Historical Coop Operation Ivory Coast

DATE: 03/12/2020

TIME (GMT): 19:00

MAP(S): Nham2

TYPE: COOP

GAME: Arma 3

EVENT: Official

AUTHOR(S): Aris and Lord for BIA Community

SLOTS: 64 / 66

RATING: (8)

Operation Ivory Coast was a mission conducted by United States Special Operations Forces and other American military elements to rescue U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. It was also the first joint military operation in United States history conducted under the direct control of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The specially selected raiders extensively trained and rehearsed the operation at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, while planning and intelligence gathering continued from 25 May to 20 November 1970.

On 21 November 1970, a joint United States Air Force and United States Army force commanded by Air Force Brigadier General LeRoy J. Manor and Army Colonel Arthur D. "Bull" Simons landed 56 U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers by helicopter at the Sơn Tây prisoner-of-war camp, which was located 23 miles (37 km) west of Hanoi, North Vietnam. The objective of the operation was the recovery of 61 American prisoners of war thought to be held at the camp. It was found during the raid that the camp contained no prisoners as they had previously been moved to another camp.

Despite the absence of prisoners, the raid was executed with a high degree of success, incurring only two wounded and the loss of two aircraft, one of which had been part of the plan from the start. Criticism of intelligence failures to determine that the camp was empty of U.S. POWs, both public and within the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, led to a major reorganization of the United States intelligence community a year later.

The planners divided the Army raiders into three groups, each carried in a single helicopter. The mission could be carried out with any one of the three groups of raiders missing. At the objective, the HH-3 – call sign Banana 1 – would crash-land inside the small courtyard – which was surrounded by high trees – within the prison compound. The raiders on this helicopter – the 14-man assault group led by Meadows and reinforced by the helicopter crew – would release prisoners from their cells while preempting any last-minute massacre by their guards. The 23-man support group in HH-53 Apple 1 and the 20-man command group in HH-53 Apple 2 would land outside the walls of the prison, secure the landing zone, then hold it. Ambush positions would block reinforcements from reaching the prison. After blowing a hole in the wall of the prison compound, the liberated prisoners and the assault force were to be loaded aboard within 30 minutes.