page_title: Operation Francis Marion
section_title: Operation
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Francis Marion / Operation
caption_attribution_description: English: Operation Francis Marion a CH-47 Chinook helicopter flies over a 105mm howitzer gun emplacement during resupply operations for elements of the 1st Battalion, 12th Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
context_page_description: Operation Francis Marion was a 4th Infantry Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade operation that took place in Pleiku, Darlac and the Kon Tum Provinces, lasting from 6 April to 11 October 1967.
context_section_description: Operation Francis Marion commenced on 6 April. The 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division deployed in an arc 20 km east of the Cambodian border along Highway 14B and the north-south line of U.S. Special Forces camps at Plei Djereng, Đức Cơ and Plei Me, with the 2nd Brigade held as a reserve force. Special Forces, CIDG units and the 4th Division's long-range reconnaissance teams would search the area west of this line to the Cambodian border. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 23rd Division extended the screen south into Darlac Province and the 42nd Regiment of the 22nd Division extended it north into Kon Tum Province, split between Kon Tum city and Tân Cảnh Base Camp.
  The operation saw isolated skirmishes in its first 2 weeks, then in mid-April Special Forces teams reported engaging a PAVN battalion in northern Darlac Province and several days later they reported sighting 2 PAVN companies 70 km south of Plei Me. In response to these reports on 24 April MG Peers sent a 1st Brigade battalion task force into northern Darlac Province.
  On 28 April the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment patrolling north of Plei Me ambushed a group of PAVN killing 13 and the remainder fled into a fortified base camp. The 2/18th Infantry were unable to break through the PAVN defenses despite air and artillery strikes. The following morning, supported by 2 tanks and M113s they entered the camp but found it deserted. The force continued to advance, finding another base camp which was soon overrun by the tanks firing canister rounds, by mid-afternoon the battle was over, 138 PAVN soldiers from the 95B Regiment had been killed for the loss of 1 U.S. killed. On searching the base the 2/8th Infantry found 42 weapons, supplies and ammunition and a notebook detailing PAVN objectives for the rainy season offensive, including the 2nd Brigade base at Landing Zone Oasis and the Special Forces camps at Plei Djereng, Đức Cơ and Plei Me.
  On 1 May a U.S. company repulsed a battalion-size attack near Đức Cơ. A prisoner revealed that 2 battalions of the 66th Regiment had recently arrived in the area around Đức Cơ and they planned to attack the Special Forces on 6 June, before attacking Plei Me.
  Following 4 B-52 strikes southwest of Đức Cơ Camp, MG Peers sent the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry in to search the area but they found no sign of PAVN activity. On 13 May following a further B-52 strike 15 km northwest of Đức Cơ Camp, the 1/8th Infantry went in to search the area ending at Landing Zone Jackson Hole (13.838°N 107.684°E), the 1st Brigade base on Highway 14B, with the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment moving parallel to it. On the morning of 18 May, Company B 1/8th Infantry patrolling in the densely jungled Ia Tchar Valley near the Cambodian border saw and pursued a lone PAVN soldier. The pursuit led the Company into an ambush by a large PAVN force and they formed a defensive perimeter while calling in air and artillery support, however the thick jungle canopy prevented aerial observation and absorbed much of the force of the incoming fire. The Battalion commander sent Company A to assist but the thick jungle delayed their progress. Company B's 4th platoon radioed that they were being overrun and called in artillery fire directly on their position. Company A was then moved by helicopter to Company B's position arriving just before sunset. The following morning Company A located Company B's 4th platoon, which had lost 19 killed, 1 missing and 7 wounded. The survivors said that after the PAVN overran the position they played dead while the PAVN executed those who moved. The rest of Company B lost had 10 killed and 24 wounded, while sweeps turned up 119 PAVN bodies. The PAVN were identified as being from the 32nd Regiment, which had last been seen in March 1967.
  On 18 May a U.S. unit set up a night defensive position in an abandoned PAVN base camp. Shortly after dark, the PAVN began mortaring the position and then sent 3 assault waves against the position. The attack continued for several hours before the PAVN withdrew leaving 38 dead and 8 weapons, whi
caption: A CH-47 Chinook flies over a 105mm howitzer gun emplacement during resupply operations for elements of the 1st Battalion, 12th Regiment, 9 July
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