Operation Attleboro

This article is about the operation in South Vietnam. For the operation in Iraq, see Operation Attleboro (Iraq).

Operation Attleboro
Part of the Vietnam War
Infantrymen attacking out of a UH-1D helicopter during Operation Attleboro.
Date September 14 – November 24, 1966 Location Northwest of Dau Tieng, South Vietnam Result U.S. victory
Belligerents
United States South Vietnam	North Vietnam Viet Cong
Commanders and leaders
Guy S. Meloy William E. DePuy	Unknown
Units involved
196th Light Infantry Brigade 1st Infantry Division 4th Infantry Division 27th Infantry Regiment Total: ~22,000	9th Vietcong Division 101st NVA Regiment
Casualties and losses
155 killed and 494 wounded unknown Total: unknown KIA, ~3,000 wounded or sick	US report: 2,130 killed 900 wounded 44 POW

Operation Attleboro was a search and destroy operation by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. The operation was named after Attleboro, Massachusetts, where the brigade had been formed. Operation Attleboro turned out to be the largest series of air mobile operations to date and involved all or elements of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, 25th Division 1st Infantry Division, a brigade of the 4th Division, as well as numerous Army of the Republic of Vietnam and Regional Forces/Popular Forces and Nungs. In the end, the operation became a Corps operation commanded by II Field Forces. U.S. military spokesmen claimed that the most significant result of Operation Attleboro was the severe blow struck against the communists' supply system.

The operation was divided into two phases. While the initial fighting was light, in late October U.S. forces, consisting of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade and the 1st Battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment, encountered the 9th Viet Cong Division, resulting in a major three-day battle. Fighting was then taken over by the 1st Infantry Division.

The most significant fighting occurred when Viet Cong forces assaulted the U.S. perimeter at Suoi Da on November 8. The assault was defeated by artillery and air strikes. Afterwards, a large Viet Cong base camp was detected. It was one of the largest hauls to date in the Vietnam War with the American forces seized two million pounds of rice; 116 transportation bicycles; approximately 25,000 Chinese-made hand grenades (many containing tear gas); 481 M18 Claymore anti-personnel mines; 80 rocket launchers; 25 machine guns; a myriad number of pistols; rifles like AKMs and AK-47s; clothing; tobacco; miscellaneous foods like cooking oil and salt and fish; and bountiful gallons worth of petroleum.

US intelligence later estimated PAVN losses during Operation Attleboro as 2,130 killed, 900 wounded, and over 200 missing or captured. 127 PAVN individual weapons and 19 crew-served weapon were seized Allied losses totaled 155 killed and 494 wounded. 14 U.S. helicopter were hit (one destroyed and 7 heavily damaged)

However, Attleboro did not break the NLF's political hold in Tay Ninh province. After the operation ended, NLF quietly returned. Reducing the NLF fighting power had not diminished their political influence within the local hamets and villages

References

• Summers, Harry G. Historical Atlas of the Vietnam War. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• "Attleboro battered Reds' supply system". Stars and Stripes. 1966-11-28. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
• "The Giant Spoiler". TIME Magazine. 1966-11-18. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
• Tucker, Spencer C. (2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History (2nd ed.). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781851099603. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• "Disappearing Act". TIME Magazine. 1966-11-25. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
• "Encouraging Returns". TIME Magazine. 1966-12-09. Retrieved 2007-07-11.