There are two reasons for people to clash. First, because some people believe they have no other choice. A second reason is that it suits them.
During OPERATION STARLITE, the 1st V.C. Regiment lost 615 men, either as killed in action or detained as prisoners of war. Following the operation, the regiment needed a break. The Americans do not know how many of the remaining 886 men were wounded in action. They figured it was a substantial number. What the regiment needed was time for replacements and resupply. American Marines, however, were not well disposed to allow them to accomplish that. The Commanding General, III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF), decided to destroy the 1st V.C. Regiment.[1]
III MAF intelligence sources knew that remnants of the enemy regiment had withdrawn to the Batangan Peninsula, located eight miles south of Van Tuong. After consulting with his South Vietnamese counterpart, the Commanding General, I Corps Tactical Zone, General Chi,[2] Walt issued a warning order to the Commanding Officer, 7th Marine Regiment.[3]
In contrast with Operation Starlite, the planning and preparations for the new operation were unusually excessive. For several days, Navy and Marine Corps commanders traveled between Da Nang and Chu Lai to receive briefings from the III MAF staff. The Commander, Amphibious Ready Group, and Colonel Peatross coordinated their activities with the South Vietnamese. Operation Order 423-65 became Operation Piranha.
The concept of this operation was similar to that of Starlite.
Two Marine battalions (1/7 and 3/3) would embark with the U.S. Seventh Fleet, while another battalion (3/7) would conduct a vertical assault inside the objective area. The battalion commanders were Lieutenant Colonel Kelly, Lieutenant Colonel Muir, and Lieutenant Colonel Bodley.
Kelly would land 1/7 across White Beach, north of the Batangan Peninsula, and move south. Bodley’s air assault Marines would set up a blocking position some 4,000 meters inland. Muir’s battalion would serve as the regiment’s reserve force. Participating South Vietnamese battalions included the ARVN 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment, and the Vietnamese Marine Corps’ 3rd Battalion. Vietnamese Marines would conduct a vertical (helicopter) insertion south of Bodley’s battalion and conduct search and clear operations on the An Ky Peninsula, which was separated from Batangan by the Sa Ky River.
