This article is a list of known military operations of the Vietnam War in 1965, conducted by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam, the United States and their allies.
| Date duration | Operation name | Unit(s) – description | Location | VC - PAVN KIAs | Allied KIAs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–72 | Operation Footboy[1] | MACVSOG covert operations in North Vietnam and North Vietnamese waters for the purpose of collecting intelligence, conducting psychological warfare operations, and other activities to create dissension among the populace, and for diversion of North Vietnamese resources | North Vietnam | |||
| Jan 5 | Unnamed[2] | Six-company CIDG and Special Forces A-114 and A-411 Detachments operation | ||||
| Feb 7–24 | Operation Flaming Dart[3] | Phase I (February 7): USAF reprisal bombing attacks against PAVN units and military barracks near Đồng Hới and the Demilitarized Zone. Phase II (February 11): USAF and RVNAF strike the Chanh Hoa and Vit Thu Lu barracks, respectively, in North Vietnam. | 8 | |||
| Mar 2 – Nov 1 1968 | Operation Rolling Thunder[4] | USAF, U.S. Navy and RVNAF sustained and escalating bombing campaign of North Vietnam to destroy military infrastructure, interdict supply routes and undermine the North's willingness to continue the war | North Vietnam | 20,000 est. | 835 | |
| Mar 11 – 1972 | Operation Market Time[5] | Combined U.S. Navy and South Vietnamese Navy effort to stop the flow of supplies from North Vietnam into South Vietnam | South China Sea | |||
| Mar 31 | Operation Quyet Thang 512[6] | ARVN 5th Airborne Battalion, MAG-16, HMM-163 and HMM-162 air assault | 2 US | |||
| Apr 3 – Nov 11 1968 | Operation Steel Tiger[7] (part of Operation Barrell Roll) | U.S. 2nd Air Division aerial interdiction effort targeted against the infiltration of NVA men and material moving south from North Vietnam | ||||
| May 31 – Jun 3 | Unnamed[8] | 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team first brigade sized operation in Vietnam, a series of airmobile assaults | 7 | |||
| Jun 18 – Aug 15 1973 | Operation Arc Light[9] | B-52 Stratofortress bombing campaign against communist base areas | throughout South Vietnam | |||
| Jun 27–30 | Unnamed[10] | |||||
| Jul 6–9 | 173rd Airborne Brigade operation | |||||
| Jul 6–10 | Unnamed[11] | |||||
| Jul 8 – Aug 19 | Operation Than Phong II[12] | 349 | ||||
| Jul 28 | 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, ARVN 51st Regiment and VNMC 3rd Battalion first combined land operation in the war | |||||
| Jul 28 – Aug 2 | ||||||
| Aug 2 -3 | 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and ARVN 4th Regiment first search and clear operation in Cam Ne village. The operation was filmed by a CBS news crew who showed the Marines setting fire to Vietnamese huts with their Zippo lighters | 7 | ||||
| Aug 3 | Operation Dan Thang 5[13] | Pleiku Province | ||||
| Aug 4–5 | USMC search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 6–7 | 4th Marines and ARVN 51st Regiment joint search and destroy operation against the 1st VC Regiment | south of the Tra Bong River | ||||
| Aug 7–11 | 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 7–11 | 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 10–11 | USMC search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 10–21 | Unnamed[14] | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division operation | ||||
| Aug 11 – Sep 8 | Operation Barracuda[15] | 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, the newly arrived 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry search and destroy operation | 25 | |||
| Aug 12 | 3rd Marines search and destroy mission | 2 | ||||
| Aug 16–17 | Search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 17–24 | 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines and 3rd Battalion 7th Marines operation | 700 | 242 | |||
| Aug 19–22 | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division and 5th Special Forces Group search and destroy operation | |||||
| Aug 25 – Oct 1 | 692 | 21 | ||||
| Aug 25 – Sep 10 | Operation Quin Thang 165[16] | ARVN road clearing operation. 21st TASS FACs from Qui Nhơn directed fifty A-1E strikes, four F-100 strikes and one B-57 strike, against constant ground fire, ambushes and automatic weapons fire for sixteen days. | ||||
| Aug 28 – Sep 3 | ARVN II Corps operation to open Route 21 to Ban Me Thuot from Nha Trang. One hundred and thirteen air strikes were conducted by the USAF, Navy and Marines. | |||||
| Sep 1 | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation | |||||
| Sep 1 | Unnamed | 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry and supporting elements operation | ||||
| Sep 4 | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne operation | |||||
| Sep 5–7 | 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation | 26 | ||||
| Sep 6–9 | ARVN II Corps operation | |||||
| Sep 7 | ||||||
| Sep 7–10 | BLT 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines and 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and ARVN 2d Battalion, 4th Regiment and 3rd Vietnamese Marine Battalion operations on the Batangan Peninsula and An Ky Peninsula aimed at the remnants of the 1st VC Regiment and to counter seaborne infiltration | Batangan and An Ky Peninsulas | 183 | 2 Marines, 5 ARVN | ||
