Battle of Binh Ba
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battle of Binh Ba | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Vietnam War | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Viet Cong North Vietnam |
 Australia New Zealand |
||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 91 killed | 1 killed, 8 wounded |
||||||
|
|||||
The Battle of Binh Ba was a battle between soldiers of the Australian Army, North Vietnamese Army, and Vietcong during the Vietnam War.
Contents |
[edit] Background
[edit] Binh Ba
Binh Ba village situated some four miles North of the Australian Task Force HQs at Nui Dat () and on the western side just off Route 2 with a population of around one thousand, made up of mainly farmers and rubber plantation workers. The village houses were constructed of solid brick and tile. The village was well known to the Australians during the first tour and 5RAR stationed a rifle company and a mortar section within the village. This strategy proved to be a deterrent to the Viet Cong tax collectors and assassination squads taking control of the village. This however, was not to continue. In 1969 as the drain on the meagre resources of the Battalion proved to be too much and the village was left to the protection of Regional forces.
[edit] Prelude
On separate operations, 6RAR was engaged in a heavy contact with the enemy several miles north of the Task Force base. At 08:00 on 6 June 1969, a Centurion Tank and an armoured recovery vehicle moving through to assist 6RAR were fired upon from Binh Ba village.
The initial intelligence report indicated that two enemy platoons had infiltrated the village and the commander 1 ATF decided to react D Company to the village.
The Ready Reaction Force consisted of D Company 5RAR, a troop of tanks (2 tanks from 1 Troop, 2 Tanks from 2 Troop 1st Armoured Regiment) and an APC Troop (Armoured Personnel Carriers) were alerted to the incident and prepared to move to the area. The OC, D Company issued orders and the force moved off to the village of Binh Ba.
The company consisted of 3 platoons plus company HQ.
[edit] Battle
With preparation from helicopter gunships 9 Squadron RAAF D Company assaulted the village. The Centurion tanks were effective for close action; however against concealed enemy firing RPG 7's, 2 tanks sustained some external damage whilst one tank was penetrated. Within an hour, three of the four tanks from the initial assault were disabled with damage and crew casualties. The officer commanding D Company decided to move his force out of the village and move to western side of Binh Ba. With a fresh troop of tanks together with APC support, D Company conducted a second assault on the village. Infantry platoons led the assault. Each platoon had one tank and two Armored Personnel Carriers in close support.
A platoon made contact with the enemy immediately. The opposing force occupied the houses and was firing from the windows, doors and from any available cover. An Australian soldier was killed. Pte Wayne Teeling was shot through the neck as his team approached the first line of houses.
A tank fired one round of HE into the building occupied by the VC. The house exploded, and the clearing team assaulted immediately. Six enemy dead were found in the ruins. This type of action was typical all along D Company's assault line. It was made clear some time ago that the strength of the enemy force was far greater than two platoons. It was confirmed from captured documents that D Company was facing elements of the 1st Battalion, 33 NVA Regiment. Enemy weapons littered the battle ground. Some Australian soldiers used discarded AK-47's to conserve their own ammunition.
Elements of the 1st Battalion 33 NVA took up defensive positions within the village and fought to the death. Other groups discarded their uniforms and weapons and mingled with the pockets of civilians unable to escape the fighting. This added another dimension to the conduct of the battle, and the soldiers of D Company 5RAR exposed themselves to extreme danger trying to usher these groups to the rear of the battle zone. Other enemy groups tried to flee the village, or hide in the small air raid bunkers attached to every house. In one case, an enemy force as large as an infantry company attempted to enter the village to take part in the battle. In the latter case these forces were met by B Company, blocking the exit and entry routes outside Binh Ba. To fully clear the village, every bunker, house and any likely areas of concealment had to be searched.
On the second day, the clearing of the village continued. D Company, with a platoon from B Company did much the same as on day one although, contact with the enemy focused on small groups of NVA still holed up in the village.
[edit] Aftermath
The battle concluded on 8 June 1969. A large enemy force had been defeated by the Australian troops. One Australian soldier was killed and 8 were wounded; 91 VC and NVA soldiers were also killed. The battle for Binh Ba ranks as one of the major military victories by the Australian Task Force.
