Operation Akron
South Vietnam
General Đỗ Kế Giai
1st & 3rd Squadrons, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
18th Division
51 killed
- v
- t
- e
- Laos
- Biên Hòa
- Đồng Khởi
- Chopper
- Palace Bombing
- Sunrise
- Shufly
- Ấp Bắc
- Go Cong
- Hiep Hoa
- 34A
- Long Dinh
- Kien Long
- Quyet Thang 202
- USNS Card
- Nam Dong
- An Lao
- Binh Gia
- Camp Holloway
- Dương Liễu – Nhông Pass
- Qui Nhơn
- Ka Nak
- Sông Bé
- Ba Gia
- Dong Xoai
- Starlite
- Piranha
- An Ninh
- Plei Me
- Hump
- 1st Bau Bang
- Ia Drang
- Bushmaster II
- Harvest Moon
1966
- Marauder
- Crimp
- Van Buren
- Masher/White Wing
- Mastiff
- Suoi Bong Trang
- New York
- Harrison
- Cocoa Beach
- Utah
- Silver City
- A Sau
- Oregon
- Texas
- Lincoln
- Fillmore
- Jackstay
- Buddhist Uprising
- Xa Cam My
- Georgia
- Birmingham
- Davy Crockett
- Austin IV
- Paul Revere
- Crazy Horse
- El Paso
- Hardihood
- Wahiawa
- Lam Son II
- Hawthorne
- Hill 488
- Nathan Hale
- Jay
- Macon
- Hastings
- Minh Thanh Road
- John Paul Jones
- Prairie
- Colorado
- Duc Co
- Long Tan
- SS Baton Rouge Victory
- Amarillo
- Byrd
- Sunset Beach
- Seward
- Thayer, Irving and Thayer II
- Attleboro
- Deckhouse IV
- Shenandoah
- Atlanta
- Paul Revere IV
- Geronimo
- Tan Son Nhut airbase
- Fairfax
- Firebase Bird
1967
- Deckhouse V
- Cedar Falls
- Desoto
- Gadsden
- Sam Houston
- Pershing
- Enterprise
- Tra Binh Dong
- Bribie
- Junction City (1st Prek Klok
- 2nd Prek Klok
- Ap Gu
- Suoi Tre
- 2nd Bàu Bàng)
- Francis Marion
- Lejeune
- Union
- Baker
- Manhattan
- The Hill Fights
- Beaver Cage
- Con Thien/DMZ
- Crockett
- Malheur I and Malheur II
- Kole Kole
- Barking Sands
- Union II
- Dragnet
- Akron
- Billings
- Concordia
- The Slopes
- Hong Kil Dong
- Diamond Head
- Coronado
- Coronado II
- Hood River
- Suoi Chau Pha
- Benton
- Coronado IV
- Swift
- Dragon Fire
- Wheeler/Wallowa
- Coronado V
- Kunia
- Bolling
- Medina
- Shenandoah II
- MacArthur
- Dak To
- Osceola
- Lancaster
- Coronado IX
- Neosho
- Santa Fe
- Essex
- Kien Giang 9-1
- Napoleon
- Phoenix
- Manchester
- Saratoga
- Yellowstone
- Muscatine
- Badger Tooth
- Auburn
- New Year's Day battle of 1968
- McLain
- Khe Sanh
- Coronado X
- Tet Offensive
- Hop Tac I
- Coronado XI
- Houston
- Patrick
- Tam Kỳ
- Truong Cong Dinh
- Lima Site 85
- Quyet Thang
- My Lai Massacre
- Walker
- Carentan
- Pegasus
- Cochise Green
- Toan Thang I
- Burlington Trail
- Scotland II
- Delaware
- Allen Brook
- May Offensive
- Jeb Stuart III
- Nevada Eagle
- Mameluke Thrust
- Toan Thang II
- Robin
- Binh An
- Thor
- Pocahontas Forest
- Quyet Chien
- Somerset Plain
- Phase III Offensive
- Champaign Grove
- Vinh Loc
- Thượng Đức
- Maui Peak
- Henderson Hill
- Sheridan Sabre
- Meade River
- Hat Dich
- Speedy Express
- Taylor Common
- Fayette Canyon
- DMZ Campaign (1969–1971)
- Bold Mariner
- Dewey Canyon
- Toan Thang III
- 2nd Tet
- Iron Mountain
- Massachusetts Striker
- Wayne Grey
- Purple Martin
- Ben Het
- Maine Crag
- Atlas Wedge
- Frederick Hill
- Geneva Park
- Montana Mauler
- Oklahoma Hills
- Washington Green
- Virginia Ridge
- Apache Snow
- Hamburger Hill
- Lamar Plain
- Pipestone Canyon
- Binh Ba
- Montgomery Rendezvous
- Utah Mesa
- Campbell Streamer
- Idaho Canyon
- Nantucket Beach
- Fulton Square
- LZ Kate
- Toan Thang IV
- Randolph Glen
- Green River
- Texas Star
- Cambodian campaign
- Pennsylvania Square
- Clinch Valley
- Elk Canyon
- Pickens Forest
- Wolfe Mountain
- Chicago Peak
- Firebase O'Reilly
- Chenla I
- Imperial Lake
- Jefferson Glenn
- Tailwind
- Son Tay Raid
- Cuu Long 44-02
- Toan Thang 1/71
- Lam Son 719
- Finney Hill
- Middlesex Peak
- Caroline Hill
- Long Khánh
- Chenla II
- Nui Le
1972
Post-Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974)
- War of the flags
- Cửa Việt
- Hồng Ngự
- Tong Le Chon
- Trung Nghia
- Ap Da Bien
- Quang Duc
- Tri Phap
- Svay Rieng
- Iron Triangle
- Duc Duc
- Thượng Đức
- Phú Lộc
- Phước Long
- Ban Me Thuot
- Hue–Da Nang
- Phan Rang
- Xuân Lộc
- Fall of Phnom Penh
- Fall of Saigon
- Mayaguez incident
- Farm Gate
- Chopper
- Ranch Hand
- Pierce Arrow
- Barrel Roll
- Pony Express
- Flaming Dart
- Iron Hand
- Rolling Thunder
- Steel Tiger
- Arc Light
- Combat Skyspot
- Tiger Hound
- Shed Light
- Thanh Hoa
- Bolo
- Popeye
- Yen Vien
