Operation Carentan I The initial phase of the operations called for the 2nd Brigade, 101st and the 3rd Brigade, 82nd to secure
Highway 1 between
Landing Zone El Paso and
PK-17 and then to secure
Highway 547 which headed west from the city of
Huế towards the
A Shau Valley. The 1st Brigade continued moving west along Route 547 and on 21 March 8 km west of Firebase Henry Company C 1/327th Infantry, ran into a small PAVN outpost on the north side of the road. After overrunning that position, Company C then found a larger group of bunkers. Company A moved to join Company C and they overran the position, losing six killed and 20 wounded. Several hundred meters further west they encountered more PAVN bunkers and this time their assault was repulsed for the loss of six killed and 52 wounded. The units were withdrawn so that air and artillery support could be brought in. When the assault resumed the next morning the PAVN had abandoned their positions. As the U.S. forces continued their advance they encountered small groups of PAVN who would usually abandon their positions rather than stand and fight. On 29 April the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)
Hac Bao (Black Panther) reconnaissance company of the
1st Division made contact with a PAVN force in a hamlet northwest of Huế. They exchanged small arms fire until elements of the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne arrived and cordoned off the area blocking escape routes. Artillery, airstrikes and helicopter gunships then attacked the hamlet and ARVN forces then swept the hamlet until contact was lost at dusk. PAVN losses were 352 killed while ARVN losses were eight killed. On 1 May elements of the 101st Airborne's cavalry unit engaged a PAVN platoon northwest of Huế, the PAVN withdrew into a bunker complex which was then targeted by artillery, airstrikes and helicopter gunships until contact was lost at 19:45. PAVN losses were 82 killed for US losses of one killed. On 5 May 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne engaged a PAVN force southwest of Huế until contact was lost at 16:00. PAVN losses were 82 killed for US losses of eight killed. Carentan II ended on 17 May 1968, US losses were 156 killed, while PAVN/VC losses were 2,096 killed and 157 suspects detained and 488 individual and 93 crew-served weapons captured. ==Aftermath==