operation starlite casualties

Echo Company, 2/4 spotted Viet Cong in the open and called in artillery fire from 3rd Battalion 12th Marines. STARLITE lasts until August 24. Operation Starlite was the United States' first regimental-size action of the Vietnam War, fought from 18 to 24 August 1965.. Operation Starlite (also known in Vietnam as Battle of Van Tuong) was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War from 18 to 24 August 1965. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Lieutenant General Lewis W. Walt … A MAG-16 helicopter (below) evacuates casualties while a Marine M–48 tank stands guard during Operation Starlite. India Company, 3/3 attacked An Cuong after receiving heavy fire from the hamlet and losing their company commander in the engagement. The expected reinforcements, were diverted to assist the supply column that was ambushed west of their position. Summers, Harry G. Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War. Hotel Company,2/4 assaulted the 60th VC Battalion who put up a vicious fight, only being overwhelmed when attack helicopters swooped on their position, peppering it with rocket and machine gun fire. At a loss of 1 soldier killed and 6 wounded, the Americans claimed 100 VC dead, 7 prisoners and 38 captured weapons. It is known as Operation STARLITE and is part of the Marines’ change in primary mission from base defense toward offensive action. He believed that some of the VC had remained behind in underground hiding places. Significance/Notes: The United States Navy's USS Galveston (CLG-3) and USS Cabildo (LSD-16) were available for naval gunfire support and 3rd Battalion 12th Marines was the artillery unit in direct support. Scout units of 3/7's Marines came ashore during the night and the battalion got ready for a morning assault on the Vietnamese positions. The operation was launched based on intelligence provided by Major General Nguyen Chanh Thi, the commander of the South Vietnamese forces in northern I Corps area. The developing engagement necessitated the deployment of Lima Company, 3/7 from the USS Iwo Jima to join India Company to assist the ambushed supply column. Operation Starlite (also known in Vietnam as Battle of Van Tuong) was the first major offensive regimental size action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War. India Company was ordered to join Kilo and Hotel companies and clean up any opposition but was caught in a crossfire from Nam Yen Dan Hill 30. Operation Starlite: Plus one for the Corps. [4][7] Corporal Robert E. O'Malley (3/3) and Lance Corporal Joe C. Paul (2/4) received the Medal of Honor for their actions during the operation. [4] In fact, the VC 1st Regiment was not yet totally wiped out as expected by the U.S. U.S. Marines in Viet Nam 1965, History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington D.C. Fightings ceased at nightfall. A MAG-16 helicopter evacuates casualties, while a Marine M-48 tank stands guard. The Battle of Van Tuong, also known as Operation Starlite, was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War. commanders. The operation was launched based on intelligence provided by Major general Nguyen Chanh Thi, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) I Corps commander. To the Americans, the battle was considered being a great success for U.S. forces as they engaged a Main Force Viet Cong unit and came out victorious. The Marines were hit by intense mortar and rifle fire and suffered 5 dead and 17 wounded. Operation Starlite was the first major offensive regimental size action conducted by a purely U.S. military unit during the Vietnam War. Evacuated to the LPH-2 Iwo Jima he died from multiple fragmentation wounds. The total Viet Cong strength was around 1,500 men, and backed by several elite mortar units. A Marine helicopter from HMM-361 brings ammunition to a howtar position during Operation Starlite. 37mm recoilless rifle fire from the VC positions tore into the 5 LVTs and 3 flame tanks, forcing the Marines to mount a rescue. The Marines, partly supported by fire from U.S. Navy vessels near the coast, inflict heavy casualties on a large enemy force in heavy fighting around Van Tuong, approximately 12 miles south of Chu Lai. They fought for each other. USMC. U.S. Marines were deployed by helicopter insertion into the designated landing zone while an amphibious landing was used to deploy other Marines. : 242 The battalion was alerted for possible deployment during the 1956 Suez War and the 1958 intervention in Lebanon. Fightings ceased at nightfall. August 17, 1965: After a deserter from the 1st Vietcong regiment reveals that an attack is imminent against the U.S. Marine base at Chu Lai, the American army launches Operation Starlite. Echo Company, 2/4 spotted Viet Cong in the open and called in artillery fire from 3rd Battalion 12th Marines. The Marines met light resistance moving into the attack, using their M14 semi-automatic rifles to repulse occasional Viet Cong raiders. From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, "Van Tuong victory raises confidence in defeating US troops", https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Operation_Starlite&oldid=2025841, Articles lacking in-text citations from August 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Vietnam articles missing geocoordinate data, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1965, United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, 15 miles south of Chu Lai on the border of Quang Tin and Quang Ngai Provinces. US Marine Corps News. 45 of them include images. [2] It was launched on D-Day August 18, 1965, involving 5,500 Marines. 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