Operation Toan Thang I

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Operation Toan Thang I
Part of Vietnam War

M113s attack PAVN positions, 18 April 1968
Date8 April - 31 May 1968
Location
III Corps, South Vietnam
Result Allies claim operational success
Belligerents
 South Vietnam
 United States
 Australia
 New Zealand
 Thailand		 Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
South Vietnam LTG Đỗ Cao Trí
United States LTG Frederick C. Weyand
Units involved
South Vietnam 1st Taskforce
5th Ranger Group
5th Division
25th Division
18th Division
United States 25th Infantry Division
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
199th Light Infantry Brigade
Australia 1st Australian Task Force
Thailand Royal Thai Army Expeditionary Division
Thailand 9th Infantry Division		 9th Division
Casualties and losses
South Vietnam 762 killed
United States 564 killed
Others: 23 killed[1]		 US/Allied claim: 7645 killed
1708 captured
3098 weapons recovered[1]: 8 

Operation Toan Thang I ("Complete Victory") was a U.S. Army,

Vietcong (VC) and People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces in III Corps
.

Background

Following the successful conclusion of

Saigon, II Field Force commander LTG Frederick C. Weyand expanded the security operations from around Saigon into a counteroffensive involving nearly every combat unit in III Corps to pursue VC/PAVN forces.[2]
: 464 

Operation

The operation commenced on 8 April. In its first week Allied troops killed 709 VC/PAVN, in the second week 892 VC/PAVN were killed and in the last week of April 792 VC/PAVN were killed. Most of these losses resulted from squad and company-size firefights or helicopter gunship, tactical air strikes or artillery fire missions.[2]: 465–6 

On the early morning of 12 April while the

Binh Duong Province, VC sappers from the 271st Regiment attacked the southwestern part of the night defense position of the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment. The Americans returned fire as several hundred mortar rounds began to hit the position. At 04:00, a VC battalion came out of the trees and headed for the sector held by Company B. By 04:30, the VC had breached the perimeter and was threatening to push further in. At 05:00 the VC advance was stopped air and artillery strikes and the defenders were able to organize a counterattack. The reconnaissance platoon from the 3/22nd Infantry arrived to help Company B and at 06:15 a group of M113s from the 2/22nd Infantry arrived forcing the VC to break contact and withdrew by 07:00, leaving behind 153 dead. U.S. losses were 16 killed. The 3/22nd Infantry pursued the 271st Regiment and killed another 51 VC for the loss of 7 U.S. killed.[2]
: 466 

On 18 April Troop A,

Bến Cát. The VC used CS gas against the Americans and eventually disengaged, losing at least 57 killed.[2]
: 466 

On 25 April,

Battle of Coral-Balmoral.[3]

Aftermath

The operation was a success with allied forces claiming 7,645 VC/PAVN killed, however the operation did not prevent the VC/PAVN from launching their May Offensive attacks against Saigon.

The official PAVN history described the operation as "causing a great many difficulties for our units trying to approach their targets" for the May Offensive and "during their advance toward [Saigon] our units were forced to fight as they marched and their forces suffered attrition."[4]

With improved security in the countryside South Vietnamese Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support teams began returning to the villages and hamlets which had been abandoned to the VC with the start of the Tet Offensive. These teams generally found that the rural population was dismayed by the Allies’ failure to protect them in the Tet Offensive and yearning for effective security from the VC, who had been taxing and recruiting them during the preceding two months.[2]: 466–7 

The operation was immediately followed by Operation Toan Thang II in the same area with the same forces.

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.

  1. ^ a b "The Defense of Saigon" (PDF). Project CHECO, Pacific Air Force. 14 December 1968. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780160942808.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain
    .
  3. ^ a b http://artilleryhistory.org/moments_in_history/on_this_day/1968/documents/real_story_of_fspb_coral_v7.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ISBN 0-7006-1175-4
    .
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