Operation Finney Hill

Operation Finney Hill
	Part of the Vietnam War
Date	10 March - 1 July 1971
Location	Quảng Ngãi Province, South Vietnam
Result	US operational success
Belligerents
United States	North Vietnam; Viet Cong
Units involved
198th Light Infantry Brigade; 11th Infantry Brigade	2nd Division
Casualties and losses
32 killed	US body count: 454 killed; 8 captured

Operation Finney Hill was a security operation during the Vietnam War conducted by the 198th Light Infantry Brigade and later the 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division in Quảng Ngãi Province from 10 March to 1 July 1971.

Background

The operation’s objective was to ensure the security of lines of communication and pacification operations in the coastal area of Quảng Ngãi Province.[1]^: 34

Operation

On 4 March Company D, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry Regiment engaged a People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) squad killing 4 and capturing 2 weapons. On 6 March Company C, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment detonated a booby-trap killing 2 US soldiers. On 8 March Troop B, 123rd Aviation Company killed 5 Vietcong (VC). On 11 March Company B, 26th Engineers detonated a mine killing 2 US. On 20 March Company C, 1/52nd killed 12 PAVN and captured 2 weapons. On 24 March Company C, 1/52nd engaged a VC squad killing 5. On 28 March Company C, 1/52nd killed 3 PAVN and found a further 12 dead killed by airstrikes.[1]^: 34–5

On 2 April Company D, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment received mortar and small arms fire killing 1 US. On 3 April Company D, 1/52nd killed 3 PAVN. On 7 April Company D, 1/52nd received small arms and B-40 fire and killed 6 PAVN. On 11 April a UH-1H on a resupply mission to Company A, 1/20th was hit by ground fire and exploded killing 6 US. An attack on Company A, 1/20th resulted in 2 PAVN killed and 1 captured while US losses were 5 killed. On 11 April the 11th Infantry Brigade assumed control of the operation. On 23 April a booby-trap killed 7 soldiers of Company C, 4th Battalion , 21st Infantry Regiment. On 29 April Company D, 3/1st found a weapons cache containing 100 individual and 27 crew-served weapons. On 30 April Company D, 1/20th killed 4 VC. The cumulative totals for the operation to the end of April were 31 US killed and 327 PAVN/VC killed and 5 captured.[1]^: 34–5

On 8 May gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 6 PAVN. On 12 May Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 2 PAVN and captured 5 weapons. On 16 May Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 4 PAVN and captured 3 suspects. On 17 May Recon Company, 1/20th killed 2 VC and captured 1 weapon. On 18 May gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 4 PAVN. On 19 May gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 5 VC. On 20 May Company B, 1/20th killed 1 PAVN. On 21 May gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 1 VC. On 22 May gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 1 PAVN, Company B, 1/20th triggered a mechanical ambush killing 2 PAVN and capturing 2 weapons and troop D, 1/1st Cavalry killed 1 VC. On 23 May Company C, 3/1st found 1 dead PAVN. On 25 May Company C, 1/20th engaged 4 VC capturing 1 weapon. On 27 May a Company B, 1/20th mechanical ambush killed 2 PAVN and 2 weapons were captured. On 28 May Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 4 PAVN/VC and 174th Assault killed 13 VC. On 29 may Troop B, 123rd Aviation’s aero-rifle platoon killed 2 VC and captured 1 weapon. On 30 May Troop B, 12rd Aviation gunships killed 1 PAVN. On 31 May Company B, 4/21st found 1 dead PAVN.[2]^: 27

On 1 June a Troop H, 17th Cavalry mechanical ambush killed 1 VC. On 3 June Company C, 1/20th engaged 18 VC, killing 1 and capturing 1 weapon. On 18 June a Company D, 3/1st mechanical ambush killed 3 PAVN and 3 weapons were captured. On 19 June Troop B, 123rd Aviation gunships killed 14 PAVN/VC and snipers of 3/1st killed 2 VC. On 22 June gunships from Troop B, 123rd Aviation killed 7 VC. On 23 June Troop E, 1st cavalry killed 2 VC, captured 2 weapons and 7 suspects. On 25 June Recon Company, 1/20th killed 2 PAVN. On 30 June a Troop E, 1st Cavalry mechanical ambush killed 1 VC. On 31 June Troop H, 17th cavalry detonated a mine killing 1 US.[2]^: 28–9

Aftermath

The operation ended on 1 July 1971. US losses were 32 killed, PAVN/VC losses were 454 killed, 8 captured and 241 individual and 33 crew-served weapons captured.[2]^: 29

References

"Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. Retrieved 25 July 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 15 October 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 1 November 1971. Retrieved 25 July 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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[ORLLAPR71-1] "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 30 April 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 15 May 1971. Retrieved 25 July 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[ORLLNOV71-2] "Operational Report - Lessons Learned, 23rd Infantry Division, (Americal), Period ending 15 October 1971" (PDF). Department of the Army. 1 November 1971. Retrieved 25 July 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.