48 Years Ago Today - Battle of Đắk Tô - ARVN Capture of Hill 1416

Artillery during the Battle of Đắk Tô, November 1967.

            The Battle of Đắk Tô (November 3rd to 22nd, 1967) is considered one of the major engagements of the Vietnam War. The battle involved both US and Republic of Vietnam military forces, and saw several Communist units virtually destroyed. Today, the battle is considered to have been a prelude to the Tet Offensive, which occurred just a few months later. In this post, we would like to highlight the role of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces in the battle, and in particular the seizure of Hill 1416 that served as the climax for the ARVN forces.

Map showing the location of Đắk Tô.

 

Patch of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment, the unit which encountered the enemy forces on Hill 1416, RVNHS Archive.

 

           Forty-eight years ago, on November 18th, 1967, the 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment (ARVN) encountered the entrenched North Vietnamese 24th Infantry Regiment on Hill 1416, which was northeast of Tan Canh. The ARVN airborne 3rd and 9th Battalions entered the action to seize the hill along with the 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment. Together, they managed to capture the hill on November 20th, 1967. The fight was costly, and the Republic of Vietnam forces suffered sixty-six killed taking the hill. The Communist forces suffered several times as many casualties. Along with the capture of Hill 875 by US forces, the enemy was ultimately routed. Both the US and Republic of Vietnam units involved were commended for their gallantry.

Nguyễn Thế Nhã who commanded the 9th Airborne Battalion during the Battle of Đắk Tô, shown here in a 1970 photo from training at Ft. Benning.

 

Company guidon of the 9th Airborne Battalion, 1960s, RVNHS Archive.