3rd Battalion
Royal Australian Regiment

TET Attacks in Phuoc Tuy Province: February 1968

1 February. While the bulk of 1ATF was on Operation Coburg, 3RAR was left at Nui Dat to defend the base and to continue its work-up training though C Company had deployed to Operation Coburg to protect FSB Harrison.

At dawn on 1 February the enemy commenced its nationwide TET Offensive including in Phuoc Tuy Province with D445 VC Battalion attacking the Provincial Capital, Baria.

At the time, A Company 3RAR (Maj BW Howard)was the 1 ATF Ready Reaction Company though one of its platoons had already been deployed to the west of Nui Dat to check on suspected enemy movement.

 At about 8 am on the 1 February, A Company with 3 Troop A Squadron 3 Cav (2Lt RLM Tingley) were directed to deploy to the US Sector Headquarters in Baria and to drive an estimated VC company out of the town.



Minor contact was made with the enemy on the way to Sector HQ and on arrival the company split with Coy HQ and 2 Platoon (2Lt PH Fraser) fighting their way to US and Australian Advisers area near the Provincial Reconnaissance Unit’s (PRU) building (1); 3 Platoon (Lt HJ Clarsen) deployed to the ammunition store at the Administrative and Logistics (A&L) Compound (2) but less two sections which had inadvertently moved with the Coy HQ group!

In fierce street and house-to-house fighting, 2 Platoon achieved its objective killing a number of VC and having two of its own men wounded. Meanwhile, the under strength 3 Platoon less the APCs which had returned to the US Sector Headquarters now found itself dealing with a number of enemy who had occupied towers in the A&L compound. They were successful in doing this but with a two men wounded who were evacuated by a US Dustoff helicopter during the fighting. Airstrikes were used to successfully dislodge the enemy in the compound and also to dispose of a company size enemy group which had formed up to assault the compound from a creek line, a hundred metres to the northwest (3).

It was now clear the enemy strength had been seriously underestimated as at least three company size groups had been engaged. After responding to a potential further threat at the town picture theatre (4) 2 Platoon was reacted to the CIA House some 200 metres west of the earlier fighting (5) to rescue the CIA operative. The Platoon, less one section deployed in two APCs and as the Troop Commander’s vehicle entered the house compound the other was hit by an RPG wounding both crew. The Troop Commander with the CIA operative and the AATTV Adviser (WO2 A Parrello) on board moved to the stricken APC to retrieve the wounded and as it did so it was hit by an RPG killing the CIA operative and mortally wounding Parrello. The APC crew then moved under covering fire from 2 Platoon to the CIA house which was secured by 2 Platoon but was under heavy enemy fire. Meanwhile the company medic (Cpl JJ Davis) had on several occasions tended the wounded while under fire including  the dying Parrello.

An attempt to extricate 2 Platoon was done by an ARVN Ranger Company but it bogged down suffering a number of casualties. A Company now called for a Light Fire Team and moved 3 Platoon to cover 2 Platoon’s withdrawal which was successfully achieved. The company then occupied a night position near the Song Dinh Bridge (6) but was very low on ammunition having expended about two first lines during the day (including one carried by the APC Troop). That night two seriously wounded men needed evacuation, however the area was too small for an Iroquois to land and it couldn’t hover because of enemy small arms fire. An Army Sioux Helicopter (Capt JL Coggan) came to the company’s aid and under fire, evacuated the men.
During the night the enemy withdrew having suffered hundreds of casualties from the aggressive fire and movement tactics by A Company and the APC Troop.

Next day an exhausted company returned to Nui Dat knowing it had done a very good job in unfamiliar tactical circumstances for which it had received no prior training, ie urban warfare. It was also established later that the whole of D445 VC Battalion reinforced by local guerrilla units had been A Company’s opponents during the 24 hours of battle.

3 February  D Company 3RAR (Maj PR Phillips) was tasked to support an ARVN battalion to clear Long Dien which had occupied the town for three days, was at least of platoon strength and was unable to be dislodged by the ARVN battalion. After deploying by APC and harbouring northwest of the town, the company moved at first light on 4 February to clear the market place. After having done so the company was fired at by a group of VC which were cleared by 12 Platoon (2Lt NB Peatling) which in turn was engaged from a house by enemy machine gun fire (1).

 11 Platoon (less one section) (Lt MR John) was tasked to clear the house and came under fire first from an estimated VC squad which it sent packing with several dead and wounded and then, after returning with the third section, was fired at by nearby ARVN troops. The Platoon withdrew to the company position but returned late afternoon when it was engaged by snipers mortally wounding one soldier (Pte RJ Caston).



After clearing the town and doing a cordon and search of a nearby hamlet, D Company returned to Nui Dat by foot on 6 February.

7 February. B Company 3RAR (Maj HW Irwin) was tasked to secure the approaches to Baria on the west of the Song Dinh and on 8 February to support ARVN forces in clearing an enemy platoon from Long Dien. After securing the bridge over the Song Dinh, B Company moved by ARVN transport on 8 February to Long Dien and by late morning had deployed to the south west of the town.

Later that day, B Company was requested to search for a missing ARVN Battalion Commander and his US Army Adviser. At 6.30 pm 5 Platoon (2Lt LA Taylor) made heavy contact with a VC platoon located in and around brick houses (2). During a fierce exchange the platoon suffered two dead (the Platoon Commander and the Platoon Signaler, Pte GR Godden) and 5 wounded, one of whom later died (Pte GF Mathews). Some 15 of the enemy were killed and one captured before the remainder of B Company arrived to assist.

The company returned to Baria that night in ARVN transport arriving about midnight and returned to Nui Dat by APC on 9 February.