The 320th Division or Đồng Bằng Division (Vietnamese: ''Sư đoàn Đồng Bằng'', Delta Division) is a
formation
Formation may refer to:
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* Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...
and one of the six original "Steel and Iron Divisions" of the
People's Army of Vietnam
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...
(PAVN). It was established in January 1951.
First Indochina War
The Division was the target of
Operation Mouette
Operation Mouette was an operation in 1953 by the French Army in Northern Vietnam during the First Indochina War.Wiest, p. 43. It was launched on October 15 in an attempt to locate and destroy Viet-Minh Chu Luc troops operating under the comman ...
, launched on 15 October 1953, with the aim "to fix and destroy a major element of the Chu Luc before
Giáp could deploy it."
[ The route for the ]Viet Minh
The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Hồ Chí Minh on 19 May 1941. Also known as the Việt Minh Fro ...
between Thanh Hoa and the Red River Delta
The Red River Delta or Hong River Delta ( vi, Châu thổ sông Hồng) is the flat low-lying plain formed by the Red River and its distributaries merging with the Thái Bình River in northern Vietnam. ''Hồng'' (紅) is a Sino-Vietnamese wor ...
contained a crossroads at Lai Cac which was targeted by the operation. Seven Mobile Groups (''Groupes Mobiles'') were deployed with river and amphibious units; tank units (largely the M24 Chaffee); half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cro ...
s and paratroopers at designated landing sites, after counter-intelligence misled the Viet Minh into defending the wrong locations.[ GM 2 and GM 3 took Lai Cac and established a camp. The night of 18 October saw heavy counterattacks, which the French resisted. The 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade held out all night against one Viet Minh battalion. This initial action was followed by two weeks of probing by GM 4 and paratrooper units. These columns fought major engagements in the surrounding countryside against the Division, particularly on 2 November. The French withdrew overnight on 6–7 November.][ The French claimed over 1,000 Viet Minh killed and 2,500 wounded, while 182 were captured, along with "500 infantry weapons, plus 100 bazookas and recoilless guns and 3,000 mines."][ Windrow notes that this would amount to one third of the Division.
The Division's 48th Regiment was stationed at ]Điện Biên Phủ
Điện Biên Phủ (, meaning: ''Established Frontier Prefecture''), is a city in the northwestern region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Điện Biên Province. The city is best known for the decisive Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, which occu ...
when the French launched Operation Castor
Opération Castor was a French airborne operation in the First Indochina War. The operation established a fortified airhead in Điện Biên Province, in the north-west corner of Vietnam and was commanded by Brigadier General Jean Gilles. The ...
, however after some small skirmishes the Viet Minh abandoned the valley rather than engaging the French paratroops.[
In late December 1953 General Giáp ordered the Division to infiltrate into the Red River Delta and assist Viet Minh local regiments to increase the pressure on the French in this region while he concentrated his forces for the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.][ They were sent to disrupt the region between ]Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
and Haiphong
Haiphong ( vi, Hải Phòng, ), or Hải Phòng, is a major industrial city and the third-largest in Vietnam. Hai Phong is also the center of technology, economy, culture, medicine, education, science and trade in the Red River delta.
Haiphong wa ...
, behind the De Lattre Line
The De Lattre Line, named after General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations constructed by the French around the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam.
The French established the ...
. French forces from Cochinchina and Annam were sent northwards to interdict this.[ The French further claimed that they were put out of action for at least two months.][
]
Vietnam War
On 23 August 1965, the PAVN General Staff ordered the Division to split into 320A Division and 320B Division. This section details the history of the 320A Division.
On 1 November 1967, the Marines launched Operation Kentucky as part of the continuing operations to secure the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone
The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was a demilitarized zone established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam from July 1954 to 1976 as a result of the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975) it became important as t ...
(DMZ) around Con Thien
Con Thien (Vietnamese: Cồn Tiên, meaning the "Hill of Angels") was a military base that started out as a U.S. Army Special Forces camp before transitioning to a United States Marine Corps combat base. It was located near the Vietnamese Dem ...
. The operation concluded on 28 February 1969, the Division and 324th Division lost a total of 3,839 killed and 117 captured while the Marines lost 520 killed.
The Division played a supporting role in the Battle of Khe Sanh
The Battle of Khe Sanh (21 January – 9 July 1968) was conducted in the Khe Sanh area of northwestern Quảng Trị Province, Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), during the Vietnam War. The main US forces defending Khe Sanh Combat Base (KSCB) ...
