Operation Yellowstone (Vietnam)
Operation Yellowstone | |
---|---|
Part of Tây Ninh Province, South Vietnam | |
Result | U.S. operational success |
Viet Cong
- 1st Brigade
- 3rd Brigade
9th Division
146 individual and 68 crew-served weapons recovered
Operation Yellowstone was an operation conducted by the
Background
Northern Tây Ninh Province contained the largest
Operation
Operation Yellowstone commenced on 8 December with two infantry battalions from the 1st Brigade landing by helicopter unopposed at the hamlet of Katum on Highway 4. When the two battalions finished securing the area, a task force consisting of tanks, artillery and engineers moved along Highway 4 from Tây Ninh Combat Base and began building Firebase Custer (11°39′47″N 106°13′19″E / 11.663°N 106.222°E), which would serve as the 1st Brigade’s forward base and Firebase Beauregard (11°37′34″N 106°15′58″E / 11.626°N 106.266°E) 5 km southeast on Route 246 near the village of Bo Tuc.[1]: 27–8
The 3rd Brigade based at Dầu Tiếng Base Camp together with 2 ARVN infantry battalions also moved into the area locating numerous supply caches but few PAVN/VC.[1]: 28
At 02:00 on 15 December, PAVN mortar fire began hitting the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry positions at Firebase Beauregard and then several hundred PAVN from the 7th Division attacked the base. Sappers penetrated the perimeter and placed satchel charges in the ammunition dump, setting off six hundred 105-mm. shells. The PAVN left behind 40 dead, while U.S. losses were 6 dead.[1]: 28
On the evening of 31 December while a 24-hour New Year's truce was in effect, the 271st and the 272nd Regiments of the PAVN 9th Division moved into attack positions around Firebase Burt. At midnight on 1 January 1968 under cover of a mortar barrage the PAVN began a simultaneous attack on the northern and southern ends of the base. The defenders detonated the perimeter
Aftermath
Operation Yellowstone officially concluded on 24 February 1968, PAVN/VC losses were 1,254 killed and 146 individual and 68 crew-served weapons captured; U.S. losses were 81 killed.[1]: 30 [2]
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Trass, Adrian (2017). The U.S. Army Campaigns of the Vietnam War: Turning Point 1967-1968 (PDF). United States Army Center of Military History. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary February 1968" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 29 April 1968. p. 54. Retrieved 18 March 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.