It was the only time Americans abandoned a major combat base because of enemy pressure. Those 10 deaths were also left out of the official statistics. It claimed, however, that only three American advisors were killed during the action. Sporadic actions were taken in the vicinity during the late summer and early fall, the most serious of which was the ambush of a supply convoy on Route 9. If firepower determined the outcome of the fight, it was airlift that allowed the defenders to hold their positions. The deaths of U.S. Air Force personnel, estimated between five and 20, are also omitted. For example, I served with a Marine heavy mortar battery at Khe Sanh during the siege. Background [ edit] If a battle tallied a sufficiently favorable body count ratio, American commanders declared victory, as they did after Khe Sanh. Then, on the morning of 6 February, the PAVN fired mortars into the Lang Vei compound, wounding eight Camp Strike Force soldiers. . This base was to serve as the western anchor of Marine Corps forces, which had tactical responsibility for the five northernmost provinces of South Vietnam known as I Corps. Click to View Online Archive The Battle of Khe Sanh was conducted northwestern Quaag Tri Province, South Vietnam, between January 21 and July 9, 1968 during the Vietnam War. The Marines at KSCB credited 40% of intelligence available to their fire-support coordination center to the sensors. That was accomplished, but the casualties absorbed by the North Vietnamese seemed to negate any direct gains they might have obtained. A historian, General Dave Palmer, accepted that rationale: "General Giap never had any intention of capturing Khe Sanh [it] was a feint, a diversionary effort. Cushman, the new III MAF commander, supported Westmoreland perhaps because he wanted to mend Army/Marine relations after the departure of Walt. Battle of Khe Sanh : American Casualties - Honor States The figures of 5,500 NVA dead and 1,000 U.S. dead yield a ratio of 5.5:1. [1], The PAVN claim that they began attacking the withdrawing Americans on 26 June 1968 prolonging the withdrawal, killing 1,300 Americans and shooting down 34 aircraft before "liberating" Khe Sanh on 15 July. The battle of Khe Sanh: A history of the Vietnam War - Washington Post Strategically, however, the withdrawal meant little. It was later renamed "Dye Marker" by MACV in September 1967, just as the PAVN began the first phase of their offensive by launching attacks against Marine-held positions across the DMZ. The Battle of Khe Sanh's initial action cost the Marines 12 killed, 17 wounded and two missing. [161], Whether the PAVN actually planned to capture Khe Sanh or the battle was an attempt to replicate the Vit Minh triumph against the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu has long been a point of contention. The adoption of this concept at the end of February was the turning point in the resupply effort. The base was officially closed on July 5. "[149], While KSCB was abandoned, the Marines continued to patrol the Khe Sanh plateau, including reoccupying the area with ARVN forces from 519 October 1968 with minimal opposition. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. SOG Reconnaissance teams also reported finding tank tracks in the area surrounding Co Roc mountain. Declassified documents show that in response, Westmoreland considered using nuclear weapons. [53] Two divisions, the 304th and the 325th, were assigned to the operation: the 325th was given responsibility for the area around the north, while the 304th was given responsibility for the southern sector.
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