Operation Houston
North Vietnam
Robert D. Bohn
1st Marine Division Task Force X-Ray
- 5th Marine Regiment (until 22 July)
- 26th Marine Regiment
29 captured
- 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 Houston was a security operation in the Vietnam War conducted by the United States Marine Corps’ Task Force X-Ray to reopen and secure Route 1 between Da Nang and Phu Bai Combat Base that took place from 26 February to 12 September 1968.
Background
With the securing of Huế in late February, Task Force X-Ray, a brigade-size component of the 1st Marine Division built around the 1st and 5th Marine Regiments at Phu Bai Combat Base prepared to take the offensive to open Route 1 between Da Nang and Phu Bai, which had been closed since the start of the Tet Offensive. According to Marine reports, during the Tet Offensive the Vietcong (VC) and People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) had damaged or destroyed 20 bridges and 26 culverts along Route 1, largely between Hải Vân Pass and Phu Bai.[1]: 230
Operation
On 26 February, Colonel Robert D. Bohn's 5th Marine Regiment began Operation Houston in the Phú Lộc District and Hải Vân Pass sectors. To carry out the operation, Bohn controlled his 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines and the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. In addition, Brigadier General Foster C. LaHue, the Task Force X-Ray commander, provided the 5th Marines with operational control over three United States Army battalions, the 1st and 3rd Battalions, 327th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment.[1]: 230 While the infantry provided security Seabees, Marine engineers and the U.S. Army 35th Engineer Battalion worked on the repairs of Route 1 and its bridges and culverts.[1]: 230
On 29 February, the engineers completed the repair work on the final section of Route 1 between Hải Vân Pass and Phú Lộc. Technically Route 1 was now open throughout the entire length of I Corps. III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF), nevertheless, postponed the first road convoy from Da Nang to Phu Bai until March.[1]: 230 On 2 March the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines and the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, which had fought in the Battle of Huế rejoined their parent regiment in the operation in the Phú Lộc District. At the same time the 1/327th Infantry and the 2/502nd Infantry returned to Army control while the 2/327th Infantry was withdrawn from the operation and sent on an operation along Route 547 southwest of Huế.[1]: 249
In late March LaHue expanded the 5th Marines' Houston tactical area of responsibility (TAOR) to include the remaining portion of the X-Ray TAOR, excluding the area occupied by the newly arrived 1st Battalion, 27th Marines between Hue and Phu Bai and the Phu Bai vital area. At the same time, the task force commander ordered the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines with two companies to take over from the 1st Marine Regiment the protection of key outposts and bridges, especially the Truoi River Bridge (16°19′16″N 107°46′22″E / 16.321°N 107.7728°E / 16.321; 107.7728) on Route 1 southeast of Phu Bai.[1]: 249
On 31 March 1968, under cover of a mortar and ground attack, VC sappers successfully placed demolitions on the Truoi River Bridge and a smaller bridge, designated Bridge No. 4. The VC K-2 Battalion with three companies reinforced by three sapper platoons had simultaneously attacked the two bridge outposts and a nearby Combined Action Platoon, CAP H-3. Alerted by one of their ambushes, the Combined Action Marines repulsed the VC attack after it reached the outer wire. However both the Truoi Bridge and Bridge No. 4 sustained major damage with both bridges impassable for motor traffic and Bridge No. 4 to foot traffic as well. Company C, 1/5th Marines had placed two squads on the smaller bridge supported by a machine gun and a recoilless rifle and a platoon supported by two machine guns and two mortars on the Truoi River Bridge. The attacking force on Bridge No. 4 killed eight Marines and wounded seven more. On the Truoi River Bridge, the Marine platoon sustained casualties of six dead and 23 wounded. The VC lost a total of 12 men in the attacks. In an investigation of the attack, Bohn reported "the strength of the security forces was adequate." He blamed the success of the attack partially on the fact that the company was new to the sector and had only occupied these positions the day before.[1]: 250
On 1 June, Phase III of the operation began with the 5th Marines conducting extensive rice denial operations in the Phu Thu and Vinh Loc Districts, east and southeast of Phu Bai, in conjunction with South Vietnamese Regional and Popular Forces. During the month, the Marines captured more than 31,000 pounds of rice and returned them to government control and relocated more than 44 tons to secure storage areas. The regiment also conducted a number of short operations in the jungle canopy south of the Phu Bai vital area, in the Phú Lộc and Hải Vân Pass areas of the operation, to locate and destroy PAVN/VC forces, supply caches and base areas.[1]: 372
During Phase IV of the operation, which began on 1 July, Task Force X-Ray assumed operational control of battalion landing team (BLT) 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which on 9 July assaulted into the Vinh Loc District by helicopter and amphibian tractors and continued the task force's vigorous rice denial campaign. A week later, the BLT joined the 5th Marines and was helilifted to the Thon Mu Kham Valley, southwest of Phu Bai, where fire support bases were constructed and search operations begun.[1]: 372
On 22 July the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines and the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines replaced the 5th Marines in the operation.[1]: 346–7 With the departure of the BLT and the 5th Marines, the 26th Marine Regiment, assumed tactical responsibility for the Task Force X-Ray area of operations and began Phase V of the operation on 25 July.[1]: 372
The operation mainly saw the use of booby-traps and small hit and run ambushes by the PAVN/VC.[2][better source needed]
Aftermath
Operation Houston ended on 12 September, after more than six months during which the 5th Marines, and then the 26th Marines, successfully kept Route 1 open between Phu Bai and Da Nang. The Marines reported 702 VC/PAVN killed, 29 captured and 258 weapons captured, while 117 Marines were killed.[3] As Houston ended, XXIV Corps units assumed control of the area around Phu Bai, allowing the dissolution of Task Force X-Ray and movement of the 26th Marines south to the Da Nang TAOR.[1]: 414
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Shulimson, Jack (1997). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968 The Defining Year. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 0160491258. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Combat Operations After Action Report (Operation Houston)" (PDF). Headquarters 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. 20 March 1968. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Operations of U.S. Marine Forces Vietnam September 1968" (PDF). Fleet Marine Force Pacific. 1968. pp. 14–5. Retrieved 24 June 2021.