7th Infantry Division (Vietnam): Difference between revisions

The Division was formed on 13 June 1966 in the [[Mekong Delta]] region from the 52nd, [[141st Infantry Regiment (Vietnam)|141st]] and 165th Regiments.<ref name=Prib>{{Cite book|author=Military History Institute of Vietnam |title=Victory in Vietnam: A History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975|others=trans. Pribbenow, Merle|publisher=University of Kansas Press|year=2002|isbn=0-7006-1175-4|page=192}}</ref>{{rp|192}}

From 12 May to 6 June 1968 the Division's 141st and 165th Regiments fought [[1st Australian Task Force]] units in the [[Battle of Coral–Balmoral]] losing 267 killed and 11 captured for Australian losses of 25 killed.<ref>{[{cite book|last=McAulay|first=Lex|title=The Battle of Coral: Vietnam Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral, May 1968|publisher=Arrow Books|year=1988|isbn=0-09-169091-9|page=338}}</ref>

During the [[Battle of An Lộc]], on 12 April 1972 a relief force of the [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]] (ARVN) 32nd Regiment, [[21st Division (South Vietnam)|21st Division]] departed [[Lai Khê]] to reopen [[National Route 13 (Vietnam)|Route 13]] to [[Chơn Thành Camp]] 30km south of [[An Lộc, Bình Phước|An Lộc]]. After making slow progress, on 22 April the 32nd Regiment encountered a roadblock of the PAVN 101st Regiment 15km north of Lai Khê. From 24 April the 21st Division engaged the PAVN in a two-pronged attack to clear the road with the 32nd Regiment attacking from the north and the 33rd Regiment attacking from the south. These attacks eventually forced the 101st Regiment to withdraw west on 27 April leaving one battalion to cover the withdrawal for a further 2 days. The 31st Regiment was then lifted by helicopters 6km north of Chơn Thành where it fought the Division's 165th Regiment, later reinforced by the 209th Regiment, for the next 13 days. Eventually on 13 May with intensive air support the 31st Regiment overran the PAVN positions and extended ARVN control to 8km north of Chơn Thành. The 32nd Regiment then deployed into the Tau O area a further 5km north where they ran into the 209th Regiment's well-prepared blocking positions which stopped the 21st Division's advance for 38 days despite extensive artillery and air support including [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]] strikes. This stalemate would continue until the PAVN withdrew from An Lộc. On 15 May 1972 an ARVN task force of the 15th Regiment, [[9th Division (South Vietnam)|9th Division]] which was redeployed from the Mekong Delta and the 9th Armored Cavalry Squadron moved north east of Route 13 bypassing the 209th Regiment's roadblock at Tau O to establish a fire support base at Tan Khai 10km south of An Lộc. On 20 May the 141st Regiment attacked the base at Tan Khai and continued attacking unsuccessfully for 3 days against a determined defense before withdrawing.<ref name=Truong>{{cite book|last=Ngo|first=Quang Truong|title=The Easter Offensive of 1972|publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History|year=1980|url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a324505.pdf|isbn=}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|131-3}}