|
Objective:
As a part of the Tet Offensive effort, elements of 2 North
Vietnamese Army divisions attempted to reduce the US Marine Corps
outposts on the hills dominating Khe Sanh and take the base itself.
Khe Sanh was a combat base for units operating in the DMZ and against
Communist supply routes.
In garrison -
9th Marine
Regiment (1 battalion)
26th Marine Regiment (3 battalions)
ARVN 37th Ranger Battalion
Total: appx. 6,000 men
3 batteries of
105mm howitzers
1 battery of 4.2 mortars
7 batteries (18
guns) of 175mm guns
Total: 46
artillery pieces
US field artillery fired 158,981 rounds during siege (the
most heavily bombed
target in the history of warfare)
NVA:
304th Division
325th "C"
Division
Total: appx.
20,000 men at peak strength
152mm & 130mm
artillery rockets & mortars
Communist
artillery fired appx. 150 rounds per day during siege;
the peak effort:
1,307 rounds on 23 February 1968 |
Air Support:
Daily Average -
tac air
sorties/carrier a/c sorties ----- 300+
B-52 "Arc
Light"
sorties
----- 45
short tons of
ordnance dropped ----- 1,800
Operational Total (70 days):
tactical
sorties -----
24,000+
B-52 sorties
("Operation
Niagra") ----- 2,700
short tons of
ordnance dropped ----- 110,000
Air Supply (up to 8 April):
496 drops by
C-130s, 105 drops by C-123s, 57 parachute
extractions by
C-130s, 273 landings by C-130s, 179 landings by C- 123s,
8 landings by C-7s, 12,400 short tons of cargo delivered
Losses:
US military
personnel: 205 Marines - killed
3 C-123s
destroyed, 1 USMC KC-130 destroyed, 1 A-4 destroyed,
1 F-4 destroyed, 17
USMC helicopters destroyed,
appx. 35 USMC
helicopters damaged
NVA Losses:
1,600 killed
2 antiaircraft
guns, 207 crew-served weapons
557 personal weapons
17 vehicles (inc.
PT-76 tanks) |
