Operation Neosho
Operation Neosho | |
---|---|
Part of Thừa Thiên Province, South Vietnam | |
Result | inconclusive |
Col. William L. Dick
Col. Stanley S. Hughes
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
1st Battalion, 9th Marines
3rd Battalion, 12th Marines
3rd Battalion, 26th Marines
802nd Battalion
9 captured
Operation Neosho was a security operation in northern
Background
Operation Neosho was a continuation of Operation Fremont with the same forces and operational area. The Neosho area of operations was in northern Thừa Thiên Province, northwest of Huế with its northern boundary on the Mỹ Chánh River, the southern boundary on the Bo River, the eastern boundary on Highway 1 opposite the Street Without Joy and the western boundary in the foothills of the highlands. The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Base Area 114 was located in the CoBi-Than Tan valley in the western foothills.[1]: 78 [2]
Col. William L. Dick's
Operation
On 25 October under the name Operation Granite the 1/3 Marines and 1/4 Marines attacked Base Area 114 which was believed to be the base of the PAVN 6th Regiment. The Marines engaged elements of the 6th Regiment's 800th and 802nd Battalions, killing 20 PAVN for the loss of 25 Marines. At the end of the operation on 6 November BLT 1/3 Marines was moved north to
On 18 November 1/4 Marines was deployed outside the Neosho operational area. On 22 November 1st Battalion, 9th Marines replaced the 3/26th Marines at Camp Evans and 3/26 Marines swept the CoBi-Than Tan valley before being moved to Khe Sanh Combat Base on 13 December, leaving 1/9 Marines as the only infantry battalion in the area.[1]: 79
Despite the limited results from Operation Granite and subsequent operations, the
On 7 January marine air and artillery strikes on PAVN bunkers south of Hill 51 resulted in large secondary explosions. After midnight on 8 January, a Marine night ambush 5 km east of Hill 51 killed five Viet Cong and captured two. On 15 January airstrikes against PAVN bunkers killed seven PAVN and caused two secondary explosions. On 19 January a company ambush site observed 36 PAVN moving along Route 554; they were reinforced and called in artillery strikes and then advanced, forcing the PAVN to flee, leaving six dead. On 20 January the Marines captured one PAVN and two VC soldiers.[1]: 82
Operation Neosho II
As part of Operation Checkers, control of the Neosho area of operations and 1/9 Marines transferred to the
Aftermath
Operation Neosho concluded on 20 January 1968. Marine losses were 12 killed, PAVN losses were 77 killed and nine captured.[1]: 82
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ .
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- ^ ISBN 978-1555716257.