Lang Vei SF Basecamp

[SouthSaturnDelta]

Hi guys, wonder if anyone can offer some help with finding images of the base at Lang Vei before it was levelled by the NVA in Feb '68.

Heres what the net has to offer the weary researcher and its extemely limited.

I wonder if anyone has some pics they could post of the base itself and in particular of the TOC bunker tha was the strongpint during the fighting and only penetrated when an NVA armoured unit drove over it.

The only pics I can find of the TOC is during construction

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/3457/langveitocconstructionjuly67le0.jpg

A faded pic of the camp itself
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/480/langvei4yo7.jpg

And 1 of the TOC after the base was overun.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/6175/untitledet1.png


Here's a plan of the base layout
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/2203/langveibasesd4.jpg

I'd greatly appreciate any pics regarding the base at Lang Vei, and anything featuring the TOC Bunker in particular.


Cheers,

SSD

[Chauncey]

And I'mcurious too about the fence system on the base - was it a mix of wire, bunkers and dirt walls - or just wire and bunkers?

Thanks

[Atlantic Friend]

Lang Vei...Reminds me of Peter Straub's "The Throat" novel.

[SouthSaturnDelta]

Hmm, it would be interesting to find out if any images exist of the base both before and after the seige.There are a few paintings depicting the battle, but very little else.

Despite a valiant defence, and having neutralised most of the NVA armour, it was finally overrun and the TOC crushed.

IN the aftermath, remaining Law rockets were examined and found to be mostly defective, many neither firing or detonating.
Also the main heavy weapon there, the recoiless rifle , could not be operated at full capacity as the primary gunner was absent during the seige.
This Recoiless rifle had plenty of ammo, in fact they had more RR shells than everything else put together almost.

Despite a heroic defence where the CIDG forces , or BRU fought valiently despite the overwhelming armour and artillery attacks, the base fell.Unlike the ARVN forces they fought to the death refusing to surrender.

The NVA had a hard time capturing the TOC bunker,and it was only after one of the remaining PT-76 drove on top of it causing a cave in, did they finally overrun the base and seize it.
http://www.mmartltd.com/gallery/langvei.jpg (http://www.mmartltd.com/gallery/langvei.jpg)
Why did Giap commit 13 tanks and a regiment to take Lang Vei? Lang Vei was key terrain. It was strategically located along Highway 9, a vital stretch of the Ho Chi Minh trail and on the line of communication to Khe Sanh.
Giap had to destroy Lang Vei for two reasons:

~ It was an observation post along the Laotian border preventing unhindered infiltration of NVA units from Laos
~ Lang Vei's garrison provided flank security for Khe Sanh and could maneuver against an NVA attack on the Marine base.But the defenders of Lang Vei destroyed over half of the NVA armor force. NVA troop losses were much larger than expected, preventing them from concentrating an attack against the U.S. Marine combat base at Khe Sanh. The attrition of NVA units at Lang Vei caused a strategic shift in NVA troop deployments. Heavily attritted NVA units, which were engaged in combat at Lang Vei and around Khe Sanh, were later committed to Hue with little effect.