Reviewed by Dr Alan Stephens
The victory won by some 100 Australian soldiers against more than 2000 enemy troops in a rubber plantation at Long Tan on 18 August 1966 was by any measure a magnificent feat of arms. The battle started when patrols from 6RAR were sent out to probe the source of a heavy mortar and recoilless rifle bombardment of the Australian Task Force camp at Nui Dat in the early morning of 17 August. Commanders anticipated at worst an engagement with perhaps 40 members of the local militia but, late in the afternoon of the 18th, D Company unexpectedly stumbled into what turned out to be a powerful regular Viet Cong formation, 275 Main Force Regiment, reinforced by a North Vietnamese Army battalion and supported by the regional VC D445 Battalion.
Shortly after the soldiers of D Company began a fight for their lives that was to last all night and into the next day, torrential tropical rain began pelting down, making relief and support operations exceptionally difficult.
Wonderfully led by their commander, Major Harry Smith, D Company’s three platoons (10, 11 and 12) and headquarters displayed professionalism of the highest order as they instinctively fell back on tried and true Australian Army tactics, while always remaining ready to improvise when the opportunity arose. On numerous occasions they were perilously close to being overrun; each time they succeeded in defying the odds. Massive, highly accurate artillery support from the Task Force at nearby Nui Dat was crucial and undoubtedly saved D Company from being annihilated; while an ammunition resupply flown by RAAF helicopter pilots in appalling weather and fading light was also vital. And after hours of desperate combat it was only the arrival of a relief column of armoured personnel carriers and A Company 6RAR that finally broke the enemy’s resistance.
Eighteen Australian soldiers died in the battle and twenty-four were wounded. Official enemy casualties were 245 left dead on the battlefield and three captured, but it seems probable that many more bodies were removed by the retreating VC.
There has never been any question about the magnitude of the achievement of 6RAR and its supporting units at Long Tan. Furthermore, the battle has been the subject of many books and articles, with Ian McNeill’s splendid official history, To Long Tan (Allen & Unwin and the AWM, 1993), setting the benchmark. The question might therefore be asked: Why another book? The answer is that, for all of the scrutiny to date, several important issues remain unclear. By presenting the first-hand accounts of the six men who commanded the units that actually did the fighting (the company OC, the two surviving platoon commanders, the platoon sergeant from the other platoon, the company artillery forward observer, and the commander of the APCs), Bob Grandin (who was co-pilot of one of the RAAF helicopters) has provided a different and thoroughly engrossing perspective of the battle.
Reflections on the battle are complemented by biographies and a ‘where are they now’ section, which might seem a little indulgent, but which on the contrary throw a good deal of light on the individual personalities. It may be noteworthy that, post-Long Tan, several seem to have been professionally restless.
Clearly the most important memoir is Harry Smith’s. Smith was a soldier’s soldier, tough, professional and respected by both his superiors and subordinates. While Smith was interviewed by the official historians, gave them access to private papers, and answered their questionnaires, it can be argued that his opinions were not given sufficient weight. His account alone makes this new book worthwhile.
Turning to the unanswered questions, two are of primary interest.
The first concerns the objective of the attack, an issue given sharp focus by the unexpected presence east of Nui Dat of 275 Main Force Regiment and its North Vietnamese reinforcements. Specifically, was it the enemy’s intention to overrun the Australian Task Force? If so, and had they succeeded, it obviously would have been an unmitigated disaster. Yet even though thirty-eight years have passed, Vietnamese officials continue to dissemble about Long Tan, maintaining among other things that their force was victorious. Until this manifestly false position is reversed and reliable evidence is made available, the truth will remain hidden. Grandin’s book nevertheless chances its arm by speculating on the enemy’s possible motives in a section written by platoon commander Dave Sabben. The piece is thoughtful and logical, but suffers somewhat from the book’s lack of a bibliography and references; that is, there is insufficient context against which the reader can measure Sabben’s analysis.
Grandin and his colleagues are on firmer ground when they address the matter of honours and awards. Suffice to say that there can be no doubt that the heroes of this memorable victory were poorly treated by any standard, and especially so when compared with the excessive recognition (according to some commentators) accorded to rear-echelon officers (from all three services) throughout the Vietnam war. Smith’s comments on the administration of honours and awards he recommended reflect little credit on a number of senior officers.
Other contentious subjects the authors tackle include prior intelligence, Army - Air Force relations, the use of armour, and American artillery.
Something of an attempt has been made by veterans’ groups to place Long Tan alongside Gallipoli and Kokoda in the Australian military pantheon. This is stretching the point, with the preceding two operations occupying a unique place in the national psyche because of their profound and entirely different political and social contexts. At the same time, as a feat of arms, Long Tan can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anything any Australian warriors have ever achieved.
Grandin has done a good job with this project. In places The Battle of Long Tan is a real page-turner; and throughout, it enjoys the distinction of presenting first-hand the views of the handful of men who commanded, fought for, and ultimately won a great victory. At a different level, it could serve as a tactics guide for infantrymen. This unusual book makes an important contribution to our appreciation of the most significant Australian experience during the decade of the Vietnam war.
Bob Grandin, ‘The Battle of Long Tan’ (As Told by the Commanders), Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 2004, paperback, 332 pp., RRP $35.00.