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
If you liked this post, please consider supporting The Vietnam War Era through Patreon. A donation of $1 gets you into our Discord server.
