Operation Desoto
Đức Phổ District, South Vietnam 14°48′54″N 108°57′36″E / 14.815°N 108.96°E | |
Result | See aftermath |
---|
95th Battalion
Operation Desoto was a
Background
As part of the US-Vietnamese combined action plan for 1967, the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines was scheduled to assume the defense of Đức Phổ District from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 4th Battalion, 4th Regiment 2nd Division which would concentrate on pacification.[1]: 53
Operation
On 27 January, Company L 3/7 Marines and
On occupying Truong Sanh, villagers informed the Marines that a large
On 30 January, after preparatory artillery fire, Company I moved east towards the village of Hai Mon (14°49′23″N 108°58′41″E / 14.823°N 108.978°E) where they were met with intense small arms fire. Airstrikes were called in, followed by helicopter gunships. One of the UH-1E gunships was hit and had to make an emergency landing. The VC defenses were well-constructed and the Marines soon found themselves caught in a crossfire in the paddyfields west of the village. At 16:55, Company I was ordered to withdraw to the west and Company M was sent in to help them disengage under the cover of artillery and airstrikes. Due to the intense fire, the withdrawal and evacuation of casualties wasn't completed until 22:00.[1]: 56
On 31 January, a massive artillery bombardment was directed against Hai Mon. That night, the 3/7 command post was hit by VC mortar fire then attacked by an estimated 20 VC. The attack was defeated with two VC killed and 14 Marines wounded.[1]: 56
On 5 February, the Marines launched a fresh assault against Hai Mon. Reconnaissance had indicated that the VC defenses faced west and so it was decided that Companies L and M would be deployed by helicopter east of the village. As artillery hit Hai Mon, helicopters from
Operation Desoto continued throughout February with the Marines searching numerous villages, meeting minimal opposition but suffering steady attrition due to mines and sniper fire.[1]: 57
On 16 February,
Operation Desoto continued into March with numerous small skirmishes with the VC. On the early morning of 24 March, the VC hit the 3/7 Marines base with mortar and recoilless rifle fire, killing three Marines and igniting a 70,000-gallon fuel storage dump. On 27 March, the VC fired 18 recoilless rifle rounds at the destroyer
On 5 April, a patrol from Company G 3/7 Marines triggered a mine near their night defensive position southeast of Nui Dau. A medical evacuation of the two wounded Marines was requested, and a UH-1E gunship #151852 from VMO-6 arrived to pick up the wounded; the helicopter was instructed to hover over the landing zone in case there were any more mines, but as it did so, a command-detonated mine made from a 250 lb bomb was detonated, destroying the helicopter, and a further mine was detonated as Marines rushed to assist, killing all four helicopter crew and eight Marines and Navy corpsmen.[1]: 62 [2]
Aftermath
Operation Desoto concluded on 7 April, the Marines had suffered 76 dead and 573 wounded and claimed the Vietcong 383 killed.[1]: 63
References
- ^ .
- ^ "670405 VMO-6 Vietnam". Popasmoke. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.