Aussies In Vietnam: The Battle at Long Tan

The video discusses the 1966 battle of Australian troops at the village of Long Tan in the Phuoc Tuy province, and how they overcame insurmountable obstacles to turn an almost certain defeat into one of the most dramatic victories of the Vietnam War.

Initial deployment was 7,000, while over 60,000 would serve throughout the war.

This battle was pivotal in the Vietnam War, and is still considered one of the most dramatic in Australian military history and is ranked as one of the most decisive battles of the Vietnam war.

Whether we call it an "encounter with the enemy", "a meeting engagement", "walking into", "coming under fire", or "the enemy lying in wait" or "ambush" it all means the same. These encounters happened on a daily basis with ground forces including the U.S. troops in Vietnam with the NVA/VC's tactic to make an initial attack (such as a harassing mortar fire on the Australian base) and then lure the forces into an encounter.

The Aussie's quick recovery at Long Tan is a testament of their leadership and training of the forces, and to the accurate and devastating counter artillery batteries from ANZAC and U.S. forces in the region.

Data was researched from many sources including some of these:

From "Vietnam Decisive Battles" published 1990: "At 1608 as Sharpe's men entered the clearing, they were met by a hail of fire".

Other information states: "The VC also considered it a victory, due to the political success of an effective ambush and securing of the area around the village."

Additionally, Days before the encounter, the base at Nui Dat was shelled by mortars and the expected NVA/VC attack on the base never came. Thus the enemy forces lured the patrolling Aussies into the Long Tan area.

From theconversation.com: "There has also been a running debate in the veteran community about whether D Company wandered into an ambush. Chamberlain’s examinations of intelligence and a complex variety of Vietnamese sources suggest that the battle was a result of a Viet Cong (VC) tactic to “lure the tiger from the mountain” to fight the force of a new Australian base where it suited them."

Using archival photos and videos, custom map animations, historical maps, and charts, we explore some of the most amazing and lesser known strategic and tactical missions in history.