Battle of Hamburger Hill

For the 1987 film set during the battle, see Hamburger Hill.
Battle of Hamburger Hill
Part of the Vietnam War

US Army photographers climb Hill 937 at Dong Ap Bia after the battle, May 1969
Date13–20 May 1969
(1 week)
Location
A Sầu Valley, South Vietnam
16°15′11″N 107°10′29″E / 16.25306°N 107.17472°E / 16.25306; 107.17472 (Ap Bia A Shau Valley, South Vietnam)
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 United States
 South Vietnam		 North Vietnam North Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
United States MG Melvin Zais
Lt. Col. Weldon Honeycutt, Maj. John Collier		 North Vietnam Ma Vĩnh Lan
Units involved
United States 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
South Vietnam 3rd Regiment, 1st Infantry Division

29th Regiment

  • 7th Battalion
  • 8th Battalion
Strength
~1,800 infantry
Artillery and air-strike support		 2 battalions, ~800 infantry
Casualties and losses

United States 72 killed[1]
372 wounded[1]
7 missing[2]
South Vietnam 31 killed[citation needed]

PAVN Claim: 1,500 killed and wounded[3]		 US Claim: 630 killed (body count)
3 captured
89 individual and 22 crew-served weapons recovered[4][5]
Battle of Hamburger Hill is located in Vietnam
Battle of Hamburger Hill
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Location within Vietnam

The Battle of Hamburger Hill (13–20 May 1969) was fought by US Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces during Operation Apache Snow of the Vietnam War. Though the heavily-fortified Hill 937, a ridge of the mountain Dong Ap Bia in central Vietnam near its western border with Laos, had little strategic value, US command ordered its capture by a frontal assault, only to abandon it soon thereafter. The action caused a controversy among both the US armed services and the public back home, and marked a turning point in the U.S. involvement.[6]

The battle was primarily an infantry engagement, with the US troops moving up the steeply sloped hill against well-entrenched troops. Attacks were repeatedly repelled by the PAVN defenses. Bad weather also hindered operations. Nevertheless, the Airborne troops took the hill through direct assault with heavy use of artillery and airstrikes, causing extensive casualties to the PAVN forces.

  1. ^ a b Smedberg, M(2008) (2008). Vietnamkrigen: 1880-1980. Historiska Media. p. 211.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Battle of Dong Ap Bia - Hill 937 10-21 May 1969" (PDF). Headquarters 101st Airborne Division. 24 May 1969. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ "Người phụ nữ chỉ huy trận đánh trên 'Đồi thịt băm'". Báo điện tử Tiền Phong. 4 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Battle of Dong Ap Bia - Hill 937 10–21 May 1969" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Battles of the Vietnam War".
  6. ^ "Why the Battle for Hamburger Hill Was So Controversial". HISTORY. 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2024-05-30.