Battle of long tan casualties

D Company was on a company patrol named "Operation Vendetta" that remained in place until approximately hours 18 August The Task Force then commenced "Operation Smithfield". The Battle of Long Tan occurred in the late afternoon of 18 August in a rubber plantation some metres to the east of the Task Force base at Nui Dat.

Australian soldiers fought in scores of fierce actions during the war in Vietnam. Few were as intense or dramatic as the actionin the Long Tan rubber plantation on 18 August An isolated infantry company of men, cut off and outnumbered by at least ten to one, withstood massed Viet Cong attacks for three hours. They suffered the heaviest Australian casualties in a single engagement in Vietnam, but prevailed against the odds. Their valiant stand became a defining action of the war. In the early hours of 17 August, the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat was shaken without warning by enemy mortar and recoilless rifle fire.

Battle of long tan casualties

The battle of Long Tan was fought on 18 August During the battle, 17 Australians were killed and a further 25 were wounded, one of whom later died of wounds. This was the highest number of Australian casualties incurred in any one engagement of the Vietnam War. The losses on the Vietnamese side were at least dead, an estimated wounded, and three captured. The battle of Long Tan was Australia's most costly battle in Vietnam. In the years immediately following the battle of Long Tan, the main focus of Australian task force operations gradually shifted to the more remote regions of Phuoc Tuy province and beyond. Few Australians visited the site of the battle in the Long Tan rubber plantation, although it lay less than five kilometres from the task force base at Nui Dat. Erected in memory of the 18 young men who died in one of the most intense and dramatic actions of the Vietnam War, the cross has been adopted by veterans to symbolise all Australians who died or were wounded in that conflict. This epic battle reinforced traits for which Australian soldiers have become world renowned: courage and determination, mateship and teamwork, leadership and tenacity, compassion and humour," said Major General Jeffery on the 40th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan. On 18th August a large force of Viet Cong advancing through a rain-swept rubber plantation encountered infantrymen from D Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. Standing their ground against impossible odds, the Australians prevailed, killing at least enemy, but losing 18 of their comrades in action. Left behind on the chaotic battlefield the next morning was a considerable quantity of enemy equipment — personal belongings, items of clothing, and a large number of weapons. This online exhibition focuses on the popular song, I was only 19 , which gives a first-person account of an Australian soldier's experience of the Vietnam War.

Major Smith adjusted his company patrol formation to suit.

Although the Australians were heavily outnumbered and almost overwhelmed by the Viet Cong the battle ended in a decisive victory for them, establishing their dominance over the province. This has included the possibility that the Viet Cong had intended to attack and overwhelm Nui Dat, with the initial plan to mortar the base to draw a response force into an ambush after which the base would be attacked and captured, but that they had been prevented from doing so after clashing with D Company, 6 RAR. A second possibility was that they may have had the more limited aim of drawing D Company into an ambush to destroy it and secure a small victory over an isolated force. Finally, it was possible no ambush was planned at all, and that the Viet Cong had been moving on Nui Dat in regimental strength when they unexpectedly ran into D Company, resulting in an encounter battle. Later interviews conducted by an Australian veteran of the battle Terry Burstall, with commanders of the th Battalion and D Battalion including the battle commander and later Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Thoi Bung indicate that mortaring was intended to draw out the 6 RAR out of their base, in which an ambush was to occur followed by a retreat before artillery and air support can be utilised, typical of the grab-by-the-belt tactic.

Harry Smith. American intervention Post- Paris Peace Accords — Lists of allied operations. Facing a larger force, D Company called in artillery support. Heavy fighting ensued as the VC attempted to encircle and destroy the Australians, who were resupplied several hours later by two UH-1B Iroquois from No. With the help of strong artillery fire, D Company held off a regimental assault before a relief force of M armoured personnel carriers and infantry from Nui Dat reinforced them that night. Australian forces then pulled back to evacuate their casualties and formed a defensive position; when they swept through the area next day, the VC had withdrawn and the operation ended on 21 August. The VC also considered it a victory, due to the political success of an effective ambush and securing of the area around the village. Whether the battle impaired the capabilities of the VC is disputed.

Battle of long tan casualties

Pipers flank the men who fought in the battle of Long Tan during the dedication ceremony. Erected in memory of the 18 young men who died in one of the most intense and dramatic actions of the Vietnam War, the cross has been adopted by veterans to symbolise all Australians who died or were wounded in that conflict. At its recent unveiling, the men who fought in the now famous battle of Long Tan joined with those who built the cross and placed it on the battle site, to reflect on its significance. An isolated infantry company of men withstood massed Viet Cong attacks for three hours in torrential rain in a rubber plantation near the small village of Long Tan. They were outnumbered by at least ten to one, and they might have been overrun, but for a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base at Nui Dat, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier But victory came at a high cost: 17 Australians were killed and 25 were wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds.

33 inch door

Company Headquarters was in the centre, with 12 Platoon following to the rear. Moving forward again, D Company continued east. This online exhibition focuses on the popular song, I was only 19 , which gives a first-person account of an Australian soldier's experience of the Vietnam War. As commander of the APCs, Roberts ignored the senior ranking Mollison, refusing to continue until he either located the weapon or was confident the threat did not exist. A mass of fire started in the 10 Pl location and all radio communications between 10, 11 and CHQ were lost. The task force was unable to train together before departure. The only difference was this one was going to deprive them of the concert. I initially recommended 20 of my men. The following morning, after a sleepless night with constant threat of further attacks, battlefield clearance commenced. With one platoon almost destroyed, and the other two at approximately 75 per cent strength, D Company had been battered but morale remained high. One hypothesis was that the VC had intended to attack and overwhelm Nui Dat, with the initial plan to mortar the base to draw a response force into an ambush after which the base would be attacked and captured, but that they had been prevented from doing so after clashing with D Company. As the last of the massive enemy assaults faded, B Coy arrived in Delta's position and were used to cover the approach from the west. There has always been some conflict somewhere, there always will be. The information from Loc was consistent with that known or suspected by 1 ATF, and other than a single battalion overwhelming Nui Dat, was considered plausible.

On August 18, , in a rubber plantation near the small village of Long Tan, Australian and New Zealand soldiers found themselves encircled by an overwhelming force of over 2, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops. These men, vastly outnumbered, fought for their lives in the face of insurmountable odds. What led to this dramatic confrontation in the jungle?

At hrs, just as D Coy were preparing to leave Nui Dat, B Coy reported discovering a dug-in position with weapon pits for about 20 men. One soldier ran forward to 10 Platoon under heavy enemy fire carrying a spare radio. At hrs Major Smith reported that the enemy could be reorganising for another attack and that they had temporarily broken contact. These reports were followed up by the 1st APC Squadron and a number of military age males were detained for questioning. B Company were due to go on leave, and therefore returned to Nui Dat on the morning of the 18th. The VC also considered it a victory, due to the political success of an effective ambush and securing of the area around the village. McNeill, Ian; Ekins, Ashley I can close my eyes today and feel like it was just yesterday. Smith kept moving his platoons into strategic positions, at times without radio communication, to within metres of the enemy. To retrieve the situation, Smith planned to pull his company into an all-round defensive position, enabling his platoons to support each other fighting a co-ordinated battle and care for the wounded until a relief force could arrive.