Tây Ninh Combat Base

Tây Ninh West Airfield
Tây Ninh West Airfield
	IATA: none; ICAO: none;
Summary
Elevation AMSL	300 ft / 91 m
Runways

Tây Ninh Combat Base
Tây Ninh Combat Base
	Tay Ninh Combat Base in 1966, showing the Philippine Civil Action Group cantonment north of the runway and that of the 196th Infantry Brigade south of the runway
Coordinates	11.325°N 106.05°E
Type	Army
Site information
Controlled by	People's Army of Vietnam
Site history
Built	1966
In use	1966–present
Battles/wars	; Vietnam War
Garrison information
Occupants	196th Light Infantry Brigade; 25th Infantry Division; 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry

Tây Ninh Combat Base (also known as Tây Ninh Base Camp and Tây Ninh West) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and current People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) base west of Tây Ninh in southern Vietnam.

History

1966–1970

A scout platoon of M113s from the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor enters the base, 9 August 1970

Tây Ninh Combat Base was established approximately 5 km west of the city of Tây Ninh and 12 km from the Vietnam-Cambodia border.[1]

Tây Ninh served as the base for the 196th Light Infantry Brigade from April 1966 until August 1967.[2]

Other units stationed at Tây Ninh included:

7th Battalion, 9th Artillery (August 1969 – April 1970)[2]^: 98
2nd Battalion, 32nd Artillery (April 1967 – October 1969)[2]^: 103
3rd Battalion, 82nd Artillery (August 1966 – February 1969)[2]^: 107
1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (March–May 1968, July 1968 – April 1970) comprising:
- 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 138
- 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 140
- 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 140
2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (April 1968, July 1968 – April 1970) comprising:
- 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 140
- 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 140
- 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 146
3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (August 1967 – February 1968, February–April 1970) comprising:
- 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 141
- 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment[2]^: 145
- 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment[2]^: 145
- 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 148
- 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment[2]^: 148
1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry (November 1968 – May 1970) comprising:
- 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry[2]^: 126
- 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry[2]^: 126
- 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry[2]^: 127
- 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry[2]^: 128
- 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry[2]^: 128
- 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry[2]^: 131
- 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry[2]^: 132
187th Assault Helicopter Company[2]^: 122
1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry[3]
- Alpha Troop
229th Aviation Battalion
588th Engineer Battalion (April 1967 – May 1970)[2]^: 174
45th Surgical Hospital (October 1966 – October 1970)[2]^: 215

The US Air Force 619th Tactical Control Squadron Detachment 7 provided air traffic control from August 1965 until May 1968.

On 21 June 1969 after two days of shelling, the PAVN attacked the base and Tây Ninh City but were repulsed, suffering 194 dead for the loss of 10 Americans.[4]

In April 1970 the base was used as a staging area for U.S. units participating in the Cambodian Campaign for attacks west into the Parrot's Beak and north into the Fish Hook.

1970–1975

The base was handed over to the ARVN in September 1970 and was used by the ARVN 25th Division.[1]

On the night of 21 March 1972 PAVN/VC sappers attacked the base killing 13 ARVN, while 16 of the attackers were killed.[5]

Current use

The base remains in use by the PAVN as part of the 7th Military Region.

The airfield is no longer in use but remains clearly visible on satellite images.

References

Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 498. ISBN 978-1555716257.
Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 136. ISBN 9780811700719.
Zahn, R (2003). Snake Pilot. Brassey's Inc. p. 54. ISBN 1-57488-565-0.
"Communists storm U.S. base near Tay Ninh". History Channel. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
"Vietnam base attacked". The New York Times. 22 March 1972. p. 4.

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[Kelley-1] Kelley, Michael (2002). Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. p. 498. ISBN 978-1555716257.

[Stanton-2] Stanton, Shelby (2003). Vietnam Order of Battle. Stackpole Books. p. 136. ISBN 9780811700719.

[3] Zahn, R (2003). Snake Pilot. Brassey's Inc. p. 54. ISBN 1-57488-565-0.

[4] "Communists storm U.S. base near Tay Ninh". History Channel. Retrieved 2 November 2014.

[5] "Vietnam base attacked". The New York Times. 22 March 1972. p. 4.