| 316th Division | |
|---|---|
 Victorious NVA soldiers at Dien Bien Phu | |
| Active | 1951-present |
| Allegiance |
 Vietnam |
| Branch | Vietnam People's Army |
| Role | Infantry |
| Engagements |
Battle of Mao Khe Operation Lorraine Battle of Dien Bien Phu Fall of Saigon |
| |||||
The 316th Division or Bông Lau Division (Vietnamese: Sư đoàn Bông Lau, literally: Silvergrass Division) was a division of the Vietnam People's Army which fought in many battles, including the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. One of the 6 original "Steel and Iron Divisions", it was created in the Spring of 1951 and consisted of some 10,000 to 15,000 men.[1] They received the Order of Ho Chi Minh in 1985.
Battles involved[]
First Indochina War[]
- Battle of Mao Khe[2]
- Operation Lorraine[2]
- Battle of Dien Bien Phu,[2] with commanding officer Colonel Lê Quang Ba[3]
- Many operations in Laos throughout the 1960s[1]
Later wars[]
- 1975: The division was the first to infiltrate the south after the Paris Peace Accords of 1973. It spearheaded Campaign 275 to take Ban Me Thuot.[4] It then participated in the Fall of Saigon, where it was part of the newly formed 3rd Corps. The commanding officer was Senior Colonel Dam Van Nguy[5]
- The 1979 invasion of Lao Cai by the Chinese[6]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Conboy, Kenneth (2012). The NVA and Viet Cong. Osprey Publishing. pp. 64. ISBN 9781780967660. http://books.google.be/books?id=hOSsf-DFnHEC&pg=PA6&dq=316+%22division%22+vietnam&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bV9lUZG9JIexOamUgLgN&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=snippet&q=316&f=false.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Davidson, Philip B. (1991). Vietnam at War: The History, 1946-1975. Oxford University Press. pp. 838. ISBN 9780195067927. http://books.google.be/books?id=seXWfsD46QQC&pg=PA150&dq=%22316th+division%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oFJlUce5E4PTPLHwgLAK&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22316th%20division%22&f=false.
- ↑ Lockhart, Bruce M. (2010). The A to Z of Vietnam. Scarecrow Press. p. 208. ISBN 9781461731924. http://books.google.be/books?id=MI6uMND_QN0C&pg=PA208&dq=%22316th+division%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KV5lUeS2JI7fPcvegcgJ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=%22316th%20division%22&f=false.
- ↑ Kenneth Conboy. "The NVA and Viet Cong". p. 17.
- ↑ Veith, Goerge J. (2012). Black April: The Fall of South Vietnam, 1973-75. Encounter Books. pp. 587. ISBN 9781594035722. http://books.google.be/books?id=OL3voJW0tUEC&pg=PA131&dq=%22316th+division%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oFJlUce5E4PTPLHwgLAK&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22316th%20division%22&f=false.
- ↑ O'dowd, Edward C. (2007). Chinese Military Strategy in the Third Indo-China War. Routledge. p. 62. ISBN 9780415414272. http://books.google.be/books?id=r1wE8uYS9cEC&pg=PA63&dq=%22316th+division%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oFJlUce5E4PTPLHwgLAK&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22316th%20division%22&f=false.
Further reading[]
- Vu, Lap (1986). Su Doan 316 Tap Hai. Hanoi: People's Army Publishing House.
The original article can be found at 316th Infantry Division and the edit history here.