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Lost Battalion of Tet: The Breakout of 2/12th Cavalry at Hue
Published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, this new paperback edition brings back into print a book that became an essential source for a 2006 study of the battle by the U.S. Army's Center of Military History. It takes a critical look at what went wrong in early 1968 during one of the first engagements of Tet, when a U.S. infantry battalion was ordered to attack a large North Vietnamese force near Hue City without air or artillery support. The tragic military foul-up resulted in over 60 percent casualties for the 2d Battalion, 12th Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when the soldiers were surrounded by the enemy and began running out of ammunition. The bold decision by battalion commander Lt. Col. Richard Sweet to break out with his remaining soldiers under cover of darkness saved this encirclement from being a total disaster. Author Charles Krohn, the unit's intelligence officer at the time, provides a much-needed analysis of what took place and fills his account with details that have been confirmed as factual by other survivors. Krohn examines the battalion's involvement in two other major attacks for lessons learned when vital systems break downlessons, he says, that are timeless and applicable anywhere. This book is published in cooperation with the Association of the United States Army.
210 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 1993
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May 26, 2022
In his book, Charles A. Krohn tells the story of a horrible incident that should have never happened.
On February 3, 1968, just outside Hue, an American infantry battalion assaulted a fortified North Vietnamese Army force over an open field without artillery or air support aside from a helicopter gunship that mistakenly attacked the Americans instead of the enemy. The defenders had every advantage. The weather – steady drizzle and low clouds – also did not promise the American battalion any air support in the future.
As the Americans advanced across the field, every soldier was a walking target. They fired their rifles as they rushed, but the North Vietnamese defenders remained almost unscathed. The commander of the North Vietnamese withdrew his forces slightly, allowing the Americans to gain a foothold on purpose. His forces' goal was to encourage the American battalion to continue toward Hue by tricking them into believing that they had defeated the withdrawing North Vietnamese forces, while in reality, he had set a trap.
As the Americans struggled to establish their position before moving on, the North Vietnamese closed behind in behind them with an advantage in manpower and firepower of three to one. In that terrible moment, Lieutenant Colonel Sweet, the American commander, realized that he was surrounded and could neither move nor maneuver his forces. Furthermore, any reinforcement or resupply was out of the question. The American artillery units arrived to help the surrounded battalion nine hours later, and as if that was not bad enough in itself, ammunition available to the artillery was sufficient only to ensure that the outnumbered force was not instantly overrun. As time passed and casualties mounted, Sweet saw the annihilation of his battalion as a real possibility. One of the battalion's four companies had shrunk from 171 to 40 soldiers. The field manuals had not prepared him for this brutal test of endurance.
During the next afternoon, the surrounded men realized that their fate was either death or captivity. Help from headquarters was neither offered nor available in the time remaining. Artillery support became increasingly dangerous as the distance between attackers and defenders closed. Exhaustion and the lack of and ammunition added to the despair. Sweet decided that his top priority was to save the most soldiers, so he gathered his company commanders to give them a say in the options. After every commander spoke his mind, Sweet made the decision to attempt a breakthrough where the encircling North Vietnamese forces seemed to be the weakest. It was a gamble. The dead and equipment were left behind to give those escaping every chance to succeed.
That night, luck was on the side of the remnants of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry. The tattered, limping soldiers made it to a mountain top where the North Vietnamese Army forces could not follow them. What they did not find until much later was that, following sloppy orders given by commanders had not assessed the intelligence reports that they had received well, they had stumbled into the headquarters of the North Vietnamese Army forces attacking and holding Hue. Reaching Hue should have taken the American soldiers a day. It took them around a month. They were the lost battalion – almost wiped out because of the incompetence and carelessness of those higher up in the chain of command whose did not have to face the enemy in battle.
