The 23rd Division () of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)—the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the II Corps that oversaw the Central Highlands.
History In 1960 the 23rd Infantry Division was formed from the 15th Light Division and elements of the 16th Light Division.
1964 From 3 to 20 March Division commander Colonel Hoàng Xuân Lãm launched Operation Vi Dan 103 in southern Phú Yên province. After minimal consultation with his senior US military advisor, Lãm used three infantry and two ranger battalions, four artillery batteries, three Civil Guard companies, and two mechanized troops to first surround and then to penetrate the targeted area. Once inside, the penetration units broke down into companies and combed the area with patrols and ambushes. In addition to hunting the Vietcong (VC), the soldiers destroyed supplies and evacuated the Montagnard population. On two occasions, ARVN troops allowed a cornered enemy to escape. In one episode, the 21st Ranger Battalion reported that it had destroyed the VC when it had not even attacked him. The operation killed 24 VC, captured eight, and took in 31 suspects for the loss of six killed and 32 wounded.
From 23 July to 2 August the Division conducted Operation Vi Dan 109 in Phú Yên province resulting in 51 VC killed, two captured and 17 weapons captured for the loss of one ARVN killed.
On 19 August the Division sent two infantry battalions, one Ranger company, two Regional Forces companies and an armored cavalry troop into Phu Yen's Giang River Valley to look for an estimated 500 VC. The ARVN killed 56 VC and estimated it had inflicted 74 more casualties, while capturing nine prisoners and three weapons. ARVN losses were 18 killed and 45 wounded.
From 8 November to 31 December the 23rd Ranger Battalion, two battalions of the 44th Infantry, and territorial forces combed Phú Yên province. By year's end, they had killed 119 VC and captured 13 VC, 29 suspects, and 15 weapons. ARVN losses were 73 dead, 106 wounded, 43 missing, and 45 weapons lost.
1965 On 28 January the Division launched an operation to clear the VC held hamlet of Phu Lac, 14km southeast of Tuy Hòa. Two battalions of the 44th Infantry, the Division reconnaissance company, a troop of M113 armored personnel carriers and some territorials launched the attack but were stopped by VC fire. US and REpublidc of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) airstrikes followed and then US helicopters dropped CS powder on the VC positions. The ARVN delayed their advance allowing the CS to disperse and the VC to regroup and they held back seven successive assaults before evacuating by boat at nightfall. The following day the ARVN found 85 VC dead and captured six VC, two light machine guns, six individual weapons, and ten suspects. Civilians reported seeing 60 VC bodies being evacuated by sampans. ARVN losses were seven dead and 14 wounded.
On 3 September 1965 over 500 VC overran four hamlets in Nghĩa Hành district, Quảng Ngãi province. In reaction, the ARVN deployed three Regional Forces companies and five Popular Forces platoons north and south of the area, while the 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry, backed by a scout company and a platoon each of M113s and 105mm howitzers, advanced from east to west. The attack bogged down as troops tried to cross 700 meters of open ground. As reinforcements arrived, the VC withdrew into the northern blocking force where another fight occurred. The VC lost 79 killed and two captured, one 57mm recoilless rifle, three automatic rifles, and 18 other weapons. ARVN losses were 14 killed and 27 wounded.
On 29 July, as a show of force, United Front for the Liberation of Oppressed Races (FULRO) troops seized a Highland Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) border camp at Buon Brieng in Darlac Province, withdrawing several days later with 176 CIDG personnel. When elements of the division reoccupied the camp, and forced several hundred FULRO supporters to join local Regional Forces units, tensions increased further. In mid-December FULRO launched a series of coordinated attacks in the Highland Provinces of Quang Duc and Phu Bon, seizing a province headquarters and killing 32 ARVN troops before government forces, including an Airborne battalion flown in, restored order. The incidents were more a demonstration than a genuine revolt, and after the initial attacks, FULRO military activity subsided.
1966-1967 In 1966 the Division, which previously had only two infantry regiments, added a third regiment.
From 25 August 1966 to 1 December 1967 the Division's 44th Regiment participated in Operation Byrd with the US 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment in Bình Thuận Province, over the course of the operation the regiment lost 41 killed while total VC losses were 913 killed.
From 6 April to 11 October 1967 the division participated in Operation Francis Marion with the US 4th Infantry Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) base areas in Pleiku, Darlac and the Kon Tum Provinces. Total PAVN losses were 1600 killed.
1968 An assessment in early 1968 found that the Division, based in the remote interior, was regarded as a "backwater" and could not seem to attract good officers resulting in poor quality regimental and battalion-level commanders. General Vo Vanh Canh assumed command of the Division in 1968 after his predecessor was killed.
