Battle of Hamburger Hill

The Battle of Hamburger Hill was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought between the United States and South Vietnam and North Vietnamese forces from May 10 to 20, 1969. Although the heavily fortified Hill 937 was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture by direct assault.

What do you know about the Battle of Hamburger Hill? Try this Vietnam War History Made Easy Trivia quiz.

1. The battle took place on Dong Ap Bia (Ap Bia Mountain) in the rugged, jungle-shrouded mountains of South Vietnam, 1.2 miles from what country's border?

• Laotian

• Cambodian

• Thailand

2. The battle on Hamburger Hill occurred in May 1969, during Operation Apache Snow, the second part of a three-phased campaign intended to destroy People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Base Areas in the remote A Shau Valley.

• True or False?

3. Lt. Col. Weldon Honeycutt commanded 3rd Battalion/187th Infantry. Moving out of the helicopter landing zone (LZ) on the north ridge, which company made heavy contact with the North Vietnamese within a kilometer of the summit late in the day?

• Alpha

• Bravo

• Delta

4. Honeycutt quickly directed Cobra helicopter gunships to support a hasty assault. In the heavy jungle, the Cobras mistook the 3/187th battalion command post on the LZ for a PAVN unit and attacked, killing two and wounding thirty-five, including Honeycutt. This friendly fire incident disrupted battalion command and control and forced 3/187th to withdraw into night defensive positions.

• True or False?

5. One 3/187th unit descended into a steep muddy ravine on May 12 in a flanking maneuver, suffered numerous losses, and was unable to extricate its casualties for two days. The company eventually returned to the battalion LZ on May 15 without participating in the assault. What was the company?

• Alpha

• Bravo

• Delta

6. The 1/506th had made no significant contacts in its area of operations, and at midday on May 13, the brigade commander, Colonel Conmy, decided it would move to cut off North Vietnamese reinforcement from Laos and to assist Honeycutt by attacking Hill 937 from the south. Its Bravo company was heli-lifted to Hill 916, but the remainder of the battalion made the movement on foot, from an area 2.5 miles from Hill 937, and both Conmy and Honeycutt expected the 1/506th to be ready to provide support no later than the morning of May 15. When was the 1/506th ready to go into action?

• May 16

• May 17

• May 19

7. The effectiveness of U.S. maneuvers forces was limited by narrow trails that funneled attacking companies into squad or platoon points of attack, where they encountered PAVN platoons and companies with prepared fields of fire. With most small arms engagements conducted at close range, U.S. fire support was also severely restricted. Units frequently pulled back and called in artillery fire, close air support, and ARA, but the North Vietnamese bunkers were well-sited and constructed with overhead cover to withstand bombardment.

• True or False?

8. On May 16, an Associated Press correspondent learned of the ongoing battle on Hill 937, travelled to the area and interviewed Major General Melvin Zais, in particular asking why infantry rather than firepower was used as the primary offensive tool on Hill 937. More reporters followed to cover the battle, and the term "Hamburger Hill" became widely used. Who was the correspondent?

• Walter Cronkite

• Jay Sharbutt

• George England

9. The 3rd Brigade launched its four-battalion attack at 10:00 on May 20, including two companies of the 3/187th reinforced by Alpha Company 2/506th. The attack was preceded by two hours of close air support and ninety minutes of artillery prep fires. The battalions attacked simultaneously, and by 12:00 elements of the 3/187th reached the crest, beginning a reduction of bunkers that continued through most of the afternoon. Some PAVN units were able to withdraw into Laos. When was Hamburger Hill secured?

• 15:00

• 17:00

• 19:00

10. The 101st Airborne Division eventually committed five infantry battalions, about 1,800 men, and ten batteries of artillery. U.S. losses during the ten-day battle included 421 wounded. What was the Killed in Action total?

• 56

• 112

• 315

Battle of Hamburger Hill Answers

1. Laotian
2. True
3. Bravo
4. True
5. Delta
6. May 19
7. True
8. Jay Sharbutt
9. 17:00
10. 56