Tân Cảnh Base Camp
| Tân Cảnh Base Camp | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 14°39′40″N 107°49′19″E / 14.661°N 107.822°E |
| Type | Army Base |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1962 |
| In use | 1962–72 |
| Battles/wars |
 Vietnam War Battle of Dak To Battle of Kontum |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants |
4th Infantry Division 173rd Airborne Brigade 22nd Division |
| Đắk Tô I Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,165 ft / 660 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Tân Cảnh Base Camp (also known as Đắk Tô 1) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base northwest of Kon Tum in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
The 5th Special Forces Group Detachment A-333 first established a base at Đắk Tô in 1962 to monitor communist infiltration along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. In early-mid 1967 increased infiltration into the Central Highlands led Major General William R. Peers commander of the 4th Infantry Division to request reinforcements and the 173rd Airborne Brigade was moved by air to Đắk Tô in June 1967. As the existing Special Forces base camp and airfield were too small to accommodate large numbers of troops and their support requirements, a new airfield and base camp known as Đắk Tô 2 and Đắk Tô Base Camp were established several kilometres further west, approximately 40 km northwest of Kon Tum and the former camp became known as Tân Cảnh Base Camp.
In early 1972 the ARVN 42nd Regiment of the 22nd Division was stationed at Tân Cảnh.
On 7/8 February following intelligence showing a PAVN buildup in the area the 22nd Division forward command post, 47th Regiment and supporting units were moved from Ba Gi to the Đắk Tô/Tân Cảnh area. Elements of the 19th Cavalry Regiment were attached to the Division to support its organic 14th Cavalry Regiment equipped with M-41 light tanks. The armored units would be deployed forward at Ben Het Camp which was regarded as the most likely direction of a PAVN armored attack.
Since the start of the Easter Offensive at the end of March, the base had come under increasing PAVN artillery and rocket fire, which had gone from 20–50 rounds per day in March to up to 1000 per day by mid-April. During early April, the 47th Regiment withdrew to Đắk Tô II, while the 42nd Regiment and one Battalion of the 41st Regiment were at Tân Cảnh supported by armor and artillery. In addition ARVN Airborne and Rangers occupied a string of firebases along the area known as Rocket Ridge.
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Wikipedia