Battle of Long Dinh
Battle of Long Dinh | |||||||
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Part of the Vietnam War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
South Vietnam | Viet Cong | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Nguyễn Khánh | |||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Unknown | 514th Battalion | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3,000 | 600 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
16 killed | 40 killed |
The Battle of Long Định [where? ] took place during the Vietnam War between the Viet Cong (VC) and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).
Background
[edit ]U.S. helicopter surveillance had spotted a large group of VC fighters assembling in a forest glade near Long Dinh. General Nguyễn Khánh immediately rushed his infantry forces there, using M113 armored personnel carriers.
Operation
[edit ]On 26 February 1964, three-thousand ARVN soldiers encircled the VC 514th Battalion at Long Định. During the 8-hour battle, the ARVN avoided contact with the VC, instead the ARVN commander relied on air and artillery strikes to inflict damage. As a result, the VC 514th Battalion was able to slip through the gaps and successfully withdraw from the area, using sniper teams to secure river crossings.
Aftermath
[edit ]Due to the incompetence of the ARVN at this battle, General Khánh sacked five of his division commanders.
References
[edit ]- Bowman, John S. (1985). The Vietnam War: An Almanac. Pharos Books. ISBN 0-911818-85-5