"Sunny" wrote in message news:3AsPa.32$wU5.0@news-
3. February - June 1968. After thumbing their noses at Australia
for two years, the 5th VC Division and parts of D445 VC Battalion
were shattered by US troops around Bien Hoa and Long Binh during Tet
and Mini-Tet. American troops should not have encountered these 2nd-
rate Viet Cong units at all, but unfortunately the Australians could
not handle them and let the buggers get away -- as they often did by
the admission of the Australian General Tim Vincent. The consequences
were that, thanks to US troops, it was quiet in the Phuoc Tuy province
while the enemy licked his wounds and slowly rebuilt 5th VC Division
and D445 VC Battalion.


Fact....The VC units that the US forces encountered did not come
from the Aust AO. By that period US forces had taken resposibility
for the northern and western approaches to Bien Hoa and Long Binh.


You're grasping at straws, not facts. The 274 Regiment hit the eastern
bunker lines of Bien Hoa. The 275 Regiment also slipped past the
Australians to attack the northern perimeter of Long Binh. Parts of
the D445 VC Battalion were mixed in.

And besides, Australian troops -- had they been as effective as
your propaganda claims -- would have destroyed these units during
1966-67 and that way US troops would not have to see them, and
destroy them, in 1968.

After the D440 was disbanded and its personnel used to replenish
the D445, they were once again a thorn in the side of Australia. : )


4. February 1968. Town of Baria (the Phuoc Tuy province capital)
was captured by part of D445 VC Battalion during the Tet Offensive.
The Australians from A/3 RAR and their armored units from 3 Cavalry
could not dislodge them with their own resources and had to rely on
South Vietnamese units to jettison the VC from Baria.

Utter frog ****... Fact..... the SVN forces were overwhelmed in the
first attacks.


Fact: The civilian population and police were overwhelmed. Fact: South
Vietnamese troops bailed out the Australians at Baria.


5. May 1968. Part of the Australian TF found themselves besieged
at FSBs CORAL and BALMORAL and American air power was called for help.
US aircraft carried out airstrikes on advancing and retreating NVA
and their supply lines.

Bull****,...Fact.... The Aust forces called in and directed air and arty
support. May come as a shock to you but calling in US air support was
actually allowed.(and you don't repulse ground attacks by "bombing supply lines")


Maybe on your planet, but not here on Earth.



6. July 1970 to April 1971. In addition to responsibilities in Long
Khanh and Bien Hoa provinces, 2d Brigade, US 25th Infantry Division
was forced to operate in the Phuoc Tuy province because the Australian
Army could not handle the enemy or pacification program without us.
This is in addition to the fact that US troops guarded the seaport and
other installations at Vung Tau, and provided road convoy security to
and from.

More Bull****... Fact......Ops during the period 1969/70 so decimated the
VC in Phouc Tuy that D445 ceased to operate as a unit.


Australian propaganda is not fact. Many documents have been found and
cited. Even if Australian body counts were accurate, there is no
evidence that Australia ever seriously damaged the D445 VC Battalion,
D440 VC Battalion, the undersized 5th VC Division, or local VC companies.

And there is no proof that your body counts were typically accurate
and the amount of enemy activity by these units suggests otherwise.


"guarded" their own establishments in Vung Tau and never provided "road
convoy security" for anyone but their own movements, (as we did)

7. April 1971-June 1972. The 2d Brigade, US 25th Infantry Division
was replaced by the 3d Brigade, US 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).
Despite the recent and massive withdrawl of Allied forces, the Air Cav
"fire brigade" was responsible for ranging three provinces, Binh Tuy,
Long Khanh and Phuoc Tuy. Their air assault training and larger fleet
of helicopter lift and gunships made this possible. Such widespread
coverage was well beyond the capability of any Australian brigade.

What bloody Brigade?



At peak, there was about 8,000 Australian troops in Vietnam. An Air
Cavalry brigade had roughly the same number of men but they were a
far more effective and free ranging killing machine during their time
in Vietnam from 1965-72.

Unlike the more gravitationally-challenged Australian infantry, the
Air Cav could set up ambushes where and when they pleased in their
TOAR, or they could land right on top of the VC/NVA when it suited
them...when Charlie was taking a nap, when Charlie was taking a crap,
when Charlie was reading another Dear Gian letter...


8. 1965-1972. Supply flow to Viet Cong units in Phuoc Tuy province
came via the Ho Chi Minh Trail, Mekong Delta and ports in Cambodia.
This meant the goods had to pass through areas that were patrolled by
Americans and other Allied units, who often intercepted the supplies.
Captured documents revealed that, thanks to US forces, VC units in the
Phuoc Tuy province complained of shortages in food and other stocks.

More bull****... Fact.... The VC obtained all their food from within Phuoc
Tuy and Aust ops that denied them access to villages caused most of their
food shortages.


Now you're getting really desperate. Dream on!