During the Vietnam conflict American soldiers were provided more and better support than any previous fighting force in our nation's history. Supply systems pumped in countless tons of war materiel of every description. So plentiful was the support that soldiers and commanders came to take it for granted. Despite occasional lapses, there was always more than enough to feed the war machine. Artillery pieces could be blown up, helicopters shot down, and trucks destroyed, but there was always enough materiel to provide a replacement in a matter of days, if not hours. The author argues that this excess of resources sometimes, like in the case with the 2nd battalion, fostered a false sense of security in commanders. When a rupture in the chain of supply happened, the commanders, so used to the chain's repairing itself quickly, forgot that it had been ruptured at all and issued movement orders as if nothing had happened. Such an order was issued when the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry was sent on its suicidal advance against the fortified and larger North Vietnamese force. As the author puts it, "In the case of Vietnam, all lives were lost in vain, but some more than others . . ."
THE LOST BATTALION is a brilliantly told story of the tragic fate suffered by the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry near Hue during the Tet Offensive. It is remarkable that Krohn, a military man, does not hesitate to acknowledge the mistakes of command that the American Army committed. This book is a reminder that war is most costly for those at the bottom of the command chain because they suffer the consequences of the mistakes of their superiors, and have to suffer face the enemy and fight, suffering often senseless deaths. I highly recommend it.
On February 3, 1968, just outside Hue, an American infantry battalion assaulted a fortified North Vietnamese Army force over an open field without artillery or air support aside from a helicopter gunship that mistakenly attacked the Americans instead of the enemy. The defenders had every advantage. The weather – steady drizzle and low clouds – also did not promise the American battalion any air support in the future.
As the Americans advanced across the field, every soldier was a walking target. They fired their rifles as they rushed, but the North Vietnamese defenders remained almost unscathed. The commander of the North Vietnamese withdrew his forces slightly, allowing the Americans to gain a foothold on purpose. His forces' goal was to encourage the American battalion to continue toward Hue by tricking them into believing that they had defeated the withdrawing North Vietnamese forces, while in reality, he had set a trap.
As the Americans struggled to establish their position before moving on, the North Vietnamese closed behind in behind them with an advantage in manpower and firepower of three to one. In that terrible moment, Lieutenant Colonel Sweet, the American commander, realized that he was surrounded and could neither move nor maneuver his forces. Furthermore, any reinforcement or resupply was out of the question. The American artillery units arrived to help the surrounded battalion nine hours later, and as if that was not bad enough in itself, ammunition available to the artillery was sufficient only to ensure that the outnumbered force was not instantly overrun. As time passed and casualties mounted, Sweet saw the annihilation of his battalion as a real possibility. One of the battalion's four companies had shrunk from 171 to 40 soldiers. The field manuals had not prepared him for this brutal test of endurance.
During the next afternoon, the surrounded men realized that their fate was either death or captivity. Help from headquarters was neither offered nor available in the time remaining. Artillery support became increasingly dangerous as the distance between attackers and defenders closed. Exhaustion and the lack of and ammunition added to the despair. Sweet decided that his top priority was to save the most soldiers, so he gathered his company commanders to give them a say in the options. After every commander spoke his mind, Sweet made the decision to attempt a breakthrough where the encircling North Vietnamese forces seemed to be the weakest. It was a gamble. The dead and equipment were left behind to give those escaping every chance to succeed.
That night, luck was on the side of the remnants of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry. The tattered, limping soldiers made it to a mountain top where the North Vietnamese Army forces could not follow them. What they did not find until much later was that, following sloppy orders given by commanders had not assessed the intelligence reports that they had received well, they had stumbled into the headquarters of the North Vietnamese Army forces attacking and holding Hue. Reaching Hue should have taken the American soldiers a day. It took them around a month. They were the lost battalion – almost wiped out because of the incompetence and carelessness of those higher up in the chain of command whose did not have to face the enemy in battle.
