The Barrier Minefield
Posted by Paul Rowe 2015, Vietnam.
"History, in regards to the barrier minefield, is no more than a portrayal of follies, tragedies, and thankfully some very necessary heroics." Paul Rowe 2015
The above quote is my spin on a quote by Voltaire.
The Barrier Minefield page is an on-going article. It was used as a reference and resources page for Validation with the International Guild of Battlefield Guides.
If you have an interest in the barrier minefield, and would like to contribute something towards this article, please contact me via the 'Contact Paul' form on this page. Thank you.
If you have an interest in the barrier minefield, and would like to contribute something towards this article, please contact me via the 'Contact Paul' form on this page. Thank you.
The Barrier Minefield - the BOOK
An excellent reference book is The Minefield:An Australian tragedy in Vietnam by Greg Lockhart.
This is my first article on this website about the America War. I have written many stories for this history website and have never once mentioned the America War. That might seem strange to some, because as soon as some people think of Viet Nam they think of a war. They make the mistake of thinking that Viet Nam is a war. Viet Nam is actually a country, not a war.
So for years I have been writing histories from and about the country, Viet Nam. Viet Nam's three and a half thousand year history has far more to offer than just the America War, which barely shows up as a blip on a timeline of Viet Nam's history.
So why start writing about the America War now, and why start with the Barrier Minefield?
That's easy. The remnants of the Barrier Minefield are in my backyard, and across the years I have grown interested in this topic.
The sad, real story of the Australian's attempt to build a barrier minefield in the province they were responsible for during the Vietnam War, holds a wealth of sub stories about both the Aussies and their then enemies. Over time the same story has become a metaphor for how ignorant and arrogant outsiders are about this part of the world. On a bigger scale, the same story is a metaphor for the folly of any war.
So for years I have been writing histories from and about the country, Viet Nam. Viet Nam's three and a half thousand year history has far more to offer than just the America War, which barely shows up as a blip on a timeline of Viet Nam's history.
So why start writing about the America War now, and why start with the Barrier Minefield?
That's easy. The remnants of the Barrier Minefield are in my backyard, and across the years I have grown interested in this topic.
The sad, real story of the Australian's attempt to build a barrier minefield in the province they were responsible for during the Vietnam War, holds a wealth of sub stories about both the Aussies and their then enemies. Over time the same story has become a metaphor for how ignorant and arrogant outsiders are about this part of the world. On a bigger scale, the same story is a metaphor for the folly of any war.
The following timelines are my attempt to simplify the events as they happened, and to show how quickly a mistake can turn to tragedy.
The Barrier Minefield - the TIMELINE pdf
timeline_of_an_australian_tragedy_vertical.pdf | |
File Size: | 54 kb |
File Type: |
The Barrier Minefield - the TIMELINE slideshow
The Battle of Long Tan triggered this disaster.
Brigadier Graham:
Brigadier Graham:
- made the mistake of thinking his enemy were going to stay north of his 'fence' (the Barrier Minefield), and away from Nui Dat base. His enemy was actually living all around him.
- built an unguarded 11 kilometre minefield.
- positioned the minefield next to Dat Do village, an historically famous resistance village.
- laid 20,000+ M16 mines (some with a bonus hand grenade) at the foothills of the Long Hai mountains, the home of the Minh Dam Secret Zone.
- did not appear to realize that his enemies in the district were seasoned guerilla soldiers. They quickly stole the mines and used them against the Aussies.
The Barrier Minefield - the BIG PICTURE
The outcome of the Battle of Long Tan was the decimation of Battalion D445 numbers. It would have taken years for D445 to rebuild with experienced troops. This should have given the advantage to the Australians.
The outcome of the Barrier Minefield was that Australia's enemy now had high quality mines to use against the Australians. They did not need large numbers of well trained soldiers to do this.
In summary:
The excellent soldiering and the sacrifices at the Battle of Long Tan were negated by the decision to build the Barrier Minefield.
It must be mentioned, that Graham built the minefield in spite the advise NOT TO BUILD by his experienced engineers.
The outcome of the Barrier Minefield was that Australia's enemy now had high quality mines to use against the Australians. They did not need large numbers of well trained soldiers to do this.
In summary:
The excellent soldiering and the sacrifices at the Battle of Long Tan were negated by the decision to build the Barrier Minefield.
It must be mentioned, that Graham built the minefield in spite the advise NOT TO BUILD by his experienced engineers.
The Barrier Minefield - the MAP
Google Earth is helpful in giving a geographical perspective of the area.
As mentioned earlier, this page is an on-going project. The following titles will give you an idea of what I am currently working on. Don't forget you can also contribute to this article - [email protected]
The Barrier Minefield - the PERSONAL STORIES
The Barrier Minefield - the PICTURES
Vung Tau and Vietnam History