PT-76 North Vietnamese 198th Tank Battalion

PT-76 with Sappers VPA (Combat Models 28mm)

For Vietnam People's Army (VPA) commanders, the creation of an independent armored force command represented a significant milestone in the development of their army, because it enabled them to respond to the circumstances on the battlefield with a modern armored force.

PT-76 with Vietcong support (Combat Models 28mm)

To prepare for their upcoming mission, the 203rd Armored Regiment undertook a series of combined-arms training with infantry and artillery units in different types of terrain, in order to operate in Vietnam’s rough mountainous and jungle conditions. On 5 August 1967, the Ministry of Defense ordered the 203rd Armored Regiment to form a sub-unit, namely the 198th Tank Battalion equipped with 22 PT-76 Amphibious Tanks, to bolster the strength of the 304th Division in South Vietnam.

PT-76 North Vietnamese 198th Tank Battalion

From their base in Luong Son, Hòa Bình Province, the 198th Tank Battalion began their arduous 1.350 kilometers (840 mi) journey down the Ho Chi Minh Trail under constant US air-strikes. In January 1968, the 198th Tank Battalion arrived on the field where it joined the 304th Division for an attack on the Laotian outpost of Ban Houe Sane.

PT-76 North Vietnamese Company

 The North Vietnamese 304th Division had assembled on the battlefield, reinforced by the 198th Tank Battalion, with the following orders: the 66th Regiment was given the task of capturing Khe Sanh village, part of Huong Hoa District, to begin their Route 9 - Khe Sanh Campaign; the 24th Regiment was ordered to destroy the enemy strongholds of Ban Houei Sane and Lang Vei...

PT-76 VPA Company

...the first successful action of NVA armor was against US Special Forces!

PT-76 VPA Sappers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 Khe Sanh: The Other Side Of The Hill

Scenography: Club Landwehr