The war in the Republic of South Vietnam end in 1975 with the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong victorious. For Australia it ceased in December 1971, when HMAS SYDNEY returned the last operational units to Australia Small detachments remained in South Vietnam until about mid 1972. The end of a ten year war, the longest the nation was ever involved with. Some 50, 000 Australians went to the Vietnam War, a war that was never winnable. It was never winnable because of the political failings of the United States. For the Australians in Vietnam, those of all Services, they had carried out their tasks and duty with professionalism and dedication that they are justifiably proud of. Three decades on, they felt betrayed because their government supported the USA and went along with the lack of political will and commitment to win.

Although Australian had troops in Vietnam from 1962, a battalion battle group was committed in 1965, increased to a Brigade Group (1st Australian Task Force [ATF]) less a battalion in 1966. The Task Forced increased in size with three Infantry Battalions, supporting Arms and Services including a Squadron of Tanks. There had been a Squadron of RAAF Helicopters in support since July 1966.

This map shows the location of the Australian Operation Base and the general area considered as VC sanctuaries during 1966. The main VC Units were driven out of the province and not considered a serious military threat in the Province in 1969.

The Australians moved to Phouc Tuy Province, 60 kilometres south east of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) June 1966 and set up base in the middle of the province. They fought the war using their own methods and principles, Counter Revolutionary Warfare(CRW). Their aim was to isolate the enemy (VC) from the population. Restricted the civilian population to areas where their support for the VC was limited. To be one hundred percent successful it required the full cooperation of the South Vietnamese Government and it's Armed Forces. This was not forthcoming and the Australians achieved about Eighty Percentage success in Phouc Tuy Province. By the end of 1969, the VC operated in company size groups. In 1966 there was two Regiments of 6/7 battalions and a 600 strong local provincial battalion, and a few hundred within smaller hamlet and political cadre units. A total of 4,000 armed enemy.

By August 1966, two months after occupying the base Intelligence Reports daily stated that a VC Attack against the Task Force (TF) was imminent. On the night 16/17 August the VC mortared and shelled the base causing about 30 casualties. On the 17th B. Company 6RAR had located and search the area where the VC had fired from and was replaced by D. Company of the same battalion.

The Australians have said that the battle was an encounter battle. The Viet Cong claimed they ambushed the Aussies. After thirty years it is still unresolved and never will be! David Sabben, a Platoon Commander with D Company, has studied reports, books and statement on the battle. He presented a three hours lecture to the public at the Australian War Memorial on 1 November 1996. This is a compilation of David's presentation but to obtain the other side first look at an article supporting the Viet Cong and their claim to the ambush story.

Opposing forces force this battle is as follows. An Australian Company patrol of 105 and 3 New Zealanders attached as the Artillery Forward Observation Party. They called for and controlled the supporting gunfire as required by the Infantry. At the base there was three batteries of 105 mm guns (18), a battery of 155 mm guns (6), a Squadron of 30 Armoured Personal Carriers (APC's) and a total of about 2,500 personnel. The Viet Cong (VC) consisted of, Headquarters 5th VC Division, 275 Regiment (1800), D445 Provincial Battalion (600) and North Vietnamese Battalion (600), about 3,000 in all. It is estimated about half or 1500 of the enemy force was involved with the battle.

An air photograph of the battle area. The battle took place in this rubber plantation during a severe tropical thunderstorm. The fighting and manoeuvring of force throughout the three hour's battle was conducted in an area of about 1,000 metres square. It was very fierce and close quarter combat.

This diagram shows the location of the battle field and the Australian Base. Small hills in Vietnam carry similar names. Nui Dat or "The Dat" identified the base area, Nui Dat 2 identified the hill north of the Hamlet of Long Tan. The Battle took place near Nui Dat 2.

The position of troops just before the battle commenced. Note the positioning of the VC Forces and compare it with the sketch or the positions given to Ian McNeill the Australian Official Historian when he interviewed Colonel Nguyen Thanh Hong the Operations Officer 5th VC Division.

After one hour this was the approximated positions and strengths of apposing forces. Notice that D445 is not involved and neither is the main forces north and east of D. Company elements.

The Official History written by Ian McNeill of the Australian War Memorial produced this sketch of the VC Ambush Battle Plan. The maps showing the actual disposition of forces on the ground shows that the VC Plan was never implemented.

Below is the disposition at the end of the second hour of the battle. There is no resemblance of the VC Plan as shown above. An ambush without a result after two hours must be considered as not an ambush or a total failure.

Note that D445 after two hours of heavy fighting is still not committed to the battle. Scroll back to the VC Plan and compare the groupings of forces.

This final map shows the position of both sides at the third hour. D445 is moving to the west to attack from that direction. Intercepted by the relief forces that assaulted through them, they withdrew back to the south east. It is estimated that about three companies from a 275 VC Regiment is attacking D. Company. The VC Commander having committed two battalions including D445.

The battle ended immediately the relief arrived, passing through D445 and assaulting the attacking forces to the east of D. Company. The company was never surrounded or under effective small arms' fires from all sides.

11 Platoon had been fired on from its left front and for three hours the VC had tried to enveloped the platoons and the company. The VC failed and left 245 dead on the battle field.

After studying this "Was the Battle of Long Tan a VC Ambush" and "Was the VC Attack on the Australian Base thwarted by the Battle of Long Tan." Please link to the comment the author has posted at;

After three decades there is still as many questions as there has been answers. Those in command of platoons at the battle agree that we were not ambushed. We have the general feeling that "Charlie" (VC) was on his way to attack the base. We got in the way. If the battle had not happened then the author believes the VC would have attacked the base and Australian casualties would have been 10 times that suffered in that rubber plantation. The VC would have achieved a great military victory, inflicting high casualties on the Australians, more importantly the physiological victory and political drama could have seen the Australians going home and leaving the USA without a major political supporter. The war would have been totally different.

In a presentation such as this there is no balance. There has and is no method of obtaining the truth for all parties involved in this battle. I will vouch for those of D. Company of what we say and what we did. That is but a small part of this mosaic of a battle. The VC, even those at the battle saw it from a different angle, both militarily and politically. They also had the Party Political Manifesto and Doctrine to observe and obey. We were not bound by those constraints when describing and telling our story.