Operation Toan Thang II
Operation Toan Thang II was an operation conducted by the US Army and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War between 1 June 1968 and 16 February 1969. It was designed to keep pressure on the Viet Cong and the People's Army of Vietnam forces at III Corps.
Background
The operation was a continuation of Operation Toan Thang I—in the same operational area and with largely the same forces.Operation
June
On 1 June, a unit of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division found a PAVN/VC base camp near Dầu Tiếng Base Camp with an arms cache containing 81 SKS rifles, three light machine guns, and two radios. At 14:25, a unit of the 1st Brigade air assaulted into a hot landing zone near Bến Lức District and engaged PAVN/VC forces, who withdrew at 19:15, leaving 11 dead. U.S. losses were five killed and aUH-1 Iroquois was shot down west of Saigon.On 2 June, between 01:40 and 03:25, 15 rounds of mortar/rocket fire hit Saigon killing five civilians and destroying three houses. At 11:15, helicopter gunships from the cavalry squadron of the 25th Infantry Division engaged enemy forces west of Phú Cường and cavalry troops were later landed in the area. The enemy withdrew at 18:00, leaving 33 dead among 37 destroyed bunkers. At 13:40, a unit of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade engaged an enemy force northeast of Tân Uyên. The enemy withdrew at 18:15 leaving 12 dead; U.S. losses were 3 killed.
On 4 June, between 01:03 and 01:45, 40 rounds of mortar/rocket fire hit Saigon injuring 12 civilians and causing minor damage to two ships. On 5 June at 01:25, a unit of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment received 50 rounds of mortar fire in a night defensive position near Trảng Bàng District. The unit returned fire, supported by artillery and an AC-47 Spooky gunship, and the enemy withdrew at 02:50 leaving seven dead and one captured and two individual and two crew-served weapons. The base camp and village at Lai Khê was hit by five 122 mm rockets killing three civilians.
On 6 June, six mortar/rocket rounds hit Chợ Lớn killing 11 civilians. At 15:30, ten rounds of 82 mm mortar fire hit Gia Định Province killing two civilians. At 18:46, eight rounds of 82 mm mortar fire hit Bảo Trị, injuring nine civilians. A unit of the 25th Infantry Division engaged an enemy force near Hóc Môn District supported by artillery, helicopter gunships, and airstrikes killing 32 PAVN/VC troops; U.S. losses were four killed. A UH-1 was shot down north of central Saigon.
At 03:00 on 7 June, 13 rockets hit Saigon killing two civilians. Two companies of the 9th Infantry Division supported by helicopter gunships from the 1st Cavalry Division engaged an enemy company west of Ty Tho killing 17 and capturing two and one individual weapon. On 8 June, 22 82 mm mortar rounds hit Saigon. At 18:50, five 82 mm mortar rounds hit Sông Bé Province killing two civilians. On 9 June at 03:00, three rounds of mortar fire hit the vicinity of the Newport Bridge. Bien Hoa Air Base received 35 rounds of mortar fire; at 23:30 of the same day, four rounds of mortar fire hit the area clost to the Cha Va Bridge.
On 10 June, between 02:05 and 02:10, ten 122 mm rockets hit Saigon, killing seven civilians. On 11 June, between 06:15 and 06:25, 25 122 mm rockets hit Saigon killing 19 civilians. On 12 June, ten 122 mm rockets hit Tan Son Nhut Air Base killing two U.S. civilians and four Vietnamese civilians. A unit of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division engaged an enemy force in Bình Dương Province northwest of Saigon killing 13. On 13 June, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, found four submerged sampans with nine 122 mm rockets in Gia Định Province north-northwest of Saigon. A unit of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division found 22 107 mm rockets northeast of Saigon.
On 14 June at 14:15, an aerial observer sighted a bunker complex southwest of Bến Cát and directed artillery and airstrikes onto the area killing 15 PAVN/VC. On 15 June at 01:15, 20 mortar rounds hit southwest Saigon injuring two policemen and three civilians. At 03:00, 60 107 mm rockets hit Bien Hoa Air Base causing minimal damage. South Vietnamese Marines found 42 mortar rounds and ten RPG-2 rounds east-northeast of Saigon. At 18:00, a unit of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division found eight 107 mm rockets in the same general area.
