Battle of Tra Binh Dong
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| Battle of Tra Binh Dong | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Vietnam War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Combatants | |||||||
| Image:Flag of North Vietnam.svgNorth Vietnam Image:FNL Flag.svgViet Cong | Image:Flag of South Korea.svgSouth Korea | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Unknown commander | Captain Jin-Kyung Chung | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 2,400+ | 294 | ||||||
| Casualties | |||||||
| 200+ killed and 2 captured | 15 killed and 33 wounded | ||||||
The Battle of Tra Binh Dong was probably the most famous battle fought by the South Korean Marines during the Vietnam War. It was fought in the Tra Binh Dong village near the border with Cambodia.
The battle took place after a Viet Cong defector, former commander of a training camp, revealed that the North Vietnamese Army were planning an attack on the ROKMC's 11th Company.
On February 14, the North Vietnamese 40th and 60th Battalions moved into their positions in the forest surrounding the perimeter of the South Korean 11th Company. The regular VPA battalions were also supported by one VC local force battalion from Quang Ngai. With their troops build up around the area, the Communists planned to cut all communication lines and wipe out the South Korean forces in the area.
At dawn on February 15, the battle began with the Viet Cong attempting to cut through the wires of the South Korean base. The South Korean marines were dug in and waiting with requests for air-support. When the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong had penetrated Korean positions heavy fighting immediately follow. Initially the outnumbered Koreans were pinned down, but Communists ranks were soon breaking up in chaos and the South Koreans counterattacked. When the fighting ended more then 200 enemy bodies were left behind.
