Battle of Ban Dong
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Ban Dong was a major battle of the Vietnam War
that took place in Laos
, involving the North and South Vietnamese armies. The battle lasted from February 8 to March 20, 1971.
Before Operation Lam Son 719
began, intelligence indicated that North Vietnam
had permanently placed logistical units in the Ban Dong area, especially along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
. The logistical units were supported by one regular division, with another one ready for rapid deployment. In order to capture Tchepone the district of Ban Dong had to be brought under South Vietnamese control.
and its supporting units would move on Tchephone. Again, they would set up strong points, sweep the occupied areas and then find and destroy the enemy.
In order to achieve their initial objectives, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
had a diversionery plan drawn up, the aim was to fool the North Vietnamese High Command in regards to South Vietnamese operations. During early February the 147th Marine Brigade
, under the command of Colonel Hoang Tich Thong, was airlifted from Da Nang
to Dong Ha
. The arrival of a South Vietnamese brigade close to the DMZ created an impression that an assault was about to be launched against North Vietnam, when the 147th Marines Brigade cross the Dong Ha river landing crafts in an amphibious exercise. The North Vietnamese Army reacted by attaking the South Vietnamese Marines violently.
A few days later the 147th Marine Brigade was moved to Khe Sanh
as the main ARVN force were preparing for the main operation.
gave the order to attack, with the 1st Airborne Brigade and the 1st Armour Brigade launching an attack on Ban Dong. Originally, the South Vietnamese Army planned to capture Ban Dong on February 9 but due to early miscalculations, Ban Dong was captured on February 12. With the help of combat engineers, Fire Support Bases A Luoi, 30 and 31 was immediately set up.
Initially the ARVN encountered little resistance, but reconnaissance activities noticed increasing activities of North Vietnamese troops in the area.
On March 18, after heavy casualties were inflicted on the South Vietnamese on Hill 723
, the joint North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces launched a counterattack supported by armour. After some hard fighting, FSB 30 and 31 were overrun. Pressure from the North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire prevented South Vietnamese troops from being resupplied, as a result, ARVN morale collapsed.
Taking advantage of the ARVN's critical situation, the combined Communist forces launched deep thrust into South Vietnamese defensive formations. After nearly three days of fighting, the South Vietnamese took more casualties as the 1st Paratroop Brigade was virtually wiped out by the North Vietnamese Army.
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
that took place in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, involving the North and South Vietnamese armies. The battle lasted from February 8 to March 20, 1971.
Before Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719 was a limited-objective offensive campaign conducted in southeastern portion of the Kingdom of Laos by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam between 8 February and 25 March 1971, during the Vietnam War...
began, intelligence indicated that North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
had permanently placed logistical units in the Ban Dong area, especially along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
. The logistical units were supported by one regular division, with another one ready for rapid deployment. In order to capture Tchepone the district of Ban Dong had to be brought under South Vietnamese control.
Diversions
The initial objective of Lam Son 719 was to capture Ban Dong and the surrounding areas, establish firebases and then find and destroy the enemy. Once the first phase of the operation is completed, the 1st ARVN Infantry Division1st Division (South Vietnam)
The 1st Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam —the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975—was part of the I Corps that oversaw the northernmost region of South Vietnam, the centre of Vietnam....
and its supporting units would move on Tchephone. Again, they would set up strong points, sweep the occupied areas and then find and destroy the enemy.
In order to achieve their initial objectives, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
had a diversionery plan drawn up, the aim was to fool the North Vietnamese High Command in regards to South Vietnamese operations. During early February the 147th Marine Brigade
Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps
The Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps ) was part of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam . It was established by Ngo Dinh Diem in 1954 when he was Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, which became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955. The longest-serving commander was Lieutenant General Le...
, under the command of Colonel Hoang Tich Thong, was airlifted from Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
to Dong Ha
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
. The arrival of a South Vietnamese brigade close to the DMZ created an impression that an assault was about to be launched against North Vietnam, when the 147th Marines Brigade cross the Dong Ha river landing crafts in an amphibious exercise. The North Vietnamese Army reacted by attaking the South Vietnamese Marines violently.
A few days later the 147th Marine Brigade was moved to Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh
Khe Sanh is the district capital of Hướng Hoá District, Quảng Trị Province, Vietnam, located 63 km west of Đông Hà.Khe Sanh Combat Base was a United States Marine Corps outpost in South Vietnam used during the Vietnam War. The airstrip was built in September 1962...
as the main ARVN force were preparing for the main operation.
Ban Dong
On February 8 President Nguyen Van ThieuNguyen Van Thieu
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was president of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a fraudulent election...
gave the order to attack, with the 1st Airborne Brigade and the 1st Armour Brigade launching an attack on Ban Dong. Originally, the South Vietnamese Army planned to capture Ban Dong on February 9 but due to early miscalculations, Ban Dong was captured on February 12. With the help of combat engineers, Fire Support Bases A Luoi, 30 and 31 was immediately set up.
Initially the ARVN encountered little resistance, but reconnaissance activities noticed increasing activities of North Vietnamese troops in the area.
On March 18, after heavy casualties were inflicted on the South Vietnamese on Hill 723
Battle of Hill 723
The Battle of Hill 723 was a Vietnam War battle in the country of Laos, which was fought between the South Vietnamese Army and the Communist North Vietnamese Army . It took place from March 7 to March 16, 1971, during the South Vietnamese invasion of Laos...
, the joint North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces launched a counterattack supported by armour. After some hard fighting, FSB 30 and 31 were overrun. Pressure from the North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire prevented South Vietnamese troops from being resupplied, as a result, ARVN morale collapsed.
Taking advantage of the ARVN's critical situation, the combined Communist forces launched deep thrust into South Vietnamese defensive formations. After nearly three days of fighting, the South Vietnamese took more casualties as the 1st Paratroop Brigade was virtually wiped out by the North Vietnamese Army.