Firebase Pedro
| Firebase Pedro | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 16°42′36″N 107°06′22″E / 16.71°N 107.106°E |
| Type | Army/Marines |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1968 |
| In use | 1968–1972 |
| Battles/wars |  Vietnam War Easter Offensive |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Vietnamese Marine Corps |
Firebase Pedro (also known as Landing Zone Pedro) is a former U.S. Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) firebase southwest of Quảng Trị in central Vietnam.
History[edit]
The base was established on Route 557 approximately 5 km southwest of the Quảng Trị.[1]
Landing Zone Pedro was first established by the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment in January 1968 for use during Operation Pegasus.
1972[edit]
By January 1972 the ARVN 3rd Division had assumed responsibility for the area north of Highway 9.[2] Pedro was occupied by the Vietnamese Marine Corps (VNMC) 1st Marine Battalion.[2]: 66
The PAVN launched their Easter Offensive on 30 March 1972 and PAVN artillery fire hit all the ARVN and Marine positions along the DMZ.[2]: 38 On 5 April the VNMC 1st Battalion was withdrawn to Ái Tử Combat Base and replaced with the VNMC 6th battalion.[2]: 67 At dawn on 9 April the PAVN launched an attack, led by tanks, against Pedro. The PAVN tanks had outrun their infantry support and 9 tanks were lost in a minefield around Pedro. An armored task force of 8 M48s and 12 M113s from the ARVN 20th Tank Battalion were despatched from Ái Tử to support the Marines at Pedro. At the same time a flight of Vietnamese Air Force Douglas A-1 Skyraiders arrived overhead and destroyed 5 tanks.[2]: 68–9 When the ARVN armor arrived they destroyed five T-54s for no losses and drove one captured T-54 back to Ái Tử. On 10 and 11 April further PAVN attacks on Pedro were repulsed at a cost of over 200 PAVN estimated killed.[2]: 70
At 02:00 on 29 April the PAVN attacked the ARVN positions north and south of Ái Tử and the ARVN defenses began to crumble. By midday on 30 April, the 3rd Division commander ordered a withdrawal from Ái Tử to a defensive line along the south of the Thạch Hãn River and the withdrawal was completed late that day.[2]: 79–80
Current use[edit]
The base has reverted to jungle.