Battle of Lang Vei
Part of Second Indochina War/Vietnam War
PT-76 Victory Monument
Date February 7, 1968 Location Lang Vei, Vietnam Result North Vietnamese Victory.
Combatants
North Vietnam	United States
Commanders
Unknown	Capt. Frank C. Willoughby
Strength
400 12 PT-76	500
Casualties
Estimated 200 KIA, 7 tanks destroyed	US: 4 KIA, 16 WIA, 9 MIA/POW ARVN: 5 KIA, 3 WIA CIDG 165 KIA, 30 WIA

Lang Vei was an American Special Forces camp, located approximately 7 kilometers west of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in the northwestern corner of South Vietnam, near its borders with North Vietnam and Laos. Constructed in 1967 for special operations along and across the Laotian border, the camp was overwhelmed by North Vietnamese forces on February 7, 1968. The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (See Secret War) and in bombing runs (Rolling Thunder) over North Vietnam. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Image File history File links QDNDVN_PT-76_Victory. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Lang Vei was an American Special Forces camp, located approximately 7 kilometers west of the Khe Sanh Combat Base in the northwestern corner of South Vietnam, near its borders with North Vietnam and Laos. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_North_Vietnam. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank (Plavayushiy Tank) which was introduced in 1954. ... Kia has several meanings: Kia Motors is a South Korean automobile manufacturer; Kia Asamiya is a popular Japanese manga artist. ... Kia has several meanings: Kia Motors is a South Korean automobile manufacturer; Kia Asamiya is a popular Japanese manga artist. ... WIA is a three letter abbreviation meaning wounded in action. ... MIA is a three-letter acronym that is most commonly used to designate a combatant who is Missing In Action, and has not yet returned or otherwise been accounted for as either dead (KIA) or a prisoner of war (POW). ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Kia has several meanings: Kia Motors is a South Korean automobile manufacturer; Kia Asamiya is a popular Japanese manga artist. ... WIA is a three letter abbreviation meaning wounded in action. ... Kia has several meanings: Kia Motors is a South Korean automobile manufacturer; Kia Asamiya is a popular Japanese manga artist. ... WIA is a three letter abbreviation meaning wounded in action. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders unknown battalion commander Bui Dinh Dam John Paul Vann Strength 350 1,400 Casualties 18 dead 39 wounded 83 dead 108 wounded The Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War that resulted in the first... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Combatants Army of the Republic of Vietnam Vietnam Peoples Army Commanders Maj. ... Combatants Khmer Republic North Vietnam Commanders Brig. ... Combatants North Vietnam Khmer Republic Commanders Unknown Brigadier General Hou Hang Sin Strength VPA 9th Division 10 FANK Battalions Casualties Unknown Decimation of the FANK Battalions Operation Chenla II was launched on August 20, 1971 by the Cambodian military (or FANK) as an attempt to regain territories lost to the... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Operation Barrell Roll was a limited, covert US Navy/2nd Air Division, US Air Force aerial interdiction campaign in northern and southern Laos that began on 14 December 1964 and lasted for the duration of the Vietnam Conflict. ... Operation Steel Tiger was a covert US Air Force aerial interdiction effort targeted against North Vietnamese infiltration through southeastern Laos during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Barrell Roll/Steel Tiger/Tiger Hound Areas of Operations, 1965. ... Combatants United States, Republic of Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Operation Commando Hunt was a covert Seventh/Thirteenth United States Air Force offensive initiative that took place during the Vietnam Conflict. ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army National Liberation Front Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders General Van Tien Dung President Nguyen Van Thieu (Until April 5) Strength 300,000+ (est. ... Combatants North Vietnam United States Commanders Nguyen Huu An Col. ... Combatants Australia New Zealand United States North Vietnam Commanders Maj Harry Smith Nguyen Thanh Hong Strength 108 (not including supporting personnel/reinforcements) 2,500 (Disputed) Casualties 18 dead 24 wounded At least 245 dead 750 wounded (Captured documents and prisoner interrogations suggest there were 500-800 dead and around 1... Combatants United States Thailand Hmong guerillas North Vietnam Pathet Lao Commanders Vang Pao Vo Nguyen Giap Strength 1,300+ 3,000+ Casualties 8 Americans dead 42 Thai and Hmong Unknown The Battle of Lima Site 85 was a battle of the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States Viet Cong Commanders Lt. ... The battle of Dak To was a major battle of the Vietnam war that took place between November 3 and November 22, 1967. ... Khe Sanh was a United States Marines military base in the Republic of Vietnam (the south) constructed near the border with Laos and just south of the border with North Vietnam which became the scene of a large offensive operation by the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN, also known... Combatants United States Viet Cong Commanders Lt. ... Combatants South Vietnam United States South Korea New Zealand Australia National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (Viet Cong) North Vietnam Commanders William Westmoreland Võ Nguyên Giáp Strength 50,000+ (estimate) 85,000+ (estimate) Casualties 2,788 dead, 8,299 wounded, 587 missing, 1,536 dead, 7... Combatants South Vietnam United States North Vietnam Viet Cong Commanders William Westmoreland Vo Nguyen Giap Strength  ? 35 Battlions Casualties  ?  ? The First Battle of Saigon fought during the Tet Offensive was the coordinated attack by the NVA and VC, by which they attacked South Vietnams Capital Saigon from all sides. ... Tet 1969 refers to the attacks mounted by principally North Vietnamese forces in February 1969 in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants United States North Vietnam Commanders Melvin Zais Uncertain Strength est. ... Combatants North Vietnam United States Commanders Gen. ... Operation Tailwind was a covert incursion into southeastern Laos by a company-size element (Hatchet Force) of the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACSOG or SOG) on 11 September 1970, during the Vietnam Conflict. ... The Eastertide Offensive was a military campaign in the Vietnam War. ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders Gen. ... Combatants Vietnam Peoples Army Army of the Republic of Vietnam Commanders General Van Tien Dung General Hieu Strength 40,000 5,000 Casualties 3 Divisions destroyed 30% of total strength The Battle of Xuan Loc was the last major battle of the Vietnam War. ... The Secret War (1962-1975) was the Laos front of the Second Indochina War. ... pwtha This iconic image shows South Vietnamese civilians scrambling to board a United States military helicopter during the U.S. evacuation of Saigon. ... A US Special Forces operator in Afghanistan The United States Army Special Forces —also known by the nickname Green Berets or simply Special Forces (capitalized)— is a Special Operations Force of the U.S. Army trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. ... A kilometer (Commonwealth spelling: kilometre), symbol: km is a unit of length in the metric system equal to 1,000 metres (from the Greek words χίλια (khilia) = thousand and μέτρο (metro) = count/measure). ... Khe Sanh is the district capital of HÆ°á»›ng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. Khe Sanh Combat Base was a U.S. Marine outpost in South Vietnam , (MGRS 48QXD850418) used during the Vietnam War. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Lang Vei was positioned some nine kilometers west of Khe Sanh village on Route Coloniale 9. Known to Americans as Highway 9, this major roadway stretched through Quang Tri Province from Dong Ha on the coast west to Lao Bao, passing through places such as Cam Lo as well as Khe Sanh. Quang Tri Province is a region and province in central Vietnam near (north) the ancient capital of Huế. Categories: Southeast Asia geography stubs ... Dong Ha is a capital city of Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. ...

