On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War 1967-1968

By Ian McNeill And Ashley Ekins, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, 2003, 650 pages, hardcover, $80.00. Reviewed by Tony Smith in the October 2003 issue.

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In the decades since Australia joined the USA in Vietnam for a phase of the Cold War, several historical themes have emerged. Perhaps the most important is that people who forget the past repeat their mistakes in the future. Some surveys have revealed an appalling lack of knowledge about the war among young westerners, and in invading Iraq, governments have ignored the Vietnam experience, particularly regarding achievable aims, 'just war' theory, and the welfare of veterans.

On the Offensive is important firstly because it puts on the public record vital information about Australia's conduct of military operations. The work was begun by Ian McNeill, an adviser to South Vietnamese forces before Australia committed combat troops, and an experienced author of works including To Long Tan, which chronologically precedes On the Offensive in The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975. McNeill died before publication but Ashley Ekins ensured a seamless work. Consequently, On the Offensive stands as a thoroughly researched work (appendices, notes and bibliography occupy over 200 pages), mostly written in broadly accessible English. While there is ample jargon to excite the Vietnam buff, neither technical language nor military-speak is overdone and there is an adequate list of unavoidable abbreviations.

Readers must appreciate that On the Offensive is an official Army history. It does not attempt to assess the period overall, does not question the politics and ideology of Australia's decision to commit to the war except on strategic grounds, makes little reference to 'the home front' and has little space to describe the social upheavals affecting the west in 1967-68. As the book confines itself to discussing only those political developments essential to an understanding of the military role, some readers will be disappointed by the neglect of the broader contexts of youth subculture, flower power, anarcho-syndicalism, near revolution in France, and the emerging environment, civil rights and women's movements. It must be remembered, however, that a military history is bound to reflect the closed, self-contained sub-culture within which the Army operates.

Writing within a specific context did not prevent the authors from engaging in fearless criticisms of both strategic policy and tactical decisions. Policy that seemed to be misdirected or decisions that were wrong----often tragically so----are highlighted and alternative views are presented. The book notes differences of approach between the US forces, prepared for conventional war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries, and the Australians, who had recent experience in counter-insurgency operations in Malaya and Borneo. Tensions arose when US commander General Westmoreland criticised the Australian Task Force for being over-cautious in its 'search and destroy' operations around its Headquarters at Nui Dat and for being reluctant to go beyond the borders of Phuoc Tuy Province. The US preferred an 'attrition strategy' aimed at finding, fixing, fighting and finishing the enemy. The authors note also contemporary and subsequent critiques of the use of a massive minefield, delay in getting tanks and a third infantry battalion, difficult liaison with the RAAF over use of helicopters, ambivalence over the role of civil aid projects and morale problems.

As an official history, the book is skewed towards the experiences of field commanders rather than average 'diggers'. This is understandable given the Army's rhetorical emphasis on teamwork and the lack of opportunity for lower ranks to express opinions or make official reports. The authors have published individual impressions where they found documents such as letters home. Still, the index does not refer to 'Agent Orange', a symbol of veteran discontent for thirty years, or to 'venereal disease', depicted by many novelists as representative of one concern of diggers on leave.

Some 500 Australians died in Vietnam, and over 3,000 were listed as official casualties. While no-one should belittle the sacrifices of these individuals, the controversial nature of the war makes the wastage seem doubly tragic.

Much of the controversy surrounded the conscription of young men for 'National Service'. Of those called up, some 25% went to Vietnam. Despite an official policy of not allowing more than half of any unit to consist of conscripts, this was impossible to guarantee during operations. It is perplexing, too, that 74 of the 500 deaths were attributed to 'non-battle casualties'.

On the Offensive does not aim to argue the overall historical significance of the Vietnam conflict but only its importance to the development of the Australian military. Nor does it attempt to outdo creative writers in evoking the atmosphere on the ground. It has brought together masses of data from official documents, press clippings, articles, secondary sources, and interviews. Most impressively it has used 'enemy' sources. The book sheds light on a time and place that for many Australians remains dark, confusing, and forbidding.

Citation

• Tony Smith. 'Review: On the Offensive: The Australian Army in the Vietnam War 1967-1968 by Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins' [online]. Network Review of Books (Perth, Australian Public Intellectual Network), October 2003. Availability: <please cite the web address here> ISSN 1833-0932. [accessed 19 June 2013].

Back Cover Blurb

• On the Offensive is the eighth volume of the Official History of Australia's involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975, and the second of three volumes on Australian ground operations in Vietnam.
  
  On the Offensive tells the story of the Australian Army in Vietnam in the most tumultuous period of the Vietnam War. It is the successor volume to Ian McNeill's highly acclaimed To Long Tan and the eighth volume of The Official History of Australia's Involvement in Southeast Asian Conflicts 1948-1975.
  
  This volume shows how the Australian Task Force coped with the difficulties and dangers of operating with two infantry battalions and limited resources against an elusive and aggressive enemy. It describes the construction of the controversial barrier minefield and the consequences and failure of this project. It also covers the pivotal Tet Offensive and the Australian response which culminated in the fierce actions around Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral as Australian soldiers fought their most sustained and intensive battles of the Vietnam War. Included is a new interpretation of the failures in planning and execution of operations on the eve of the major battles around Fire Support Base Coral which almost resulted in disaster for the Australian force.
  
  Authors Ian McNeill and Ashley Ekins have had unrestricted access to official government records, including highly classified defence files. They have supplemented this material with extensive interviews with participants, personal papers and correspondence, discussions with former Viet Cong and communist Vietnamese histories. Their work is marked by unflinching critical analysis and candour about the successes and failures of the Australian Army experience in Vietnam and covers the Australian involvement in Vietnam at virtually every level, from the senior commanders and planners to the experiences of infantrymen on patrol and in contact with the enemy. The product of years of intensive work, On the Offensive throws light on the experience of Australian soldiers in Vietnam in a way that has not been possible before. communist Vietnamese histories. Their work is marked by unflinching critical analysis and candour about the successes and failures of the Australian Army experience in Vietnam and covers the Australia .
  
  

Visitors' Responses

• Comment On Review Of Mcneill/ekins
  On the whole a fair review, but the reviewer is guilty of some of the things he implicitly criticises the authiors for, namely absence of a wider context. Most of the issues that he notes are not covered in this volume, such as venereal disease rates, Agent Orange, political dissent, the wider issues surrounding conscription etc, are covered in other volumes in this series, specifically the two by Peter Edwards and the medical volume. he is right to point out that this volume deals with ground combat operations within a specified period - that is precisely its remit. jgg
  Jg Grey (20/03/1023)

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