ops
OPERATIONS AND DATES.
Adapted from Lex McAuley's great book, 'Contact--Australians in Vietnam", ISBN 0 09 169490 6
The number of operations conducted by the Australian Army in Vietnam is impressive, and the following list should give an idea of the amount of time spent in the field by the members of infantry, artillery, engineer and armoured units during a tour of duty in South Vietnam. It must also be borne in mind that these units were supported by the wide range of logistic, maintenance and other minor units, the motto of one being "You serve by fighting; we fight by serving".
During much of the time in the field, the soldier was under the pressure of exposure, possibly at any moment, to the enemy. In addition, on return to Nui Dat, a patrolling and ambushing programme was maintained. Modern communications, technology and machinery make the soldier far more available than was the case in the past. It is hoped that from the following list of battalions. operations and dates, some idea can be gained of the amount of time spent in the field by members of infantry battalions and their associated artillery, armour and engineer units.
As an example of the supporting arms, 3 Troop C Squadron 1 Armoured Regiment spent 274 days in the field, and travelled 2,900 kilometres during its tour in South Vietnam, 1968.
1RAR 1965-66
Operation Date
- 1/65 'Anderson's Approach ...............................................................25-26 June 1965
- 2/65 ...............................................................28-30 June 1965
- 3/65 ...............................................................6-9 Julv 1965
- 4/65 (TAOR Sweep) ............................................................... 17 July 1965
- 5/65 ...............................................................21 July 1965
- 6/65 (War Zone D) ...............................................................7-11 August 1965
- 7/65 ...............................................................18 August 1965
- 8/65 cancelled
- 9/65 ...............................................................27 August 1965
- 10/65 ...............................................................3 September 1965
- 11/65 (Ben Cat) ...............................................................14-27 September 1965
- 12/65 (Iron Triangle) ...............................................................8-14 October 1965
- 13/65 (Dong Nai river bend) ............................................23-26 October 1965
- 14/65 'Hump' ...............................................................5-9 November 1965
- 15/65 postponed
- 16/65 New Life ...............................................................21 November-16 December
- 17/65 Smash 1 ...............................................................17-21 December
- 18/65 Marauder ...............................................................1-7 January 1966
- 1/66 Crimp ...............................................................8-14 Januarv
- 2/66 cancelled
- 3/66 Roundhouse ...............................................................4-9 Februarv
- 4/66 Rolling Stone ...............................................................19-27 Februarv
- 5/66 cancelled
- 6/66 Silver City ...............................................................9-22 March
- 7/66 Abilene ...............................................................29 March-9 April
- 8/66 Denver ...............................................................13-22 April
- Hardihood ...............................................................16 May-8 June 1966
5RAR 1966-67
Operation Date
- Hardihood ...............................................................24 May-4 June 1966
- Sydney One ...............................................................6-17 July
- Sydnev Two ...............................................................19-20 July
- Holsworthy ...............................................................7-18 August
- Darlinghurst ...............................................................26-31 August
- Toledo ...............................................................2-8 September
- Crowsnest ...............................................................1-? October
- Canberra ...............................................................6-10 October
- Robin ...............................................................11-16 October
- Quean beyan ...............................................................17-26 October
- Yass ...............................................................6-7 November
- Hayman ...............................................................8-12 November
- Caloundra ...............................................................9-10 January 1967
- Beaumaris ...............................................................13-14 February
- Renmark ...............................................................18-22 February
5RAR also participated in 1ATF Operation Camden, January 1967, and 6RAR Operations Ingham and Portsea, December 1966 and March 1967
.
