Tchepone Operation
Tchepone Operation | |||||||
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Part of Laotian Civil War; Vietnam War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Kingdom of Laos Supported by United States |
North Vietnam Supported by: Soviet Union People's Republic of China | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Green Battalion Red Bravo Battalion Brown Battalion Red Battalion Orange Battalion Black Battalion U.S. Air Force Air America | Group 559 | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Battalion-size | ~50,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
91 killed 178 wounded or missing in action | Heavy |
The Tchepone Operation (19 October – 13 November 1970) was an interdiction campaign by the
Overview
Beginning in 1946, France began fighting the communist
Background
In
Campaign
A preliminary sweep of the
Soon after departure, the two columns lost contact with one another. The first column headed toward Moung Phine and lingered on its outskirts, just barely contacting the communist garrison. One CIA case officer claimed the senior battalion commander was distracted by longing for his 17 year old bride. At any rate, Muong Phine remained communist.[9]
The second column did much better. In less than a week, it had penetrated over 50 kilometers toward Tchepone. They crossed Route 23 and bumbled into a hidden communist truck park, complete with repair shops and a headquarters. A surprised small communist garrison slipped away, as the guerrillas torched the complex. Pressing onwards, by 31 October the head of the second column had reached Route 914; Tchepone now lay only 13 kilometers down Route 9. However, on 1 November, a
That night, the Royalist guerrillas managed to disengage somewhat from their attackers. On 4 November, U.S. Air Force (USAF)
While a rearguard of reconnaissance teams mined Route 9 to within five kilometers of Tchepone, the main body of the Royalist force withdrew into triple canopy jungle. After a famished five days without resupply drops, the Royalists dug and occupied a defensive position atop a bare knoll near Route 23. The PAVN pursuers launched a heedless assault; RLAF and USAF strikes inflicted heavy casualties on them. The position held and the PAVN receded. With the pursuit quashed, in mid-November the Royalist second column resumed its withdrawal from whence it came, Moung Phalane. The first column was ordered northward to aid them; instead it beat the second column back to Moung Phalane. The Tchepone Operation ended on 13 November.[10]
Aftermath
During 16 days of combat, the Royalist forces aimed at Moung Phine had suffered 22 dead but claimed killing 123 communists. The other Royalist column had lost 44 dead and 52 wounded of 322 troops engaged before being withdrawn.[11]
With one battalion written off as ineffective, and two others having fled battle, somehow the Royalists clung to PS 22. In mid-December, they reinforced the site with a RLA battalion that arrived just as the communists launched a three-battalion attack. Despite being subjected to a vicious crossfire, the communists managed to overrun one outpost before withdrawing under heavy tactical air and artillery bombardment. Their casualties were estimated at 200 killed. Royalist casualties were 25 dead, 126 wounded or missing in action.[12]
For lessons learned, the CIA's Savannakhet Unit fired the insubordinate battalion commander. It also decided to try forming a regimental structure to manage multi-battalion operations.[10]
Notes
- ^ Castle, pp. 7–12, 15–18.
- ^ Dommen, pp. 30–34.
- ^ Castle, pp. 107 -110.
- ^ Conboy, Morrison, pp. 61–66.
- ^ Conboy, Morrison, p. 268.
- ^ Conboy, Morrison, pp. 217–218, 268–271.
- ^ Ahern, pp. 365, 367.
- ^ Conboy, Morrison, p. 271.
- ^ Conboy, Morrison, pp. 271–272.
- ^ a b c d Conboy, Morrison, p. 272.
- ^ Ahern, p. 370.
- ^ Ahern, p. 371.
References
- Castle, Timothy N. (1993). At War in the Shadow of Vietnam: U.S. Military Aid to the Royal Lao Government 1955–1975. ISBN 0-231-07977-X.
- Conboy, Kenneth and James Morrison (1995). Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. Paladin Press. ISBN 0-87364-825-0.
- Dommen, Arthur J., Chapter 1. Historical Setting. Savada, Andrea Matles, ed. (1995). Laos a country study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 0-84440-832-8.