Operation Clinch Valley
Operation Clinch Valley | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Vietnam War | |||||
| |||||
Belligerents | |||||
United States South Vietnam | North Vietnam | ||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||
John J. Hennessey Sidney Bryan Berry Ngô Quang Trưởng | | ||||
Units involved | |||||
1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division 3rd Regiment, 1st Infantry Division | 9th Regiment | ||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
| US body count: 266 killed |
- v
- t
- e
- Laos
- Biên Hòa
- Đồng Khởi
- Chopper
- Palace Bombing
- Sunrise
- Shufly
- Ấp Bắc
- Go Cong
- Hiep Hoa
- 34A
- Long Dinh
- Kien Long
- Quyet Thang 202
- USNS Card
- Nam Dong
- An Lao
- Binh Gia
- Camp Holloway
- Dương Liễu – Nhông Pass
- Qui Nhơn
- Ka Nak
- Sông Bé
- Ba Gia
- Dong Xoai
- Starlite
- Piranha
- An Ninh
- Plei Me
- Hump
- 1st Bau Bang
- Ia Drang
- Bushmaster II
- Harvest Moon
1966
- Marauder
- Crimp
- Van Buren
- Masher/White Wing
- Mastiff
- Suoi Bong Trang
- New York
- Harrison
- Cocoa Beach
- Utah
- Silver City
- A Sau
- Oregon
- Texas
- Lincoln
- Fillmore
- Jackstay
- Buddhist Uprising
- Xa Cam My
- Georgia
- Birmingham
- Davy Crockett
- Austin IV
- Paul Revere
- Crazy Horse
- El Paso
- Hardihood
- Wahiawa
- Lam Son II
- Hawthorne
- Hill 488
- Nathan Hale
- Jay
- Macon
- Hastings
- Minh Thanh Road
- John Paul Jones
- Prairie
- Colorado
- Duc Co
- Long Tan
- SS Baton Rouge Victory
- Amarillo
- Byrd
- Sunset Beach
- Seward
- Thayer, Irving and Thayer II
- Attleboro
- Deckhouse IV
- Shenandoah
- Atlanta
- Paul Revere IV
- Geronimo
- Tan Son Nhut airbase
- Fairfax
- Firebase Bird
1967
- Deckhouse V
- Cedar Falls
- Desoto
- Gadsden
- Sam Houston
- Pershing
- Enterprise
- Tra Binh Dong
- Bribie
- Junction City (1st Prek Klok
- 2nd Prek Klok
- Ap Gu
- Suoi Tre
- 2nd Bàu Bàng)
- Francis Marion
- Lejeune
- Union
- Baker
- Manhattan
- The Hill Fights
- Beaver Cage
- Con Thien/DMZ
- Crockett
- Malheur I and Malheur II
- Kole Kole
- Barking Sands
- Union II
- Dragnet
- Akron
- Billings
- Concordia
- The Slopes
- Hong Kil Dong
- Diamond Head
- Coronado
- Coronado II
- Hood River
- Suoi Chau Pha
- Benton
- Coronado IV
- Swift
- Dragon Fire
- Wheeler/Wallowa
- Coronado V
- Kunia
- Bolling
- Medina
- Shenandoah II
- MacArthur
- Dak To
- Osceola
- Lancaster
- Coronado IX
- Neosho
- Santa Fe
- Essex
- Kien Giang 9-1
- Napoleon
- Phoenix
- Manchester
- Saratoga
- Yellowstone
- Muscatine
- Badger Tooth
- Auburn
- New Year's Day battle of 1968
- McLain
- Khe Sanh
- Coronado X
- Tet Offensive
- Hop Tac I
- Coronado XI
- Houston
- Patrick
- Tam Kỳ
- Truong Cong Dinh
- Lima Site 85
- Quyet Thang
- My Lai Massacre
- Walker
- Carentan
- Pegasus
- Cochise Green
- Toan Thang I
- Burlington Trail
- Scotland II
- Delaware
- Allen Brook
- May Offensive
- Jeb Stuart III
- Nevada Eagle
- Mameluke Thrust
- Toan Thang II
- Robin
- Binh An
- Thor
- Pocahontas Forest
- Quyet Chien
- Somerset Plain
- Phase III Offensive
- Champaign Grove
- Vinh Loc
- Thượng Đức
- Maui Peak
- Henderson Hill
- Sheridan Sabre
- Meade River
- Hat Dich
- Speedy Express
- Taylor Common
- Fayette Canyon
- DMZ Campaign (1969–1971)
- Bold Mariner
- Dewey Canyon
- Toan Thang III
- 2nd Tet
- Iron Mountain
- Massachusetts Striker
- Wayne Grey
- Purple Martin
- Ben Het
- Maine Crag
- Atlas Wedge
- Frederick Hill
- Geneva Park
- Montana Mauler
- Oklahoma Hills
- Washington Green
- Virginia Ridge
- Apache Snow
- Hamburger Hill
- Lamar Plain
- Pipestone Canyon
- Binh Ba
- Montgomery Rendezvous
- Utah Mesa
- Campbell Streamer
- Idaho Canyon
- Nantucket Beach
- Fulton Square
- LZ Kate
- Toan Thang IV
- Randolph Glen
- Green River
- Texas Star
- Cambodian campaign
- Pennsylvania Square
- Clinch Valley
- Elk Canyon
- Pickens Forest
- Wolfe Mountain
- Chicago Peak
- Firebase O'Reilly
- Chenla I
- Imperial Lake
- Jefferson Glenn
- Tailwind
- Son Tay Raid
- Cuu Long 44-02
- Toan Thang 1/71
- Lam Son 719
- Finney Hill
- Middlesex Peak
- Caroline Hill
- Long Khánh
- Chenla II
- Nui Le
1972
Post-Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974)
