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{{Short description|1968 military operation in the Vietnam war}}
{{Hatnote|For the joint military exercise involving Iran and the United States, see [[Exercise Delawar]].}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Delaware
| partof = the [[Vietnam War]]
| image = Operation delaware.gif
| image_size = 250px
| caption =
| date = 19 April – 17 May 1968
| place = [[A Shau Valley]], [[Republic of Vietnam]]
| Results = US victory
| casus =
| territory =
| combatant1 = {{flag|United States}} {{flag|South Vietnam}}
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Vietnam}} [[North Vietnam]]
| commander1 = [[John J. Tolson]]
| commander2 = 
| units1 = {{flagicon|United States}} [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division]] 1st Brigade, [[101st Airborne Division]] {{flagicon|South Vietnam}} [[Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division]]
| units2 = 
| casualties1 = {{flagicon|United States}} 142 killed {{flagicon|South Vietnam}} 26 killed '''PAVN claim''':1,000 casualties
| casualties2 = US [[body count#Vietnam War|body count]]: 869 killed 1 light tank captured 70 trucks captured 2 bulldozers captured
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Vietnam War}}
}}

'''Operation Delaware'''/'''Operation Lam Son 216''' was a joint military operation launched during the [[Vietnam War]]. It began on 19 April 1968, with troops from the United States and the [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]] (ARVN) moving into the [[A Sầu Valley]]. The A Sầu Valley was a vital corridor for moving military supplies coming from the [[Ho Chi Minh Trail]] and was used by the [[People's Army of Vietnam]] (PAVN) as a staging area for numerous attacks in northern [[I Corps (South Vietnam)|I Corps]]. Other than small, special operations reconnaissance patrols, American and South Vietnamese forces had not been present in the region since the [[Battle of A Shau]] in March 1966, when a U.S. Special Forces camp located there was overrun.<ref name=ankony1>{{cite book|last=Ankony|first=Robert|title=Lurps: A Ranger's Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group|year=2009|isbn=9780761832812|pages=157–72}}</ref><ref name=Tolson>{{cite book|last=Tolson|first=John|title=Vietnam Studies: Airmobility 1961–1971|publisher=Department of the Army|date=1973|url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-4/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117204605/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/090/90-4/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 17, 2011|isbn=9781494721848}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|182–92}}

==Background==
In January 1968, [[Military Assistance Command, Vietnam]] (MACV), ordered the [[1st Cavalry Division (United States)|1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)]] to move north from the [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]] to support the [[III Marine Amphibious Force]] in I Corps.<ref name=Stanton>{{cite book|last=Stanton|first=Shelby|title=Anatomy of a Division: The 1st Cav in Vietnam|url=https://archive.org/details/anatomyofdivisio00stan|url-access=registration|publisher=Presidio Press|year=1987|isbn=9780446356947|page=[https://archive.org/details/anatomyofdivisio00stan/page/111 111]}}</ref> The 1st Cavalry Division, an airmobile division with 20,000 men and nearly 450 helicopters, had the most firepower and mobility of any division-size unit in Vietnam.<ref name=Stanton/>{{rp|42&209}} When it arrived in I Corps, the 1st Cavalry Division fought in the [[Battle of Quang Tri (1968)|Battle of Quang Tri]] and the [[Battle of Huế]] in the [[Tet Offensive]]. It was fully engaged in Operation Pegasus, [[Battle of Khe Sanh#Operation Pegasus (1–14 April 1968)|the relief of Khe Sanh]] when its commander, Maj. Gen. [[John J. Tolson]], was ordered to prepare plans for Operation Delaware.<ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|178}}<ref name=Westmoreland>{{cite book|last=Westmoreland|first=William|title=A Soldier Reports|publisher=Doubleday|date=1976|isbn=9780385004343|page=347}}</ref>

