via Grunt Style
OK, everyone. Take a knee and listen up. We have the second episode of Grunt Style’s Violent But True Kill Count Battlefield video series.
Today’s history lesson from our friends at Grunt Style? The Vietnam War Battle of Ia Drang.
The Battle of Ia Drang was a complex and gruesome battle. This was the first major battle of the Vietnam War between the American forces and the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong.
One of the most horrific aspects of the battle was the extensive use of napalm. Napalm, if you didn’t know, is a highly flammable substance that creates a hellish firestorm when it comes in contact with everything – even freaking rocks and especially human flesh. It’s effects on soldiers who witnessed it were traumatic and long lasting. The point is, seeing a man burning alive is intense.
Now imagine a platoon sized element of screaming gentlemen. This firepower was not always accurate, and there were tragic incidents of friendly fire incidents in which American soldiers were killed or injured by their own bombs or shells. These incidents were a sobering reminder of the chaos and confusion of warfare, and how one mistake is all it takes to negatively alter an entire day.
The communist forces were also forced to resort to human wave tactics to overwhelm the American firepower. This meant sending wave after wave of soldiers into the fray, regardless of the cost of human lives.
American soldiers were shocked by the sheer number of enemy soldiers they faced. You’ve got to remember these soldiers were Air Cav. The only way they got reinforced or supplied was by the air. So their numbers slowly trickled in while the enemy was on site and ready for the fight from the get go.
The sounds of gunfire, explosions, and screams echoed through the jungle, creating a chaotic scene of horror. The ferocity of the enemy soldiers shocked the American soldiers, and they quickly realized this war is not going to be an easy one. Similarly, the communist forces also recognized that their American adversaries were not going to give up easily. The American firepower was terrifying, and the Americans themselves weren’t going to be pushovers in this new conflict zone.
Despite the horrors of the Battle of Ia Drang, it was a turning point in American history. The lessons learned in this battle would inform the American military strategy for the rest of the Vietnam War. It would also shape the way American soldiers thought about warfare in the years to go.
Total Battle of Ia Drang kill count: 237 American Air Cav KIA and an estimated 1000 – 2000 North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong KIA. It’s a wide estimate, because no one can really be sure after the carnage.
Remember, this battle was the first real test of the Air Cav doctrine, mixed with superior firepower, with a notable and gnarly amount of napalm used to level the playing field between the inferior numbers of Air Cav and overwhelming PVN troops on the ground.
It was a gruesome and horrible battle and you’ll want to know more. So head to GruntStyle.com or American Grit and look up the historical battlefields page for more.