The Horseshoe

The Horseshoe (also known as Fire Support Base Horseshoe, Horseshoe Hill or Hill 82), is an extinct volcano that was used by the 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) as a military base during the Vietnam War. Geography The Horseshoe is located approximately 9km southeast of Nui Dat, 1km north of Đất Đỏ and immediately east of Route TI 52 in Phuoc Tuy Province. The Horseshoe is an extinct volcano with its crescent-shaped remaining walls (giving its Horseshoe shape) rising up to above the surrounding plains, while the southern end is open. History The base was first established by the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment who air-assaulted into the area on 6 March 1967 in Operation Leeton. Occupation of the Horseshoe as a fire support base would allow artillery coverage of areas beyond the range of guns at Nui Dat and allow for patrols of the surrounding area. The Horseshoe was at the north end of the 11km barrier minefield that ran to Lo Gom on the coast and was intended to stop Vietcong (VC) infiltration from their bases in the northern hills to the populated coastal villages. On 16 March 1967 Australian sappers began constructing two parallel barbed-wire fences 70-100m apart that would enclose the minefield. On 1 May the sappers began laying M16 mines and after a month had laid more than 22,000 M16s for the loss of five Australians killed. The minefield was a failure with many of the mines stolen by the VC and reused against the Australians. In 1968 1ATF began removing the minefield.