Battle of Kham Duc
Part of Vietnam War
Date May 10-May 12, 1968 Location Kham Duc, South Vietnam Result North Vietnamese victory
Combatants
North Vietnam Viet Cong	United States South Vietnam Australia
Strength
10,000+	1,760+
Casualties
???	270+ killed or missing 9 aircraft loss

The Battle of Kham Duc was the struggle for the United States Army Special Forces camp located in Quang Tin province, South Vietnam. It began on May 10 and ended on May 12, 1968. 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... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 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_the_United_States. ... 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_Australia. ... A US Special Forces operator in Afghanistan The United States Army Special Forces —also known by the nickname Green Berets or simply Special Forces (capitalized)— is a Special Operations Force of the U.S. Army trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. ... 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. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The Kham Duc special forces camp was occupied by the 1st Special Forces detachment from September 1963, the camp was used as a border surveillance post.

The Battle

During the early months of 1968 the Communist forces had launched a nation-wide offensive attacking most cities in South Vietnam, at the same time, large divisions from the North Vietnamese Army also laid siege to the United States Marines base at Khe Sanh. When the fighting at Khe Sanh and other locations were over, the focus was shifted to the Kham Duc CIDG camp. From early May, movement of the North Vietnamese 2nd Division and the Viet Cong 271st Regiment was detected by allied forces. Alarmed by the Communist build-up around Kham Duc the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) decided to reinforce the special forces camp. United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... 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 U.S. Marine outpost in South Vietnam , (MGRS 48QXD850418) used during the Vietnam War. ...

On May 10, 1968, the Kham Duc CIDG camp was subjected to artillery and mortar bombardment. Shortly after the fight began the neighbouring outpost at Ngoc Tavak was also under attack, when a small company of Chinese Nung soldiers, led by Australian Captain John White, went out to engage elements of the North Vietnamese Army. Under pressure from intense North Vietnamese fire, what was left of the 113-men group at Ngoc Tavak decided to abandon their outpost. They made it halfway to Kham Duc. May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

By the early hours of May 11 the surrounding hills were completely occupied by North Vietnamese troops, the intense bombardment of the camp influenced General Westmoreland's to evacuate the camp. May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ...

On May 12 the USAF's 834th Air Division was deployed to evacuate Kham Duc. While evacuations were underway, B-52s were called in to pound North Vietnamese positions around the camp. Despite coming under heavy North Vietnamese fire, the camp's 1,500 personnel were evacuated. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... Seal of the Air Force. ... B-52 can refer to the following: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber aircraft A hairstyle popular in the 1950s and 1960s, named after the aircraft A rock band, The B-52s, named after the hairstyle A cocktail This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which...

External Link

• Double Cross At Ngok Tavak
• Rescue at Kham Duc