BATTLES

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about 

Major Battles Of The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War started as a result of the United States' strategy of "containment", which was intended to minimize the spread of communism throughout the world during the Cold War. Vietnam was a temporarily separated into the North Communist and South anti-communist after the signing of Geneva treaty in 1954 which also brought an end to the French Colony. The French lost control of Vietnam towards the end of the Korean War. With the U.S. fearing that Vietnam will also fall under the control of the Communists intervened to try and keep the South Vietnam from falling. Their intervention led to the outbreak of several battles which have been collectively referred to as the Vietnam War.

Battle Of Ia Drang -

The Battle of la Drang is considered to be the first major engagement between the U.S. Army and the Vietnam’s People Army (PAVN). It was a two-part battle which took place from November 14 to 18, 1965 at the la Drang Valley, South Vietnam. Both sides suffered major casualties with both claiming victory of their own. The Battle of la Drang was considered essential because it sets up a change of tactics for both troops during the conflict. The U.S. Army used air mobility and artillery to achieve their objectives while the Vietnam Army neutralized the U.S. Army by fighting at close range.

Battle Of Khe Sanh -

The Battle of Khe Sanh took place at Khe Sanh in South Vietnam in the province of Quang Tri. The engagement took place from January 21, 1968, to April 9, 1968. The engagement began when the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) bombarded the U.S. Marine garrison leading to an extensive battle which lasted 77 days until Operation Pegasus ended the engagement. The Battle of Khe Sanh was among the longest battles to be fought during the Vietnam War. The U.S. Army had to abandon the battle for the first time because of the pressure from the enemy. Despite the heavy casualty, both sides claimed victory.

Tet Offensive -

The Tet Offensive was a large military offensive during the Vietnam War which was initiated at the end of January in 1968. The engagement was launched by the Viet Cog and the North Vietnamese (PAVN) against the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) troops and those of the U.S. The initial attacks stunned the U.S. and the ARVN causing them to lose control of several cities. However, they quickly regrouped and launched an offensive which inflicted heavy casualty on the PAVN army. The battle was fought for two months ending on March 28, 1968. The Tet Offensive had a profound effect on the U.S. Government and its citizens because they had been made to believe that the PAVN had been weakened and was unable to launch such an aggressive military operation.

Battle Of Huế -

The Battle of Huế was one of the bloodiest and longest battles fought during the Vietnam War. During the battle, the forces of the U.S. Army, ARVN, and the U.S. Marine Corps fought and defeated the PAVN and the Viet Cong. Hue was an important city for the U.S. Army and its allies because Highway 1 which passed through the city was an important supply line. The city was also a base for U.S. Navy supply boat. However, the Hue was poorly defended and had few fortifications. The Viet Cong had attacked and occupied several cities including the Hue while the ARVN army concentrated on the cancellation of the Tet. Over the next month, from January 31, 1968, to February 28, 1968, the PAVN and Viet Cong armies were driven out in an intense fighting with the Allies declaring victory. However, the city of Hue was destroyed with 5,000 civilians killed.

Operation Rolling Thunder -

Operation Rolling Thunder was a progressive and sustained aerial campaign carried out by the 2nd Air Division of the U.S. Navy and the South Vietnam Air Force (VNAF) forces against the North Vietnamese from March until November of 1968. The objective of Operation Rolling Thunder was to uplift the spirit of the Saigon Regime in North Vietnam, to convince North Vietnam to withdraw its support for the communist army in South Vietnam, to cut-off the transportation system of the North Vietnam, and to stop the material flow into South Vietnam. The operation was the most intense battle ever conducted during the Cold War. Most of the air-to-air lose for the U.S. Army was due to the unseen attacks from the rear.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking