Battle of Long Tan Documentary in HD narrated by Sam Worthington - Vietnam War

Learn more - http://www.battleoflongtan.com Late afternoon August 18, 1966 South Vietnam -- for three and a half hours, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tan, Major Harry Smith and his dispersed company of 108 young and mostly inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives, holding off an overwhelming enemy force of 2,500 battle hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. With their ammunition running out, their casualties mounting and the enemy massing for a final assault each man begins to search for his own answer -- and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, decency and courage.

The ensuing Battle of Long Tan becomes one of the most savage and decisive engagements in ANZAC history, earning both the United States and South Vietnamese Presidential Unit Citations for gallantry along with many individual awards. But sadly not before 18 Australians and more than 500 enemy are killed. Heroism, tragedy and the sacrifice of battle, Long Tan is a grueling and dramatic exploration of war with all its horror, that will rightly take its place alongside war classics such as Gallipoli, Breaker Morant, Saving Private Ryan, Zulu & Blackhawk Down.

This documentary and our upcoming movie is a tribute to the nobility and uncommon valor of these men -- many of them conscripts - under fire. It honors their loyalty to their country and to each other, and it brings to light the heroism and unimaginable sacrifice of all military men and women both home and abroad.

Long Tan is the true story of ordinary boys who became extraordinary men.

Please join our Facebook page to keep abreast of development on the upcoming feature film, 'Long Tan' http://www.facebook.com/battleoflongtan

Premiered: 16 August 2006 on The History Channel

Narration: Sam Worthington (Avatar, Terminator Salvation, Clash of the Titans).
Executive Producer: Martin Walsh
Producers: Martin Walsh and Damien Lay
Director: Damien Lay
DOP: Steve Williams
Film Editor: Joe Morris
Composer: Mark Gluhak
Colourist: Nick Barton
Writers: Keith Thompson, Damien Lay & Martin Walsh
Production Manager: Sam Bateman
Production Company: Red Dune Films and Animax Films

Negative format: Super 16mm

Awards:
- 2007 TV Week Logie Award: Nomination Most Outstanding Documentary of the Year.
- 2007 ASTRA Awards: Winner Most Outstanding Documentary of the Year.
- 2006 ACS Awards: Winner Cinematography in a Documentary.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Richard Moyer]

I am pretty sure the Battle of CORAL/BALMORAL FSB was more costly & went on for several weeks against about 2,000 NV regulars.

[Martin Walsh]

Hi Richard, there's no competition here. Balmoral and Coral were totally different battles. They were a series of engagements fought over a 26 day period. Long Tan was one single engagement over 3.5 hours between 108 Australians / New Zealanders and 2,500 NVA and VC with 18 Australians killed and some 600-800 enemy killed. Coral and Balmoral saw about the same number of enemy dead but over a 26 day period and the loss of 25 Australians.

[Robyn Demetrius]

Not the most suitable ending :) but this documentary was absolutely marvelous, I'm using this as one of my sources for my history assignment. The ending I reckon should be sad :( instead of a nice happy 60's song.

[Martin Walsh]

Thanks for your kind comments Robyn. The song These Boots Are Made for Walking by Nancy Sinatra was actually the theme song for Delta Company, 6RAR. The logo that Lt Dave Sabben, platoon commander of 12 Platoon created for Delta Company back in 1965/66 also features two army boots in line with the song. It definitely wasn't a random inclusion! It was as we said in the super, a dedication to the men of D Company. Something just for them. :D

[randy109]

Younger people today don't realize that Vietnam followed just ten years after the Korean conflict. Stopping the spread of Communism was a catchphrase of the era. Looking back the whole Vietnam effort was in vain, but the boys that went were as brave as their Fathers were in WW2 and should be honored as such. The politics of Vietnam War rob these fine kids of the Honor they so richly deserve. God Bless 'em all...

[Jared Morgan]

Not a Sten, it was a F1 SMG

[oakwell64]

Amazing story, I just spent this years ANZAC day at the memorial at Long Tan..Very moving dawn service in the middle of the replanted rubber trees..Incredible story of bravery and fantastic doco.Well done to the team who produced it and well done to the men who managed to survive and tell their part in what is Australian most intense fight in a long dreadful conflict.

[Biggus63]

Unless I'm very mistaken you are mistaken. From memory we used the US M60 GPMG, and I see no Stens, only Owen guns, FN-FALs, M16s and M60s.

[Philip Shehan]

I interviewed an Australian Second World War veteran, Ted Hearn, who helped inflict one of the first defeats on Japanese land forces on the Kokoda track in New Guinea. He also fought at Kapyong in Korea holding off wave after wave of attacking Chinese and said it was worse than anything he experienced in WWII. “They were like ants; they kept coming at you, blowing bugles and trumpets, making funny noises.”

[zenon1234able]

Thank God the Vietnam War didn't last any longer. The problem is the powers to be will always find another one with the same tired reasons.

[Devill Spankalot]

Greetings from Borneo, Malaysia. Great video, informative as well. Enjoyed it tremendously. I ain't no soldier so I can't pretend I know how the army operates but maybe I can fathom one aspect of the Vietnam war. The Aussies wanted to free the Vietnamese from clutch of communism... but on the other hand the Vietnamese must have thought the Aussies were coming to invade their country. Hell broke loose. The issue of right or wrong is subjective.

[Legolegion23]

Long live the men of Long Tan.

[glh H]

wow.

the energy of the courage, dedication and sacrifice of the warriors of both sides could change the world.