| Sep 7 - Oct 8 | Operation BIG RED[17] | |||||
| Sep 9 | ||||||
| Sep 10 | ARVN II Corps operation | |||||
| Sep 10–11 | US search and destroy operation | |||||
| Sep 13–14 | US search and destroy operation | |||||
| Sep 14–28 | Unnamed | 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team search and destroy operation | 46 | |||
| Sep 14–28 | 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Sep 18–22 | Operation Gibraltar[18] | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1st Cavalry Division and ARVN operation | ||||
| Sep 21 – 1968 | A series of cross-border reconnaissance and intelligence operations conducted by mixed Special Forces and Montagnard teams to counter PAVN infiltration through Laos into South Vietnam, perform bomb damage assessment, and control airstrikes. Shining Brass was renamed Prairie Fire in 1968 and finally Phu Dung on 8 April 1971 | eastern Laos | ||||
| Sep 22 – Oct 19 | ||||||
| Sep 26–27 | USMC search and destroy operation | |||||
| Sep 28 – Nov 13 | ||||||
| Sep 29 – Oct 25 | 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy and area security operation | |||||
| Oct | ARVN rice harvest operation | |||||
| Oct | 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 1 | 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 1–9 | 3/1 Cavalry security operation | |||||
| Oct 1 – Nov 13 | ||||||
| Oct 2–4 | 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 4–6 | 173rd Airborne Brigade search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 4–25 | 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy and security operation | Biên Hòa and Bình Dương Provinces | 12 | |||
| Oct 8–14 | 1st and 2nd Battalion, 503rd Airborne Regiment and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment search and destroy operation following one of the first B-52 strikes of the war | 8 | ||||
| Oct 9 – Nov 1 | ||||||
| Oct 10–14 | 3/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 10–12 | ||||||
| Oct 10–31 | 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment pacification operation | |||||
| Oct 13 | 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 14 | 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 14–17 | 1/1 Cavalry route and area security operation | |||||
| Oct 15 | 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy and security operation | |||||
| Oct 16 | 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 16 | 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 16 – Nov 1 | ||||||
| Oct 17 | 3rd Brigade 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 18–19 | 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 18–24 | 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion reconnaissance operation | |||||
| Oct 18–24 | 2/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 19 | 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 19 | 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 20 – Nov 7 | ||||||
| Oct 21–27 | 173rd Airborne Brigade clear and secure operation | |||||
| Oct 21–29 | Operation Dan Thang 21[19] | 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment operation | 317 | 11 | ||
| Oct 22–25 | 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines and 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and two ARVN Battalions, one ARVN Ranger Battalion, and four Regional Force/Popular Force companies operation | 7 | ||||
| Oct 23–26 | 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 23 – Nov 20 | Operation Silver Bayonet[20] | 1st Cavalry Division and a large ARVN force combined operation to seek out and destroy the NVA 320th, 33rd, and 66th regiments concentrated in western Pleiku | 1,771 | 240 | ||
| Oct 24 | 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 24 – Nov 26 | 1/1 Cavalry operation | |||||
| Oct 24 – Nov 26 | 1/1 Cavalry (Operation All The Way), 2/1 Cavalry (Operation Silver Bayonet II) and 3/1 Cavalry (Operation Silver Bayonet I) search and destroy operation and relief of Plei Me CIDG camp | |||||
| Oct 26 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 27 | 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 28–29 | 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Oct 29–31 | 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment ARVN 2nd Division operation against the VC Do Xa base area | |||||
| Nov 1 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 1–2 | Operation Quyet Thang 172[21] | ARVN 22nd Division, 1st Aviation Battalion, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 119th Aviation and the Marine Helicopter Squadron from Qui Nhơn operation to secure the rice rich Tuy Hòa Valley | ||||
| Nov 1–20 | 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 1 – Dec 8 | 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment and 1st and 2nd Battalions, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | 18 | ||||
