN losses were 82 killed for US losses of eight killed.[1]: 169
Carentan II ended on 17 May 1968, US losses were 156 killed, while PAVN/VC losses were 2,096 killed and 157 suspects detained and 488 individual and 93 crew-served weapons captured.[1]: 174
Aftermath
Cumulative U.S. losses were 214 killed, while PAVN losses were 2320 killed.[2]: 506 [1]: 174
As Operation Carentan II progressed U.S. and ARVN forces launched Operation Delaware into the A Sầu Valley.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- ^ a b c d e f "MACV Chronology of events" (PDF). Department of the Army headquarters, 11th Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Retrieved 7 August 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ .
- ISBN 978-1555716257.
- .
- ^ Lickness, Tim (28 May 1998). "Vet remembers rescue of Dustoff 65". Fort Bend Sun. George Boehme.