Hamburger Hill 1969 Operation Apache Snow In The A Shau Valley 1st Edition James H Willbanks Ramiro Bujeiro by James H. Willbanks & Ramiro Bujeiro 9781472861535, 1472861531 instant download after payment.

Operation Apache Snow was the result of a renewed Allied effort in early 1969 to neutralize the North Vietnamese forces in the A Shau, a 45km-long valley located in the southwestern Thua Thien Province. This area had long provided an infiltration corridor for Communist forces from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to the coastal cities of northern I Corps Tactical Zone.

The ensuing battle to take Ap Bia Mountain, which became known as Hamburger Hill, lasted for ten days. Although US and South Vietnamese forces were ultimately successful in taking the hill, the heavy casualties incurred in the bitter fighting caused a furor in Congress, with many congressmen denouncing the action.

In this work, respected Vietnam War historian James H. Willbanks documents the planning and execution of Operation Apache Snow. The progress of the operation is carefully presented using maps and diagrams, and the forces and weaponry of both sides are brought to life in photos and color battlescenes. Willbanks also explores why, despite the Allied success in taking Hamburger Hill, the battle came to symbolize the frustration of winning costly encounters without ever consummating a strategic victory.

Table of Contents

Origins of the Campaign

Chronology

Opposing Commanders

Opposing Forces and Orders of Battle

Opposing Plans

The Campaign

Aftermath

The Battlefield Today

Bibliography

Index