Operation Mameluke Thrust
| Operation Mameluke Thrust | |
|---|---|
| Part of Quảng Nam Province, South Vietnam 15°51′N 108°12′E / 15.85°N 108.2°E | |
| Result | US operational success |
United States
North VietnamMG Carl A. Youngdale
- 7th Marine Regiment
- 3rd Battalion 5th Marines
- A Troop, 1st Squadron
- 36th Regiment
47 captured
Operation Mameluke Thrust was a
Background
On 9 May the
Operation
On 19 May the
On 3 June the area of operations was expanded east into the "Arizona Territory" near the An Hoa Combat Base and the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines was added to the operation.[1]: 343–4
At 07:30 on 7 June while moving south of the Liberty Bridge (15°51′22″N 108°11′31″E / 15.856°N 108.192°E) Company B 1/26 Marine came under fire from a PAVN force dug in on a low hill, the battle continued for 9 hours until the PAVN retreated. Marine losses were 17 dead and 46 wounded while PAVN losses were 64 dead.[1]: 344
On 9 June Company L 3/26 Marines discovered a recently abandoned 125 bed PAVN field hospital. On 11 June Company I 3/26 Marines discovered the headquarters of the PAVN 368B Rocket Regiment and large quantities of rockets and targeting equipment.[1]: 344
On 13 June near the village of Ky Chau 1/26 Marines cornered a PAVN force against the Song Ky Lam and a
On 14 June
On 15 June southeast of Hill 55 1/26 Marines located and overran a PAVN bunker system killing 84 PAVN for the loss of 7 Marines.[1]: 344–5
The operation continued throughout June and July with minimal contact and it appeared that the PAVN had abandoned the area. On 28 July a Marine Stingray patrol spotted 4 PT-76 light tanks 3.5 km northwest of An Hoa Combat Base, artillery and airstrikes were called in and 4 secondary explosions were seen. An agent reported that 2 PT-76s had been destroyed but no wreckage was located.[1]: 347
At 04:00 on 1 August a PAVN force attacked a Marine Stingray patrol in the Arizona Territory killing 5 Marines and wounding 11 for the loss of 3 PAVN.[1]: 347
From 1–2 August
On 6 June Companies E and F 5th Marines engaged a PAVN Company near the village of Cu Ban overrunning the position and killing 23 PAVN for the loss of 1 Marine.[1]: 347–8
On the morning of 17 August 3/5 Marines and BLT
On 29 August a PAVN Platoon ambushed Company D
On 14 September Company L,
On 18 September BLT 2/7 Marines were deployed onto Route 4. The following morning as the Marines patrolled west they were hit by fire from entrenched PAVN positions. The battle continued all day and 2 Companies from 3/7 Marine were helicoptered in to support the assault. Marine losses for the day were 14 dead and 54 wounded. On the morning of 20 September the Marines overran the position finding only 3 dead PAVN from the 2nd Battalion, 36th Regiment. Company G 2/7 Marines then encountered a PAVN force near Nong Son (2) losing 5 dead and 19 wounded before withdrawing to allow supporting fire to engage the PAVN. On 21 September the Marines overran the PAVN bunkers which turn out to be the command post of the 36th Regiment, PAVN losses were 69 killed.[1]: 416–7
Aftermath
Operation Mameluke Thrust concluded on 23 October, the Marines had suffered 269 dead and 1730 wounded while the PAVN had 2728 killed and 47 captured.[1]: 726 Operation Henderson Hill began immediately in the same area of operations.[1]: 423
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
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