1st Division (South Vietnam)

1st Division
1st Division SSI
Active 1959–75
Country South Vietnam South Vietnam
Branch Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Role Infantry
Part of I Corps
Garrison/HQ Huế
Engagements

Vietnam War

Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Nguyễn Khánh
Tôn Thất Đính
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu
Đỗ Cao Trí
Nguyễn Chánh Thi
Ngô Quang Trưởng
Phạm Văn Phú

The 1st Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)—the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the I Corps that oversaw the northernmost region of South Vietnam, the centre of Vietnam.

The 1st Division was based in Huế, the old imperial city and one of two major cities in the region, which was also the corps headquarters. This division was also tasked with the defence of Quảng Trị, the closest town to the DMZ and among the first to be hit by the Tet Offensive.

This unit had performed the primary role at the Battle of Hue, fighting for the entirety of the battle while completely surrounded.[1] The first unit to respond in the early hours of the Tet Offensive, this division was primarily manned by 200 HQ Staff and Officers not typically expected to engage in combat, as well as 50 members of its Reconnaissance Company the Hac Bao (Black Panthers)/[2] They had faced the most capable units of the PAVN, inflicting grievous losses while losing many of their own. As a result of the battle this division had earned several commendations from the RVN Government as well a US Presidential Unit Citation.

The 1st Regiment and the 7th Cavalry of this unit had additionally defend the first battle of Battle of Quang Tri (1968) against continual assaults. The PAVN assault was spearheaded by 20 elite commandos whom and follow by an assault from the 812th Regiment of 324th Division and other battalion.The successful holdout was as a pivotal moment in the Tet Offensive, the security of Quang Tri prevented reinforcement at Hue, as well as prevented the further collapse of security in the region.[3]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/opinion/tet-offensive-americans-vietnam.html
  2. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=1fsUDpoLjrUC&pg=PA170&lpg=PA170&dq=hac+bao+harry+hue&source=bl&ots=1NL7MtJDYg&sig=6DgQffVkPFDqYOG78Hl8Y-TzJAo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbwMqYhqvbAhXk6oMKHUQDAsMQ6AEIXTAM#v=onepage&q&f=false
  3. ↑ "Attack on Quang Tri City During the Vietnam War | HistoryNet". www.historynet.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  • Tucker, Spencer C. (2000). Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 526&ndash, 533. ISBN 1-57607-040-9.


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