Battle of Song Be

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Battle of Song Be
Part of the Vietnam War
Date May 10-May 15, 1965 Location Song Be, South Vietnam UTM Grid YU 19-11[1] Result South Vietnamese and American victory
Belligerents
Viet Cong	South Vietnam United States
Casualties and losses
85 killed	49 ARVN dead 5 American dead

The Battle of Song Be was a major action between the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) and Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) in May 1965. Planned as a major show of force against the rapidly collapsing ARVN forces, the NLF attempted to capture the capital of Phuoc Long province, Song Be. Perhaps to their surprise, ARVN forces in the area rallied and re-took the town by the end of the second day of combat. Several additional days of chasing the NLF forces involved proved fruitless.

[edit] Background

A series of political and military setbacks starting as early as 1962 had been gradually eroding the combat effectiveness of the ARVN forces, originally more than a match for the VC with their United States supplied helicopters and armored personnel carriers. The NLF forces had been left to train in relative safety and had developed new tactics and been supplied with new weapons that upset the balance of power. By 1964 ARVN morale was collapsing and the NLF was in nominal control of much of the countryside. It appeared the war was entering its endgame, and the NLF was planning ever-larger operations.

On April 16, 1965, the U.S. Special Forces SF B-34 Detachment was sent to Song Be to reinforce the ARVN forces, joining an existing MACV team headquarters in the town. They set about building up a fortified area on a nearby hill and were joined by the POW intelligence team, 120 AVN.

[edit] Battle

At 01:45 on May 10, the NLF 761st and 763d Regiments attacked the city from multiple directions. Even though the American positions were still being constructed, the SF and 120 AVN were able to stop them from overrunning their positions and the area of the town around them. At 03:45 helicopter gunships arrived but were unable to see the ground because of fog and low clouds. They instead attacked supporting artillery (likely 82mm mortars) west of the town. Attempts to evacuate casualties from the U.S. positions in medivacs (UH-1C's) were repeatedly driven off by .50 calibre machine guns, until these were attacked by air; the evacuation finally took place at 08:00.

At noon the 36 ARVN Ranger battalion attacked into the town, and drove off the VC occupying the center of the town. This is surprising in some regards, since the Rangers were local irregular forces and generally had not performed well against the NLF in prior battles. They were joined a few hours later by the 34th ARVN Rangers, and by evening the entire town was returned to southern control.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Bowman S.John(1989)The Vietnam War: Day by Day. Bison Group, London.
• Battle of Song Be

[edit] Contemporary news reporting

• Langguth, Jack. "U.S. Planes Drive Vietcong Raiders From A Key Town", NY Times, 1965-05-12, pp. 1. 
• "Viet Nam Ground War Perks Up", Hartford Courant, 1965-05-12, pp. 1A. 
• "How Brave Died in Viet Nam", Hartford Courant, 1965-05-13, pp. 42A. 
• "U. S. Lands 2,400 More Reinforcements in Viet", Chicago Tribune, 1965-05-13, pp. 1.