VC D445 Battalion

445th Battalion
Viet Cong soldiers, believed to be from D445 Battalion.
Active	1965–
Allegiance	Viet Cong
Branch	National Liberation Front for Southern Vietnam
Type	Infantry
Role	Guerilla
Size	350 men
Engagements	Vietnam War Battle of Long Tan Battle of Ap My An Battle of Hat Dich Battle of Long Khanh

Vietnam War

The 445th Battalion (D445 for short), also known as the D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion or the Ba Ria Battalion, was a Local Force battalion of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The battalion operated in the Dong Nai river basin and also the Bien Hoa, Phuoc Tuy and Long Khanh provinces. It recruited principally from Dat Do, Long Dien and Hoa Long. The battalion was formed on 19 May 1965. It consisted of three rifle companies and one weapons company with a total strength of approximately 350 men and was commanded by Nguyen Van Kiem.The battalion fought initially against the 173rd Airborne Infantry Brigade between 24 May and 4 June 1966 during Operation Hardihood. American casualties during that operation were 23 killed and 160 wounded and 48 Viet Cong soldiers were reported to have been killed.

During the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966 the battalion fought against Australian Army forces from D Company, 6 RAR supported by New Zealand and US artillery. According to the D445 Battalion political officer, the unit provided "guides for the units that mortared the Task Force" at Nui Dat base on 17 August 1966. A Viet Cong medic, Chung, reported that three of the Viet Cong RCL detachment were killed in the Australian counter-battery fire and were buried nearby. During the battle an 80-strong Vo Thi Sau civil labour company commanded by Chin Phuong, comprising mainly women and children, lent support by evacuating the casualties. Australian veterans and historians, in the main, claim that at Long Tan D445 Battalion suffered heavy casualties, with captured personnel reportedly later stating that D445 Battalion's casualties had been 70 killed and 100 wounded, or approximately 50 percent of its strength. The total number of Vietnamese dead in the battle, according to Viet Cong and NVA histories were 47 killed. Only one member of D445 was captured at Long Tan (reportedly a 57 mm RCL gunner); and two members of 275 Regiment were captured who declared themselves to be members of "Doan 45" as their cover story.