During the Vietnam conflict American soldiers were provided more and better support than any previous fighting force in our nation's history. Supply systems pumped in countless tons of war materiel of every description. So plentiful was the support that soldiers and commanders came to take it for granted. Despite occasional lapses, there was always more than enough to feed the war machine. Artillery pieces could be blown up, helicopters shot down, and trucks destroyed, but there was always enough materiel to provide a replacement in a matter of days, if not hours. The author argues that this excess of resources sometimes, like in the case with the 2nd battalion, fostered a false sense of security in commanders. When a rupture in the chain of supply happened, the commanders, so used to the chain's repairing itself quickly, forgot that it had been ruptured at all and issued movement orders as if nothing had happened. Such an order was issued when the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry was sent on its suicidal advance against the fortified and larger North Vietnamese force. As the author puts it, "In the case of Vietnam, all lives were lost in vain, but some more than others . . ."
THE LOST BATTALION is a brilliantly told story of the tragic fate suffered by the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry near Hue during the Tet Offensive. It is remarkable that Krohn, a military man, does not hesitate to acknowledge the mistakes of command that the American Army committed. This book is a reminder that war is most costly for those at the bottom of the command chain because they suffer the consequences of the mistakes of their superiors, and have to suffer face the enemy and fight, suffering often senseless deaths. I highly recommend it.
December 29, 2010
For sure eye opener. Second time reading it.
April 20, 2014
my grandpa wrote this book. I read it when I was seven.
November 5, 2024
unknown history
I served with 2/12 Cav in 1968, arriving as a July replacement. By that time these events were nearly forgotten, or simply never mentioned. The seemingly senseless operations continued, however, and the enemy was always grossly underestimated. Sadly, by war’s end 58,281 brave US soldiers perished, and those who returned home faced hostility and indifference. History never repeats itself, but men all too often do.
I served with 2/12 Cav in 1968, arriving as a July replacement. By that time these events were nearly forgotten, or simply never mentioned. The seemingly senseless operations continued, however, and the enemy was always grossly underestimated. Sadly, by war’s end 58,281 brave US soldiers perished, and those who returned home faced hostility and indifference. History never repeats itself, but men all too often do.
November 29, 2014
The Lost Battalion of Tet: Breakout of the 2/12th Cavalry at Hue,hasil tulisan Charles A. Krohn ini sebenarnya merupakan edisi kemas kini kepada buku sebelumnya yang bertajuk The Lost Battalion: Controversy and Casualties in the Battle of Hue,juga hasil tulisan penulis yang sama.
Buku edisi asal diterbitkan pada tahun 1993. Secara jujurnya,saya tidak dapat memastikan dengan tepat perbezaan antara kedua-dua buku. Namun,berdasarkan ruangan Prakata,dapat saya agakkan terdapat perbezaan yang ketara terutamanya dari segi data dan fokus penceritaan.
Terdapat dua fokus utama penceritaan buku ini yang melibatkan dua buah unit tentera darat Amerika Syarikat iaitu Batalion Ke-2,Rejimen Kavalri Ke-12 (2/12th Cavalry) dan Trup B,Skuadron 1,Rejimen Kavalri Berperisai Pertama. Namun demikian,perhatian utama diberikan kepada 2/12th Cavalry atau Cav. Krohn sendiri merupakan anggota 2/12th Cav ketika itu yang berpangkat kapten dan bertindak sebagai pegawai perisikan kepada batalion tersebut.
Seperti yang saya nyatakan di atas,terdapat dua buah peristiwa pertempuran yang menjadi perbincangan. Pertama,adalah pertempuran di Lembah Que Son pada tahun 1967 yang terletak berhampiran dengan pangkalan 2/12th Cav yang diberi nama Landing Zone (LZ) Ross. Kedua,adalah pada awal tahun 1968,yang merupakan sebahagian daripada misi di dalam pertempuran yang dipanggil Battle of Hue (Pertempuran Hue). Misi ini bertujuan untuk membantu memusnahkan musuh yang menawan Bandar Hue. Walaupun demikian,seperti tajuk bukunya,perhatian lebih diberikan kepada pertempuran di Hue.
