3rd Division (Vietnam)

The 3rd Infantry Division also known as the Yellow Star Division is a division of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), first formed from Viet Cong (VC) and PAVN units in September 1965. The first commanding officer and political officer of division were Colonel Giáp Văn Cương and Colonel Đặng Hòa respectively.[4]:chapter 3

3rd Infantry Division
Active1965-present
Allegiance Vietnam
BranchPeople's Army of Vietnam
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
Garrison/HQBình Định Province (September 1965 - July 1976)
Hà Bắc Province (July 1976 - July 1978)
Lạng Sơn Province (since July 1978)
Nickname(s)Yellow Star Division
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Giáp Văn Cương
Võ Thứ

In Vietnam War

The Division was formed in September 1965 from the VC 2nd (An Lão) Regiment which had been active in Bình Định Province since 1962 and the newly arrived PAVN 12th and 22nd Regiments.[5][6][7]: 156  (the 12th Regiment was derived from the 18 Regiment of the 325th Division)[8]

On 18 September 1965 during the opening stage of Operation Gibraltar, elements of the US 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment and an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Ranger company were landed in the training base of the Division's 95th Battalion. During the ensuing battle, U.S. claimed 226-257 PAVN soldiers were killed.[9]: 42–3 

The Division was the target of Operation Masher from 24 January to 6 March 1966.[5][9]: 201  The PAVN claim that the Division's 407th Sapper Battalion attacked Camp Radcliff "eliminating 520 enemy troops and destroying 97 aircraft" while the Division artillery shelled a headquarters in Bồng Sơn "killing many enemy soldiers and destroying 10 aircraft."[7]: 178–9 

The Division's 22nd Regiment was the target of Operation Davy Crockett from 1 to 16 May 1966, U.S. claimed 345 PAVN soldiers were killed.[9]: 215–9 

The Division's 2nd Regiment was the target of Operation Crazy Horse from 16 May to 5 June 1966, U.S. claimed 478 PAVN soldiers were killed.[9]: 219–30 

The Division and local VC units in Bình Định Province were the target of Operation Thayer from 13 September 1966 to 12 February 1967, with a US body count of 2,669 killed.[9]: 256 [10]: 85–92 

By April 1967 US intelligence assessed the Division as being combat ineffective with prisoners reporting low morale, lack of food and medical supplies and lack of confidence in their leadership. The Division retreated from Bình Định Province and its commander, Col Le Truc was replaced by Col Võ Thứ.[10]: 191 : 315  [note 4]

The Division was the target of Operation Pershing from September 1967 to January 1968.[10]: 183–9 [6]: 197  From 6–11 December 1967 the Division's 22nd Regiment was defeated in the Battle of Tam Quan, U.S. claimed 650 PAVN soldiers were killed and 31 captured.[11][6]: 198–202 

On 23 January 1968 as the 2nd Regiment moved into a staging area several kilometers east of Phù Mỹ District in preparation for its Tet Offensive attacks, it was engaged by 2 Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) mechanized companies, losing 142 soldiers from the regiment's 95th and 97th Battalions. The 2nd Regiment attacked Phù Mỹ on the night of 30/1 January but were driven back and then both the 2nd and 22nd Regiments attempted further attacks before withdrawing on 6 February after losing a further 200 killed. In an attack on An Nhơn District on 6 February, the 8th Battalion, 18th Regiment was repulsed losing 41 killed.[6]: 294 

From 1–30 March 1968 the Division was the target of Operation Patrick.[6]: 473 

In the Battle of An Bao from 5–6 May 1968 the Division's 2nd and 22nd Regiments ambushed the US 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), losing 117 killed.[6]: 547–55 

In June 1968, the 2nd and 22nd Regiments of the Division moved north into Quảng Ngãi Province to participate the Phase III Offensive (PAVN code name in Vietnamese "Chiến dịch X2") under the command of Colonel Lư Giang, the 12th Regiment still stayed in southern Bình Định Province.[4]:chapter 5 [6]: 614  [12]

During the Phase III Offensive the Division's 1st Regiment was sent to attack Quảng Ngãi, but were intercepted by US forces and after 4 days of fighting the 1st Regiment withdrew west to its mountain bases leaving 567 dead (U.S body count).[6]: 657–8  The PAVN claim that the Division's 2nd and 22nd Regiments "eliminating 2546 enemy troops".[4]:chapter 5 (the 22nd Regiment used to be the 1st Regiment of the 3rd Military Region)[13]

In February 1970, due to lack of logistics, the 22nd Regiment was dispersed to merge with other units of the 5th Military Region.[13]

In early 1972 the Division comprised the 2nd, 12th and 21st Regiments.[7]: 287  On 18 April 1972 during the Easter Offensive the Division's 2nd and 21st Regiments attacked the ARVN 40th Regiment, 22nd Division and captured Hoài Ân District and Hoài Nhơn and later engaged the ARVN 41st Regiment, 2nd Division.[7]: 297–8 