After gaining control of the A Sầu Valley in March 1966 the PAVN fortified it with powerful crew-served [[37 mm automatic air defense gun M1939 (61-K)|37mm antiaircraft cannons]], some of them radar controlled. They also had rapid firing [[ZU-23-2|twin-barreled 23mm cannons]] and many [[DShK|12.7mm heavy machine guns]] to contribute to their air defenses. The A Sầu Valley soon evolved into a major logistics depot for the PAVN, with storage locations often located in underground bunkers and tunnels. Because of this strength on the ground, and the relative geographic isolation of the valley, the U.S. and its allies conducted little offensive activity in the area except for air attacks, and those were limited by steep, mountainous terrain often cloaked under clouds and prone to sudden, violent changes in weather. Because of the very limited air mobility of the Marines in I Corps, no ground operations of any significance had been launched in the A Sầu.<ref name=Stanton/>{{rp|143–9}}<ref name=ankony2>{{cite journal|last=Ankony|first=Robert|title=No Peace in the Valley|publisher=Vietnam magazine|date=October 2008|pages=26–31}}</ref>

[[File:1st Cav at LZ Stud.jpg|thumb|right|1st Cav forces at [[Vandegrift Combat Base|LZ Stud]] approaching Khe Sanh Combat Base]]
By early April 1968, the PAVN had just suffered casualties of more than 40,000 men in two major military campaigns: the Tet Offensive and at Khe Sanh.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pisor|first=Robert|title=The End of the Line: The Siege of Khe Sanh|url=https://archive.org/details/endofline00robe_lpu|url-access=registration|publisher=W. W. Norton|year=1982|isbn=978-0393015805|page=[https://archive.org/details/endofline00robe_lpu/page/181 181]}}</ref> But the PAVN still had the ability to take the initiative in the northernmost part of I Corps. That ability came in part from isolated base areas like the sparsely populated A Sầu Valley, running north–south along the Laotian border {{convert|30|mi}} south of Khe Sanh, where troops and supplies were moved into South Vietnam as the PAVN prepared for another battle — at a time and place of its choosing. The A Sầu, a mile-wide [[bottomland]] flanked by densely forested {{convert|5000|ft|m|adj=on}} mountains, was bisected lengthwise by Route 548, a hard-crusted dirt road.<ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|182–192}}<ref name=Westmoreland/>{{rp|347–9}}<ref name=ankony1/>

[[COMUSMACV]] General [[William Westmoreland]] believed that heavy press coverage of Operation Pegasus had given the PAVN considerable information about U.S. dispositions and movements and so he decided to embargo news of the operation for as long as possible. Besides maintaining a margin of security for his troops, the embargo would cover the insertion of a reconnaissance force of up to battalion size into Laos at a point above where the valley entered South Vietnam. Westmoreland informed the Saigon correspondents on 26 April that he was imposing an extended embargo on Delaware. Following reports by syndicated
columnist [[Joseph Alsop]] filing in [[Hong Kong]] and South Vietnamese information officers announcing that their units were involved in the operation, MACV lifted the press embargo after 8 days.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hammond|first=William|title=The U.S. Army in Vietnam Public Affairs The Military and the Media, 1968-1973|publisher=U.S. Army Center of Military History|year=1996|url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/091/91-2/CMH_Pub_91-2-B.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926065448/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/091/91-2/CMH_Pub_91-2-B.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2012|isbn=978-1946411037|pages=21–2}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

