Operation Deckhouse Five

Edit links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Operation Deckhouse V
Part of
Kiến Hòa Province, South Vietnam
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents  United States
 South Vietnam Viet CongCommanders and leaders United States BG Louis MetzgerUnits involved
1st Battalion 9th Marines
South Vietnam 3rd and 4th Marine Battalions
UnknownCasualties and losses United States 7 killed
South Vietnam 1 killed 21 killed
44 weapons recovered

Operation Deckhouse Five was a

Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps operation that took place from 6–15 January 1967 in the Mekong Delta, during the Vietnam War
. "The ten-day sweep," reported the AP from its daily military roundup from Saigon, "proved unproductive."

Background

For the USMC, the operation was notable for the following reasons: it was a sizable, combined USMC and Vietnamese Marine amphibious operation and it was the last Special Landing Force (SLF) amphibious landing to take place beyond the boundaries of I Corps.[1]: 151  An SLF was the designation of the Marine battalion (1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment reinforced) and the medium helicopter squadron (HMM) assigned to the Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group. The SLF regularly conducted amphibious operations across Vietnamese beaches into areas of suspected Viet Cong and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) activity.[2] The intent of the operation was to secure ammunition dumps, ordnance and engineering workshops, hospitals, and indoctrination centers.[3]

Operation

After 2 days of postponement due to bad weather, the operation began on 6 January with a sea and heliborne assault onto the beaches between the Co Chien and Ham Luong branches of the Mekong Delta which was suspected of being a Viet Cong stronghold.[1]

Supporting units

Aftermath

The operation was a ‘disappointment’ resulting in ‘only’ 21 Vietcong killed, 2 small arms workshops destroyed and 44 weapons captured for the loss of 7 US and 1 Vietnamese Marines. It was believed that the Vietcong had been forewarned of the attack because intelligence learned that larger Vietcong units had recently left the area.[1]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1494285449.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain
    .
  2. ^ "Glossary of Terms". USMC/Combat Helicopter Association. Archived from the original on 2007-01-03. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  3. ISBN 978-0-8160-8248-3
    .
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-12-08. Retrieved 2013-07-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operation Deckhouse V.


Stub icon

This article about a military operation in the history of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This United States Marine Corps article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Deckhouse_Five&oldid=1176756517"