| Campaign Toan Thang |
| 25 April - 10 May 1968 |
The 1st Australian Task Force joined this allied campaign when the US Headquarters III
Corps requested assistance to counter an expected Viet Cong offensive against Saigon and
the large military installations of Long Binh and Bien Hoa. W Company was placed under
operational control of of the Task Force Headquarters and was given the task of an
airmobile assault to secure Fire Support Base Hunt, then to co-ordinate its local defence.
The Task Force deployed into the area on 26 April but the offensive failed to eventuate. On
the 29 April and 1 May the Company conducted an APC mounted clearing operation of the
rubber plantation south-west of "Hunt", with little success.
As all was quiet, a new operation was planned for the Task Force to sweep south towards
Nui Dat but after only three days patrolling the US III Corps again asked for assistance and
all companies were air-lifted back north to Fire Support Base Anderson for ambushing on
likely approach routes to the Bien Hoa complex. After a further five days patrolling and
night ambushing outside Fire Support Base Anderson, with very few contacts, the battalion
returned to Nui Dat on 10 May, where the Company conducted local patrols and retraining.
From the 20th to 23rd of May W Company joined C Company to protect an engineer land
clearing operation near Ap Soui Nghe (Operation TOOLONG), then returned to Nui Dat for
the preparations for the departure of 2 RAR and the settling in period for 4 RAR. The
opportunity was also taken for many of the Company to take their seven days "R and R"
leave out of theatre.
Corps requested assistance to counter an expected Viet Cong offensive against Saigon and
the large military installations of Long Binh and Bien Hoa. W Company was placed under
operational control of of the Task Force Headquarters and was given the task of an
airmobile assault to secure Fire Support Base Hunt, then to co-ordinate its local defence.
The Task Force deployed into the area on 26 April but the offensive failed to eventuate. On
the 29 April and 1 May the Company conducted an APC mounted clearing operation of the
rubber plantation south-west of "Hunt", with little success.
As all was quiet, a new operation was planned for the Task Force to sweep south towards
Nui Dat but after only three days patrolling the US III Corps again asked for assistance and
all companies were air-lifted back north to Fire Support Base Anderson for ambushing on
likely approach routes to the Bien Hoa complex. After a further five days patrolling and
night ambushing outside Fire Support Base Anderson, with very few contacts, the battalion
returned to Nui Dat on 10 May, where the Company conducted local patrols and retraining.
From the 20th to 23rd of May W Company joined C Company to protect an engineer land
clearing operation near Ap Soui Nghe (Operation TOOLONG), then returned to Nui Dat for
the preparations for the departure of 2 RAR and the settling in period for 4 RAR. The
opportunity was also taken for many of the Company to take their seven days "R and R"
leave out of theatre.