Melaluinya,Krohn berpandangan bahawa 2/12th Cav mengalami jumlah kematian dan kecederaan yang tinggi di kalangan anggotanya kerana pegawai atasan gagal untuk memastikan bantuan logistik dan sokongan tembakan (artileri) diberikan kepada batalionnya. Malah,sikap konservatif dan sikap mementingkan diri sendiri (menjaga air muka dan pangkat) juga menyebabkan situasi bertambah kompleks. Hanya melalui inisiatif dan persefahaman yang erat antara anggota 2/12th Cav dengan mereka yang memahami situasi getir yang dihadapi oleh batalion ini sahaja yang berjaya memastikan batalion kavalri ini tidak dimusnahkan oleh musuh.
Sebuah pembacaan yang menarik,saya kira. Mudah difahami dan tidak bias sifatnya. Penulis menulis secara objektif dan menyatakan pendapatnya berdasarkan fakta dan bukti yang dimiliki beliau.
Buku edisi asal diterbitkan pada tahun 1993. Secara jujurnya,saya tidak dapat memastikan dengan tepat perbezaan antara kedua-dua buku. Namun,berdasarkan ruangan Prakata,dapat saya agakkan terdapat perbezaan yang ketara terutamanya dari segi data dan fokus penceritaan.
Terdapat dua fokus utama penceritaan buku ini yang melibatkan dua buah unit tentera darat Amerika Syarikat iaitu Batalion Ke-2,Rejimen Kavalri Ke-12 (2/12th Cavalry) dan Trup B,Skuadron 1,Rejimen Kavalri Berperisai Pertama. Namun demikian,perhatian utama diberikan kepada 2/12th Cavalry atau Cav. Krohn sendiri merupakan anggota 2/12th Cav ketika itu yang berpangkat kapten dan bertindak sebagai pegawai perisikan kepada batalion tersebut.
Seperti yang saya nyatakan di atas,terdapat dua buah peristiwa pertempuran yang menjadi perbincangan. Pertama,adalah pertempuran di Lembah Que Son pada tahun 1967 yang terletak berhampiran dengan pangkalan 2/12th Cav yang diberi nama Landing Zone (LZ) Ross. Kedua,adalah pada awal tahun 1968,yang merupakan sebahagian daripada misi di dalam pertempuran yang dipanggil Battle of Hue (Pertempuran Hue). Misi ini bertujuan untuk membantu memusnahkan musuh yang menawan Bandar Hue. Walaupun demikian,seperti tajuk bukunya,perhatian lebih diberikan kepada pertempuran di Hue.
Melaluinya,Krohn berpandangan bahawa 2/12th Cav mengalami jumlah kematian dan kecederaan yang tinggi di kalangan anggotanya kerana pegawai atasan gagal untuk memastikan bantuan logistik dan sokongan tembakan (artileri) diberikan kepada batalionnya. Malah,sikap konservatif dan sikap mementingkan diri sendiri (menjaga air muka dan pangkat) juga menyebabkan situasi bertambah kompleks. Hanya melalui inisiatif dan persefahaman yang erat antara anggota 2/12th Cav dengan mereka yang memahami situasi getir yang dihadapi oleh batalion ini sahaja yang berjaya memastikan batalion kavalri ini tidak dimusnahkan oleh musuh.
Sebuah pembacaan yang menarik,saya kira. Mudah difahami dan tidak bias sifatnya. Penulis menulis secara objektif dan menyatakan pendapatnya berdasarkan fakta dan bukti yang dimiliki beliau.
April 17, 2016
One of the best military novels you are likely to come across. Ironically, the author states that many people tried to discourage him from writing this account. That is understandable of course, since no one likes to relive painful and disastrous events in their life. Krohn points out that many mistakes occurred during the mission but he asks the relevant questions that need to be asked, so that future commanders can learn from these events. More importantly, he documents the camaraderie, courage and dedication to duty of the 2/12 so that their sacrifice can be remembered.
January 22, 2023
While it is argued by many that the US never lost a battle in Vietnam, many of those victories were incredibly tough and led to the deaths of over 50,000 US personnel and many, many more Vietnamese both from the free and communist sides.
This is the story of one of those tough battles in the war that became an overwhelming military victory.
This is the story of one of those tough battles in the war that became an overwhelming military victory.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews