Battle of FSB Mary Ann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Date	March 27-March 28, 1971
Location	Quang Tin Province
Result	• Viet Cong Victory • Closure of FSB Mary Ann

Combatants

United States

Viet Cong

Commanders

Lt. Col.William P. Doyle

Unknown battalion commander

Strength

252

Casualties

30 KIA,
82 wounded

15 found dead

Vietnam War
Ap Bac - Binh Gia – Buon Ma Thuot - Chenla I - Chenla II - Dong Xoai- Barrell Roll - Steel Tiger - Tiger Hound - Commando Hunt - Ho Chi Minh - Ia Drang – Lang Vei – Long Tan – Lima Site 85 – Ong Thanh- Hills 881 & 861 – Dak To – Khe Sanh - FSB Mary Ann - 1st Tet – 1st Saigon – 2nd Tet – Hamburger Hill – Ripcord – Cambodia – Operation Tailwind - Eastertide – Phuoc Long – Xuan Loc – Secret War - 2nd Saigon

The Battle of FSB Mary Ann was a battle fought on a remote hill in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam.

FSB Mary Ann was set up with the purpose of providing a shield for Da Nang and the surrounding hamlets, the base was also designed as an interception point against movements of enemy troops and materiel down the Dak Rose Trail. The base was manned by 231 American and 21 South Vietnamese soldiers.

On the night of March 27, 1971, 50 sappers of the Viet Cong 409th Battalion slipped through the wires of FSB Mary Ann and launched a deadly attack on the men of 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry, 196th Light Infantry Brigade.

The Viet Cong moved silently and slowly in small squads of three to six men, with mortar support they attacked U.S mortar and artillery positions at 0230 hours. Amidst all the explosions, American personnel were caught in the confusion as VC sappers expertly planting their charges throughout the firebase.

The Tactical Operations Center (TOC) was struck by 82mm mortar shells, it awakens Lt. Col.William P. Doyle who was knocked out several times by the explosions. Doyle then contacted Lieutenant Thomas Schmitz to informed him of the evacuation after Schmitz had ordered artillery strikes on FSB Mary Ann at 0251 hours.

Later, when Spilberg and Doyle had moved to the southern end of Mary Ann, another group of VC sappers appeared but withdrew as soon as a helicopter gunship arrived and opened fire. Survivors of the 1st Battalion were finally airlifted out when Lt. Col. Richard Martin, commander of the 3rd Battalion, arrived with the medevacs.

Due to the accuracy of the strikes conducted by the Viet Cong sappers, the South Vietnamese personnels at FSB Mary Ann were suspected of cooperating with the VC. The subsequent defeat result in the closure of FSB Mary Ann on April 24, 1971.