Operation Somerset Plain

The A Sầu Valley

10 August 1968

by W.S. McCallum

In the aftermath of the Viet Cong’s Tet Offensive and the mini-Tet operations that followed it, MACV decided to take action to seal off the A Sầu Valley, which was being used as a major entry point for North Vietnamese Main Force units into the Central Highlands. As part of a combined operation to clear the valley, US and South Vietnamese forces were sent in. On 10th August 1968, northwards-advancing elements of the ARVN 3rd Battalion of the 1st Infantry Regiment ran into the 816th and 818th NVA Battalions advancing south. An encounter battle ensued....

As a prelude to operations, the high ground on both sides of the valley was occupied. Here we see the ARVN observation post, above a local buddhist monastery.

And, on the Laotian side of the valley, we see an NVA observation post, with a forward observer to call in heavy artillery fire from over the Laotian border.

Down the length of the valley runs a road leading to the Laotian border, with a rag-tag assortments of huts and buildings along it.

ARVN units move forward, sweeping towards the monastery.

Further units advance on the other side of the valley road.

Meanwhile, North Vietnamese soldiers advancing southwards are cutting a broad swathe across the width of this section of the valley.

Aware of the presence of the ARVN, they take up position along a road traversing the width of the valley and wait.

At this juncture, an ARVN M41 Walker Bulldog tank arrives on the scene...

Its advance over to the right flank of the NVA lines does not pass unnoticed.

The NVA take cover, and RPG teams are positioned, awaiting the tank’s arrival.

The ARVN tank crew are unaware that their arrival is expected...

An RPG round scores a direct hit, destroying the tank and its crew.

Meanwhile, the NVA are deploying a heavy weapon or two of their own.

Showing very poor co-ordination, ARVN infantry are belatedly dispatched to back up the already-destroyed tank:

They come under fire from the NVA, and are pinned down and take losses.

The ARVN return fire, and the NVA in turn take losses, but stand firm.

At this point, further movement is detected, and the NVA ready themselves for another assault.

This wave of ARVN troops is pinned down under heavy automatic and RPG fire from the NVA.

On the right flank, NVA fire continues to cut down the infantry belatedly deployed to reinforce the tank.

In the centre, the ARVN pinned down in the vege field return fire, but continue taking heavy losses that stall the assault.

On the other side of the road, further ARVN units start moving forward.

The NVA are waiting for them and soon there is an exchange of heavy fire over the crossroads.

Losses mount on both sides.

Unfortunately for the ARVN, the NVA have heavy support on its way....

It is sorely needed, as the NVA line is collapsing.

Although the ARVN assault through the vege field is looking ragged at best, having stalled completely.

Worse is to come, as the T54 pulls up directly across the road from the vege field and opens fire with its coaxial machine gun, causing mayhem.

Finding the arrival of the tank too much, ARVN troops begin to scatter and run.

Having cleared the vege field in front of it, the T54 clumsily turns and advances to take care of the ARVN holding the crossroads.

The ARVN there are as ready as they will ever be.

A LAW is fired at the T54, but its projectile misses.

The tank rakes the ARVN with machine gun fire, decimating the unit.

Showing better combined arms co-ordination than the ARVN, the NVA send in infantry to take the crossroads.

In an attempt to turn the tide, the ARVN commander orders his remaining troops to assault the monastery, pushing the NVA back.

Meanwhile, further NVA are sent in through the gap in the ARVN flank created by the destruction of its tank and the rout of its supporting infantry.

They push through the bush and attempt to assault the ARVN across the vege field, but are startled to receive concentrated fire from the few remaining ARVN troops there and are pinned down.

To make things worse, the ARVN finally manage to get artillery support.

The NVA 37mm anti-aircraft gun is the first target to be destroyed....

Followed by all the NVA infantry pinned down on the edge of the vege field.

Undaunted, the T54 and its supporting infantry continue to attack, inflicting the first ARVN casualties due to their assault.

However an ARVN LAW team returns fire and knocks out the T54, stymying the NVA’s last chance to break the ARVN lines.

The ARVN line, although rolled up on the flank, is still holding.

Having now lost two thirds of his forces, with his assault on the ARVN flank broken, having lost his T54, and having been pushed back out of the monastery, the NVA commander decides to withdraw. It is none too soon, as the ARVN finally receive air support.

The final outcome was a clear victory for the ARVN; they not only inflicted unacceptable losses on the NVA battalions, but forced them to withdraw from the battlefield, following which they were harried by artillery and aerial bombardments back across the Laotian border. The game turned out to reflect what happened in real life on that day and those that followed it in 1968.

© W.S. McCallum 20 April 2019

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