Battle of Xuân Lộc

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Xuân Lộc
partof=the Vietnam War


caption=
date=9 April-20 April 1975
place=coord|10|55|56|N|107|14|3|E|type:city|name=Xuân Lộc|display=inline,title
Xuân Lộc, Đồng Nai Province, Republic of Vietnam
result=North Vietnamese victory
combatant1=
combatant2=
commander1=Hoàng Cầm
commander2=Lê Minh Đảo
strength1=40,000
strength2=6,000
casualties1=~5,000 dead and wounded
casualties2=~2,036 dead and wounded|The Battle of Xuân Lộc also known as "the last stand at Xuân Lộc", was the last major battle of the Vietnam War that took place in Xuân Lộc, Đồng Nai Province. Over a period of twelve days, the ARVN 18th Infantry Division attempted to stop three Vietnam People's Army (VPA) divisions from overunning the town.

In regards to Saigon, General Văn Tiến Dũng planned to launch a five pronged drive on the South Vietnamese capital, but wishing to avoid the same level of destruction inflicted during the Tet Offensive. As a result, General Dung made a decision to throw his regular units against the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), and try to destroy the irreplaceable South Vietnamese units to prevent them from regrouping in Saigon.

During the fight for Xuân Lộc both sides displayed feats of courage, leadership and determination. For the soldiers of the ARVN led by Major General Lê Minh Đảo in particular, the battle proved that they were determined fighters, contradicting reports in some Western media that described them as cowards.

etup

Following their victories in the Central Highlands, the Communist forces were applying pressure on the South Vietnamese on all battlefields. Xuân Lộc was a small town that occupied the key roads into the capital, Saigon.

The main North Vietnamese formation moving towards Xuân Lộc were the 341st, 6th and 7th Divisions. Blocking their way were the ARVN 18th Division, Long Khanh provincial forces, and 82nd Ranger Battalion. On 12 April 1975, the 1st Airborne Brigade, made up of four Airborne Battalions and one Airborne artillery battalion, was moved into the area of operations by helicopter.

Battle

Following the initial assault on April 9, the 341st VPA Division bombarded Xuân Lộc with more than four thousand rounds of artillery fire. North Vietnamese tanks and infantry began moving into the streets of Xuân Lộc, and the battle which followed was unique in many respects for the Vietnam War, involving units of divisional size, devastatingly effective VNAF airpower and sophisticated US-made BLU-82s. Between the 3rd and 11th of April, North Vietnamese units attempted to push into Xuân Lộc, but the 43rd and 52nd ARVN Regiments held their ground as one assault after another was beaten back.

When the situation in the area was temporarily stabilised, the Southern Vietnam Air Force began resupplying the ground forces. On April 12, 93 tons of artillery ammunition was flown in by CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and another 100 tons arrived the following day. While resupplying efforts were underway, flights of A-1 Skyraiders were called in to provide close-air-support as South Vietnamese C-130s blasted North Vietnamese formations using Daisy Cutter bombs.

On April 13 the North Vietnamese forces resumed their attack, fighting with the 1st Battalion of the 43rd ARVN Regiment.

After 12 days and nights of ferocious combat against the North Vietnamese Army, the ARVN defenders gradually give ground when Military Region III headquarters ordered the 18th Infantry Division and other units to pull back to Bien Hoa. The 18th Division had to fight its way out with the supporting armoured task force losing half of its equipment. Coincidentally, the 6th VPA Division was also moving the same direction as the ARVN, with 130mm artillery pieces aimed at Bien Hoa airbase. On the morning of April 16, artillery and rocket strikes damaged six F-5s and 14 A-37s. The artillery attack on Bien Hoa also marked the end of organised resistance after heavy assaults on ARVN positions along Routes 1 and 20. On April 20, all resistance were ended with the 1st ARVN Airborne Brigade withdrawing towards Ba Ria in Phuoc Tuy where it continued to fight.

In contrast to the general impression of total collapse on the part of the ARVN, the events at Xuân Lộc was described as 'heroic and gallant' by the South Vietnamese defenders. It was one of the few places where the ARVN, though outnumbered, stood and fought with a tenacity which stunned their opponents. The stand of the 18th so impressed the rest of the entire South Vietnamese Army, previously routed, that they grew confident again. News reporters were flown in from around the world to witness the battlefield strewn with VPA casualties, repelled in assault after assault with heavy losses, including at least 37 T-54 tanks destroyed or knocked out. Even the official Vietnamese Communist history of the Vietnam War states that the fighting at Xuân Lộc was "cruel".

Aftermath

With Xuân Lộc and all of Long Khanh Province secured, the gateway to Saigon was opened for North Vietnam's final assault. The only thing stood on their way were small pockets of desperate ARVN defenders.

For South Vietnam and its government, the fall of Xuân Lộc was another painful blow following the loss of the Central Highlands. But for the men of the 18th Infantry Division and other units, inside a larger defeat they could find a personal victory, as they proved for the last time during this decade-long conflict that they could stand and fight.

Order Of Battle

=North Vietnam=

*341st Division
*6th Division
*7th Division
*Independent 95A Regiment
*75th Artillery Group

=South Vietnam=

*18th Infantry Division [http://www.SuDoan18BoBinh.com]
*Task Force 43 (43rd Regiment, 5th Armoured Cavalry Squadron, 82nd Ranger Battalion and Regional Forces)
*48th Regiment
*52nd Regiment
*1st Airborne Brigade
*South Vietnamese Air Force 3rd Division
*South Vietnamese Air Force 4th Division

References

* Davidson, Philip. B "Vietnam at War". Novato CA: Presidio Press, 1984.
* Len, Hua Yen, Chief of Staff for Operations, 18th Infantry Division, (1988) "The Line of Steel at Xuan Loc: 12 Days and Nights of Ferocious Combat"
* Vien, General Cao Van, "The Final Collapse". Washington DC: U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1983.

External links

* [http://www.vnafmamn.com/xuanloc_battle.html Battle of Xuan Loc]
* [http://www.sudoan18bobinh.com/ Web site of Veterans of the 18th Division/ARVN]