Hill 55
Encyclopedia
Hill 55 or Nui Dat Son 15°55′15.73"N 108°9′23"E was a hill
southwest of Danang, Quang Nam Province
, Vietnam. The hill was located 3 km northeast of the confluence of the Yen, Ai Nghia and La Tho Rivers.
In the First Indochina War
, two battalions of the French forces were wiped out on Hill 55.
The hill was extensively mined by the Vietcong. As the hill was the dominant terrain feature in the area, the 9th Marines, supported by mine-clearing LVTE-1
s of the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion and engineers from the 3rd Engineer Battalion
took control of the hill, demined it and established a base there in late January/early February 1966. Captain Edward James Land
operated a sniper school on the hill. The 1st Battalion placed a 105 mm artillery battery there.
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
southwest of Danang, Quang Nam Province
Quang Nam Province
Quảng Nam is a province on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bordered by Thua Thien-Huế province to the north, the nation of Laos to the west, Kon Tum Province to the southwest, Quảng Ngãi Province to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east, and the city of Da Nang to the...
, Vietnam. The hill was located 3 km northeast of the confluence of the Yen, Ai Nghia and La Tho Rivers.
In the First Indochina War
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
, two battalions of the French forces were wiped out on Hill 55.
The hill was extensively mined by the Vietcong. As the hill was the dominant terrain feature in the area, the 9th Marines, supported by mine-clearing LVTE-1
LVT-5
The LVTP-5 was a family of amphibious armored fighting vehicles used by the United States Marine Corps. It was designed by the BorgWarner company and built by FMC along with a few other companies. It was first accepted into service in 1956...
s of the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion and engineers from the 3rd Engineer Battalion
3rd Combat Engineer Battalion
3rd Combat Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps. The unit is based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. The battalion began reactivation on 7 October 2007 and continues to build to full mission capability planned...
took control of the hill, demined it and established a base there in late January/early February 1966. Captain Edward James Land
Edward James Land
Edward James Land, Jr. or Jim Land is a retired Marine Corps Officer who was instrumental in starting the Marine Scout-Sniper program.Land was born in Lincoln Nebraska in 1935.-United States Marine Corps:...
operated a sniper school on the hill. The 1st Battalion placed a 105 mm artillery battery there.
External links
- "Small Unit Action in Vietnam Summer 1966" History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps (U.S. Marine Corps source)
- "SHARPSHOOTER EMPLOYMENT OFFICER" (U.S. Air Force source)
- "U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 4 Tom Cierley: Bulk Fueler Brings Bulk of Experience to Iraq" DefendAmerica News - Profile Article (U.S. military source)
- "CHAPTER 17 Artillery and Reconnaissance Artillery Operations, 1910-1971—Reconnaissance Operations, 1970-1971 Artillery Operations, 1970-1971" (Oklahoma State University)
- Operation Meade River: Marine Search-and-Destroy Cordon of the Vietnam War » HistoryNet - From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher
- "Vietnam Women's Memorial Dedicated before 25,000 - The Tech" ("The Tech" at MIT)