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10 Deadliest Battles
BATTLE-------------COMBAT--------------DATES
--------------------FATALITIES--------------------
Ia Drang Valley----300 (1)-------------Oct 23-Nov 26, '65
Khe Sanh-----------205 (2)--------------Jan 20-Apr 14, '68
Dak To--------------192 (3)--------------Nov 1-Dec 1, '67
Cu Nghi-------------121------------------Jan 28-31, '66
Hue------------------119------------------Feb 2-Mar 2, '68
Kim Son Valley-----107------------------Feb 16-28, '66
Con Thien (ambush near)--84---------Jul 2, '67
"Nine Days in May"-79------------------May 18-28, '67
Dak To---------------76-------------------Jun 22, '67
Vinh Huy-------------73-------------------May 30-Jun 2, '67
(1) LZ Albany alone claimed 155 KIA on Nov. 17, making it the single
deadliest U.S. action of the war. LZ X-Ray resulted in another 79 KIA
over two days, Nov. 14-16.
(2) During operations Scotland and Pegasus, a total of 553 Americans
may have been KIA.
(3) 158 of the KIA were sustained at Dak To over six days, Nov. 17-23.
Note: Lengthy operations are excluded. Only actions that could be
categorized as single or directly related engagements are tabulated.
Source: Sigler, David B. Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and
Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973. Jefferson, N.C.:
McFarland & Co., 1992.
The 173rd was involved in the 3rd and 9th deadliest battles in the war. The 3rd deadliest was the battle for Hill 875; one of the most famous battles in the war.
Many paratroopers weren't real hot on being sent to them. They had a reputation of expending alot of their personnel unnecessarily. It often seemed that they had a disproportionate ratio of casualties. Like alot of units, the 101st included, in the day of the Search and Destroy tactics under Westmoreland, they liked to put a smaller unit out as bait and reinforce it when contact was made. This didn't always seem to work out....alot. I'm guessing that they often underestimated the size of the enemy units that they went up against. Most of the troopers that I met that served with them were glad to be out.....and alive.
The 173rd was the first Army unit into Vietnam, coming from Okinawa behind the Marines. They were one of the last units to leave, remaining a brigade-sized unit the whole war. They fought some of the bloodiest battles in the war. Eight days before the battle on Hill 875, the 4/503 fought a one day battle with the NVA near Ben Het. They suffered 20 KIA, 154 WIA, and 2 MIA. Charlie company had 4 dead and virtually everyone else wounded. They sustained 1758 KIA's during the war. A large number for a brigade-sized unit.
22JUN67
The 9th most deadly battle on the list. It occured on Hill 1338 near Dak To. It involved A & C companies of the 2/503. One more example of what has been said about the 173rd already.
Early in the day A company was cut off and systematicly decimated. As the battle went on through the day, platoons were cut off from each other. C company was succesfully kept at bay as the battle raged. Later in the day B company was put on the ground, but was pinned down not far from it's LZ. The place was a beehive of well entrenched NVA. The enemy was hugging Alpha too close for an airstrike or artillary fire. The smoke from the battle was so thick, gunships couldn't get an accurate fix on the paratrooper's position. Neither company was able to make it to A company's aid that day. They would have to listen to the sounds of their brothers in A company fight for their lives all night.
The next morning all was quiet. C company, being the closest, was the first to arrive at A company's battle site. It was a disaster. The death toll for Alpha was shocking. Out of 137 paratroopers, 76 were KIA. Another 23 were wounded. Of the dead, 43 of them had been shot in the back of the head execution style.
5 months later it would be A & C companies of 2/503, along with D company, that would be involved in the 3rd deadliest battle, the fight for Hill 875. Once again, it would be A company that is cut off and shot to Hell.
A tour with the 3rd Herd was definately Hard Time. Maybe Rocky will expand on this.
BATTLE-------------COMBAT--------------DATES
--------------------FATALITIES--------------------
Ia Drang Valley----300 (1)-------------Oct 23-Nov 26, '65
Khe Sanh-----------205 (2)--------------Jan 20-Apr 14, '68
Dak To--------------192 (3)--------------Nov 1-Dec 1, '67
Cu Nghi-------------121------------------Jan 28-31, '66
Hue------------------119------------------Feb 2-Mar 2, '68
Kim Son Valley-----107------------------Feb 16-28, '66
Con Thien (ambush near)--84---------Jul 2, '67
"Nine Days in May"-79------------------May 18-28, '67
Dak To---------------76-------------------Jun 22, '67
Vinh Huy-------------73-------------------May 30-Jun 2, '67
(1) LZ Albany alone claimed 155 KIA on Nov. 17, making it the single
deadliest U.S. action of the war. LZ X-Ray resulted in another 79 KIA
over two days, Nov. 14-16.
(2) During operations Scotland and Pegasus, a total of 553 Americans
may have been KIA.
(3) 158 of the KIA were sustained at Dak To over six days, Nov. 17-23.
Note: Lengthy operations are excluded. Only actions that could be
categorized as single or directly related engagements are tabulated.
Source: Sigler, David B. Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and
Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973. Jefferson, N.C.:
McFarland & Co., 1992.
The 173rd was involved in the 3rd and 9th deadliest battles in the war. The 3rd deadliest was the battle for Hill 875; one of the most famous battles in the war.
Many paratroopers weren't real hot on being sent to them. They had a reputation of expending alot of their personnel unnecessarily. It often seemed that they had a disproportionate ratio of casualties. Like alot of units, the 101st included, in the day of the Search and Destroy tactics under Westmoreland, they liked to put a smaller unit out as bait and reinforce it when contact was made. This didn't always seem to work out....alot. I'm guessing that they often underestimated the size of the enemy units that they went up against. Most of the troopers that I met that served with them were glad to be out.....and alive.
The 173rd was the first Army unit into Vietnam, coming from Okinawa behind the Marines. They were one of the last units to leave, remaining a brigade-sized unit the whole war. They fought some of the bloodiest battles in the war. Eight days before the battle on Hill 875, the 4/503 fought a one day battle with the NVA near Ben Het. They suffered 20 KIA, 154 WIA, and 2 MIA. Charlie company had 4 dead and virtually everyone else wounded. They sustained 1758 KIA's during the war. A large number for a brigade-sized unit.
22JUN67
The 9th most deadly battle on the list. It occured on Hill 1338 near Dak To. It involved A & C companies of the 2/503. One more example of what has been said about the 173rd already.
Early in the day A company was cut off and systematicly decimated. As the battle went on through the day, platoons were cut off from each other. C company was succesfully kept at bay as the battle raged. Later in the day B company was put on the ground, but was pinned down not far from it's LZ. The place was a beehive of well entrenched NVA. The enemy was hugging Alpha too close for an airstrike or artillary fire. The smoke from the battle was so thick, gunships couldn't get an accurate fix on the paratrooper's position. Neither company was able to make it to A company's aid that day. They would have to listen to the sounds of their brothers in A company fight for their lives all night.
The next morning all was quiet. C company, being the closest, was the first to arrive at A company's battle site. It was a disaster. The death toll for Alpha was shocking. Out of 137 paratroopers, 76 were KIA. Another 23 were wounded. Of the dead, 43 of them had been shot in the back of the head execution style.
5 months later it would be A & C companies of 2/503, along with D company, that would be involved in the 3rd deadliest battle, the fight for Hill 875. Once again, it would be A company that is cut off and shot to Hell.
A tour with the 3rd Herd was definately Hard Time. Maybe Rocky will expand on this.