Operation Cocoa Beach
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Operation Cocoa Beach was a US Army operation that took place along
Highway 13 The following roads may be referred to as Route 13 or Highway 13. For a list of roads named A13, see List of A13 roads. International * Asian Highway 13 * European route E13 * European route E013 Afghanistan *The Kabul–Behsud Highway - N ...
near
Lai Khê Lai Khê (Lai Khê hamlet, Lai Hưng commune, Bến Cát, Bình Dương Province) (also known as Lai Khê Base) was a former Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. Army base, located along Highway 13 to the northwest of Saigon and abou ...
, lasting from 3 to 8 March 1966.


Prelude

After unsuccessful attempts to lure large enemy units into combat in
Operation Crimp Operation Crimp (8–14 January 1966), also known as the Battle of the Ho Bo Woods, was a joint US-Australian military operation during the Vietnam War, which took place north of Cu Chi in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam. The operation tar ...
(8–14 January 1966) and
Operation Mastiff Operation Mastiff was an operation conducted by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division in the Dầu Tiếng District, lasting from 21 to 25 February 1966. Prelude U.S. intelligence reports indicated that the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 9th Divis ...
(21–27 February 1966), Colonel William Brodbeck, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division decided to reduce the size of units sent into the field in order to invite enemy attack. The plan called for a series of battalion sized operations around Bau Bang west of Highway 13, north of Lai Khê, where the Viet Cong 272nd Regiment of the 9th Division was believed to be operating.


Operation

On 3 March the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment marched into the Lo Ke Rubber Plantation west of Bau Bang and established a patrol base. On 4 March patrols discovered trenches that could be used as jumping off positions for an attack on the patrol base. In the early morning of 5 March a patrol led by 2Lt
Robert John Hibbs Robert John Hibbs (April 21, 1943 – March 5, 1966) was a United States Army officer who graduated from thUniversity of Northern Iowaand was a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in t ...
detected movement north of the base. At dawn they observed a supply column of children and armed women to the northeast of the base which met up with a company of Viet Cong coming from the north. The Viet Cong and some of the supply column moved south towards the patrol which then triggered two
Claymore mines The Claymore mine is a directional anti-personnel mine developed for the United States Armed Forces. Its inventor, Norman MacLeod, named the mine after a large medieval Scottish sword. Unlike a conventional land mine, the Claymore is command-de ...
and began engaging the Viet Cong. The patrol then disengaged and moved back to the base, fighting through another enemy unit 100m from the base perimeter. 2Lt Hibbs and his sergeant stopped to help a wounded man, but were hit by Viet Cong machine-gun fire, 2Lt Hibbs then attacked the machine-gun position and was mortally wounded. The Viet Cong then launched an attack on the northern perimeter of patrol base but were repulsed and then started attacking from multiple directions. Airstrikes were called in and by mid-morning the Viet Cong withdrew. At 10:50 the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment was deployed by helicopter to a landing zone 2 kilometres northeast of the patrol base in an attempt to block the retreating attackers. The Battalion moved southwest towards the patrol base engaging a small Viet Cong unit and reached the patrol base at 14:30. On 6 March the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment was also deployed into the area and the 3 Battalions swept the area finding only Viet Cong dead and equipment. The operation concluded on 8 March 1966.


Aftermath

Operation Cocoa Beach was a US tactical success. Total US casualties were 15 killed, while US claimed the Viet Cong losses were 199 killed (body count). 2Lt Hibbs was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 24 February 1967.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cocoa Beach, Operation Conflicts in 1966 1966 in Vietnam Battles involving the United States Battles involving Vietnam Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1966 History of Bình Dương province