6RAR 1966-67
Operation Date
- Enoggera ...............................................................21 June-5 July 1966
- Brisbane ...............................................................16-18 July
- Hobart ...............................................................2~29 July
- Smithfield ...............................................................18-21 August
- Vaucluse ...............................................................8-24 September
- Casula ...............................................................25 September~end 1966
- Bathurst ...............................................................2-27 October
- Bundaberg ...............................................................30-31 October
- lngham ...............................................................18 November-3 December
- Duck I ...............................................................14-23 December
- Duck II ...............................................................26 December-5 January 67
- Wollongong ...............................................................8 January-21 March
- Camden ...............................................................16-17 Januarv
- Seymour ...............................................................28 January-i Februarv
- Tambourine ...............................................................1-8 February
- Beechmont ...............................................................8-12 Februarv
- Dalby ...............................................................16 February
- Bribie ...............................................................17-18 February
- Kirribilli ...............................................................23-27 February
- Ayr ...............................................................7 March
- Portsea ...............................................................21 March-16 April
6RAR also provided rifle companies for the following operations of 5RAR:
- Holsworthy ...............................................................5-18 August 1966
- Toledo ...............................................................23-31 August
- ...............................................................2-8 September
- Robin ...............................................................10-16 October
- Q ueanbeyan ...............................................................16 October-12 November
- Hayman ...............................................................6-12 November
- Canary ...............................................................4-14 December 1966
2RAR/NZ 1967-68
Operation Date
- Barossa ...............................................................4 June 1967
- Darwin ...............................................................6-7 June
- Geraldton ...............................................................15-21 June
- Paddington ...............................................................8-16 July
- Cairns ...............................................................25 July-1 August
- Atherton ...............................................................16 August-3 September
- Ainslie ...............................................................4-21 September
- Kenmore ...............................................................29 September-11 October
- Santa Fe ...............................................................26 October-18 November
- Forrest ...............................................................23 November-5 January 1968
- Canungra ...............................................................3-4 December 1967
- Lawley ...............................................................22-23 December 1967
- Duntroon ...............................................................10-21 January 1968
- Coburg ...............................................................24 January-14 February
- Clayton ...............................................................20-21 February
- Pinnaroo ...............................................................27 February-23 March
- Ashgrove Tram ...............................................................25-26 March
- Cooktown Orchid ...............................................................1-23 April
- Toan Thang ...............................................................25 April-10 May 1968
7RAR 1967-68
Operation Date
- Puckapunyal ..............................................................28-29 April 1967
- Lismore ..............................................................2-8 May
- Leeton ..............................................................27 May-3 June
- Broken Hill ..............................................................7-14 June
- Coorparoo ..............................................................24 June-1 July
- Paddington ..............................................................6-16 July
- Southport.............................................................. 23-28 July
- Ballarat ..............................................................4-16 August
- Mosman ..............................................................18 August
- Burnside ..............................................................24 August
- Ulmurra ..............................................................26 August
- Ainslie ..............................................................31 August-21 September
- Kenmore ..............................................................30 September-11 October
- Santa Fe ..............................................................26 October-30 November
- Lawley ..............................................................23 November
- Forrest ..............................................................25 November-5 January 1968
- Duntroon ..............................................................10-17 January 1968
- Coburg ..............................................................24 January-1 March
- Oakleigh ..............................................................15-17 February
- Dandynong (sic) ..............................................................18-19 February
- Claxton ..............................................................20-21 February
- Mackay ..............................................................28 February-7 March
One Sergeant in 7RAR marked a calendar to show nights spent in the field and nights at the Nui Dat base camp. There were only 46 nights of the 365 in the tour spent at Nui Dat.
3RAR 1968
Operation Dates
- Balakava ..............................................................6 January 1968
- Bordertown ..............................................................9-11 January
- Coburg ..............................................................10 February-1 March
- Pinnaroo ..............................................................8 March-15 April
- Toan Thang 1 ..............................................................21 April-3 May
- ..............................................................10 May-5 June
- Toan Thang II ..............................................................3-18 July
- Merino ..............................................................18-24 July
- Platypus ..............................................................2-13 August
- Magnetic.............................................................. 23 August
- Diamantina ..............................................................28 August-5 September
- Windsor ..............................................................28 September-12 October
- Capital ..............................................................12-22 October
- Harvest ..............................................................25 October-2 November
3RAR also employed rifle companies on separate operations on thirteen occasions, totalling 82 days
.
1RAR 1968-69
Operation Date
- Pegasus .............................................................22 April 1968
- Blaxland .............................................................24 April-1 May
- Toan Thang 1 .............................................................3 May-6 June
- Toan Thang 11 .............................................................13 June-3 July
- .............................................................6-21 July (company ops)
- Elwood .............................................................23 July
- Platypus .............................................................29 July-6 August
- Nowra .............................................................8 August-6 September
- Hawkesbury .............................................................12-24 September
- Windsor .............................................................29 September-l1 October
- Capitol .............................................................28 October-29 November
- Goodwood I .............................................................3 December-1 January 1969
- Tiger Balm .............................................................2-4 January
- Goodwood II .............................................................13-27 January
1RAR also employed rifle companies on operations totalling 34 days.