On 16 June at 02:50, a unit of the 2nd Brigade, the 25th Infantry Division, which was in a night defensive position in Gia Định Province, received mortar fire followed by a ground attack. The unit returned fire supported by artillery, helicopter gunships, and an AC-47; the enemy withdrew at 09:40 leaving 52 dead and 21 individual and four crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were three killed. At 14:45, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division engaged an enemy force southwest of Dĩ An Base Camp killing 25 for the loss of eleven U.S. soldiers On 17 June, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division engaged an enemy force southwest of Dĩ An. The battle continued until early morning when the enemy withdrew leaving 25 dead; U.S. losses were 11 killed.
On 18 June, a unit of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division found a weapons cache northeast of Hóc Môn containing seven individual and seven crew-served weapons; nine 82 mm mortars, 32 122 mm rocket warheads, 88 RPG-2 rounds and 13,000 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition. On 19 June, a unit of the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division air assaulted into a hot landing zone and engaged an enemy force in Bình Dương Province north-northeast of Saigon. At 17:30, a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division engaged an enemy force south of Phước Vĩnh Base Camp supported by artillery, helicopter gunships, and AC-47s. The enemy withdrew at 19:05 leaving 39 dead; U.S. losses were two killed. A unit of the 3rd Brigade found four 107 mm rockets 6 miles east of Saigon.
On 20 June, the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, swept the area north-northeast of Saigon that it had assaulted the previous day finding 44 PAVN/VC dead and seven individual weapons; U.S. losses were 15 killed. A unit of the same Brigade found 17 PAVN/VC killed by artillery and airstrikes north-northwest of Phú Thọ Racetrack. At 18:30, a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy unit northwest of Saigon killing 12 and capturing five individuals and two crew-served weapons. At 23:39, five 122 mm rockets hit northern Saigon killing six civilians. On 21 June at 00:15, five 107 mm rockets hit Tan Son Nhut Air Base killing six civilians. At 11:45, a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division engaged two reinforced enemy companies near Hiệp Hòa, the enemy withdrew at 21:30, leaving 35 dead; U.S. losses were one killed.
On 22 June at 02:15, eight mortar/rocket rounds hit the Saigon docks causing minor damage. On 23 June, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, received fire southeast of Bến Lức and returned fire supported by artillery, airstrikes, and AC-47 fire. The enemy withdrew at 23:45, and a sweep the next morning found 41 PAVN/VC dead, two captured and 11 individual and five crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were four killed. On 24 June at 09:20, an OH-6 Cayuse light observation helicopter was shot down east-northeast of Tân An killing both crewmen. At 10:20, a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy force in the same area; other units reinforced and the enemy withdrew at 23:00. A sweep of the area the next day revealed 46 PAVN/VC dead and 13 weapons captured; U.S. losses were five killed. A United States Air Force forward air controller saw enemy forces south-southwest of Phú Cường and directed airstrikes onto the area. A subsequent sweep by the 17th Cavalry Regiment found 20 PAVN/VC dead.
From 23 June, Australia's 4th Battalion joined the operation, deploying to the Biên Hòa-Long Khánh Province border to assist their 1st Battalion. 4 RAR/NZ's role was to seal enemy infiltration routes into Saigon and to identify rocket-launching sites. Only one contact was made by the New Zealand infantry company of 4 RAR/NZ. On 3 July, 1 RAR left the operation.
On 25 June at 07:55, two UH-1s collided west of Bearcat Base killing 12 U.S. Army personnel, 16 Thai soldiers and one ARVN soldier. A unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy force northeast of Tân An killing two and capturing five. On 26 June, units of the 1st and 3rd Brigades of the 9th Infantry Division continued to engage the enemy force northeast of Tân An. The enemy withdrew at 15:00 leaving 40 dead, 9 captured and 16 individual and two crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were 11 killed. At midday on 27 June, a unit of the ARVN 25th Division found 126 rockets northwest of Saigon, while Phu Loi Base Camp was hit by 15 mortar rounds.
On 28 June, units of the 1st and 3rd Brigades, 9th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy company southwest of Bến Lức. Action continued until 06:00 on 29 June and resulted in 30 PAVN/VC and five U.S. troops killed. On 30 June at 09:00, a company from the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, engaged two enemy platoons north of Go Dau Ha killing 18 and capturing two for the loss of two U.S. killed.
