Battle of Binh Gia

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Battle of Binh Gia

Date	December 28, 1964- January 1, 1965
Location	Binh Gia, South Vietnam
Result	Viet Cong Victory

Combatants

Image:FNL Flag.svg Viet Cong

Image:Flag of South Vietnam.svg South Vietnam
Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States

Commanders

Gen. Duong Van Nhut

Captain Franklin P. Eller (Senior Advisor)

Strength

1,500

3,000+

Casualties

Unknown

300+ ARVN
5 US

Vietnam War
Ap Bac – Binh Gia – Song Be – Dong Xoai – Ia Drang – Long Tan – Dak To – Tra Binh Dong –Ong Thanh – 1st Tet – Khe Sanh – 1st Saigon – Lang Vei – Hills 881 & 861 – 2nd Tet – Hamburger Hill – Binh Ba – Ripcord – FSB Mary Ann – Easter '72 – An Loc – Kontum – Phuoc Long – Ho Chi Minh – Buon Ma Thuot – Xuan Loc – 2nd Saigon – Barrell Roll – Rolling Thunder – Pony Express – Steel Tiger – Commando Hunt – Linebacker I – Linebacker II – Chenla I – Tiger Hound – Lima Site 85 – Tailwind – Chenla II – Cambodia

The Battle of Binh Gia was a battle of the Vietnam War that pitched the Viet Cong against the ARVN and their American advisors.

Binh Gia was a strategic hamlet surrounded by rubber and banana plantations, located in Phuoc Tuy Province. Most of Binh Gia's population were Catholics who fled from North Vietnam in 1954, the local priest was in charge of the militia. As the year of 1964 was coming to an end, the Viet Cong seek to commemorate the establishment of the National Liberation Front with a military victory. The VC 9th Division was given the honour to carry out this mission.

[edit] The Battle of Binh Gia

The elements of the Viet Cong 9th Division, led by the 514th Battalion began their assault during the early morning of December 28, they quickly overwhelmed the local militia forces. Later that morning two South Vietnamese Ranger Units counterattacked but were unable to clear the enemy from their positions, they came within 300 metres of Binh Gia village when a Viet Cong Battalion forced them to withdraw.

During the morning of December 30, the South Vietnamese 4th Marines Battalion landed by helicopter, they recaptured Binh Gia but the Viet Cong was nowhere to be seen. Later that day, a US Army gunship was shot down, killing four crewmen.

At the site of the crash the 4th Marines Battalion and their American advisors discovered fresh graves but it turned out to be an ambush. Viet Cong soldiers launched deadly attacks on the ARVN, further reinforcements from the 29th, 30th and 33rd ARVN Ranger Battalions were ambushed and decimated. This latest battle resulted in the death of 35 ARVN officers, 112 Marines and 71 wounded bringing the total casualties to more then 300. On January 1 further ARVN reinforcements arrived but they were too late.

[edit] After Binh Gia

Despite the humiliating defeat inflicted on them the South Vietnamese army stubbornly considered the battle as their victory. The battle of Binh Gia demonstrated the Viet Cong's changing tactics with a combination of guerilla and conventional warfare, they were well-supplied with equipment from North Vietnam and could inflict damage on the best ARVN units.