Relieving forces were not from 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division. The relieving force sent to help the Mai Loc overrun was Troops A, B, and C of the 3/5 Cav Squadron stationed at Dong Ha.
| Mai Loc Camp | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 16°43′59″N 106°57′40″E / 16.733°N 106.961°E |
| Type | Army |
| Site information | |
| Condition | abandoned |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1968 |
| In use | 1968-72 |
| Battles/wars |  Vietnam War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 5th Special Forces Group |
Mai Loc Airfield | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 348 ft / 106 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Mai Loc Camp (also known as Firebase Mai Loc and Firebase Victory) was a U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base located west of Quảng Trị in central Vietnam.
History
edit
Mai Loc was located approximately 8 km southwest of Ca Lu Combat Base and 25 km west of Quảng Trị.[1]
The 5th Special Forces Group first established the base here in early 1968.[2]
The 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division comprising:
- 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry
- 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry[3]
- 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry[3]: 159
supported by 2nd Battalion, 319th Artillery was based here in October–November 1969.
On 9 April 1970 at 23:00 a Tripflare was activated on the perimeter of the camp alerting the defenders. At 02:35 on 10 April the camp was hit by 75-100 82mm mortar and Rocket-propelled grenade rounds followed by a sapper attack. The Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) forces, their Special Forces advisers and artillerymen with M42 Dusters defended the camp. The sappers penetrated the perimeter but were unable to reach the inner perimeter and tactical operations center. At 03:40 a unit from the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized) reinforced the camp and helicopter gunships and a Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) AC-47 Spooky gunship provided fire support. The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces withdrew by 04:55 leaving 19 dead; U.S. losses were six killed (including four members of the 14th Engineer Battalion) and 14 CIDG killed.[4][5] U.S. Special Forces left Mai Loc in late August 1970.[2]: 316
Other units based at Mai Loc included:
On 2 April 1972 the 147th Marine Brigade abandoned Mai Loc in the face of the PAVN assault on Quảng Trị.[6]
Current use
editThe base has been turned over to farmland.
References
edit- ^ Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 323. ISBN 978-1555716257.
- ^ a b Stanton, Shelby (2008). Special Forces at War: An Illustrated History, Southeast Asia 1957-1975. Zenith Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780760334492.
- ^ a b Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 159. ISBN 9780811700719.
- ^ "Viet Reds overrun U.S. camp". Chicago Tribune. 10 April 1970. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "Headquarters MACV Monthly Summary 1970" (PDF). Headquarters United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. 17 August 1970. pp. 28–9. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Stoffey, Robert (2008). Fighting to Leave: The Final Years of America's War in Vietnam, 1972-1973. Zenith Press. pp. 38–42, 51. ISBN 9780760333105.