==Operation==
[[File:Dong Re Lao Mountain.jpg|right|thumb|LRRPs on [[Dong Re Lao Mountain|Signal Hill]] scanning for enemy vehicles in the A Sầu Valley below.]]
The battle began on 19 April 1968, after preparatory [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]] and tactical bombing of PAVN antiaircraft and troop positions. Troops of the [[3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division (United States)#Vietnam War|3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division]] were inserted into Landing Zones Tiger ({{Coord|16.352|N|107.109|E|display=inline}}) and Vicki ({{Coord|16.373|N|107.136|E|display=inline}}) at the north of A Sầu Valley, as the 1st Brigade, [[101st Airborne Division]] moved west from [[Firebase Bastogne]] along Route 547, the [[327th Infantry Regiment (United States)#Vietnam|1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment]] moved southwest meeting up with the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry which had been landed by helicopter at the junction of Route 547 and Route 547A, establishing [[Firebase Veghel]].<ref name=Pearson>{{cite book|last=Pearson|first=Willard|title=The War in the Northern Provinces 1966–1968|publisher=[[United States Army Center of Military History]]|year=1975|isbn=9781780392486|url=https://archive.org/stream/CMHPub90-24}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|90}} The operation required a radio relay site so the engaged brigades could communicate with [[Camp Evans (Vietnam)|Camp Evans]] near the coast or with approaching aircraft. On the eastern side, midway up the valley, was a perfect spot: the {{convert|4878|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Dong Re Lao Mountain]]. The 1st Cavalry Division's headquarters dubbed it "Signal Hill."<ref name=ankony1/><ref name=Stanton/>{{rp|144–6}} A 30-man [[long-range reconnaissance patrol]] ([[LRRP]], or "Lurp") from [[Company E, 52nd Infantry (LRP)]] rappelled by helicopter onto Signal Hill, followed by other members of Company E along with signalmen, who fought a [[Battle of Signal Hill Vietnam|two-day battle with PAVN forces]].<ref name=ankony2/><ref>{{cite book|last=Jorgenson|first=Kregg|title=LRRP Company Command: The Cav's LRP/Rangers in Vietnam, 1968-1969|publisher=Ballantine Books|year=2000|isbn=978-0804119207|pages=3–5}}</ref> Poor weather and anti-aircraft fire made flying very dangerous.<ref name=ankony1/><ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|184–5}} The 1st Cavalry lost 10 helicopters destroyed and 23 damaged in the first day's assault.<ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|186}}

On 20 April the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry continued to deploy, the [[7th Cavalry Regiment#Cold War and Vietnam|1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment]] moved southeast while the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry moved to block Route 548 to Laos. The 2nd Battalion 7th Cavalry was landed further down the valley. The [[Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division|6th ARVN Airborne Battalion]] was landed by helicopter at the 1/327th's landing zone and soon was engaged by PAVN forces.<ref name=Pearson/>{{rp|91}}

On 21 April the Cavalry units continued to push further down the valley, while the [[502nd Infantry Regiment (United States)#Vietnam War|2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment]] was landed near Firebase Veghel to support the 1/327th and 6th ARVN Airborne.<ref name=Pearson/>{{rp|91}}

On 24 April [[8th Cavalry Regiment#Cold War and Vietnam War|2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry]] was landed 2 km south of the abandoned [[A Lưới Camp|A Lưới Airfield]]. The Cavalry forces found a communications network and numerous supply caches in the area including 3 37mm anti-aircraft guns.<ref name=Pearson/>{{rp|91}}

On 25 April [[first lieutenant#United States|First Lieutenant]] [[James M. Sprayberry]] leading a patrol from Company D, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry rescued men who had been wounded and cut off from the rest of the company. Sprayberry personally killed 12 PAVN soldiers and eliminated 2 machine gun emplacements, he was subsequently promoted to captain and awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/Recent-News-Stories/Article/642050/medal-of-honor-recipient-recalls-times-in-vietnam/|title=Medal of Honor Recipient Recalls Times in Vietnam|publisher=Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency|date=8 January 2016|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref>

On 26 April [[Lockheed C-130 Hercules|C-130B]] #60-0298 was hit by antiaircraft fire while on approach to drop supplies at A Lưới Airfield, the aircraft crashed and burnt on the airfield, the remains of 5 of the 8 crewmen were recovered.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19680426-0|title=Friday 26 April 1968|website=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref>