During the War of the flags in January/February 1973, two battalions of the Division's 12th Regiment supported the 2nd Division capture of Sa Huỳnh Base, while the rest of the Division attacked government outposts and attempted to prevent the deployment of the ARVN 22nd Division. By the end of the first week of February, the ARVN had reverted all PAVN gains.[14]

During the 1975 Spring Offensive the Division was tasked with cutting Route 19 east of the An Khê Pass to isolate the Central Highlands.[15] After the fall of Ban Me Thuot the Division was ordered on 26 March to move east to the coast to attack the ARVN 22nd Division, however this attack was repulsed by the 42nd Regiment, 22nd Division. The Division then moved units around the 41st and 42nd Regiments by 31 March and the ARVN units disintegrated.[15]: 341–2  On 4 April the Division joined the Coastal Column comprising the Division, 5th Armored Battalion and 2nd Corps which was tasked with moving down Highway 1 to overrun South Vietnamese positions and clear this logistics route.[15]: 368–9  By 14 April the Division was engaging ARVN units defending the approaches to Phan Rang and by 16 April they had captured the city and its air base.[15]: 411–22  On 26 April the Division split from the Coastal Column under the command of Colonel Trần Bá Khuê and attacked towards Vũng Tàu, with the 12th Regiment attacking south along Route 2, while the 141st Regiment supported by tanks attacked Bà Rịa.[15]: 475  The initial assault on Bà Rịa was repulsed by ARVN Airborne when the tanks attacked without infantry support, however by 27 April the Division had captured Bà Rịa, and the Airborne retreated across the Cỏ May bridge to the south then broke the bridge. The Division resumed its assault at midnight on 28 April but was held up by a strong defense by the Airborne at the south end of the Cỏ May bridge. The Division's 12th Regiment was then landed by fishing boats behind the Airborne lines and this, together with a renewed attack by the 2nd Regiment, forced the Airborne to retreat into Vũng Tàu. At 01:30 on 30 April the Division began its attack on Vũng Tàu forcing the Airborne into the city center where they eventually succumbed at 11:00.[4]:chapter 6 [15]: 476  [16]

After Reunification Day

In June 1976, the General Staff decided to send the 3rd Division from the 5th Military Region to the north, to perform the permanent mobile duty of the 3rd Military Region and the Ministry of Defence. Two years later, the division was transferred to the 1st Military Region to perform defensive duties in the southeast of Lạng Sơn province, an important area of the Region[4]:chapter 9

The Division led the defense of Lạng Sơn in the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War.[17]

Notes
  1. the 22nd Regiment joined in Sep 1965, was dispersed in Feb 1970 due to lack of logistics
  2. the 21st Regiment joined in Jun 1971, was separated in Jun 1973 to form the 52nd Brigade
  3. the 141st Regiment was transferred from the 2nd Division in Jun 1973 to replace 21st Regiment
  4. There is no information about "Colonel Le Truc" in PAVN documents. "Chi đội Lê Trực" used to be alias of the 12th Regiment in the First Indochina War

References
  1. "Message for teammates". nhantimdongdoi.org on webarchive. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  2. "Uphold the heroic tradition, build a entirely strong Yellow Star Division". baoquankhu1.vn. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  3. "Northern border 1979". vnfonet.vietnamnet.vn. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  4. "History of the Yellow Star Division". kilopad.com/Tieu-su-Hoi-ky-c12. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  5. Tucker, Spencer (2011). The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, 2nd Edition. ABC-CLIO. p. 709. ISBN 9781851099610.
  6. Villard, Erik (2017). United States Army in Vietnam Combat Operations Staying the Course October 1967 to September 1968. Center of Military History United States Army. p. 191. ISBN 9780160942808.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. Military History Institute of Vietnam (2002). Victory in Vietnam: A History of the People's Army of Vietnam, 1954–1975. trans. Pribbenow, Merle. University of Kansas Press. ISBN 0-7006-1175-4.
  8. "The 18th Regiment - improve training quality, ready for fighting". tapchiqptd.vn. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  9. Carland, John M. (2000). Combat Operations Stemming the Tide, May 1965 to October 1966 United States Army in Vietnam. Center of Military History, United States Army. ISBN 9781519302137.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. MacGarrigle, George (1998). Combat Operations: Taking the Offensive, October 1966 to October 1967. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160495403.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. "Combat after action report - Battle of Tam Quan" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. 30 December 1967. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. "Campaign X1, X2 in Quảng Đà front". baodanang.vn. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  13. "The 22nd Regiment was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces". dangcongsan.vn. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  14. Le Gro, William (1985). Vietnam from ceasefire to capitulation (PDF). US Army Center of Military History. pp. 23–4. ISBN 9781410225429.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  15. Veith, George (2012). Black April The Fall of South Vietnam 1973-75. Encounter Books. p. 132. ISBN 9781594035722.
  16. "The 3rd - Yellow Star - Division in the Historic April". baokhanhhoa.vn. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  17. O'Dowd, Edward (2007). Chinese Military Strategy in the Third Indochina War: The Last Maoist War. Routledge. p. 108. ISBN 978-0203088968.
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