| Battle of Phuoc Long | | Part of Vietnam War | 
ARVN 81st Airborne Ranger Battalion | | | | Combatants | | Vietnam People's Army | Army of the Republic of Vietnam | | Commanders | | Gen. Tran Van Tra | Lieut. Gen. Du Quoc Dong (III Corps Commander)
Col. Pham Van Huan (81st Airborne Commander) | | Strength | 30,000
3rd Division
7th Division
1 Artillery Regiment
1 Anti-aircraft Regiment
Sapper Units | 5,400
2nd Battalion
7th Infantry Regiment
81st Airborne Ranger Battalion
Regional Forces | | Casualties | | Unknown | 3,000+ | The Battle of Phuoc Long took place in Phuoc Long Province, about 100km from South Vietnam's captial, Saigon. The campaign against Phuoc Long reflected North Vietnam's change in policy after the strategic raids of 1974, taking full advantage of South Vietnam's critical military situation. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam People’s Republic of China Commanders William Westmoreland Ho Chi Minh Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~520,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead...
December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...
January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...
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. ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
As a deputy commander in the Communist military, Tran Van Tra led the attack on Saigon during the Tet Offensive in the Vietnam War. ...
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thà nh Chà Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ...
The DRV opened their campaign on December 13, 1974, with elements of the VPA 301st Corps, that includes the newly-formed 3rd Division and the 7th Division launching their attacks from Cambodia. They were supported by one tank battalion, one artillery and one anti-aircraft regiment as well as several local sapper units. 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. ...
December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
The Battle
After capturing many of the South Vietnamese outposts, the Vietnam People's Army overran Duc Phong, Bo Duc and Buard districts on December 14. Don Luan, which was protected by the 341st Regional Force Battalion, continued to hold out and throw back successive North Vietnamese assaults. While the battle raged around Don Luan, the 340th Regional Force Battlalion at Song Be airfield was augmented by three reconnaissance companies as well as additional ammunition and other supplies. On December 22, the airfield was finally captured by VPA forces after artillery strikes destroyed one C-130 and heavily damaged another. The fall of Song Be airfield prevented further evacuation of non-combatants and wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ...
On December 23 the ARVN 2nd Battalion and the 7th Infantry Regiment was flown in from Lai Khe with six 105mm artillery pieces. Later, with the insistence of South Vietnam's Assistant for Security Affairs, Dang Van Quang, part of the 81st Airborne Ranger Battalion was committed to reinforced the province alongside the beleaguered ARVN forces already there. On December 26 Don Luan was overran after diversionary attacks were made against ARVN positions around Phu Giao. December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ...
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. ...
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ...
December 26 is the 360th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, 361st in leap years. ...
The 81st Airborne was airlifted to their new base at Suoi Mau. On December 30, the ARVN counter-attacked, they destroyed sixteen VPA T-54 tanks in an effort to retake the Ba Ra Mountain firebase. As the Communist VPA forces had an overwhelming advantage during the fight for Ba Ra Mountain, the 250-men of the 81st Airborne Ranger Battalion was sent in to join the battle in a desperate bid to save Phuoc Long. December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ...
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was a military component of the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam). ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
The VPA stepped up their artillery attack on January 3, they striked at the city center, and trying to destroy the defensive perimeter from the resulting chaos and confusion. At the same time, the VPA's T-54 tanks, followed by Sapper squads, firing at South Vietnamese positions and establishing strongpoints after mopping up bypassing positions. During the heavy street fighting, North Vietnamese T-54 tanks equipped with new armour-plating proved more than a match for ARVN infantries and their M-72 rockets. The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The Vietnam Peoples Army (VPA) is the term used by the Vietnamese for their armed forces. ...
The T-55 and T-54 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ...
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. ...
The 81st Airborne infiltrated Phuoc Long on January 4, they came under heavy enemy fire as air force F-5A pounded Communist positions in support of the ground troops. Despite an effortful attempt, the ARVN continued to take heavy casualties due to superior enemy firepower. North Vietnamese artillery had virtually wiped out several ARVN units. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
The term F-5 could refer to: The photo-reconnaissance version of the P-38 Lightning fighter The export version of the Shenyang J-5 Chinese jet fighter The Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter 1960s US jet fighter produced for export This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which...
The Aftermath After Phuoc Long had fallen to the Communist forces, three-thousand of the thirty-thousand inhabitants escaped, while the remaining South Vietnamese officials were executed according to official accounts. The ARVN sustained heavy casualties during the fight to save Phuoc Long: 80 of the original 250-men 81st Airborne Ranger Battalion as well as 200 of the men from the 2nd Battalion and 7th Infantry Regiment survived. About 850 South Vietnamese soldiers were evacuated altogether.
Politically and militarily the loss of Phuoc Long left the Saigon government in a vulnerable position, this was due in part to the decline in American aid, but the battle itself also had dire consequences for the defences of South Vietnam as the balance of power had tipped in North Vietnam's favour. 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. ...
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...
See also Vietnam War Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam People’s Republic of China Commanders William Westmoreland Ho Chi Minh Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~520,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead...
References Dougan.C, Doyle.E, Lipsman.S, Martland.T, Weiss.S (1983) The Vietnam Experience: The Fall of the South. Boston Publishing Company, USA.
External links - Phuoc Long!The Wound That Never Healed
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