Battle of the Ia Drang

Battle of Ia Drang Valley
Part of the Vietnam War (Operation Silver Bayonet I, Pleiku Campaign 1965)
Some U.S. Army soldiers air assaulted into LZ X-Ray
Date November 14–18, 1965 Location Coordinates: 13°35′N 107°43′E / 13.583°N 107.717°E / 13.583; 107.717 Chu Pong-Ia Drang complexCentral Highlands, South Vietnam Result Both sides claimed victory
Belligerents
United States Supported by:  South Vietnam	North Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Richard Knowles 1st Air Cavalry Division Fwd CP Tim Brown 3rd Air Cavalry Brigade Harold G. Moore, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Robert McDade, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Walter B. Tully, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry	Nguyễn Hữu An B3 Field Front Fwd CP Phạm Công Cửu 66th Deputy Cmdr † Lã Ngọc Châu 7/66 Lê Xuân Phôi 8/66 † Nguyễn Văn Định 9/66
Units involved
3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile): 1st Bn., 7th Cavalry 2nd Bn., 7th Cavalry 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile): 2nd Bn., 5th Cavalry 1st Battalion, 21st Artillery Two batteries (included 24 M2 howitzers) 3AC Fleet/SAC	33rd Regiment: 1st Battalion 3rd Battalion 66th Regiment: 7th Battalion 8th Battalion 9th Battalion
Strength
Total: ~1,000 cavalry troops Two batteries of artillery Separate aircraft and helicopter support units (740 bomber sorties and 96 B-52 sorties were flown)	Total: ~2,500 troops Separate 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun and mortar units
Casualties and losses
American figures: LZ X-Ray: 79 killed and 121 wounded LZ Albany: 155 killed, 124 wounded and 4 missing LZ Columbus: 3 killed and 13 wounded Another 71 killed and 282 wounded in earlier actions 4 helicopters shot down, 55 damaged North Vietnamese estimate: 1,500 to 1,700 U.S. casualties	American estimate: LZ X-Ray: Between 634 (body count) and 1,215 (estimated) killed and 4–6 captured LZ Albany: between 403 (body count) and 503 (estimated) killed, 2 captured (later executed). LZ Columbus: At least 27 killed North Vietnamese figures: 559 killed and 669 wounded
Both sides' estimates of their opponent's casualties are probably inflated.

3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile):

2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile):

1st Battalion, 21st Artillery

33rd Regiment:

66th Regiment:

Total: ~2,500 troops

The Battle of Ia Drang comprises two main engagements conducted by the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment that took place on November 14–15, 1965 at LZ X-Ray ("eastern foot of the Chu Pong massif") and by the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment on November 17 at LZ Albany farther north in the Ia Drang Valley. It was the first major battle between the United States Army and the North Vietnamese Army-NVA (People's Army of Vietnam-PAVN) during the Vietnam War as part of the U.S. airmobile offensive code-named Operation Silver Bayonet I (October 23 – November 18, 1965). The battle was part of the second phase of a search-and-destroy operation code-named "Operation Long Reach" that took place from October 23 to November 26 during the Pleiku Campaign.

The battle derives its name from the Drang River which runs through the valley west of Plei Me, where the engagement took place (Ia means "river" in the local Montagnard language). Representing the American forces were elements of the 3rd and 2nd Brigades, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile): the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, and the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry. Representing the North Vietnam forces were elements of the B3 Front of the NVA (including the 304th Division). The battle involved close air support by U.S. Army helicopter gunships and U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy tactical jet aircraft, and a bombing attack by Air Force B-52s.

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