17. Operation Ivory Coast: The Raid to Free American POWs
Operation Ivory Coast, November 20th, 1970, was a rescue mission to free American POWs held at Son Tay prison camp, about 20 miles west of Hanoi. With roughly 12,000 North Vietnamese soldiers stationed within 5 miles of the camp, it was vital that the raiders complete their mission quickly, and be gone before the enemy had time to react. The raid was a brilliant tactical success, and wholly accomplished its objective of seizing control of the camp within minutes of the raiders touching down.
About 100 guards were killed, while the attackers suffered only two minor injuries. Unfortunately, planners had relied on outdated intelligence: the POWs had been moved months earlier from Son Tay, making the mission an intelligence failure. In the aftermath, criticism of the faulty intelligence that led to a risky operation to rescue prisoners from a prison camp that held no prisoners, led to an extensive overhaul and restructuring of the intelligence apparatus.
