Second Battle of Quảng Trị

The Second Battle of Quang Tri began on 28 June 1972 and lasted 81 days until 16 September 1972, when South Vietnam's Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) defeated the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) at the ancient citadel of Quảng Trị (Vietnamese: Thành cổ Quảng Trị) and recaptured most of Quảng Trị Province.

Second Battle of Quảng Trị
Part of the Vietnam War

Map of the initial phase of Operation Lam Son 72
Date28 June – 16 September 1972
Location
16°44′N 106°58′E
Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam
Result South Vietnamese-U.S. victory
Belligerents
 North Vietnam  South Vietnam
 United States
Commanders and leaders
Lê Trọng Tấn LG Ngô Quang Trưởng
Units involved
320Bth Division
304th Division
308th Division		  RVN Marine Division
RVN Airborne Division
 U.S. Navy
 U.S. Air Force
Strength
30,000
Casualties and losses
North Vietnamese claim: ~10,000 killed out of 17,819 casualties[1] Marine Division 3,658 casualties
U.S.: ~20 killed[2]
North Vietnamese claim: Marine Division 3,658 killed, 2,000 wounded[3]Total ARVN casualties (including other units): 7,756 killed[4]

Background

During the initial phase of the Easter Offensive the PAVN quickly captured Quảng Trị in the First Battle of Quảng Trị (30 March - 2 May 1972) and overran all of Quảng Trị Province and the north of Thừa Thiên Province. The ARVN regrouped forming a defensive line along the My Chanh River north of Huế and together with U.S. airpower the PAVN offensive was halted by the end of the first week of May.

Planning

On 14 June, I Corps commander, Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng briefed President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and MACV on his planned counterattack to retake Quảng Trị Province. Thiệu was not convinced, preferring a smaller-scale operation.[5]:66 Trưởng finally convinced the president, emphasizing that such an effort would be possible "employing the superior firepower of our American ally."[6]:391 Thiệu finally approved the concept and Operation Lam Son 72 was launched on 28 June.

The operational plan called for the Airborne and Marine Divisions to advance abreast to the northwest to the Thạch Hãn River. The Airborne Division would deploy to the west from the foothills to Highway 1, while the Marine Division would deploy to the east from Highway 1 to the coast. Quảng Trị City would be in the Airborne Division's operational area, but the plan called for the city to be bypassed so as to concentrate on the destruction of PAVN forces. As a diversion the US 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB) would conduct a feint amphibious assault against the mouth of the Cua Viet River.[7]:106

Battle

On the morning of 27 June the 9th MAB launched their amphibious feint against the Cua Viet, reversing course when 7km from shore.[7]

On 28 June the South Vietnamese advance began and quickly ran into strong PAVN resistance and helicopter assaults were launched to land troops behind PAVN positions.[5]:65 On 29 June, following preparatory airstrikes the 1st and 4th Vietnamese Marine Battalions were landed by U.S. Marine helicopter squadrons HMM-164 and HMM-165 near the Wunder Beach area.[7]:110 That day a 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco that was operating as a forward air controller in support of the South Vietnamese Marines was hit by an SA-7 missile and crashed into the sea, killing its pilot, Captain Steven L. Bennett, who would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.[7]:110–2

By 7 July the Airborne division had reached the southern outskirts of Quảng Trị City, but then President Thieu intervened in the operation.[7]:112–3 Trưởng had planned to bypass the city and push on quickly to the Cua Viet River, thereby isolating any PAVN defenders.[5]:67 Thiệu, however, now demanded that Quảng Trị be taken immediately, seeing the city as "a symbol and a challenge" to his authority.[5]:89

The ARVN assault bogged down in the outskirts and the PAVN, apprised of the plans for the offensive, moved the 304th and 308th Divisions to the west to avoid the U.S. airpower that was about to be unleashed upon Quảng Trị.[8]

The defense of the city and its walled citadel was left to PAVN replacement units and militia. One participant recalled : "The new recruits came in at dusk. They were dead by dawn... No one had time to check where they were from, or who was their commander.[8]:213 Others described the defense as a "senseless sacrifice" and referred to Quảng Trị as "Hamburger City".[8]:213 Nevertheless, the PAVN units stationed within the citadel were well dug in, had the advantage of terrain and mass artillery supports. An early ARVN victory was denied, and the fighting continue unabated.

