#ground operations

Easter Offensive

Dates: 30 March 1972 - October 1972

Area of Operation: I Corps provinces; Binh Long Province; Central Highlands

Allied Units: South Vietnamese military (ARVN, VNN, VNMC, VNAF), USAF, USN

Allied Casualties: ARVN 10000 KIA, 33000 WIA, 3500 MIA

Enemy Units: 14 NVA divisions

Enemy Casualties: Estimated up to 100,000 killed

Objective: To deal a decisive blow against South Vietnam with a three pronged attack. To force the US to peace negotiations that would result in favorable terms for North Vietnam.

Significance/Notes:

North Vietnamese troops used conventional warfare tactics on a level not previously seen in their fight to conquer South Vietnam. This included the use of T-54 tanks and other advanced weaponry from the Soviet Union and China. Large quantities of these tanks and the large-caliber artillery would be destroyed or captured.

Leaders in North Vietnam believed that the anti-war sentiment in the US would prevent Pres. Nixon from sending more American troops back into Vietnam. Ultimately they hoped it would force Nixon to negotiate peace with terms favorable to the DRV.

Nixon did retaliate militarily through the commencement of Operation Linebacker I, bombing North Vietnam, and also ordered the mining of Haiphong Harbor.

Due to the withdrawal of American forces, most units the NVA faced were ARVN units. Though ARVN units in the northern provinces were overrun, they held elsewhere with the aid of American airpower and military advisers.

Held more territory in South Vietnam than at any previous point. Though the blow had not been as devastating as intended and ARVN units held in many areas, the North Vietnamese leadership still considered the offensive to be successful and believed they now had a stronger position at the bargaining table.

Sources:

Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks

The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History edited by Spencer C Tucker

Dictionary of the Vietnam War edited by James S. Olson

Images: [map], [1], [2], [3]

Further Reading:

Trial By Fire: The 1972 Easter Offensive, America’s Last Vietnam Battle by Dale Andrade

The Easter Offensive: The Last American Advisors, Vietnam, 1972 by Col. Gerald H. Turley

The Easter Offensive, Vietnam 1972. Volume 1: Invasion across the DMZ by Albert Grandolini

The Easter Offensive, Vietnam 1972. Volume 2: Tanks in the streets by Albert Grandolini

Operation Crimp

Dates: 8 Jan 1966 - 14 Jan 1966

Area of Operation: Binh Duong Province, Hau Nghia Province, III Corps. Particularly the HoBo Woods, west of the Iron Triangle.

Allied Units: US Army 1/16th, 1/28th, and 2/28th Infantry of 3d Brigade 1st Infantry Division, 1/503rd and 2/503rd Airborne of 173rd Airborne Brigade; 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)

Allied Casualties: Unclear. An after action report from the 173rd Abn Bde cites “friendly losses” at 6 KIA and 45 WIA. These numbers likely do not take into consideration the casualties of 3d Bde 1st Inf Div, or 1RAR.

Enemy Units: Viet Cong 7th Cu Chi Battalion, D308 VC Company

Enemy Casualties: 107 KIA, 9 POW

Objective: Search and destroy, with particular focus on locating and destroying the headquarters of Viet Cong Military Region IV.

Significance/Notes: The Cu Chi Tunnels were discovered during Operation Crimp. This added a new dimension to the style of war being fought by the Communists, and necessitated a proper response from the US and its allies. Crimp was immediately followed by Operation Buckskin to clear the tunnels. (Note: Some sources combined the information from both operations.)            The Cu Chi Tunnels can be visited today.

Sources:

The Vietnam Center and Archive (at Texas Tech Univ)

Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks

The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History edited by Spencer C Tucker

Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973 by David Burns Sigler

Further Reading:

“Combat Operations After Action Report” from the 173rd Abn Bde

“Viet Cong Tunnels,” Australia and the Vietnam War

“Why Were the Soil Tunnels of Cu Chi and Iron Triangle in Vietnam So Resilient?” by Kenneth R. Olson and Lois Wright Morton - Scientific article in the Open Journal of Soil Science, published February 2017

The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Harrowing Account of America's Tunnel Rats in the Underground Battlefields of Vietnam by Tom Mangold

Tunnel Rat in Vietnam by Gordon L. Rottman

Viet Cong and NVA Tunnels and Fortifications of the Vietnam War by Gordon L. Rottman

OPERATION SWIFT

Dates: 4 Sep 1967 - 15 Sep 1967

Area of Operation: Quang Nam and Quang Tin Provinces, I Corps

Allied Units: USMC 1st and 3d Battalions 5th Marines, 2d Battalion 11th Marines; ARVN 21st Ranger Battalion, 37th Ranger Battalion, 39th Ranger Battalion, 3d Battalion 4th Regiment, 3d Battalion 6th Regiment

Allied Casualties: US 127 KIA, 362 WIA

Enemy Units: NVA 2d Division

Enemy Casualties: 517 KIA, 8 POW

Objective: Prevent disruption of national elections; search and destroy

Significance/Notes: The battles of the Que Son Valley during Operation Swift resulted in the awarding of three Medals of Honor. Lt Vincent Capodanno, a chaplain, Sgt Lawrence Peters, and Sgt Rodney Davis were all killed during the fighting.

Sources:

The Vietnam Center and Archive (at Texas Tech Univ)

Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks

Other links:

Operation Swift

“Sorting through the chaos of Operation Swift in Vietnam” by Hugh Lessig

“Operation Swift: Continuing Operations in the Que Son Valley” (Scans of an article in Leatherneck magazine, 2007)

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At least 25 killed in attack on Khan Younis in south as Israel says it is aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages Israel has restarted ground operations in the northern Gaza Strip and killed at least 25 people in airstrikes on the southern city of Khan Younis in what it says is a renewed military campaign aimed at pressuring Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages. At least 25 people…