The Battle of Lang Vei

The North Vietnamese Army (known to Americans as the NVA, but more properly the VPA or Vietnam People's Army) launched an attack on the U.S. Marine combat base at Khe Sanh on January 21, 1968. On February 6th, they attacked the nearby Lang Vei camp. The camp's 500 defenders included American Green Berets and indigenous troops. knulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din mammaknulla din... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà. Khe Sanh Combat Base was a U.S. Marine outpost in South Vietnam , (MGRS 48QXD850418) used during the Vietnam War. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The camp was subjected to an unusually intense mortar and artillery barrage beginning about 6:00 p.m. on the 6th, and the defenders immediately responded with counter fire from the camp and supporting fire from the Khe Sanh Combat Base. US soldier loading a M224 60-mm mortar. ... Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

The VPA ground attack began before 1:00 a.m. in the predawn darkness of February 7th, supported by some twelve Russian PT-76 reconnaissance tanks. The first two to reach the protective wire around the camp perimeter were taken under fire and knocked out, but additional tanks maneuvered around the destroyed vehicles to overrun the defenders of the southern sector. February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank (Plavayushiy Tank) which was introduced in 1954. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ...

The camp’s defenders had been warned of a possible armored attack by earlier intelligence reports and were equipped with LAWS rockets. These, together with the camp’s 106-mm. and 57-mm. recoilless rifles, destroyed another 5 tanks but were not able to stop the remainder. The defenders made a fighting retreat from the perimeter but were soon surrounded in pockets of resistance. Meanwhile the VPA forces ranged through the camp, using their tanks and explosive charges to destroy fortifications within the camp and attack the tactical operations center and other combat positions. The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon, also referred to as the Light Anti-Armor Weapon or LAW) is a portable one-shot 66 mm anti-tank weapon, designed in United States by Talley Defense Systems, produced by Nammo Raufoss AS in Norway. ... M67 recoilless rifle. ...

When day broke the defenders in the operations center called in air strikes against the North Vietnamese and requested the Marines at Khe Sanh to implement their contingency plan to reinforce the Special Forces camp. Fearing that the Lang Vei attack was part of a larger VPA scheme the Marines chose not to reinforce the camp. At noon General William Westmoreland decided to evacuate the surviving defenders and a reaction force was dispatched with tactical air support. General William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ...

The extraction took place that afternoon and by nightfall the camp had been evacuated. The seriously wounded were evacuated by helicopter while the reaction force escorted the remaining survivors and many refugees in a foot march that reached the Khe Sanh base on the morning of February 8th. Almost half of the defenders had been killed or were missing in action, but the attackers stopped at Lang Vei without attacking Khe Sanh. February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Results

The battle ended with a North Vietnamese victory. Although they succeeded in overrunning the camp they sustained heavy casualties, including most of their Russian tanks (7 confirmed with 2 more possible). Due to the heavy losses, VPA General Vo Nguyen Giap abandoned his plan to use the tanks in a larger assault on Khe Sanh. Vo Nguyen Giap General Vo Nguyen Giap (born 1912) is a Vietnamese four-star general, who was the military leader of the Viet Minh guerrilla group under Ho Chi Minhs political leadership, and of the Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. ...

US and allied forces casualties:

US Special Forces - 4 killed, 16 wounded, 9 MIA/POW

ARVN Special Forces (LLDB) - 5 killed, 3 wounded, MIA/POW unknown

Civilian Irregular Defense Groups (CIDG): 165 killed, 30 wounded, MIA/POW unknown

MIKE Force - 34 killed, 32 wounded, MIA/POW unknown

North Vietnamese casualties:

VPA: Estimated 200 killed, unknown wounded, 7 confirmed PT-76 tanks destroyed

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Today a PT-76 tank rests on the site of the Lang Vei battle as a war monument commemorating the VPA victory. The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank (Plavayushiy Tank) which was introduced in 1954. ...

External links

• Lang Vei: Tanks In The Wire