Apr 10, 2019
Two soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), going into operations by canoe, at the ready on the Sungei Rhui river, North Malaya.
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Two soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), going into operations by canoe, at the ready on the Sungei Rhui river, North Malaya.
Operation Crimp
Dates: 8 Jan 1966 - 14 Jan 1966
Area of Operation: Binh Duong Province, Hau Nghia Province, III Corps. Particularly the HoBo Woods, west of the Iron Triangle.
Allied Units: US Army 1/16th, 1/28th, and 2/28th Infantry of 3d Brigade 1st Infantry Division, 1/503rd and 2/503rd Airborne of 173rd Airborne Brigade; 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)
Allied Casualties: Unclear. An after action report from the 173rd Abn Bde cites “friendly losses” at 6 KIA and 45 WIA. These numbers likely do not take into consideration the casualties of 3d Bde 1st Inf Div, or 1RAR.
Enemy Units: Viet Cong 7th Cu Chi Battalion, D308 VC Company
Enemy Casualties: 107 KIA, 9 POW
Objective: Search and destroy, with particular focus on locating and destroying the headquarters of Viet Cong Military Region IV.
Significance/Notes: The Cu Chi Tunnels were discovered during Operation Crimp. This added a new dimension to the style of war being fought by the Communists, and necessitated a proper response from the US and its allies. Crimp was immediately followed by Operation Buckskin to clear the tunnels. (Note: Some sources combined the information from both operations.) The Cu Chi Tunnels can be visited today.
Sources:
The Vietnam Center and Archive (at Texas Tech Univ)
Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks
The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History edited by Spencer C Tucker
Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973 by David Burns Sigler
Further Reading:
“Combat Operations After Action Report” from the 173rd Abn Bde
“Viet Cong Tunnels,” Australia and the Vietnam War
“Why Were the Soil Tunnels of Cu Chi and Iron Triangle in Vietnam So Resilient?” by Kenneth R. Olson and Lois Wright Morton - Scientific article in the Open Journal of Soil Science, published February 2017
The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Harrowing Account of America's Tunnel Rats in the Underground Battlefields of Vietnam by Tom Mangold
Tunnel Rat in Vietnam by Gordon L. Rottman
Viet Cong and NVA Tunnels and Fortifications of the Vietnam War by Gordon L. Rottman
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Soldiers of 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), in the jungle north of Baling, near the Thai border, Malaya, 1960.
Operation Rolling Stone
Dates: 7 Feb 1966 - 2 Mar 1966
Area of Operation: Binh Duong Province, III Corps
Allied Units: USA 1st Brigade & 1st Engineer Battalion 1st Infantry Division; 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)
Allied Casualties: US 11 KIA, 72 WIA; Australia 2 WIA
Enemy Units: VC J10 Battalion 761st Regiment, 707 Battalion 763rd Regiment, D800 Battalion
Enemy Casualties: 149-173 KIA, 200 WIA, 15 POW
Objective: To provide security for the 1st Engineer Battalion as it worked on highways within the province; search and destroy.
Significance/Notes: Major engagement of the operation was the Battle of Suoi Bong Trang.
Sources:
The Vietnam Center and Archive (at Texas Tech Univ)
Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks
New Zealand's Vietnam War: A history of combat, commitment and controversy by Ian McGibbon
If you liked this post, please consider supporting The Vietnam War Era through Patreon. A donation of $1 gets you into our Discord server.
From the source:
The Cu Chi tunnel system was discovered during Operation Crimp, carried out by the US Army’s 173rd and 3rd Brigades together with 1RAR in Cu Chi, Binh Duong Province in January 1966. During the operation, engineers of 3 Field Troop, Royal Australian Engineers, used a turbo jet blower to produce and circulate diesel mist into a section of the tunnel system, when ignited it destroyed this part of the tunnel.
Chan, an orphan of the Korean War salutes Corporal E. G. Dowell in thanks for a wooden toy truck made by members of 1 RAR
Defence and Industry Minister are shown the new Land 125 Phase 3B equipment.