The base was originally established to support Operation Junction City in February 1967 and the first US combat parachute jump of the war took place west of the camp.[1] By 3 March 1967 the 1st Engineer Battalion had completed an airfield at Kà Tum.[2] The base was located 40 km northeast of Tây Ninh, 43 km west of An Lộc and 8 km south of the Cambodian border.[3]
On 18 August 1968 the Vietcong 5th Sapper Battalion attacked the base but was beaten back. On the morning of 25 September following a mortar and rocket barrage the Vietcong attacked the base again, but were again defeated at a cost of 14 CIDG and 61 Vietcong killed and 10 Vietcong captured.[8]
On 27 May 1969 C-130A #56-0472 of the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron was hit by ground fire while landing at Kà Tum and the starboard wing burned off in post-landing fire.[9]
On 23 June 1969 C-130B #61-0965 of the 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron, carrying artillery ammunition, was hit by ground fire on approach to Kà Tum and crashed killing all six crewmembers.[10]
^Dorland, Peter; Nanney, James (1982). Dust Off: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam(PDF). United States Army Center of Military History. pp. 102–6. ISBN978-1519259394.
^"Vietnam Archive Operations Database". The Vietnam Center and Archive.
External links
Photos taken at Katum in 1967/8
December 31, 2022
katum, camp, also, known, katum, special, forces, camp, firebase, katum, former, army, army, republic, vietnam, arvn, base, northeast, tây, ninh, southern, vietnam, coordinates11, typearmy, basesite, historybuilt1967in, use1967, 71battles, warsvietnam, wargarr. Katum Camp also known as Katum Special Forces Camp or Firebase Katum is a former U S Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam ARVN base northeast of Tay Ninh in southern Vietnam Katum CampCoordinates11 40 01 N 106 12 58 E 11 667 N 106 216 E 11 667 106 216 Katum Camp TypeArmy BaseSite historyBuilt1967In use1967 71Battles warsVietnam WarGarrison informationOccupants25th Infantry Division5th Special Forces GroupKatum AirfieldIATA noneICAO noneSummaryElevation AMSL133 ft 41 mRunwaysDirection Length Surfaceft m3 000 914 laterite Contents 1 History 2 Current use 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditThe base was originally established to support Operation Junction City in February 1967 and the first US combat parachute jump of the war took place west of the camp 1 By 3 March 1967 the 1st Engineer Battalion had completed an airfield at Ka Tum 2 The base was located 40 km northeast of Tay Ninh 43 km west of An Lộc and 8 km south of the Cambodian border 3 The camp was used by the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division during Operation Yellowstone which ran from December 1967 until February 1968 In November 1967 the 5th Special Forces Group Detachment A 322 moved to Ka Tum from Camp Suối Đa to monitor infiltration activity from Cambodia 4 The base received frequent artillery and mortar fire from the Vietcong and People s Army of Vietnam leading to it being nicknamed Kaboom 5 On 1 February 1968 Bell UH 1C Iroquois 66 00686 collided with UH 1H 66 16061 while landing at night at Ka Tum resulting in 2 U S killed 6 On 25 June 1968 a Lockheed C 130E Hercules serial 62 1861 of the 50th Troop Carrier Squadron took 0 51 calibre AAA fire on takeoff from Ka Tum which set the port outer engine on fire which spread along port wing the aircraft crash landed at Tay Ninh 7 On 18 August 1968 the Vietcong 5th Sapper Battalion attacked the base but was beaten back On the morning of 25 September following a mortar and rocket barrage the Vietcong attacked the base again but were again defeated at a cost of 14 CIDG and 61 Vietcong killed and 10 Vietcong captured 8 On 27 May 1969 C 130A 56 0472 of the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron was hit by ground fire while landing at Ka Tum and the starboard wing burned off in post landing fire 9 On 23 June 1969 C 130B 61 0965 of the 772d Tactical Airlift Squadron carrying artillery ammunition was hit by ground fire on approach to Ka Tum and crashed killing all six crewmembers 10 The 1st Brigade 1st Cavalry Division operated from Ka Tum in April May 1970 1 127 On 24 May 1970 a US medevac helicopter was shot down on approach to Ka Tum passenger Sergeant first class Louis R Rocco evacuated the wounded crew actions for which he was later awarded the Medal of Honor 11 The 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division returned to Ka Tum in June 1970 to support the Cambodian Incursion 1 140 From 28 September to 2 October 1971 the U S Army s 3rd Brigade Combat Team 1st Cavalry Division and 2nd Squadron 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment mounted Operation Ka Tum a security operation to cover the withdrawal of US personnel from the base 12 Current use EditThe base has been turned over to farmland and housing References Edit a b c Stanton Shelby 2003 Vietnam Order of Battle Stackpole Books p 108 ISBN 9780811700719 Vietnam Studies Cedar Falls Junction City A TURNING POINT U S Army p 107 Retrieved 18 January 2015 Kelley Michael 2002 Where we were in Vietnam Hellgate Press p 271 ISBN 978 1555716257 Stanton Shelby 2008 Special Forces at War An Illustrated History Southeast Asia 1957 1975 Zenith Press p 181 ISBN 9780760334492 Rottman Gordon 2011 Special Forces Camps in Vietnam 1961 70 Osprey Publishing p 22 ISBN 9781780961408 Helicopter UH 1D 66 16061 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Retrieved 18 January 2015 Lockheed C 130E Hercules 62 1861 Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 18 January 2015 Battle for Ka Tum information for A 322 SF DET From date 680818 to 680925 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Retrieved 18 January 2015 Lockheed C 130A Hercules 56 0472 Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 18 January 2015 Lockheed C 130B Hercules 61 0965 Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 18 January 2015 Dorland Peter Nanney James 1982 Dust Off Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam PDF United States Army Center of Military History pp 102 6 ISBN 978 1519259394 Vietnam Archive Operations Database The Vietnam Center and Archive External links EditPhotos taken at Katum in 1967 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Katum Camp amp oldid 1086914699, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
