Operation Osceola
Operation Osceola | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Vietnam War | |||||
| |||||
Belligerents | |||||
United States | North Vietnam | ||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||
MG Rathvon M. Tompkins Col. Herbert E. Ing Col. Joseph E. Lo Prete | | ||||
Units involved | |||||
1st Battalion, 1st Marines 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines | 4th Battalion 808th Battalion | ||||
Casualties and losses | |||||
19 killed | 100 killed (per US) |
- 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 Osceola was a security operation around the Quảng Trị Combat Base, Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam from 20 October 1967 to 16 February 1968.
Background
The Hải Lăng Forest was the location of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Base Area 101 which supported the PAVN 5th and 6th Regiments. The 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines and 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines mounted Operation Medina in the forest from 11 to 20 October 1967.[1]: 139 Operation Osceola commenced immediately from the conclusion of Operation Medina.[2]: 73
Operation
Colonel Herbert E. Ing's 1st Marine Regiment was responsible for the Osceola area of operations which bordered the Lancaster area of operations to the west, Kentucky and Napoleon/Saline to the north and Neosho to the east and south and included the Quảng Trị Combat Base, but not Quảng Trị city which was defended by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The 2/1 Marines and 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines were under the control of the 1st Marine Regiment. Ing concentrated his units on security and pacification operations rather than pursuing the PAVN in the Hải Lăng Forest as in Operation Medina with the 2/1 Marines deployed south of the Thạch Hãn River guarding the approaches to Quảng Trị Combat Base and the 2/4 Marines protecting the base and the area north of the Thạch Hãn River.[2]: 73–4
On 24 December 1/1 Marines replaced 2/1 Marines in the southern sector and on 31 December the 1/3 Marines replaced the 2/4 Marines in the northern sector.[2]: 74 From 2–20 January the two Marine battalions had numerous skirmishes with small PAVN units south and west of the base resulting in 17 Marines and 76 PAVN killed.[2]: 76–8
On 20 January 1968 the 3rd Marine Regiment assuming control of the Osceola area of operations as Operation Osceola II with essentially the same forces.[2]: 118
On 22 January the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division began deploying into the Osceola southern area of operations as part of Operation Jeb Stuart and Operation Osceola II was reduced to the defense of Quảng Trị Combat Base and its immediate vicinity. 1/1 Marines was moved back to Phu Bai Combat Base leaving 1/3 Marines as the only battalion involved in the operation.[2]: 119 On 24 and 31 January the base was hit by 122mm rocket and mortar fire causing minimal damage.[2]: 118
When the PAVN and Viet Cong (VC) launched their Tet Offensive attack on Quảng Trị city the 1/3 Marines were unable to assist the ARVN due to their commitments to the defense of Quảng Trị base and the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division was the only unit available to assist the ARVN.[2]: 135–6
On 16 February the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division assumed responsibility for the Osceola II area of operations from the 3rd Marine Regiment which only retained responsibility for perimeter defense of Quảng Trị base.
Aftermath
Operation Osceola concluded on 16 February 1968. Marine losses were 19 killed, with the US claiming PAVN losses were 100 killed.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ Telfer, Gary (1984). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: Fighting the North Vietnamese 1967. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. ISBN 9781494285449. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 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.