100 men held off 2,500 on 18 August 1966 at the Battle of Long Tan. D Company 6 Battalion Royal Australian Regiment encountered 2,500 NVA Regulars preparing to assault the newly lodged 1 Australian Task Force, a Brigade Group at the 1st Australian Task Force Base at Nui Dat, Phuc Tuy Province.
D 6RAR caught the enemy on a flank as they were forming up for the assault in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan. In the hours that followed the Australians fought of successive waves of NVA furious at being discovered and fanatical in their response.
1st Australian Task Force equipped all its Artillery and with 155mm artillery under command more than 3,500 rounds were fired in support. Small arms ammunition was almost gone until two RAAF Hueys pilots disobeyed orders and made a suicidal flight to resupply D 6RAR. As last light fell APCs from A and C Co. crashed into the enemies flank countering a four wave enemy assault, with .30 and .50 Brownings blazing. God Bless Diggers!
2007-09-13
19:19:43
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