East of the valley, the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne and the ARVN 3rd Airborne Task Force continued clearing the territory between Firebases Bastogne and Veghel. For the most part they encountered small supply parties that quickly broke contact. On the 29th, however, Companies B and D, 1/327th Infantry, got into a prolonged firefight with a PAVN company only a kilometer or so from Veghel. The PAVN had the upper hand because they fought from well-made bunkers and camouflaged positions in the trees and at one point sent out a force to envelop Company B. The U.S. unit pulled itself out of the trap, although not before losing 13 killed and 16 wounded. When the two U.S. companies renewed their attack the following morning, they found the bunkers empty except for the bodies of 15 dead PAVN.<ref name=Villard>{{cite book|last=Villard|first=Erik|title=United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations Staying the Course October 1967 to September 1968|publisher=Center of Military History United States Army|year=2017|isbn=9780160942808|url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/091/91-15-1/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206190325/https://history.army.mil/html/books/091/91-15-1/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 6, 2018}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>{{rp|525-6}}

[[File:NARA photo 111-CCV-557-CC48951.jpg|thumb|right|Members of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry rest after breaking down the equipment on Landing Zone Pepper while waiting transportation back to Camp Evans, 11 May 1968]]
The first cargo aircraft, a [[C-7 Caribou]], landed at A Lưới on 2 May. After further improvements to the airstrip, the first [[C-130 Hercules]] landed on 4 May.<ref name=Pearson/>{{rp|91}} As the 1st Cavalry Division kept sweeping south through the valley it linked with the other allied units that served as blocking forces and uncovered large caches of weapons, vehicles, ammunition, and rice.

US and ARVN troop extraction started on 10 May. On 12 May [[12th Cavalry Regiment#1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry|1/12 Cavalry]] linked up with the ARVN Airborne moving along Route 547.<ref name=Pearson/>{{rp|92}} The operation terminated on 17 May.<ref name=Stanton/>{{rp|147–9}}

==Aftermath==
U.S. losses were 142 killed and ARVN losses were 26 killed. Eleven helicopters were destroyed and 35 damaged.<ref name=Villard/>{{rp|539}} Bad weather aggravated the loss by causing delays in troop movements, allowing a substantial number of PAVN to escape to safety in Laos.<ref name=ankony1/> Nevertheless, Operation Delaware was hailed as a success by the United States, but the withdrawal of US and ARVN troops made it possible for PAVN forces to quickly regain control of the valley.<ref name=Stanton/>{{rp|148–9}}

Tolson, in summing up the weather's impact on his division's airmobile operations, said, "According to the long range forecast based on old French records, April was supposed to have been the best month for weather in the A Shau Valley. As it turned out, May would have been a far better month––but you don't win them all."<ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|192}} U.S. forces would return to the A Sầu Valley in August 1968 in [[Operation Somerset Plain]], in January 1969 in [[Operation Dewey Canyon]] and in May 1969 during [[Operation Apache Snow]].<ref name=Tolson/>{{rp|192}}<ref name=ankony2/>

During the operation U.S./ARVN forces captured large supply caches, 70 trucks, 2 bulldozers and one damaged [[PT-76]] light tank.<ref>{{cite book|last=Shulimson|first=Jack|author2=LtCol. Leonard Blasiol|author3=Charles R. Smith|author4=Capt. David A. Dawson| title =U.S. Marines in Vietnam: 1968, the Defining Year|publisher=History and Museums Division, USMC |year=1997|url=https://archive.org/stream/USMarinesInVietnamTheDefiningYear1968#page/n0/mode/2up|isbn=0160491258|page=253}}{{PD-notice}}</ref>

The official PAVN history claims that they inflicted over 1,000 casualties of U.S/ARVN forces during the operation.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Military History Institute of Vietnam |title=Victory in Vietnam: A History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975|others=trans. Pribbenow, Merle|publisher=University of Kansas Press|year=2002|isbn=0-7006-1175-4|page=229}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Battle of A Shau]]
*[[Battle of Khe Sanh]]
*[[Battle of Signal Hill Vietnam]]
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{ACMH}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.drrobertankony.net/lurps-gallery/ Photographic history of 1st Cav LRRP Rangers in Vietnam]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delaware, Operation}}
[[Category:Battles of the Vietnam War involving the United States]]
[[Category:History of Huế]]
[[Category:Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1968]]

Operation Delaware - Revision history

imported>GreenC bot: Rescued 3 archive links. Wayback Medic 2.5 per WP:URLREQ#army.mil