On 11 July, following preparatory B-52 strikes, the Vietnamese 1st Marine Battalion was deployed by HMM-164 and HMM-165 helicopters to two landing zones 2km northeast of the city to cut Route 560, the main PAVN supply line.[7]:113–4 This move would force the PAVN to reinforce and resupply across the Thạch Hãn River, making them vulnerable to air strikes. The helicopters were met by heavy anti-aircraft fire with one CH-53 being hit by an SA-7 and crashing with 2 U.S. Marine crewmen and 45 Vietnamese Marines killed. Two CH-46s were shot down and their crews rescued by helicopters from the U.S. Army Troop F, 4th Cavalry while another 25 helicopters were damaged.[7]:113–5 Despite these loses the Vietnamese Marines deployed successfully and consolidated their positions with air and artillery support. After a vicious, three-day battle against the 48th Regiment of the 320B PAVN Division broke and withdrew to the west.[9][7]:115–6

By 20 July the Marine Division had consolidated its position north of Quảng Trị City, while the Airborne continued trying to break in. On 22 July the Marines launched a three battalion operation against PAVN supply lines south of the Cua Viet River. The 5th Battalion would be landed by HMM-164 helicopters 4km north of the city, while the other two battalions, supported by tanks would attack north, the combined force would then move southeast. The helicopter landing proceeded smoothly, while the ground assault met heavy resistance and could only break through PAVN defenses with air and artillery support. After 2 days the Marines had killed 133 PAVN and destroyed 3 tanks.[7]:118–9

On 27 July, the Marine Division was ordered to relieve the Airborne units as the lead element in the battle. But progress was slow, consisting of vicious house-to-house fighting and incessant artillery barrages by both sides.[7]:121 On 9 September, the final assault to capture the heavily defended citadel was launched by Vietnamese Marine Brigades 147 and 258. The citadel was finally captured on 15 September.[7]:123–6 Meanwhile between 11 and 15 September the 2nd Marine Battalion advanced to the southern bank of the Thạch Hãn River, where they halted, exhausted and depleted by heavy casualties and unable to push on to Đông Hà. Almost one out of every four of the 8,000 ARVN Marines in the division had been killed or wounded during Lam Son 72.[8]:226

During July, U.S. aircraft flew 5,461 tactical sorties and 2,054 B-52 strikes and operated 5 aircraft carriers to support the counteroffensive.[8]:212

Aftermath

During the battle, the South Vietnamese marines suffered 3,658 casualties.[7]:126

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See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

  1. Về với Quảng Trị, mảnh đất anh hùng Archived 2009-02-08 at the Wayback Machine Hà Nội Mới Online, ngày 10-2-2008
  2. "Search the Wall". The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  3. Những Trận Đánh Cuối Cùng Của TQLC Ở Mặt Trận Cổ Thành -Vương Hồng Anh
  4. History of Northern Quang Tri front 1966-73 - Chapter 5
  5. Ngo, Quang Truong (1980). The Easter offensive of 1972. U.S. Army Center of Military History. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. Nalty, Bernard (2000). Air War Over South Vietnam: 1968–1975 (PDF). Air Force History and Museums Program. ISBN 9781478118640. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. Melson, Charles (1991). U.S. Marines In Vietnam: The War That Would Not End, 1971–1973. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 9781482384055. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. Andrade, Dale (1995). Trial By Fire: The 1972 Easter Offensive, America's Last Vietnam Battle. Hippocrene Books. p. 211-3. ISBN 9780781802864.
  9. Fulghum, David (1984). South Vietnam on Trial: Mid-1970–1972. Boston Publishing Company. p. 178-80. ISBN 0939526107.
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