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Battle of An Loc
Part of Vietnam War
President Thieu with Le Van Hung(next to Thieu).
Date April 13-July 20, 1972 Location An Loc, South Vietnam Result Decisive South Vietnamese victory.
Combatants
North Vietnam Viet Cong	South Vietnam United States
Commanders
Gen. Tran Van Tra	Brig. Gen. Le Van Hung
Strength
35,000+	6,000+
Casualties
Est. 10,000 killed Est. 15,000 wounded	2,300 killed or missing

The Battle of An Loc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a desicive victory for South Vietnam. In many ways, the struggle for An Loc in 1972 was the single most important battle of the war as South Vietnamese forces halted the North Vietnamese advance towards Saigon. Image File history File links Wiki_letter_w. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... An Loc is a small town in South Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_North_Vietnam. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Image File history File links FNL_Flag. ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Vietnam. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ... As a deputy commander in the Communist military, Tran Van Tra led the attack on Saigon during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ...

An Loc is the capital of Binh Long Province located northwest of Military Region III. During North Vietnam's Nguyen Hue Offensive of 1972, An Loc was at the centre of North Vietnamese strategy due to its location between Cambodia and Saigon. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ...

To protect this important area South Vietnam had a single division in Binh Long Province, the ARVN 5th Division. During the battle the outnumbered South Vietnamese battled a combined force of three North Vietnamese and Viet Cong Divisions. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was founded by Ho Chi Minh and was recognized by China and the USSR in 1950. ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ...

The Battle Begins

On April 7 following the fall of Loc Ninh to the Viet Cong 5th Division the South Vietnamese airstrip at Quan Loi became the next target for the Communists. The VC 9th Division attacked the airstrip forcing the two companies of the ARVN 7th Regiment to abandon the airfield. The loss of Quan Loi was clear evidence of North Vietnam's attempt to encircle An Loc. The loss of Quan Loi airstrip represented major challenges for the South Vietnamese Army because it enables the Communist troops to intercept supplies coming by National Road 13, while An Loc itself was ringed with North Vietnamese anti-aircraft artilleries, firing at any incoming aircraft. April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ...

The battle for An Loc began on April 13 with a North Vietnamese artillery barrage. At dawn the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong infantries attacked with support from Sovet-made T-54 and PT-76 tanks as well as American-made M-41 captured during Operation Lam Son 719. North Vietnamese tank crews, fresh from training centres in the Soviet Union, rolled into the streets of An Loc without their infantry escorts were destroyed amid the confusion by M-72 LAW rockets deployed by ARVN infantry. April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank (Plavayushiy Tank) which was introduced in 1954. ... M41 may refer to: M41 Johnson LMG, a WWII light machine gun M41 motorway, in England M41 Walker Bulldog, a U.S. light tank Open Cluster M41, a star cluster in the Canis Major constellation Type M41, a Hungarian diesel-hydraulic locomotive Volvo M41 transmission Category: ... Combatants United States South Vietnam North Vietnam Commanders Lt. ... The M72 LAAW (Light Anti-Armor Weapon) sometimes known as a LAW, is a portable one-shot 66 mm anti-tank weapon, made in United States by Talley Defense Systems. ...

North Vietnamese tank and artillery barrage grew in intensity with heavy street fighting. Over the period of three months aggressive Communist assaults were met with tenacious resistance from South Vietnamese soldiers, supported by VNAF and USAF bombers. The North Vietnamese, unabled to take An Loc, also suffered heavy casualties when ARVN troops encircled and destroyed their positions. By July 20, 1972, the South Vietnamese were victorious. This is an article for the former air force of the now defunct South Vietnam. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Reference

• Willbanks, James. H(1993)Thiet Giap!The Battle of An Loc, April 1972. Combat Studies Institute