Operation Jay
Operation Jay | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Vietnam War | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
United States | North Vietnam | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Col. Donald W. Sherman | | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines | 802nd Battalion 806th Battalion 812th Battalion | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
24 killed | U.S. body count: 475 killed |
- v
- t
- e
- Laos
- Biên Hòa
- Đồng Khởi
- Chopper
- Palace Bombing
- Sunrise
- Shufly
- Ấp Bắc
- Go Cong
- Hiep Hoa
- 34A
- Long Dinh
- Kien Long
- Quyet Thang 202
- USNS Card
- Nam Dong
- An Lao
- Binh Gia
- Camp Holloway
- Dương Liễu – Nhông Pass
- Qui Nhơn
- Ka Nak
- Sông Bé
- Ba Gia
- Dong Xoai
- Starlite
- Piranha
- An Ninh
- Plei Me
- Hump
- 1st Bau Bang
- Ia Drang
- Bushmaster II
- Harvest Moon
1966
- Marauder
- Crimp
- Van Buren
- Masher/White Wing
- Mastiff
- Suoi Bong Trang
- New York
- Harrison
- Cocoa Beach
- Utah
- Silver City
- A Sau
- Oregon
- Texas
- Lincoln
- Fillmore
- Jackstay
- Buddhist Uprising
- Xa Cam My
- Georgia
- Birmingham
- Davy Crockett
- Austin IV
- Paul Revere
- Crazy Horse
- El Paso
- Hardihood
- Wahiawa
- Lam Son II
- Hawthorne
- Hill 488
- Nathan Hale
- Jay
- Macon
- Hastings
- Minh Thanh Road
- John Paul Jones
- Prairie
- Colorado
- Duc Co
- Long Tan
- SS Baton Rouge Victory
- Amarillo
- Byrd
- Sunset Beach
- Seward
- Thayer, Irving and Thayer II
- Attleboro
- Deckhouse IV
- Shenandoah
- Atlanta
- Paul Revere IV
- Geronimo
- Tan Son Nhut airbase
- Fairfax
- Firebase Bird
1967
- Deckhouse V
- Cedar Falls
- Desoto
- Gadsden
- Sam Houston
- Pershing
- Enterprise
- Tra Binh Dong
- Bribie
- Junction City (1st Prek Klok
- 2nd Prek Klok
- Ap Gu
- Suoi Tre
- 2nd Bàu Bàng)
- Francis Marion
- Lejeune
- Union
- Baker
- Manhattan
- The Hill Fights
- Beaver Cage
- Con Thien/DMZ
- Crockett
- Malheur I and Malheur II
- Kole Kole
- Barking Sands
- Union II
- Dragnet
- Akron
- Billings
- Concordia
- The Slopes
- Hong Kil Dong
- Diamond Head
- Coronado
- Coronado II
- Hood River
- Suoi Chau Pha
- Benton
- Coronado IV
- Swift
- Dragon Fire
- Wheeler/Wallowa
- Coronado V
- Kunia
- Bolling
- Medina
- Shenandoah II
- MacArthur
- Dak To
- Osceola
- Lancaster
- Coronado IX
- Neosho
- Santa Fe
- Essex
- Kien Giang 9-1
- Napoleon
- Phoenix
- Manchester
- Saratoga
- Yellowstone
- Muscatine
- Badger Tooth
- Auburn
- New Year's Day battle of 1968
- McLain
- Khe Sanh
- Coronado X
- Tet Offensive
- Hop Tac I
- Coronado XI
- Houston
- Patrick
- Tam Kỳ
- Truong Cong Dinh
- Lima Site 85
- Quyet Thang
- My Lai Massacre
- Walker
- Carentan
- Pegasus
- Cochise Green
- Toan Thang I
