When did the siege of Khe Sanh take place?
January 21, 1968
Battle of Khe Sanh/Start dates
The Battle of Khe Sanh began on January 21, 1968, when forces from the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) carried out a massive artillery bombardment on the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh, located in South Vietnam near the border with Laos.
Where did the siege of Khe Sanh take place?
Khe Sanh
South Vietnam
Battle of Khe Sanh/Locations
What was the bloodiest Battle in the Vietnam War?
1968 Battle of Khe Sanh
The 1968 Battle of Khe Sanh was the longest, deadliest and most controversial of the Vietnam War, pitting the U.S. Marines and their allies against the North Vietnamese Army.
How many marines were killed at Khe Sanh?
155 Marines
155 Marines died and another 425 suffered wounds.” However, the Khe Sanh situation reports, as well as the 3d MarDiv Command Chronology for May 1967, record U.S. casualties from 24 April to 13 May as 168 killed in action (KIA), 436 wounded, and 2 missing; additionally, it reports enemy losses at 807 KIA (confirmed).
When did the Siege of Khe Sanh end?
The siege of Khe Sanh was broken by ground forces on 6 April. Americans destroyed the base complex of Khe Sanh and withdrew from the battle area in July 1968 (re-established in 1971). North Vietnamese Army gained control of the Khe Sanh region after the American withdrawal.
Where was Khe Sanh located in the Vietnam War?
The U.S. military presence at Khe Sanh began in 1962, when Army Special Forces built a small camp near the village, located some 14 miles south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Vietnam and 6 miles from the Laotian border on Route 9, the principal road from South Vietnam into Laos.
When did the PAVN attack Khe Sanh?
The attack finally came on January 21, 1968, when PAVN forces began a massive artillery bombardment of Khe Sanh, hitting the base’s main store of ammunition and destroying 90 percent of its artillery and mortar rounds.
Why was the Battle of Khe Sanh so volatile?
The fighting at Khe Sanh was so volatile that not even the Joint Chiefs or the MACV commanders were certain if the base could be held by the Marines. In the US, the media following the battle drew comparisons with the 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which proved disastrous for the French.
