Crimp
Written June 2017
Operation
Dates:
8 Jan 1966 - 14 Jan 1966
Area of Operation:
Bình Dương Province, Hậu Nghĩa, III Corps. Particularly the HoBo Woods, west of the Iron Triangle
Allied Units:
US Army 1/16th, 1/28th, and 2/28th Infantry of 3d Brigade 1st Infantry Division, 1/503rd and 2/503rd Airborne of 173rd Airborne Brigade; 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR)
Allied Casualties:
Unclear. An after action report from the 173rd Abn Bde cites “friendly losses” at 6 KIA and 45 WIA. These numbers likely do not take into consideration the casualties of 3d Bde 1st Inf Div, or 1RAR.
Enemy Units:
Viet Cong 7th Cu Chi Battalion, D308 VC Company
Enemy Casualties:
107 KIA, 9 POW
Objective(s):
Search and destroy, with particular focus on locating and destroying the headquarters of Viet Cong Military Region IV.
Significance/Notes:
The Cu Chi Tunnels were discovered during Operation Crimp. This added a new dimension to the style of war being fought by the Communists, and necessitated a proper response from the US and its allies. Crimp was immediately followed by Operation Buckskin to clear the tunnels. (Note: Some sources combined the information from both operations.)
The Cu Chi Tunnels can be visited today.
Sources:
Vietnam Battle Chronology: U.S. Army and Marine Corps Combat Operations, 1965-1973 by David Burns Sigler
The Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History edited by Spencer C Tucker
Vietnam War Almanac by James H. Willbanks
The Vietnam Center And Archive (at Texas Tech University)
Further Reading:
"Viet Cong Tunnels" - Australia and the Vietnam War
Operation Crimp After Action Report - 173rd Airborne Brigade - US Army
“Why Were the Soil Tunnels of Cu Chi and Iron Triangle in Vietnam So Resilient?” by Kenneth R. Olson and Lois Wright Morton - Scientific article in the Open Journal of Soil Science, published February 2017
Tunnel Rat in Vietnam by Gordon L. Rottman
Viet Cong and NVA Tunnels and Fortifications of the Vietnam War by Gordon L. Rottman