- Niagara
- Igloo White
- Commando Hunt
- Giant Lance
- Menu
- Patio
- Freedom Deal
- Proud Deep Alpha
- Linebacker I
- Enhance Plus
- Linebacker II
- Homecoming
- Tan Son Nhut Air Base
- Babylift
- New Life
- Eagle Pull
- Frequent Wind
- Yankee & Dixie stations
- Gulf of Tonkin
- Market Time
- Vung Ro Bay
- Game Warden
- Double Eagle
- Stable Door
- PIRAZ
- Sea Dragon
- Deckhouse Five
- Bo De River, Nha Trang, Tha Cau River
- Sealords
- Đồng Hới
- Pocket Money
- Custom Tailor
- End Sweep
- Paracel Islands
- East Sea
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973–74
- 1975
Operation Akron was an operation in the Vietnam War conducted by the U.S. 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division and the 1st & 3rd Squadrons, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (11th ACR) and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Rangers and 18th Division elements in Hát Dịch, lasting from 9 to 29 June 1967.[1]: 380
Background
Hát Dịch housed Base Area 301, a staging area for the Viet Cong (VC) 5th Division from which they could harass Highway 1, the main supply route between Biên Hòa and Xuân Lộc District and all points further north. They could also interdict Highway 15 to Vũng Tàu, Highway 2 into Phước Tuy Province and Highway 20 to Da Lat. While earlier operations had pushed the 5th Division east into the Mây Tào Mountains, they were expected to return to the Hát Dịch during the rainy season. In early June U.S. forces operating 15 km south of Blackhorse Base Camp observed PAVN moving towards the Hát Dịch.[1]: 379–80
9th Division commander MG George G. O'Connor devised the operation to clear the entire 250 square kilometers of Base Area 301. The 1st Brigade would move east from Highway 15 accompanied by an engineer task force. While the 1st Brigade provided protection, the engineers would use Rome plows to enlarge two parallel trails that eventually met east of Highway 2 and a third that joined the two in Hát Dịch. Simultaneously a squadron from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment would patrol with an ARVN Ranger battalion east of Hát Dịch.[1]: 380
Operation
The operation commenced on 9 June and initially met little resistance. On 18 June the 3rd Squadron, 11th ACR located a recently abandoned VC camp on Slope 30 along Highway 2. That evening the 3/11th ACR established four separate night defensive positions west of Highway 2. At 01:00 on 19 January, the VC 1st Battalion, 274th Regiment attacked the northernmost defensive position which was the location of the squadron command post. The attack was beaten back after one hour by defensive fire, supporting artillery and helicopter gunships. 56 VC bodies were located around the perimeter, U.S. losses were nine killed.[1]: 380–2
On 26 June, a VC soldier defected at Tuc Trung on Highway 20, claiming to be from the 3rd Battalion, 275th Regiment and said that his unit was based 10 km northwest of Tuc Trung. On 27 June the ARVN 18th Division commander General Đỗ Kế Giai sent a Ranger unit to probe the campsite which they found to be abandoned, but fell into a VC ambush. A 1/11th ACR task force was dispatched to the scene that evening and the following morning arrived at the site of the battle finding ARVN and VC dead. Meanwhile, an ARVN Battalion had located the VC further east and were heavily engaged and the 1/11th ACR moved to support them, blocking the escape route across the Đồng Nai river with gunship and artillery fire, however the VC were able to disengage as night fell. The following day the ARVN located and overran a VC Company. ARVN losses were 51 killed, but they claimed to have killed 167 VC while U.S. forces claimed a further 49.[1]: 383–4
In a follow-up operation the ARVN engaged another VC force killing 40.[1]: 385
Aftermath
Operation Akron officially concluded on 29 June, PAVN/VC losses were 412 killed, U.S. losses were nine killed and ARVN losses 51 killed.[1]: 385
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
- ^ a b c d e f g MacGarrigle, George (1998). Combat Operations: Taking the Offensive, October 1966 to October 1967. United States Army Center of Military History. ISBN 9780160495403. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.