Operational results for the month were 1,533 PAVN/VC killed, 520 captured and 574 individual and 89 crew-served weapons captured. U.S. losses were 181 killed.
July
On 3 July at 02:20, Dầu Tiếng Base Camp received 450 rounds of 60mm mortar fire and 50 107mm rockets followed by a ground assault, the defenders from the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, fought back supported by AC-47 fire; U.S. losses were 5 killed. At 09:00 a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, found a weapons cache in Biên Hòa Province containing four 122 mm rockets and one 107 mm rocket. At 11:30 a company from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy platoon northeast of Tân An supported by helicopter gunships with unknown results. At 16:45, a UH-1 was shot down south of Bến Lức with seven U.S. missing.On 4 July, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, found a bunker complex and weapons cache in Bình Dương Province containing seven RPG-7 launchers, 110 RPG-7 grenades and an 82 mm mortar. On 5 July at 16;50, a company from the 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, found a weapons cache in Bình Dương Province, north-northwest of Saigon containing seven 122 mm rocket motors and four warheads.
On 8 July at 02:00, five mortar rounds hit the Nhà Bè tank farm causing minimal damage. A unit from the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, engaged an enemy force southwest of Cần Đước District killing 17 for the loss of one killed. On 9 July at 01:00, United States Navy Patrol Boat, Rivers attacked three enemy sampans on the Đồng Nai river killing three PAVN/VC. A company from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, operating north of Saigon found 12 PAVN/VC dead killed by artillery fire in the previous two days.
On 10 July at 14:40, a unit of the cavalry squadron of the 25th Infantry Division engaged an enemy platoon north-northwest of Trảng Bàng killing 23. On 11 July, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division engaged 25 PAVN/VC southwest of Saigon killing ten. On 13 July, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division found five 107 mm rockets warheads west of Saigon. On 15 July, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division engaged an enemy force northeast of Tân An killing 76 and capturing six individual and six crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were seven killed.
On 16 July, a company from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division found a munitions cache south of Thủ Đức District containing 340 grenades and 57 rounds of recoilless rifle ammunition. On 17 July, U.S. helicopter gunships supported the ARVN 25th Division in an action northwest of Bến Lức that killed 13 PAVN/VC. On 18 July, a unit of the 11th ACR engaged an enemy force east-northeast of Lộc Ninh killing 34 PAVN/VC and capturing three and 16 individual and six crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were four killed.
On 20 July at midnight, five 107 mm rockets hit the Nhà Bè tank farm causing minimal damage. On 22 July, a company from the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, found graves containing 13 PAVN/VC dead southwest of Bến Cát. A unit of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, patrolling in Bình Dương Province, found a supply cache containing four individual weapons, assorted munitions and food. Mechanized infantry from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division engaged an enemy company north of Go Dau Ha killing 13.
On 24 July at 10:40, Civilian Irregular Defense Group program forces supported by artillery, helicopter gunships, airstrikes and a unit of the 11th ACR engaged an enemy force west of Lộc Ninh killing 21 PAVN/VC; U.S. losses were one killed. On 25 July at 08:15, a unit of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, was ambushed by an enemy force 2 miles northeast of Trảng Bàng killing 20 and capturing one individual and two crew-served weapons; U.S. losses were 13 killed. The air cavalry squadron of the 25th Infantry Division attacked 15 PAVN/VC north of Tân An killing 10 and capturing two and five sampans loaded with weapons.
On 26 July at 17:15, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, operating northeast of Tân An killed 18 PAVN/VC and captured five individual weapons. A unit from the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, found a 70-ton rice cache east-northeast of Lộc Ninh. On 27 July, a company from the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, patrolling in Long An Province found two sampans carrying munitions including 212 60 mm mortar rounds and 35 RPG-2 grenades. On 30 July, an OH-6 was shot down northwest of Go Dau Ha. On 31 July, a unit of the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division found a 25-ton rice cache in Bình Long Province.
Cumulative operational results to the end of July were 2,479 PAVN/VC killed, 1,119 captured and 836 individual and 184 crew-served weapons captured. U.S. losses were 319 killed. U.S. intelligence determined that during the month that the 7th Division had relocated to northern Bình Long Province while the 9th Division had moved from Hậu Nghĩa Province to western Tây Ninh Province. Captured documents indicated that a renewed PAVN/VC offensive was to start sometime after 5 August.