Lam Son 719: The RVN/US Invasion of Laos, 1971
v.1.0 February 3, 2002

Ravi Rikhye

My single purpose in writing this orbat was simply to note that, despite public belief to the contrary, the helicopter can be a highly survivable weapon in an high-intensity environment.  Lam Son 719 was widely portrayed in the press as a failure for US helicopter forces because of the helicopter losses.  In fact, the loss rate ran to approximately 7 per 10,000 sorties, astonishingly low considering the power and skill of NVA flak, and that the helicopters had to operate right on top of the enemy, particularly the OH-6s, UH-1s, and AH-1s. This was no standoff battle such as Afghanistan 2001, but a dogfight where helicopters and enemy gunners slugged it out at ranges from tens to hundreds of meters, the helicopter equivalent of close-quarter combat.

To be sure, the destroyed plus damaged rate came to 45 per 10,000 sorties, but the majority of the helicopters were economically repairable. In terms of losses, consider that the USAF lost seven aircraft for 9114 sorties, a rate of 8 per 10,000, and no one has alleged that Lam Son 719 was a disaster for tacair.

For the failure of Lam Son 719 critics must look elsewhere.  The operation was an outstanding mess-up in a war marked by spectacular mess-ups. No shortage of reasons exists. The supposed vulnerability of helicopters is not one.

Unlike other historical Vietnam orbats, I have not provided an analysis of the events. The US approach to the Vietnam War was wrong from start to finish, be it command, organization, logistics, training, intelligence, strategy, tactics, integration of military objectives into political ones, and so on for a dozen major and a hundred minor causes. No where was this more evident than in the tragedy that was Lam Son 719. The operation was immense, the mishaps many; doing justice to the story requires a knowledge greater than I possess.

I welcome anyone who would like to discuss the operation itself, though I remain acutely aware that most people qualified to write about the Vietnam War find it too emotionally difficult a subject to approach objectively and dispassionately.

Source for data: members.tripod.com/~doanket/lamso719/vsc-lamson1.html

TASK ORGANIZATION, ARVN I CORPS FOR LAM SON 719

HQ I Corps

I Corps Arty

64th Arty Bn

1st ALC I Corps

71st Med Gp

I Corps Sig Bn

1st MP Bn

111th Trans Co

116th Trans Co

118th Trans Co

1st Armored Bde

7th ACS

11th ACS

17th ACS

4th ACS (Prov) (OPCON) (D+40)

lst/3d Armored Cav

lst/8th Armored Cav

1st Ranger Gp (+)

21st Rngr Bn

37th Rngr Bn

39th Rngr Bn

77th Rngr Border Defense Bn

3d Co 79th Rngr Border Defense Bn

10th Engr Gp

101st Engr Bn (OPCON to Abn Div)

102d Engr Bn

118th Engr LC Co

1st Inf Div

1st Inf Div Arty

48th Arty Bn (-)

§         B/11 (105)

§         B/48 (155)

§         C/10 (155)

o        14th Arty Bn (-)

§         A/48 (155)

o        62d Arty Bn

§         A/62 (105)

§         B/14 (105)

§         C/48 (155)

o        11th Arty Bn (-)

§         C/11 (105)

§         A/10 (155)

·         1st Engr Bn

·         1st Med Bn

·         1st Sig Bn

·         1st Log Bn

·         1st Regt

o        1st Bn, 1st Inf Regt

o        2d Bn, 1st Inf Regt

o        3d Bn, 1st Inf Regt

o        4th Bn, 1st Inf Regt

 

·         2d Regt

o        1st Bn, 2d Inf Regt (OPCON 54th Regt D+53 to D+68)

o        2d Bn, 2d Inf Regt

o        3d Bn, 2d Inf Regt

o        4th Bn, 2d Inf Regt

o        5th Bn, 2d Inf Regt

 

·         3d Regt

o        1st Bn, 3d Inf Regt

o        2d Bn, 3d Inf Regt

o        3d Bn, 3d Inf Regt

o        4th Bn, 3d Inf Regt

 

·         54th Inf Regt

o        1st Bn, 54th Regt

o        2d Bn, 54th Regt

o        4th Bn, 54th Regt

Abn Div (+) (OPCON)

·         Abn Div Arty (-)

o        44th Arty Bn (155)

 

·         1st Abn Med Bn

·         1st Abn Service Bn

·         1st Abn Signal Bn

·         1st Abn Bde

o        1st Abn Bn

o        8th Abn Bn

o        9th Abn Bn

o        1st Arty Bn

 

·         2d Abn Bde

o        5th Abn Bn

o        7th Abn Bn

o        11th Abn Bn

o        2d Arty Bn

 

·         Abn Bde

o        2d Abn Bn

o        3d Abn Bn

o        6th Abn Bn

o        3d Arty Bn

 

Marine Division (OPCON)

·         Hq Bn

·         Service Bn

·         Medical Bn

·         A Btry, 48th Arty Bn (-) (155)

·         147th Bde (D+1)

o        2d Inf Bn

o        4th Inf Bn

o        7th Inf Bn

o        2d Arty Bn

o        C Btry, 20th Arty Bn (155)

 

·         258th Bde

o        1st Inf Bn

o        3d Inf Bn

o        8th Inf Bn

o        3d Arty Bn

o        D Btry, 48th Arty Bn (-) (155)

 

·         369th Bde (D+32)

o        5th Inf Bn

o        6th Inf Bn

o        9th Inf Bri

o        1st Arty Bn

5th Inf Regt, 2d Inf Div

1st Bn, 5th Inf Regt

2d Bn, 5th Inf Regt

 

