Battle of Xa Cam My

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Xa Cam My
partof=the Vietnam War
date=April 11-April 12, 1966
place=Xa Cam My, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam
result=Viet Cong victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=
commander2=
strength1=134
strength2=400+
casualties1=38 killed and 71 wounded
casualties2=UnknownThe Battle of Xa Cam My was a battle of the Vietnam War fought over two days from April 11 to April 12, 1966.

Originally planned as a U.S. search and destroy mission intended to lure out the "crack" Viet Cong D800 Battalion, Charlie Company soon find itself fighting for survival in the rubber plantations of Xa Cam My, approximately 42 miles (68 km) east of Saigon. During this battle 134 men of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division were ambushed by the Viet Cong.

Background

Operation Abilene was aimed at the local Viet Cong D800 Battalion, it involved units of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, New Zealand artillery and the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

Major General William E. DePuy, as commander of the 1st Infantry Division, planned to lure out the Viet Cong unit by using Charlie Company as a bait. Once the Viet Cong attack the isolated company, DePuy would rush in other rifle companies to destroy the enemy.

The operation began on April 10, 1966, with soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division moving into positions between Saigon and Vung Tau in search of the elusive Viet Cong D800 Battalion. Unlike in previous operations, Charlie Company numbered only 134 because of casualties, leave and other reasons. In additional to the lack of numbers, the company was also cut off from Alpha and Bravo Companies.

Battle

On the following day as Charlie Company moved through the Courtenay Rubber Plantation, they encountered sporadic enemy fire, with Viet Cong snipers attempting to knock the Americans off one by one. The sporadic fire allowed the Viet Cong to maneuver around the outnumbered Americans. By 14:00 VC officers were spotted around the positions of Charlie Company, directing the encirclement of U.S positions.

By that time it had become clear that the Viet Cong had taken the bait, but Major General DePuy had miscalculated, failing to realize that the thick jungle would slow down any attempt to rescue Charlie Company.

To minimize casualties and break the ambush, Charlie Company formed a circular perimeter with interlocking fire. And things went from bad to worse with Charlie Company finding itself increasingly isolated without any reinforcements. And in addition to enemy fire, supporting artillery mistakenly fired on Charlie's positions, contributing to the mounting casualties.

The fighting continued well into the night with the desperate Charlie Company throwing all it had at the aggressive Viet Cong, using tear gas grenades. However, their efforts were not enough to stop the Viet Cong from breaking through their lines. Through the night small units from the Viet Cong D800 Battalion breached the American perimeter, retrieving their own casualties and slitting the throats of wounded U.S soldiers along the way.

After five hours of brutal fighting, what was left of Charlie Company formed a tight perimeter, protected by a barrage of artillery fire which came down at a rate of five or six rounds per minute. By 07:00 on April 12, the Viet Cong had disengaged from the battle before other U.S units could arrive. Charlie Company was nearly wiped out with a casualty rate of 80%.

Aftermath

Two posthumous Medals of Honor were awarded in conncection with this action. Sgt James Robinson, and A1C William Pitsenbarger. The latter was awarded in December 2000.cite news
last =Weintraub
first =Joanne
title ='Life 360' uses thematic approach
publisher =Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
date =2001-10-04
url =http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20011004/ai_n10738381
accessdate = 2007-07-29 ]

References