4RARINZ
Operation Date
- Redwing .............................................................13 June 1968
- Koscuisko .............................................................15-20 June
- Toan Thang I1 .............................................................23 June-18 July
- Merino .............................................................18-25 July
- Lyre Bird .............................................................1 August-4 September
- Innamincka .............................................................7-12 September
- Hawkesbury I .............................................................12-24 September
- Stirrup Cup .............................................................3 October
- Track Duster .............................................................7-12 October
- Capitol .............................................................12 October-30 November
- Goodwood .............................................................11 December-19 February 69
- Federal .............................................................19 February-24 March
- Overlander .............................................................8-17 April
- Stafford .............................................................17 April-1 May 1969
9RAR1968-69
Operation Date
- King Hit ............................................................10-24 December 1968
- Boundary Rider ............................................................27-31 December 1968
- Goodwood ............................................................1 January-17 February 1969
- Federal ............................................................17 February-lO March
- ............................................................24 March-1 April
- Overlander ............................................................2-15 April
- Surfside ............................................................16-23 April
- Reynella ............................................................8 May-15 June
- Matthew ............................................................29 June-17 Julv
- Hat Dich ............................................................18-31 July
- Thunder ............................................................5-7 August
- Neppabunna ............................................................15 August-15 September
- Jack ............................................................30 September-31 October
5RAR 1969-70
Operation Date
- Quintus Thrust ............................................................1-9 March 1969
- Federal/Overlander ............................................................10 March-8 April
- Deerstalk ............................................................12-18 April
- Surfside ............................................................12 April-2 May
- Twickenham I ............................................................2-13 May
- Roadside ............................................................13-22 May
- Twickenham II ............................................................22 May-1 June
- Hammer ............................................................6-8 June
- Tong ............................................................7-8 June
- Esso I, II, III ............................................................June-July
- Distant Trumpet ............................................................21-25 July
- Camden ............................................................29 July-30 August
- Kingston ............................................................14 September-15 October
- Kings Cross ............................................................31 October-12 December 69
- Bondi 1, I1 ............................................................27 December-16 February 70
6RAR/NZ 1969-70
Operation Date
- Hunter ...........................................................21-26 May 1969
- Lavarack ...........................................................30 May-30 june
- Waiouru ...........................................................3-10 July
- Mundingburra ...........................................................14 July-1 August
- Long Tan ...........................................................18 August
- Tekapo ...........................................................20-28 August
- Burnham ...........................................................29 August-30 September
- Ross ...........................................................14 October-I December
- Marsden ...........................................................1-27 December
- Bluewater........................................................... 30 December-7 January 70
- Napier ...........................................................10 January-27 Februarv
- Gisborne ...........................................................28 February-lO March
- Waipounama ...........................................................18-27 March
- Townsville ...........................................................24 March-23 April 1970
8RAR 1969-70
Operation Date
- Atherton ...........................................................10 December-10 January 70
- Keperra ...........................................................26 January-14 February
- Hamersley ...........................................................10 February-9 March
- Hamilton ...........................................................3-24 March
- Phoi Hop ...........................................................7-19 April
- Nudgee ...........................................................20 April-l1 June
- Cung Chung I ...........................................................12-28 June
- Petrie ...........................................................29 June-13 July
- Decade ...........................................................23 July-2 August
- Cung Chung II, III ...........................................................3 August-25 October 1970
7RAR 1970-71
Operation Date
- Finschafen ...........................................................9 March-7 April 1970
- Concrete 1 ...........................................................19 April-7 May
- Concrete II ...........................................................8 May-l1 June
- Cung Chung I ...........................................................12-29 June
- Elanora ...........................................................19-23June
- Birdwood ...........................................................29 June-23 July
- Cung Chung II ...........................................................3 August-10 September
- Cung Chung III (Phase I) ...........................................................10-22 September
- Cung Chung III (Phases III & IV) ...........................................................3 October-1 February 1971
- Phoi Hop ...........................................................1-21 February 1971
2RAR/NZ 1970-71
Operation Date
- Capricorn ...........................................................26 May-12 June 70
- Cung Chung...........................................................13 July-2 August
- Cung Chung II ...........................................................2 August-10 September
- ...........................................................21 September-31 Januarv 70
- Pimlico ...........................................................30 September-2 October
- Phoi Hop ...........................................................1 February-2 Mav 71
3RAR 1971
Operation Date
- Phoi Hop........................................................... 2-6 March 1971
- Briar Patch I ...........................................................6 March-25 April
- Briar Patch II ...........................................................25 April-2 June
- Overlord ...........................................................5-14 June
- Hawker ...........................................................18 June-27 July
- Iron Fox ...........................................................28 July-5 August
- Inverbrackie ...........................................................10-22 August
- Cudlee Creek ...........................................................23 August-14 September
- Mount Torrens ...........................................................16-19 September
4RAR/NZ 1971
Operation Date
- Bowhani Junction ...........................................................3-4 June 1971
- Overlord ...........................................................5-13 June
- Hermit Park ...........................................................14 June-27 July
- Iron Fox ...........................................................28 July-4 August
- North Ward ...........................................................5 August-17 September
- Ivanhoe ...........................................................18 September-2 October
- Valiant ...........................................................3-6 October
- South Ward ...........................................................6 October-7 November 1971
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