TASK ORGANIZATION, US XXIV CORPS FOR LAM SON 719

 

HQ XXIV Corps

·         108th Arty Gp

o        8^th   Bn 14th Arty

o        2d Bn, 94th Arty

o        1st Bn, 39th Arty (-) (D+30)

o        1st Bn, 44th Arty AWSP (-)

·         45th Engr Gp (OPCON D-13 to D+23)

o        14th Engr En (CBT)

§         630th Engr Co (LW)

§         511th Engr Co (PB)

§         59th Engr Co (-) (LC)

o        27th Engr En (CBT) (-)

§         59lst Engr Co (LE)

 

·         504th MP Bn (-)

o        300th MP Co (OPCON)

 

·         212th CAB

o        13lst Surv Aerial Co

o        220th Recon Airplane Co

 

101st Abn Div (Ambl) (-)

·         101st Abn Div Arty (-)

o        2d Bn (Ambi) 11th Arty

o        2d Bn (Ambi) 319th Arty

o        4th Bn, 77th AFA (Ambl)

 

• Co B, 326th Engr Bn (Ambl)

 

·                     1st Bde, 101st Abn Div (Ambl) (Res)

·                     3d Bde, 101st Abn Div (Ambl) (D+30 to D+67)

o                                1st Bn, 501st Abn Inf (D+25 to D+67)

o                                2d Bn, 502 Abn Inf (OPCON 3d Bde, 101st Abn Div) (D+26 to D+67)

o                                1st Bn, 506th Abn Inf (D+47 to D+67)

o                                2d Bn, 327th Abn Inf (D+29 to D+48)

 

·                     TF 326th (-) (OPCON) (D-1 to D+67)

o                                Co A, 326th Engr Bn (Ambl) (+)

o                                59th EOD Det (-)

101st Combat Aviation Group

• 101st Avn Bn (AH) (Ambl)(D-1 to D+67)
• 158th Avn Bn (AH) (Ambl)(D-1 to D+67)
• 159th Avn bn (AH) (Ambl)(D-1 to D+67)
• 5th Trans Bn (D-l to D+67)
• 14th Avn Bn (OPCON) D+2 to D+63)
• 71st AHC (D+25 to D+59)
• 116th AHC (D+34 to D+36 & D+50 to D+53)
• 174th AHC (D+25 to D+67)
• 132d ASHC (D+25 to D+63)

223d Avn Bn HHC (OPCON) (D+2 to D+67)

• 48th AHC (D+2 to D+67)
• 173d AHC (D+2 to D+67)
• 282d AHC (D+34 to D+36 & D+50 to D+51)
• 235th AWC (D+38 to D+56)
• 238th AWC (D+2 to D+56)
• D/227th AWC (D+28 to D+66)
• 179th ASHC (D+23 to D+66)
• 756th Med

2d Sqdn (Ambl), 17th Air Cav

C/7/17 Cav Sqdn (OPCON)

B/7/1 Cav Sqdn (OPCON)

67th Med Gp

237th Med Det

571st Med Det

34th Can Spt Gp (-)

34th Avn Det (DS)

34th Co Spt Gp (AM&S)

58th Trans Bn

610th SG Trans Co

14 2d DS Trans Co

263d GS Avel Co

MHHS 463d, 1st MAW (OPCON D+1)

1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Mech) (+) (OPCON 101st Abn Div (Ambl) D+32 to D+67)

·         1st Bn, 11th Inf (Mech)

·         3d Bn, 187th Abn Inf, 101st Abn Div (OPCON D-1 to D+67)

·         1st Bn, 61st Inf (Mech) (OPCON 101st Abn Div (Ambl) D+26 to D+31 and D+57 to D+67) (11th Bde, 23d Div D+32 to D+56)

·         3d Sqdn, 5th Cav

·         1st Bn, 77th Armor

·         5th Bn, 4th Arty (DS)

·         1st Bn, 82d Arty (-) 23d Div (Atch) (DS) (D-1)

·         Co A, 4th Bn, 12th Armor

·         Co A, 7th Engr

·         Co P, 75th Ranger

·         298th Sign Co

·         Co B, 23d Med Bn, 23d Div (OPCON D+31 to D+48)

·         75th Support Bn

·         Trp F, 8th Cav (OPCON D+2 to D+67)

11th Bde, 23d Inf Div (OPCON 101st Abn Div (Ambl) D+32 to D+66)

·         1st Sqdn, 1st Cav (OPCON 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Mech) D-1 to D+56) (OPCON 101st Abn Div (Ambl D+67)

·         2d Bn, 1st Inf (D+21)

·         4th Bn, 3d Inf, 23d Inf Div (OPCON 1st Bde, 5th Inf Div (Mech) D-1 to D+56)

·         H Troop, 17th Cav

·         Co C, 26th Engr Bn

·         6th Bn, 11th Arty (-)

o        Btry C, 1st Bn, 82d Arty

o        Btry C, 6th Bn, 11th Arty

o        Btry A, 3d Bn, 82d Arty

·         11th Spt En (Prov)

Hq, USASUPCOM - DNG

·         26th GSG

o        8th Trans Gp

§         39th Trans Bn

§         57th Trans Bn

§         Co C, 11th Motor Trans En (+)

o        2d Maint Bn

o        63d Maint Bn

o        FSA Maint Bn

o        FSA 26-1

o        FSA 26-