Page 401 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

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CLOSE AIR SUPPORT
OPERATION OPERA

CEDAR FALLS

American ground troops were committed to a war TION CED
against communist guerrillas in South Vietnam in 1965.
US commander General William Westmoreland adopted an
aggressive strategy, directing forces in large-scale “search AR F
and destroy” operations in guerrilla-controlled areas.
Operation Cedar Falls in January 1967 exemplified the
successes and failures of this approach. ALLS

Operation Cedar Falls was directed mechanized infantry were protected
against the Iron Triangle, a guerrilla against the anti-personnel mines
stronghold 25 miles (40km) from and sniping that took such a toll on
the South Vietnamese capital Saigon. soldiers on foot patrol. Newly
Over many years the guerrillas had introduced Rome plows, designed for
fortified the area with a complex heavy land-clearance, carved swathes
system of tunnels protected by through the jungle, while specially
booby-traps and concealed firing trained and equipped soldiers were
positions. The Americans planned sent in to search the dark maze of
to encircle and destroy the guerrillas tunnels. These “tunnel rats” found
in a “hammer and anvil” operation. caches of weapons and munitions,
Troops along the southwest side of uniforms, food dumps, and an
the Triangle would be the “anvil,” abundance of documents valuable
blocking the guerrillas’ escape as they to US intelligence.
were hit by the “hammer”—forces
attacking from the north and east. DESTRUCTION OF RESOURCES
The plan relied on helicopters to lift The Americans and South Vietnamese
infantry swiftly into their combat allies went on to render the Iron
positions, thereby bypassing difficult Triangle unusable for guerrilla forces.
forested terrain and avoiding possible Tunnels were filled with acetylene
ambushes to convoys on roads. gas and blown up, while much of the
Helicopter gunships were not yet area was sprayed from the air with
available, but the infantry received Agent Orange herbicide, poisoning
supporting firepower from tactical forest and agricultural land. The
bombers, fixed-wing gunships, and peasant population was evacuated at
artillery firebases. gunpoint to refugee camps and Ben
The operation began on January 8 Suc was totally destroyed, the buildings
with the placing of the “anvil” forces, burned, then flattened by bulldozers.
including elements of the South But the objective of locating and
Vietnamese Army. One of the first destroying communist soldiers
objectives was to secure the village largely failed. The lightly equipped
of Ben Suc, considered a hotbed of guerrillas were expert at concealment
guerrilla activity. A flight of 60 and slipped through the US cordon.
helicopters zoomed in at treetop The combination of the Americans’
level and landed an entire American firepower and mobility allowed them
infantry battalion at positions around to clear populated regions of
the village, which was then occupied guerrillas—but at the cost of
with only light casualties. Other devastating the peasant society that
airmobile formations and mechanized sustained them and laying waste to
infantry executed the “hammer” land US troops were deployed to
element of the operation over the defend. What American forces could
following days. Traveling in M113 not do was bring enemy formations
armored personnel carriers, the to decisive combat and destroy them.