Operation Apache Snow Campaign.Reinforcements Crash

DATE: 20/07/2025

TIME (GMT): 18:00

ERA: Vietnam

MAP(S): Nam2

TYPE: COOP

TEAMSPEAK: ts1.biaarma.com

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Aris for Brothers In Arms

SLOTS: 57 / 118

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RATING: (10)

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Operation Apache Snow was a joint U.S. Army and  (ARVN) military operation (10 May – 7 June 1969) during the Vietnam War designed to keep pressure on the PAVN units in the A Sau Valley and prevent them from mounting any attacks on the neighboring coastal provinces.

The A Sau Valley was an important corridor for the PAVN and Viet Cong (VC), who frequently used it to transport supplies from Laos into South Vietnam as well as employed it as staging area for attacks. Previous sweeps of the valley in Operation Delaware (19 April – 17 May 1968), Operation Dewey Canyon (22 January – 18 March 1969) and Operation Massachusetts Striker (28 February - 8 May 1969) in the preceding year had resulted in over 2,000 enemy casualties, but were unsuccessful at removing the PAVN from the valley.

Apache Snow was planned as an operation involving ten battalions. The initial assault force consisted of troops from the 187th, 501st, and 506th Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division, the 9th Marine Regiment, and the ARVN 1st Division.The plan was to block escape routes into Laos and assault enemy formations and strongholds.

The operation began on 10 May 1969 with a heliborne assault into the thickly jungled mountains along the Laotian boarder west of the valley. The US forces also established a FSB at Ta Bat, an abandoned village in the valley s center. By placing themselves between the valley and the Laotian border, Allied forces attempted to trap Communist forces in the valley and cut them off from reinforcements waiting beyond the border. There was little contact the first day as the airborne troopers began sweeping eastward toward the valley. The PAVN mostly conducted a fighting retreat in the valley. The 29th Regiment eventually made a stand in elaborate previously prepared bunker positions on Hill 937. After ten days of fighting, which involved 11 infantry assaults up Hill 937 primarily by the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry (resulting in heavy US losses), US forces managed to destroy the PAVN fortifications and capture the hill. The resulting battle became known to the soldiers as Hamburger Hill, an up-to-date reference to the Korean War Battle of Pork Chop Hill. As the hill had no military significance aside from the presence of the PAVN, it was abandoned by US forces within a few weeks of its being taken.

On 14 May units of the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne found 53 PAVN bodies about 2 miles east of the Laotian border. In the same area on 15 May at 13.15, an element of the 3rd Brigade engaged a PAVN force in a battle that continued until 15.10 when the PAVN broke contact leaving 74 dead while US casualties were 1 killed.

Operation APACHE SNOW was terminated on 07 June with the following results 9th USMC Regiment, 78 enemy KIA. 11 US KIA and 48 WIA; 101st ABN DIV AO, 675 enemy KIA, three detained; US, 102 KIA, 579 WIA, one MIA. ARVN participation in the APACHE SNOW AO resulted in 224 enemy KIA, one detained; 22 ARVN KIA and 106 WIA.

The combat operation mission of Apache Snow for 501st Infantry Regiment to conduct heliborne assaults into LZ Green on D-Day to locate enemy forces, caches and locations. Elements of the 2-501 IN BN to provide security for FSB Airborne and FSB Eagles Nest. 2-501 IN BN will be prepared to continue operations to the east or the northeast within assigned AO on order. The operation will be conducted in three phases.

Phase 1.Establishment of FSB Airborne and marshalling of units at FSB Blaze prior to airmobile assault

Phase 2.Combat assault of 501st Infantry Regiment into LZ Green. Then locate and destroy enemy forces, caches and locations, also to provide security for FSB Airborne and FSB Eagle Nest.

Phase 3.Prepare to conduct RIF operations to the north and east.

The operation met its limited objective of pressuring the PAVN forces in the valley. However, the valley continued to be used as staging area for attacks in northern South Vietnam. The US claimed that the month long operation accounted for 753 PAVN killed, four prisoners, 272 individual and 43 crew served weapons captured and more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition discovered. US losses were 113 killed. The ARVN killed 224 PAVN and captured one and 337 individual and 100 crew-served weapons. Operation Apache Snow resulted in a strategic victory for US and ARVN troops, but the abandonment of Hill 937 was a moral defeat that caused widespread outrage from US forces and the US public.

00.45 May 22th 1969

US 101^st Airborne Division Reinforcements, consisting of Company Foxtrot are shot down while trying to reach the valley and a rescue mission immediately begins.