Landing Zone Peanuts Explained

Landing Zone Peanuts
Type:Army
Built:1968
Used:1968
Condition:abandoned
Occupants:1st Cavalry Division
Battles:
Vietnam War

Landing Zone Peanuts is a former U.S. Army base in northwest Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam.

History

The base was located approximately 5 km southwest of Khe Sanh Combat Base and 4 km north of Lang Vei.[1] It was originally established by the 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Pegasus, the relief of Khe Sanh.

Companies A and B, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment and Company A, 1st Battalion, 77th Artillery Regiment were located at the base in early May 1968. On 4 May the base came under 120 mm mortar and 122 mm rocket fire. At approximately 16:30 three 122 mm rockets impacted among approximately 2000 rounds of 105 mm ammunition that had been delivered just prior to the attack. The resultant fire and explosions, coupled with a direct hit on a 105 mm gun section rendered one gun inoperational while the other two guns continued to function despite ammunition Cooking off. In the early morning of 5 May 1968 the base again received incoming 120 mm mortar rounds and B-40 rockets followed by a sapper attack. The attack was repelled with 32 People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) soldiers killed inside the defensive wire. Due to its losses in both equipment and personnel, later on 5 May Company A 1/77th was extracted and repositioned at LZ Jane.[2] Eleven US soldiers were killed in the 5 May attack.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kelley, Michael. Where we were in Vietnam. Hellgate Press. 2002. 978-1555716257. 387.
  2. Web site: Operational Report - Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 1st Air Cavalry Division Artillery, Period Ending 31 July 1968. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202042341/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/393815.pdf. dead. February 2, 2017. Department of the Army. 5 November 1968. 21 November 2018. 5.