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The 275th Regiment, also known as 275 Viet Cong Main Force Regiment, was a
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
of the
Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
(VC) during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. The regiment was formed in May 1965.


History

The 275th Regiment, with nickname "Cá Gô" 55 Regiment - was part of the VC 5th Division and operated in the
Phuoc Tuy Province Phước ({{langx, vi, Phước) is a common gender-neutral name originating from Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about an ...
, now known as the province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. During the United States military intervention in Vietnam, the 275th Regiment took part in 280 minor and major clashes, shooting 84 enemy aircraft (including 3 US B-52s, 3 US AC-130s and 26 helicopters of all types) in the process. On 11 November 1965, the Regiment ambushed the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 52nd Rangers near Kim Hai hamlet, in the village of Phuoc Hoa on Route 15, in
Phuoc Tuy Province Phước ({{langx, vi, Phước) is a common gender-neutral name originating from Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about an ...
and inflicted heavy casualties upon the battalion. Part of the Regiment fought initially against the
173rd Airborne Brigade The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic respo ...
between 24 May and 4 June 1966 during Operation Hardihood. American casualties during that operation were 23 killed and 160 wounded and 48 VC soldiers were reported to have been killed. The Regiment or its battalions participated alongside
D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion The 445th Battalion (D445 for short), also known as the D445 Provincial Mobile Battalion or the Ba Ria Battalion, was a local force battalion of the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War. History The battalion operated in the Đồng Nai Province, ...
in the
Battle of Long Tan A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
against
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...
forces from D Company,
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and confl ...
. According to the D445 Battalion political officer, the unit provided "guides for the units that mortared the Task Force" at Nui Dat base on 17 August 1966. A VC medic, Chung, reported that three of the 275th Regiment RCL detachment involved were killed in the Australian counter-battery fire and were buried nearby. Casualties among the Australians in the bombardment were 22 wounded. During the battle an 80-strong Vo Thi Sau civil labour company commanded by Chin Phuong, comprising mainly women and children, lent support by evacuating and treating the casualties. Vietnamese dead, according to VC and
People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), officially the Vietnam People's Army (VPA; , , ), also recognized as the Vietnamese Army (), the People's Army () or colloquially the Troops ( ), is the national Military, military force of the Vietnam, S ...
(PAVN) histories were 47 killed. Australian veterans and historians, in the main, claim that at Long Tan the 275 Regiment and D445 Battalion suffered heavy casualties, with the official Australian body count reported to be 245 PAVN/VC killed. Only one member of D445 was captured at Long Tan (reportedly a 57 mm RCL gunner); and two members of 275 Regiment were captured who declared themselves to be members of "Doan 45" as their cover story. Several 275th Regiment soldiers received medals, letters of appreciation and commendation certificates for their part in the fighting. Estimates from official history records from the D445 Battalion indicate between 30-47 killed in action including other regiments. The next major contact took place on 2 December 1966, when a US resupply convoy of the
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment ("Blackhorse Regiment") is a unit of the United States Army garrisoned at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California. The regiment has served in the Philippine–American War, the Pancho Villa Expedi ...
(11th ACR) was attacked by the 275th Regiment south of Gia Ray. In this battle, the U.S. forces involved claimed to have killed at least 99 VC soldiers, while a sergeant from the 27th Engineer Battalion was killed and 22 were wounded in the 11th ACR. During the start of the
Tet Offensive The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. The Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) launched a surprise attack on 30 January 1968 against the forces of ...
, the 274th and 275th Regiments of the 5th Division took part in the attacks on Bien Hoa, northeast of Saigon on 18 February 1968. The 275th Regiment took later part in the attack on Svay Rieng city in
Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
on 11 August 1974. In November 2006, Australian Prime Minister John Howard paid respect to the Vietnamese authorities, laying a wreath at the Go Cat Military Cemetery in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province where some 2000 PAVN/VC combatants (mainly 5th and 9th Division soldiers) are buried. In 2010, as part of Operation Wandering Souls, Bob Hall and Derrill de Heer, both Vietnam veterans who are now academics at the
University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...
and the
Australian Defence Force Academy The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military academy that provides military and Tertiary education in Australia, academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ...
, presented to the Veterans Association of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, a list containing the full names, ranks and unit numbers of 535 Vietnamese soldiers buried by Australians in the province..


Notes


References

* * * * * * * {{Refend Military units and formations of the Viet Cong Military units and formations established in 1965 Regiments of the People's Army of Vietnam