page_title: Operation Shenandoah II
section_title: Highway 13 and Caisson VI
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Shenandoah II / Operation / Highway 13 and Caisson VI
caption_attribution_description: English: Battle of Caisson VI 10 December 1967
context_page_description: Operation Shenandoah II was a security operation conducted during the Vietnam War by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division to secure and repair Highway 13, South Vietnam from 29 September to 19 November 1967.
context_section_description: As part of their security operation along Highway 13, the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division had established a line of firebases named Caisson I through VII at 10 km intervals along the road between Lai Khê and An Lộc from which road security and minesweeping operations would be conducted.
  The PAVN 7th Division commanded by Senior Col. Nguyen Hoa sought to close Highway 13 and shortly after midnight on 24 November sent his 2nd Battalion, 165th Regiment to attack a U.S. night defense position on the shoulder of Highway 13 12 km south of An Lộc. The U.S. force consisted of Company B, 1/18th Infantry, a platoon from the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment equipped with 3 M48A3 tanks and 4 M113 armored personnel carriers and two platoons from the 2nd Battalion, 2d Infantry (Mechanized), equipped with 11 M113s. As the attack began, PAVN RPGs failed to disable any of the armored vehicles and sappers were unable to reach the perimeter wire due to the volume of fire coming from the U.S. armored vehicles. When helicopter gunships and an AC-47 arrived overhead the PAVN began to withdraw leaving 57 dead, U.S. losses were 4 dead.
  Just after midnight on 3 December, Hoa sent his 1st Battalion, 141st Regiment into action against another night defensive position 3 km south of the 24 November attack. The defending force consisted of Company D, 1/18th Infantry, and a mechanized platoon from Company C, 2/2nd Infantry. This time the PAVN succeeding in penetrating the perimeter before again being forced back by defensive fire, air and artillery strikes. PAVN losses were 27 killed, while U.S. losses were 7 killed.
  On 10 December Colonel Hoa targeted Caisson VI (11.59°N 106.6°E) 6 km south of An Lộc. Defending the base was Company A, 1/18th Infantry and Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry with 3 M48A3 tanks and 4 M113s dug into fighting positions around the perimeter. The base also housed Battery A, 6th Battalion, 15th Artillery, equipped with 105-mm. howitzers and Battery C, 8th Battalion, 6th Artillery Regiment, equipped with 155-mm. howitzers. At 02:00 a barrage of 75-mm. recoilless rifles and 82-mm. and 120-mm. mortars hit the firebase. When this barrage ended VC from the 165th Regiment attacked the north, west and east of the perimeter. Sapper teams penetrated the northern perimeter and VC troops raced for the gap which was soon covered by Canister shot from the M48s. Intensive artillery fire soon forced the PAVN to withdraw and by 03:30 the battle was over. At dawn U.S. soldiers policed the perimeter finding 143 dead, U.S. losses were 1 killed.
caption: Battle of Caisson VI 10 December 1967
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