In mid-1968, encouraged by the apparent success of joint operations with the 22nd Division, I Field Force, Vietnam commander General William R. Peers ordered the US 4th Infantry Division to support the 24th Special Tactical Zone (with the three-battalion 42nd Infantry Regiment) and the Division in the Ban Me Thuot area. Peers also directed the organization of a Task Force South with two battalions of the 173rd Airborne Brigade "pairing up" these units with several Ranger battalions and the 44th and 53rd Regiments of the Division south of Bình Định. The success of the program varied greatly from unit to unit. In the interior Highlands the pair-off program of the US 4th Division was undeveloped as they remained focussed on large anti-guerrilla operations and while operations were conducted on a coordinated basis, they were rarely combined or integrated. In the coastal region, the programs of the 173rd and Task Force South were more effective.
On 20 August 1968 during the Phase III Offensive a battalion from the PAVN 24th Regiment assaulted a Division firebase on Highway 14 22 km north of Pleiku. The defenders repelled the assault killing 87 PAVN for the loss of 9 ARVN dead.
On 24 August 1968 the 2nd Battalion, 45th Regiment was flown into Duc Lap Camp to support the CIDG fighting the PAVN 66th Regiment in the Battle of Duc Lap. The 2nd Battalion together with three MIKE Force companies succeeded in repelling the PAVN assault killing over 700 PAVN.
On 8 September the division commander, Brigadier general Trương Quang Ân, his wife and an adviser and three U.S. crewmen were killed when their helicopter crashed near Duc Lap Camp.
1969-1971 In 1970 Brigadier general Gordon J. Duquemin, II Corps deputy senior adviser cited one battalion of the 53rd Regiment which "sat in Dalat during all of 1969 and killed only ten enemy while suffering just two of its members killed in action," a record, he pointed out, that "can hardly justify the cost of its existence." In the opinion of Duquemin, most South Vietnamese commanders "would rather avoid the enemy than ... fight him."
Battle of Kontum On 28 April 1972 during the Battle of Kontum the division's headquarters was moved 160 km from Ban Me Thuot to Kontum to take control of all ARVN forces defending the city. The 53rd Regiment was tasked with the defense of Kontum while the 2nd and 6th Ranger Groups were deployed north of the city on Route 14 to delay the PAVN advance. In early May the 45th and 46th Regiments arrived at Kontum replacing the 2nd and 6th Ranger Groups north of the city thus improving operational control of the defenses. By mid-May the 44th Regiment was located on Route 41 4 km northwest of Kontum, the 45th Regiment defended the north of the city and the 53rd Regiment on the northeast defended Kontum Airfield.
The PAVN attacked Kontum on the morning of 14 May without the heavy artillery preparation that had been used in their previous attacks. The PAVN 48th Regiment and 203rd Tank Regiment attacked the city from the northwest, the 28th Regiment came from the north and the 64th and 141st Regiments attacked from the south. The ARVN artillery began targeting the T-54 tanks moving down Route 14. This targeting separated the supporting PAVN infantry from their tanks and allowed the ARVN tank killers to do their work. Two T-54s were destroyed by teams with M72 LAWs. The sky was overcast and tactical air support was not able to operate, however, Hawk's Claw helicopters had arrived on the scene from Camp Holloway, their helicopters and Jeeps had BGM-71 TOW missiles, which were powerful enough to penetrate a T-54. They found the PAVN tanks before they could find cover in the jungle and destroyed two more tanks. By 09:00 the attack had been stopped. The PAVN continued their rocket and artillery fire throughout the day. Then at 20:00 on the 14th, the PAVN launched a second attack, putting heavy pressure on the north, west and south. There were two B-52 strikes scheduled and they were directed against PAVN forces pressuring the 44th Regiment. The PAVN forces pulled back having suffered hundreds of casualties in the strike. On 15 May the PAVN attack continued, but the 44th held its positions assisted by tactical air support.
On the night of 16 May the PAVN pushed the 53rd Regiment from its positions and the perimeter was partially penetrated. A new B-52 strike was requested for the base of the penetration while ARVN artillery continued heavy fire to hold PAVN forces in place as the 53rd Regiment withdrew from the impact zone. The strike was delivered on schedule with devastating results as PAVN forces had massed to break the perimeter defense. The attack had been stopped and numerous tanks destroyed. The strike was decisive and the three weakened PAVN divisions regrouped in the jungle surrounding Kontum.
During the next two weeks, the ARVN and PAVN forces tested each other. The division responded to artillery attacks with their own artillery or by calling in Hawk's Claw helicopter fire. B-52 sorties were again used, however the PAVN knew not to mass troops as they had while trying to break the perimeter defense. At 03:45 on 20 May, the 53rd Regiment was attacked by the first of three all-out assaults from the north. On the third attack the 53rd was pushed from their positions. Throughout that day the 53rd tried to regain their position but the PAVN was now dug in. The division's new senior adviser and Colonel Lý Tòng Bá decided to pull up nine M41 tanks and to direct all that fire to the PAVN position along with helicopter gunships. The front was restored. Three additional assaults were made in the early morning hours. Each was pushed back after fierce hand-to-hand combat.