, largely tasked with keeping Route 9 from Ca Lu to the Khe Sanh Combat Base
Khe Sanh Combat Base (also known as Ta Con) was a United States Marine Corps outpost south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) used during the Vietnam War.
History
US Army Special Forces (Detachment A-101, Company C, 5th Special Forces G ...
closed.[ On 24 January 1968 elements of the 320th ambushed a Marine convoy between ]Dong Ha
Dong or DONG may refer to:
Places
* Dong Lake, or East Lake, a lake in China
* Dong, Arunachal Pradesh, a village in India
* Dong (administrative division) (동 or 洞), a neighborhood division in Korea
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*Queen Dong (1623–1681), prince ...
and Camp Carroll and then ambushed the relief force from the 2nd Battalion 9th Marines killing nine Marines.[ The subsequent Marine clearing operation, including the "Battle of Mike's Hill", lasted until 29 January and resulted in 21 Marines killed and 130 PAVN killed and six captured.][
In early March 1968 following an action at Mai Xa Thi, prisoners revealed that the Division was moving into the Cửa Việt region to replace the 803rd Regiment which was moving further south into Thua Thien Province.][
On 29 April the Division attacked ]An Binh
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, north of Đông Hà
Đông Hà () is the capital of Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam. Đông Hà is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC). It lies on the North–South Railway (Reunificatio ...
, this drew two battalions of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; french: Armée de la république du Viêt Nam) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April ...
(ARVN) 2nd Regiment, 1st Division into a running battle and the 1st Battalion 9th Marines
The 1st Battalion 9th Marines (1/9) was an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-2000s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions ...
was sent into support the ARVN resulting in a 7 hour long battle that left 11 Marines, 17 ARVN and over 150 PAVN dead.[ The following day the ]3rd Battalion 9th Marines
The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines (3/9) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I it served until the early 1990s when it was redesignated as 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) during a realignment and renu ...
arrived to support the Marine/ARVN force and was ambushed north of Cam Vu, 20 Marines and 41 PAVN were killed.[ Also on 30 April, a PAVN unit opened fire on a ]United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Clearwater patrol from entrenched positions near Dai Do, 2.5 km northeast of Đông Hà. It was later discovered that four PAVN Battalions including the 48th and 56th from the Division had established themselves at Dai Do.[ The Battle of Dai Do lasted until 3 May and resulted in 81 Marines and over 600 PAVN killed.][ The Division engaged U.S. and ARVN forces elsewhere around Đông Hà from 4–6 April, on the evening of 6 April the 2nd Brigade 1st Cavalry Division was deployed into Tru Kinh and launched ]Operation Concordia Square
Operation Concordia Square was an operation conducted by the United States Army 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone in Quảng Trị Province. The operation ran from 8 to 17 May 1968.
Background
On the ...
. On 9 April the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment was ambushed by a division unit resulting in 16 U.S. dead for the loss of 80 PAVN. On 10 April a night attack north of Nhi Ha NHI may refer to:
* NHI Number, National Health Index (NHI) Number, a unique identifier used in the New Zealand health system
* National Health Insurance Scheme (disambiguation), National Health Insurance, or a specific national scheme:
**National H ...
was broken up by air, artillery and naval support, 159 PAVN were killed. After this the Division broke into small groups and was moving back towards the DMZ, from 9–17 May the 2nd Brigade reported killing 349 PAVN for the loss of 28 killed.[
While it seemed that the Division had abandoned their attempts to take Đông Hà this was just a temporary lull. On 22 May a unit from the Division ran into a company from 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines between Con Thien and Gio Linh and was caught in the open by Marine artillery and air support.][ East of Con Thien the ]1st Battalion 4th Marines
1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1/4) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 800 Marines and sailors. They fall under the command of the 1st M ...
encountered another PAVN unit setting off a two-day battle as the PAVN tried to escape back through the DMZ resulting in 23 Marines and 225 PAVN killed.[ On 25 May in actions at Dai Do and Nhi Ha 350 PAVN were killed.][ In two actions at Tru Kinh on 26 May over 56 PAVN were killed for the loss of 10 Marines, while the ARVN killed 110 PAVN north of Thuong Nghia.][ On 27 April the Marines killed 28 PAVN and by 30 May the Division was attempting to escape through the Marine and ARVN cordon. Total PAVN losses in the second Battle of Đông Hà were over 1,000 killed.][
On 12 August 1968, a deserter from the 64th Regiment revealed that the Division had once again crossed the DMZ and was moving to positions near Cam Lo. In response to this the 3rd Marines deployed north of the ]Cam Lo River
Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells. It is an intracellular target of the secondary messenger Ca2+, and the bind ...
on 13 August and engaged the 8th Battalion of the 64th Regiment, killing 43.[ The operation continued until 26 October resulting in over 1,500 PAVN killed for the loss of less than 200 Marines.][
In early 1970 the 320B Division was converted from a training division to a mobile division subordinate to the PAVN High Command.]