- Burlington Trail
- Scotland II
- Delaware
- Allen Brook
- May Offensive
- Jeb Stuart III
- Nevada Eagle
- Mameluke Thrust
- Toan Thang II
- Robin
- Binh An
- Thor
- Pocahontas Forest
- Quyet Chien
- Somerset Plain
- Phase III Offensive
- Champaign Grove
- Vinh Loc
- Thượng Đức
- Maui Peak
- Henderson Hill
- Sheridan Sabre
- Meade River
- Hat Dich
- Speedy Express
- Taylor Common
- Fayette Canyon
- DMZ Campaign (1969–1971)
- Bold Mariner
- Dewey Canyon
- Toan Thang III
- 2nd Tet
- Iron Mountain
- Massachusetts Striker
- Wayne Grey
- Purple Martin
- Ben Het
- Maine Crag
- Atlas Wedge
- Frederick Hill
- Geneva Park
- Montana Mauler
- Oklahoma Hills
- Washington Green
- Virginia Ridge
- Apache Snow
- Hamburger Hill
- Lamar Plain
- Pipestone Canyon
- Binh Ba
- Montgomery Rendezvous
- Utah Mesa
- Campbell Streamer
- Idaho Canyon
- Nantucket Beach
- Fulton Square
- LZ Kate
- Toan Thang IV
- Randolph Glen
- Green River
- Texas Star
- Cambodian campaign
- Pennsylvania Square
- Clinch Valley
- Elk Canyon
- Pickens Forest
- Wolfe Mountain
- Chicago Peak
- Firebase O'Reilly
- Chenla I
- Imperial Lake
- Jefferson Glenn
- Tailwind
- Son Tay Raid
- Cuu Long 44-02
- Toan Thang 1/71
- Lam Son 719
- Finney Hill
- Middlesex Peak
- Caroline Hill
- Long Khánh
- Chenla II
- Nui Le
1972
Post-Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974)
- War of the flags
- Cửa Việt
- Hồng Ngự
- Tong Le Chon
- Trung Nghia
- Ap Da Bien
- Quang Duc
- Tri Phap
- Svay Rieng
- Iron Triangle
- Duc Duc
- Thượng Đức
- Phú Lộc
- Phước Long
- Ban Me Thuot
- Hue–Da Nang
- Phan Rang
- Xuân Lộc
- Fall of Phnom Penh
- Fall of Saigon
- Mayaguez incident
- Farm Gate
- Chopper
- Ranch Hand
- Pierce Arrow
- Barrel Roll
- Pony Express
- Flaming Dart
- Iron Hand
- Rolling Thunder
- Steel Tiger
- Arc Light
- Combat Skyspot
- Tiger Hound
- Shed Light
- Thanh Hoa
- Bolo
- Popeye
- Yen Vien
- Niagara
- Igloo White
- Commando Hunt
- Giant Lance
- Menu
- Patio
- Freedom Deal
- Proud Deep Alpha
- Linebacker I
- Enhance Plus
- Linebacker II
- Homecoming
- Tan Son Nhut Air Base
- Babylift
- New Life
- Eagle Pull
- Frequent Wind
- Yankee & Dixie stations
- Gulf of Tonkin
- Market Time
- Vung Ro Bay
- Game Warden
- Double Eagle
- Stable Door
- PIRAZ
- Sea Dragon
- Deckhouse Five
- Bo De River, Nha Trang, Tha Cau River
- Sealords
- Đồng Hới
- Pocket Money
- Custom Tailor
- End Sweep
- Paracel Islands
- East Sea
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973–74
- 1975
Operation Jay was a U.S. Marine Corps and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) search and destroy operation on the Street Without Joy, northern Thừa Thiên Province, lasting from 25 June to 2 July 1966.
