Battle of An Loc

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Battle of An Loc

Date	April 13-July 20, 1972
Location	11°39′9.8″N 106°36′33.5″E / 11.652722, 106.609306 (An Loc)Coordinates: 11°39′9.8″N 106°36′33.5″E / 11.652722, 106.609306 (An Loc) An Loc, South Vietnam UTM Grid XT 76-88^[1]
Result	Decisive South Vietnamese victory.

Belligerents

Commanders

Gen. Tran Van Tra

Brig. Gen. Le Van Hung

Strength

35,000+

6,000+

Casualties and losses

Est. 10,000 killed
Est. 15,000 wounded

2,300 killed or missing

v • d • e

Vietnam War

Ap Bac – Binh Gia – Pleiku – Song Be – Dong Xoai – Starlite – Gang Toi – Ia Drang – Hastings – Masher/White Wing – A Shau – Xa Cam My – Duc Co – Long Tan – Attleboro – Cedar Falls – Tra Binh Dong – Bribie – Junction City – Union – Hill 881 – Union II - Ong Thanh – Dak To – 1st Tet – Khe Sanh – 1st Saigon – Hue – Lang Vei – Lima Site 85 – Kham Duc – Speedy Express – Dewey Canyon – 2nd Tet – Hamburger Hill – Binh Ba – Cambodia – Snuol – FSB Ripcord – Tailwind – Chenla I – Son Tay Raid – Lam Son 719 – Chenla II – Ban Dong – FSB Mary Ann – Easter '72 – 1st Quang Tri – Loc Ninh – An Loc – Kontum – 2nd Quang Tri – Phuoc Long – Ho Chi Minh – Ban Me Thuot – Xuan Loc – Truong Sa – 2nd Saigon – SS Mayagüez
Air operations
Ranch Hand – Pierce Arrow – Barrel Roll – Pony Express – Flaming Dart – Rolling Thunder – Steel Tiger – Arc Light – Tiger Hound – Bolo – Igloo White – Commando Hunt – Menu – Freedom Deal – Linebacker I – Linebacker II – Shed Light

The Battle of An Loc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a decisive victory for South Vietnam. In many ways, the struggle for An Loc in 1972, was an important battle of the war, as South Vietnamese forces halted the North Vietnamese advance towards Saigon.

An Loc is the capital of Binh Long Province located northwest of Military Region III. During North Vietnam's Nguyen Hue Offensive of 1972, An Loc was at the centre of North Vietnamese strategy due to its location between Cambodia and Saigon. To protect this important area South Vietnam had a single division in Binh Long Province, the ARVN 5th Division, which during the battle was outnumbered by a combined force of three North Vietnamese and Viet Cong divisions.

1 Battle
2 Helicopter history
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Battle

On April 7 following the fall of Loc Ninh to the Viet Cong 5th Division, the South Vietnamese airstrip at Quan Loi became the next target for the Communists. The VC 9th Division attacked the airstrip forcing the two companies of the ARVN 7th Regiment to abandon the airfield. The loss of Quan Loi was clear evidence of North Vietnam's attempt to encircle An Loc. The loss of Quan Loi airstrip represented major challenges for the South Vietnamese Army because it enables the Communist troops to intercept supplies coming by National Road 13, while An Loc itself was ringed with North Vietnamese anti-aircraft artilleries, firing at any incoming aircraft.

The battle for An Loc began on April 13 with a North Vietnamese artillery barrage. At dawn the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong infantries attacked with support from Soviet-made T-54 and PT-76 tanks as well as American-made M-41 captured during Operation Lam Son 719. North Vietnamese tank crews, fresh from training centres in the Soviet Union, rolling into the streets of An Loc without their infantry escorts were destroyed amid the confusion by M-72 LAW rockets deployed by ARVN infantry. North Vietnamese tank and artillery barrage grew in intensity with heavy street fighting. Over the period of three months aggressive Communist assaults were met with tenacious resistance from South Vietnamese soldiers, supported by VNAF and USAF bombers. The North Vietnamese, unable to take An Loc, also suffered heavy casualties when ARVN troops encircled and destroyed their positions. By July 20, 1972, the South Vietnamese were victorious. South Vietnamese General Le Van Hung became known as the "Hero of An Loc".

[edit] Helicopter history

On April 13, 1972, Chief Warrant Officer Barry McIntyre, Major Larry McKay, 1st Lieutenant Steve Shields, and Captain Bill Causey became the first helicopter crews to destroy enemy armour in combat. A flight of two Cobra helicopters from Battery F, 79th Artillery, 1st Cavalry, U.S. Army, were armed with the newly developed 2.75" HEAT rockets, which were yet untested in combat. The Cobras destroyed three T-54 tanks that were about to overrun a U.S. command post. McIntyre and McKay engaged first, destroying the lead tank.^[1]