| Nov 1 – Jan 17 1966 | 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment and 1st and 2nd Battalions, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 2 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 3–5 | 1st Battalion, 7th Marines and 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and 4th Regiment ARVN 2nd Division search and destroy operation. Correspondent Dickey Chapelle was killed by a mine booby-trap on this operation. | 2 | 1 Marine, 1 correspondent | |||
| Nov 3–8 | 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | Biên Hòa and Long Khánh Provinces | ||||
| Nov 5–9 | 173rd Airborne Brigade and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment operation | 416 | 48 US 2 Australian | |||
| Nov 7 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 7–10 | BLT 2nd Battalion 7th Marines, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, VNMC amphibious operation | 25 | 2 | |||
| Nov 8 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 8–14 | ROK 2nd Marine Brigade operation | |||||
| Nov 10–13 | 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 10–15 | ||||||
| Nov 14–15 | 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 14–22 | Operation Bushmaster I | 3rd Brigade 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | 245 | |||
| Nov 15 | 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and 10th Division rice harvest security | Bien Hoa and Binh Tuy Provinces | ||||
| Nov 15–16 | 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 16–19 | 25 | 2 ARVN | ||||
| Nov 18 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division security operation | |||||
| Nov 20 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division security operation | |||||
| Nov 20–26 | 2/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 22 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division security operation | |||||
| Nov 22–24 | 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 3rd VNMC Battalion and ARVN 11th and 37th Ranger Battalions operation | |||||
| Nov 22–25 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 27 | 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 28 – Dec 9 | Operation Bushmaster II[22] | 3rd Brigade 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | 318 | 44 | ||
| Nov 28 – Dec 16 | 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Nov 30 – Dec 1 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 3–7 | 2/1 Cavalry and 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 6 | 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment reconnaissance operation | |||||
| Dec 6 | 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 6–9 | 1/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 7–18 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 8 – Nov 11 1968 | U.S. 2nd Air Division operation to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the lower portion of the Laotian panhandle, from Route 9 west of the DMZ, south to the Cambodian border and to reduce North Vietnamese infiltration down the trail into South Vietnam | Southeastern Laos | ||||
| Dec 9–15 | 1/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 9–16 | 1st Brigade 101st Airborne Division search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 9–20 | 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, L and E Companies 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, and G Company 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines and 3rd Battalion, 1st ARVN Regiment, 1st Battalion, 5th ARVN Regiment, 1st Battalion, 6th ARVN Regiment and ARVN 11th Ranger Battalion operation | 408 | 45 US 90 ARVN | |||
| Dec 9–20 | 75 | 11 | ||||
| Dec 10–14 | 2/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 10–22 | 1/1 Cavalry security operation | Pleiku and Kon Tum Provinces | ||||
| Dec 11 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 14–16 | 2/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 14 – Jan 17 1966 | 2nd Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | 18 | ||||
| Dec 16–19 | 3/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | 1,400 | ||||
| Dec 17 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment reconnaissance operation | |||||
| Dec 17 | 1st Cavalry Division search and destroy operation | Khánh Hòa, Tuyen Doc and Ninh Thuận Provinces | ||||
| Dec 17–20 | 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 17–21 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division road clearing and security operation | |||||
| Dec 17–22 | 173rd Airborne Brigade and 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division search and destroy operation | 73 | ||||
| Dec 18 – 1972 | Operation Game Warden[23] | 1000 | 39 | |||
| Dec 19–20 | 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 19–22 | 3/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 23–26 | Bình Định, Kon Tum and Pleiku Provinces | |||||
| Dec 23 – Jan 23 66 | ||||||
| Dec 27 | 1st Battalion, 4th Marines search and destroy operation | Hoa Xuan island | ||||
| Dec 27–31 | 3/1 Cavalry search and destroy operation | |||||
| Dec 28–30 | Operation Take Out | 2nd Battalion, 327th Airborne Infantry Regiment recovery of US remains from a crashed AC-47 Spooky serial number 43-49492 | ||||
| Dec 31 | ||||||
| Dec 31 – Jan 13 1966 | Operation Matador I[24] | 2/1 Cavalry security and defence operation | Bình Định, Kon Tum and Pleiku Provinces |