- War of the flags
- Cửa Việt
- Hồng Ngự
- Tong Le Chon
- Trung Nghia
- Ap Da Bien
- Quang Duc
- Tri Phap
- Svay Rieng
- Iron Triangle
- Duc Duc
- Thượng Đức
- Phú Lộc
- Phước Long
- Ban Me Thuot
- Hue–Da Nang
- Phan Rang
- Xuân Lộc
- Fall of Phnom Penh
- Fall of Saigon
- Mayaguez incident
- Farm Gate
- Chopper
- Ranch Hand
- Pierce Arrow
- Barrel Roll
- Pony Express
- Flaming Dart
- Iron Hand
- Rolling Thunder
- Steel Tiger
- Arc Light
- Combat Skyspot
- Tiger Hound
- Shed Light
- Thanh Hoa
- Bolo
- Popeye
- Yen Vien
- Niagara
- Igloo White
- Commando Hunt
- Giant Lance
- Menu
- Patio
- Freedom Deal
- Proud Deep Alpha
- Linebacker I
- Enhance Plus
- Linebacker II
- Homecoming
- Tan Son Nhut Air Base
- Babylift
- New Life
- Eagle Pull
- Frequent Wind
- Yankee & Dixie stations
- Gulf of Tonkin
- Market Time
- Vung Ro Bay
- Game Warden
- Double Eagle
- Stable Door
- PIRAZ
- Sea Dragon
- Deckhouse Five
- Bo De River, Nha Trang, Tha Cau River
- Sealords
- Đồng Hới
- Pocket Money
- Custom Tailor
- End Sweep
- Paracel Islands
- East Sea
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973–74
- 1975
Operation Clinch Valley was a joint U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) military operation during the Vietnam War to engage People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) units on the Khe Sanh plateau and prevent them from reinforcing PAVN units in the A Sầu Valley.
Background
U.S. forces launched Operation Texas Star on 1 April to establish firebases east of the A Sầu Valley. U.S. intelligence indicated that the PAVN 9th Regiment, 304th Division, was infiltrating into South Vietnam to reinforce or replace the weakened PAVN 66th Regiment in the northwest portion of the 101st Airborne Division's area of operations.[1]: E-12
On the afternoon of 6 July a Ranger team from the 101st Airborne Division operating 13 km northwest of Khe Sanh engaged a PAVN infiltration group. Supported by artillery and helicopter gunships the team killed 10 PAVN. Five U.S. were wounded in the action. On 8 July 4km southwest of Khe Sanh, elements of Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment observed and engaged a PAVN force estimated at 250 soldiers. Aerial rocketry was brought to bear, and Troop D was landed, engaging the PAVN to the west. The 8-hour long battle ended at 19:30 with 139 PAVN killed and four captured, U.S. losses were four killed. Initial interrogation established that the units involved were the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 9th Regiment.[1]: E-18
Operation
The operation began with elements of the 3rd Brigade and the ARVN 3rd Regiment and B Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, moving by air from Firebase Birmingham to Mai Loc Camp and then conducting an air assault to reopen Firebase Shepherd. On 10 July the ARVN 1st and 2nd Battalions, 3rd Regiment assaulted into Firebases Snapper (16°35′13″N 106°42′04″E / 16.587°N 106.701°E / 16.587; 106.701) and Smith (16°37′19″N 106°40′23″E / 16.622°N 106.673°E / 16.622; 106.673) and the 3rd Regiment command post moved by air to Firebase Shepherd. On 11 July near the scene of the 8 July engagement elements of the ARVN 3rd Regiment found the bodies of 143 PAVN killed by airstrikes 24-hours earlier. Nearby on 12 July elements of the same battalion engaged an estimated 40 PAVN. A search of the area revealed 14 PAVN bodies and 36 graves believed to have been there 24 to 48 hours. In the two week period ending 12 July, a total of 394 PAVN soldiers from the 9th Regiment were killed in that area.[1]: E-18
Also on 12 July elements of the ARVN 3rd Regiment discovered 65 PAVN bodies killed by air strikes 24-hours earlier. On 24 July the ARVN 2nd Regiment found a PAVN base camp with 53 bodies killed by airstrikes approximately two weeks earlier.[1]: E-18
Aftermath
The operation was terminated at 18:00 on 15 July. PAVN losses were 266 killed; no U.S. or ARVN were killed.[1]: E-12
References
- ^ a b c d e "Command History 1970 Volume III" (PDF). Headquarters Military Assistance Command Vietnam. 19 April 1971. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.