7th Infantry Division (Vietnam)
| 7th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | ~1966-present |
| Allegiance |  Vietnam |
| Branch | Vietnam People's Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | 4th Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Bình Dương Province, Vietnam |
| Engagements | 1975 Spring Offensive Battle of Phuoc Long Battle of Xuân Lộc |
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The 7th Infantry Division is a division of the People's Army of Vietnam, first formed in 1966 in the Mekong Delta region from the 141st Infantry Regiment and the 209th Infantry Regiment which were detached from the 312th Division.
Vietnam War
In March 1970 the 209th Regiment engaged the 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment near Lộc Ninh, losing over 200 killed.[1]: 164
On 20 July 1974, the High Command of the Vietnam People’s Army created the 4th Army Corps with Major General Hoang Cam appointed as its first commander. The 4th Army Corps comprised the 3rd and 7th Infantry Divisions, the 429th Special Forces Regiment, the 25th Engineers Regiment, the 210th and 235th Logistical Groups and the Viet Cong 9th Division.[2]
On 12 December 1974 the 4th Corps launched their assault on Phước Long. On 13 December the 7th and 3rd Divisions attacked ARVN positions at Bố Đức and Duc Phong overrunning them the next day. On 26 December Regiment 141 attacked the ARVN base at Đôn Luân overrunning it within 5 hours. On 31 December the 4th Corps had surrounded Phước Long and began their assault on the city and by the evening of 5 January 1975 Phước Long had fallen. The battle was a turning point in the war because it showed that the United States was no longer prepared to intervene militarily to save South Vietnam and that the ARVN was overstretched with limited ability to response forcefully to NVA offensive action.[3]: 18–20
For the 1975 Spring Offensive, in March the 4th Corps attacked ARVN installations in Tây Ninh Province and Bình Dương Province. On 11 March the 4th Corps attacked Dầu Tiếng taking it within 2 days they then proceeded to attack other ARVN units and by 2 April controlled all of Bình Long Province. The 4th Corps then began to approach Xuân Lộc part of the last defensive line before Saigon from the northeast.[4] Two regiments from the 7th supported the main assault by the 341st Division.The 18th Division withstood the initial NVA attacks and on 12 April were reinforced by men of the elite 1st Airborne Brigade and Vietnamese Marines.[5] By 16 April the battle was turning in favour of the NVA and on 19 April the ARVN General Staff ordered the units defending Xuân Lộc to withdraw to defend Biên Hòa.[6] The 4th Corps pushed on towards Biên Hòa and at 5pm on 26 April they attacked Bien Hoa Air Base and Long Bình.[7] By the morning of April 28 troops from the 4th Corps overran ARVN positions at the eastern end of the Newport Bridge.[8]
Present Day
Today the division is part of the 4th Corps (Vietnam People's Army).
References
- ^ Woodruff, Mark (2000). Unheralded Victory. Harper Collins. ISBN 0-00-472540-9.
- ^ History of the 4th Army Corp-Cuu Long Army Corp. People’s Army Publishing House. 2004.
- ^ Dougan, Clark; Fulgham, David (1985). The Vietnam Experience: The Fall of the South. Boston Publishing Company. ISBN 0-939526-16-6.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Dougan, p. 116.
- ^ Dougan, p. 117.
- ^ Dougan, p. 129-34.
- ^ Dougan, p. 154.
- ^ Dougan, p. 155.