By Bob Hall In early 1970, Malcolm Fraser, then Minister for Defence in the Gorton-led Coalition government, visited Vietnam to ‘survey the political situation, the prospects of the Saigon Government, and the progress in pacification of the countryside’.[1] According to the Departmental Secretary, Arthur Tange, Fraser was dissatisfied with what he saw. In particular Fraser believed that reporting from Saigon … Read More
Việt Cộng Capture ARVN Soldiers 9 December 1966
By Ernie Chamberlain, The 5th Việt Cộng Division – with an estimated strength 4,500[1], comprised two main force infantry regiments: the 274th (aka 4th) Regiment and the 275th (aka 5th) Regiment. During the Battle of Long Tân against Australian forces on 18 August 1966, the 275th Regiment suffered heavy casualties – over 200 killed.[2] The 274th Regiment – the more … Read More
Việt Cộng Intelligence Report on the “Enemy” in Phước Tuy
By Ernie Chamberlain. In the afternoon of 27 November 1967, 12 Platoon, D Company, 7RAR engaged about 30 Việt Cộng near an unoccupied base camp at YS 336708 – about 10 kilometres north-east of 1 ATF’s Núi Đất base, during Operation Forrest. Casualties in the engagement were reported as one Australian killed and 17 wounded, and three Việt Cộng killed … Read More
Operation Tong: 7-8 June 1969
By Claude Ducker[1] The men of C Company 5 RAR may not have been aware of it at the time, but President Nixon was meeting with the South Vietnamese President Thieu on Midway Island on 7/8th June 1969. The main purpose of this meeting was to make the South Vietnamese take greater responsibility for the war; and Richard Nixon announced … Read More
Strategic context: The battle of Binh Ba
By Bob Hall What we call ‘the battle of Binh Ba’ was fought 50 years ago. Elements of 33 PAVN Regiment occupied the hamlet of Binh Ba on the night of 5/6 June 1969.[1] At 0810 hours on the morning of 6 June, two 1ATF armoured vehicles of 4 Troop, B Squadron, 1 Armoured Regiment – a Centurion tank and … Read More
May 1969: The switch to pacification
By Bob Hall In July 1968 the Psyops advisor in Phuoc Tuy Province, Major Desmal C. Smith Jr. was nearing the end of his tenure in the job. He was writing his end-of-tour report giving an overall assessment of progress and recommendations for change and improvement. He argued that the achievement of physical security was the key to improving pacification … Read More
The ARVN: Was their performance misunderstood?
By Bob Hall The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), especially their Regional Force and Popular Force (RF/PF) components, had a reputation for poor combat performance. Brigadier S.P. Weir, Commander 1ATF from 1 September 1969 to 31 May 1970, expressed the concerns of many 1ATF soldiers when he remarked that Some of these [ARVN Regional Force] companies were so … Read More