Book Review of
Into the Iron Triangle
Operation Attleboro & the Battles North of Saigon, 1966
Author: Arrigo Velicogna
Helion & Company, Asia@War Series no. 19
ISBN: 978-1-913336-26-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $29.95
ISBN: 978-1-913336-26-4
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $29.95
In early October 1966, the fresh and experienced 1960’s Light Infantry Brigade of the US Army was conducting a series of routine patrols in War Zone C. A lucky discovery of a rice cache led to the uncovering of a planned base area being established by the Viet Cong insurgents of South Vietnam (the National Liberation Front, or NLF) southeast of Tay Ninh City. What followed was named Operation ATTLEBORO.
Unbeknownst to the US and ARVN forces the NLF’s 9th Division was preparing to attack the brigade in its base, along with two AFVN positions near Tay Ninh. American moves spoiled the planned attack and initiated a prolonged battle that at its height would pit four regiments of the NLF and People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against 18 American and three ARVN battalions, supported by 24 artillery batteries and countless fixed wing and helicopter sorties, including 225 B-52 strikes. The battle would also draw in the 1st Infantry Division –the famed “Big Red One”- and the 25th Infantry Division. Both sides would claim victory , but the 9th Division would limp away towards Cambodia.
Attleboro was the largest American operation in the Vietnam War up to that date, the culmination of a year of bloody battles between the 9th Division and II Field Force Vietnam and would be a test for the campaign that General William Westmoreland had planned in 1967. It would also be a test of the different tactical approaches to be used in Vietnam: an “infantry-heavy” approach favored by the commander of the 196th , General Eduard H. DeSassure, and for the firepower-intensive approach championed by the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, Genera William DePuy.
“Into the Iron Triangle” is a detailed and richly illustrated , blow-by-blow account of a much overlooked major operation by the US armed forces – the story of which was lost amid the bulk of reporting focusing on the fighting for La Drang, Dak To and the Tet Offensive.
The book contains concise and insightful text, original photography and unique color artworks, examining conflict throughout Asia in the 20th Century and beyond.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Company Books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 80 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of 2 marines running to board one of 2 Bell UH-1B helicopters, over a color side profile of a F-100 Super-Sabre jet fighter.
There are 10 map illustrations included, 106 black and white photos and 15 color side profiles.
The black and white photos show troops from all sides of the conflict, including officers, tanks, aircraft, helicopters etc.
The color profiles show:
Two of the M48A1 90mm gun Patton tank
A M102 175mm self-propelled gun, with unit badge
Two of a M133, with unit badge
A Cessna L-19
A Martin B-57B Canberra
A Boeing B-52F-65-BW Stratofortress
A F-106 Super-Sabre
A Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter
Two of a Bell model 204 helicopter
A Bell UH-1B helicopter
A Bell UH-1H helicopter
Color illustrations of 3 South Vietnam soldiers including 2 unit badges.
This book will be of interest to both modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Books. All Helion titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
Unbeknownst to the US and ARVN forces the NLF’s 9th Division was preparing to attack the brigade in its base, along with two AFVN positions near Tay Ninh. American moves spoiled the planned attack and initiated a prolonged battle that at its height would pit four regiments of the NLF and People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against 18 American and three ARVN battalions, supported by 24 artillery batteries and countless fixed wing and helicopter sorties, including 225 B-52 strikes. The battle would also draw in the 1st Infantry Division –the famed “Big Red One”- and the 25th Infantry Division. Both sides would claim victory , but the 9th Division would limp away towards Cambodia.
Attleboro was the largest American operation in the Vietnam War up to that date, the culmination of a year of bloody battles between the 9th Division and II Field Force Vietnam and would be a test for the campaign that General William Westmoreland had planned in 1967. It would also be a test of the different tactical approaches to be used in Vietnam: an “infantry-heavy” approach favored by the commander of the 196th , General Eduard H. DeSassure, and for the firepower-intensive approach championed by the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, Genera William DePuy.
“Into the Iron Triangle” is a detailed and richly illustrated , blow-by-blow account of a much overlooked major operation by the US armed forces – the story of which was lost amid the bulk of reporting focusing on the fighting for La Drang, Dak To and the Tet Offensive.
The book contains concise and insightful text, original photography and unique color artworks, examining conflict throughout Asia in the 20th Century and beyond.
THE BOOK:
Helion & Company Books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 80 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of 2 marines running to board one of 2 Bell UH-1B helicopters, over a color side profile of a F-100 Super-Sabre jet fighter.
There are 10 map illustrations included, 106 black and white photos and 15 color side profiles.
The black and white photos show troops from all sides of the conflict, including officers, tanks, aircraft, helicopters etc.
The color profiles show:
Two of the M48A1 90mm gun Patton tank
A M102 175mm self-propelled gun, with unit badge
Two of a M133, with unit badge
A Cessna L-19
A Martin B-57B Canberra
A Boeing B-52F-65-BW Stratofortress
A F-106 Super-Sabre
A Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter
Two of a Bell model 204 helicopter
A Bell UH-1B helicopter
A Bell UH-1H helicopter
Color illustrations of 3 South Vietnam soldiers including 2 unit badges.
This book will be of interest to both modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Helion & Co. Books. All Helion titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
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