History of War – October 2019

enemysoldiersduringAustralia’smostremarkablebattleoftheVietnamWar

T

heBattleof LongTanwasa brutaleventthatcameto define

Australia’sexperienceof theVietnamWar.Largelyfoughtin

a monsoonon 18 August1966, 108 Anzactroops,primarily

fromD Company,6thBattalion,RoyalAustralianRegiment

(6 RAR),foughtoffthousandsof determinedVietCongand

NorthVietnamesesoldiersandinflictedhundredsof casualties.

TheVietnamVeteransAssociationof Australialaterselectedthis

engagementasthemosticonicmomentof theirwar.Neverthelessthe

battlewasa torrentialnightmareforD Company’scommander,Major

HarrySmith.Thisretiredlieutenantcolonelfoughttwobattlesasa

resultof LongTan.Thefirstsawhimleaddrenchedandinexperienced

soldiersto victoryagainstoverwhelmingoddsin terribleconditions.The

secondwashisdecades-longfightto persuadetheAustralianmilitary

establishmentto properlyrecognisehismen’scourage.Smithnow

revealshowhewonthemboth.

words

Tom garner

Australian troops

during their tour of

duty in Vietnam

anzacs at long tan