Background
In early June, ARVN intelligence sources indicated that the 806th and 812th Regiments of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 6th Division were operating in the Quảng Điền District of Thừa Thiên Province. On 23 June an ARVN unit operating in Quảng Điền was mauled by a large PAVN unit. 4th Marine Regiment commander Col. Donald W. Sherman developed a combined operation with the ARVN 1st Division that called for the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines to be landed on the O Lau River, while the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines were landed 6 km southeast to establish blocking positions, the 4th Marines command group and 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines would occupy blocking positions near Phong Điền to the southwest, while the ARVN 1st Division (in Operation Lam Son 284) would occupy blocking positions to the northeast across the mouth of the O Lau River. Once the units were in place, the 2/4 Marines would advance southeast along Route 597 towards the 2/1 Marines.[1]
Operation
At 08:00 on 25 June CH-46s of Marine Aircraft Group 16 began landing the 2/4 Marines unopposed at Landing Zone Raven (16°40′01″N 107°22′01″E / 16.667°N 107.367°E / 16.667; 107.367) and by 09:45 the entire battalion had been landed.[2]: 436 At 10:15 2/4 Marines began their advance southeast along Route 597 with Company F on the north side of the road and Company H on the south side.[1] After advancing 2 km to their first phase line the 2/4 Marines began to receive fire from the hamlet of Ap Chinh An (16°39′14″N 107°24′04″E / 16.654°N 107.401°E / 16.654; 107.401), where the Marines had previously encountered enemy forces during Operation Oregon. Company H was ordered to make a flanking attack on the hamlet while air and artillery support was called in. At 11:00 2/1 Marines was landed at Landing Zone Shrike (16°38′09″N 107°25′30″E / 16.6357°N 107.425°E / 16.6357; 107.425) 9 km southeast of Landing Zone Raven and they moved 3.5 km northwest to establish their blocking positions.[2]: 465 At 14:20 2/1 Marines were ordered a further 1.5 km northwest to support the 2/4 Marines. As the 2/1 Marines advanced astride Route 597 they received heavy fire from the hamlet of Mỹ Phú. The fighting at Ap Chinh An and Mỹ Phú continued into the night as the well-entrenched PAVN used heavy weapons to hold back the 2 Marine battalions. At 21:00 the PAVN counterattacked Company H, 2/4 Marines south of Ap Chinh An but this was repulsed. A steady barrage of airstrikes, artillery and naval gunfire support was directed against the 2 hamlets throughout the night.[1]: 152
During the night of 25/6 June a PAVN force attacked the ARVN positions in the northeast but the attack was broken up by U.S. artillery. North of Phong Điền an attack on a South Vietnamese Popular Force unit was repulsed with the assistance of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines killing 8 Viet Cong (VC).[1]: 154
On the morning of 26 June the 2/4 Marines and 2/1 Marines reinforced by Company L, 3/4 Marines renewed their attack on Ap Chinh An and Mỹ Phú, however only a few rearguard troops remained in the hamlets as the main body had withdrawn during the night. By dusk the Marines had gained control of both hamlets and they spent the next 2 days methodically clearing the hamlets and the surrounding areas. Marine losses to date were 23 dead, while the bodies of 82 PAVN had been recovered and a further 200 were estimated to have been killed. On 29 June the operation was reduced to a 1 battalion operation, with 2/4 Marines taking over responsibility for the entire operational area and the other units being redeployed.[1]: 154
At 08:30 on 29 June the VC 802nd Battalion ambushed a 28 vehicle 2nd Battalion, Vietnamese Marines convoy on Route 1 northwest of Phong Điền, hitting 10 trucks. The Marines dismounted and moved east to the shelter of a railway berm, but the VC also occupied positions east of Route 1 and unleashed heavy fire on the Marines, wiping out their command group. The Marines were split into 2 perimeters and called for support and within minutes air and artillery strikes began hitting the VC ambush positions forcing the VC to withdraw. To the east of the railway line the VC were able to withdraw into thick forest, but to the west of Route 1 they had to withdraw across open ground where they were exposed to Allied fire. Companies I and L, 3/4 Marines and ARVN 1st Division units converged on the ambush site killing 185 VC and capturing 9. The Vietnamese Marines had lost 42 dead in the initial ambush.[1]: 154–6
Aftermath
Operation Jay concluded on 2 July, the Marines had lost 24 killed, and the Marine Corps claimed that the Vietcong had lost 475 killed.[1]: 156
Notes
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
- ^ a b c d e f g Shulimson, Jack (1982). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War 1966. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 150. ISBN 978-1494285159.
- ^ a b Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. ISBN 978-1555716257.