Battle of Long Tan

Battle of Long Tan
Part of the Vietnam War
Long Tan Action by Bruce Fletcher
Date 18 August 1966 Location Long Tan, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam Result Decisive Australian victory
Belligerents
Australia  New Zealand  United States	Viet Cong  North Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Harry Smith	Nguyen Thanh Hong Nguyen Thoi Bung Bui Quang Chanh
Units involved
D Coy, 6 RAR	5th Division 275th Regt D445 Bn
Strength
108 men	1,500–2,500 men
Casualties and losses
18 killed 24 wounded	245 killed 350 wounded (estimate) 3 captured

5th Division

The Battle of Long Tan (18 August 1966) took place in a rubber plantation near Long Tan, in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The action was fought between Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units and elements of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) shortly after its lodgement in Phuoc Tuy. 1 ATF began arriving between April and June 1966, constructing a base at Nui Dat which was located astride a major communist transit and resupply route and was close to a Viet Cong base area. After two months it had moved beyond the initial requirements of establishing itself and securing its immediate approaches, beginning operations to open the province. Meanwhile, in response to the threat posed by 1 ATF a force of between 1,500 and 2,500 men from the Viet Cong 275th Regiment, possibly reinforced by at least one North Vietnamese battalion, and D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion, was ordered to move against Nui Dat.

For several weeks Australian signals intelligence (SIGINT) had tracked a radio transmitter from the headquarters of the 275th Regiment moving westwards to a position just north of Long Tan; however, extensive patrolling failed to find the unit. By 16 August the communist force was prepositioned east of the Long Tan rubber plantation, just outside the range of the artillery at Nui Dat. On the night of 16/17 August, Viet Cong mortars, recoilless rifles (RCLs) and artillery heavily bombarded Nui Dat from a position 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the east, damaging the base and wounding 24 men, one of whom later died. The Viet Cong positions were then engaged by counter-battery fire and the mortaring ceased. The following morning B Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) departed Nui Dat to locate the firing points and the direction of the Viet Cong withdrawal. A number of weapon pits were subsequently found, as were the positions of the mortars and RCLs.

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