The battle of Long Tan has taken centre stage, and rightly so, but how many people know about the battle of Coral/ Balmoral, where there were more Aussies involved, and more Aussie casualties. Bob [ don't view the videos if you don;t have a strong stomach. ]
The battles of Coral & Balmoral: May-June 1968
12 May 2008 by Mal Booth
Forty years ago, in May/June 1968 Australian soldiers fought their largest, most sustained and arguably most hazardous battles of the Vietnam War. Units of the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) confronted regimental-sized formations of the North Vietnamese regular army in what was then known as Bien Hoa province. The location of FSPBs Coral and Balmoral are marked by blue symbols on this satellite map.
Coral and Balmoral, Battle of Fire Support Bases
During the "Mini-Tet" offensive mounted by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in May 1968, the 1st Australian Task Force deployed two battalions to an area 20 kilometres north of Bien Hoa city to intercept and disrupt enemy forces withdrawing from the capital, Saigon, and the Bien Hoa–Long Binh base complex. Several fire support bases (FS
were established to provide defended firing points for artillery and mortars which would cover foot patrols to be sent out by the battalions (1RAR and 3RAR). One of these FSBs was dubbed "Coral", situated 7 kilometres north of the town of Tan Uyen.
Fire Support Base Coral, Bien Hoa province, Vietnam. 13 May 1968. A 105 mm M2A2 howitzer, the No. 6 gun of 102 Field Battery, 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.
AWM P01769.011
Occupation of Coral was begun on 12 May, but the defences remained unfinished when, at about 3.30 am on 13 May, it was attacked following a brief but intense rocket and mortar barrage. The 1RAR mortar platoon position was over-run, along with one of 102 Field Battery's six 105 mm M2A2 howitzers in the base. With the aid of extensive air support, the attack was beaten off by 6.30 am and the captured gun-pit was retaken – still with the gun in it (this howitzer is now on display in the Vietnam gallery at the Australian War Memorial). Eleven Australians were killed and 28 wounded, while the attackers lost more than the 52 bodies they left behind. A further three Australians died in patrol clashes on the 14 May.
At 2.30 am on 16 May Coral again came under attack, this time from a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) force estimated at three battalions strong. The base was now defended by armoured personnel carriers of A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, and 1RAR's rifle companies, all of which were heavily engaged; part of the A Company position was occupied for a period, but the enemy was forced to withdraw. The attack was repelled after four hours of fighting, with the Australians having suffered five men killed and 19 wounded. Two members of an American battery which had reinforced the base were also wounded. Only 34 enemy bodies were recovered, but blood trails and drag marks indicated that many more casualties had been removed.
Howitzer from FSB Coral that is now on display in the Conflicts 1945 to today galleries.
On 22 May Coral was subjected to yet another rocket and mortar barrage, but this time the NVA troops were dispersed by return fire from 1RAR's mortars as they formed up to attack. Although there were further bombardments on 26 and 28 May, and patrols sent out from the base came into contact with the enemy, Coral was not seriously threatened again. During fighting on 26 May the base's defenders even turned the tables on the NVA by sending a troop of Centurion tanks from C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment (which had arrived as reinforcements three days earlier), outside the perimeter wire with infantry support; these engaged and destroyed most of a NVA bunker system that had been discovered.
Enemy efforts on 26 May were primarily focused on another FSB named "Balmoral", which was established about 4.5 kilometres further north on 24–25 May by 3RAR supported by tanks. The defenders threw back assaults launched against Balmoral on 26 and 28 May. On the latter occasion, the attacking NVA regiment lost at least 42 killed and seven prisoners, but again casualties were thought to have been higher.
Representatives of the units involved in the battles have established the National 40th Coral and Balmoral Anniversary Committee, which is coordinating commemorative events in Canberra and Townsville starting on 12 May 2008. More information can be found on the DVA website.
The first of the battles occurred at FSPB Coral when massed enemy units attacked the base in the early hours of 13 May 1968. Australian units withstood heavy enemy attacks during which a mortar platoon and two gun positions were partly over-run. The Australians drove off the enemy after fierce close-quarter actions. The battle lasted over two hours. The task force suffered 11 killed in action and 28 wounded. In one mortar platoon five soldiers were killed and eight were wounded from a total strength of 18 men. One howitzer and two mortars were damaged. The enemy left 52 dead strewn throughout and around the fire support base.
One of 102 Field Battery’s six 105 mm M2A2 howitzers which was overrun by the enemy and then re-taken by Australian troops. It is shown here on display in the Memorial’s “Conflicts 1945 to today” galleries. REL26769
A history of Australian artillery records that the attack on Coral was “the most sustained ground attack on an Australian field gun position since the Pacific war. Yet the gunners recovered their guns and were in action, supporting the infantry, the following morning.”
Over the following four weeks, in further actions around FSPB Coral and Balmoral, Australian soldiers accounted for over 300 enemy soldiers killed. They also captured hundreds of enemy weapons. In return, 26 Australian soldiers died: two from 12 Field Regiment; one from 104 Signals Squadron; 16 from 1 RAR; 6 from 3 RAR and one from 161 Independent Reconnaisance Squadron. Over 100 Australians were wounded. Australian Army regiments involved in the series of battles were later awarded one of the five battle honours approved for the Vietnam War.
Honour Roll
12th Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
Gunner C.J. Sawtell
Gunner I.J. Scott
104th Signals Squadron, Royal Australian Corps of Signals
Signaller A.H. Young
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Private D.E. Abbott
Private E.J. Bailey
Corporal I.K. Dawson
Corporal R.B. Hickey
Private R.L. McNab
Lance Corporal W.H. Martin
Private C.R. Nisbet
Private J.A. O’Brien
Corporal J.G. Pearce
Private L.R. Sheppard
Private B.M. Trimble
Private A.J. Wallis
Private R.C.A. Watson
Private H.W. White
Corporal J.H. Whitton
Private B.T. Young
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
Private L.N. Brown
Private A.J. Cooper
Private J.W. Desnoy
Sergeant P.E. Lewis
Private W.M. Thomas
Private J.T. Worle
161st Independent Reconnaissance Flight
Major G.A. Constable
Collection items
Two short video clips from action at Coral/Balmoral have now been uploaded to YouTube: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoM_58X0MNY"]3 RAR Action in Vietnam[/ame] and [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkuBx-NkESQ"]Attack repulsed at Australian base[/ame].
Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by pop058
Wizard
I remember both were obligatory stand up and scream when at nightclubs or discos!
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