In 1971, the Division, together with the 304th and 308th Divisions formed part of the PAVN B-70 Corps based in southern Laos. The entire B-70 Corps opposed ARVN forces during Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719 or 9th Route – Southern Laos Campaign ( vi, Chiến dịch Lam Sơn 719 or Chiến dịch đường 9 – Nam Lào) was a limited-objective offensive campaign conducted in the southeastern portion of the Kingdom of Laos ...
. By 19 March the Division's 64th Regiment was operating east of Ban Dong/A Luoi () in an attempt to prevent ARVN withdrawal along Route 9.
During the Easter Offensive
The Easter Offensive, also known as the 1972 spring–summer offensive ('' vi, Chiến dịch Xuân–Hè 1972'') by North Vietnam, or the red fiery summer (') as romanticized in South Vietnamese literature, was a military campaign conducted b ...
of 1972 the Division was involved in the Battle of Kontum
The lead-up to the Battle of Kontum began in mid-1971, when North Vietnam decided that its victory in Operation Lam Son 719 indicated that the time had come for large-scale conventional offensives that could end the war quickly. The resulting offe ...
attacking the ARVN fire support bases between Dak To
DAK is the Deutsches Afrika Korps, a German World War II unit.
DAK, Dak, dak, or ''variation'', may also refer to:
Places
* Dak, Kerman, Kerman Province, Iran
* Dak, Sistan and Baluchestan, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
* Dakhla Oasis Ai ...
and Kontum
Kon Tum is the capital city of Kon Tum Province in Vietnam. It is located inland in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, near the borders of Laos and Cambodia.
History
After the People's Army of Vietnam invaded South Vietnam on March 30, 1 ...
.[
On 20 January 1973 during the ]War of the flags
The War of the flags (also known as Landgrab '73) was a phase of fighting throughout South Vietnam lasting from 23 January to 3 February 1973 as the forces of North and South Vietnam each sought to maximize the territory under their control before ...
period before the Paris Peace Accords came into effect on 28 January 1973, the Division attacked Đức Cơ Camp and by the next day seized the camp.[
During the ]Battle of Ban Me Thuot
The Battle of Ban Me Thuot was a decisive battle of the Vietnam War which led to the complete destruction of South Vietnam's II Corps Tactical Zone. The battle was part of a larger North Vietnamese military operation known as Campaign 275 to c ...
on 8 March 1975 the Division captured Chư Sê and Thuan Man northeast of Ban Me Thuot
Ban, or BAN, may refer to:
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* Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item
** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...
cutting Highway 14.[ On the night of 16 March the Division was ordered to pursue the ARVN and civilians from the Central Highlands who were withdrawing down Highway 7 towards the coast and by the next day the Division's 64th Regiment had cut Highway 7 at Cheo Reo, blocking the retreat in what became known as the "Highway of Tears".][
On 29 March 1975 the PAVN formed 3rd Corps comprising the 10th, 316th and 320th Divisions, the 675th Artillery Regiment, the 312th Anti-aircraft Regiment, 198th Sapper Regiment, 273rd Tank Regiment, 545th Engineer Regiment and the 29th Signal Regiment under the command of Major General Vũ Lăng. The Division then proceeded down Highway 7 into Phú Yên Province, capturing ]Tuy Hòa
Tuy Hòa () is the capital city of Phú Yên Province in south-central Vietnam. The city has a total area of and a population of 202,030 (in 2012). The city is located approximately midway between Nha Trang and Qui Nhơn. The city is formulate ...
on 1 April.[ The Division then went back up Highway 7 and then down Highway 14.][ The Division then attacked the ARVN 25th Division base at Dong Du northwest of ]Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
.[
As part of the 3rd Corps, the Division participated in the ]Cambodian–Vietnamese War
The Cambodian–Vietnamese War ( km, សង្គ្រាមកម្ពុជា-វៀតណាម, vi, Chiến tranh Campuchia–Việt Nam), known in Vietnam as the Counter-offensive on the Southwestern border ( vi, Chiến dịch Phản ...
.
Present Day
Today it remains part of PAVN 3rd Corps.
References
{{reflist
Divisions of the People's Army of Vietnam
Military units and formations established in 1951
1951 establishments in Vietnam