PAVN and Viet Cong forces captured An Lão district headquarters and held it against ARVN counterattacks for three days, opening a corridor between communist bases in central Vietnam.
Key Facts
- Dates
- 7–9 December 1964
- Duration
- 3 days days
- Location
- An Lão District, Bình Định Province, II Corps
- Communist operation
- Campaign An Lão, 5th Military Region
- Objective
- Capture corridor between Quảng Ngãi and Bình Định bases
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The communist 5th Military Region launched Campaign An Lão to seize the An Lão valley as a strategic corridor linking their military bases in Quảng Ngãi Province and Bình Định Province, motivating a coordinated offensive by PAVN regulars and Viet Cong guerrillas against South Vietnamese positions in coastal Bình Định.
Between 7 and 9 December 1964, joint PAVN and Viet Cong forces attacked and captured the An Lão district headquarters in the II Corps tactical zone. Over the following three days, the communist forces successfully repelled multiple ARVN counterattacks, retaining control of the district seat.
The communist capture and successful defense of An Lão district headquarters demonstrated the PAVN and Viet Cong's ability to seize and hold administrative centers against South Vietnamese counterattacks, advancing Campaign An Lão's goal of establishing an operational corridor between provincial base areas in central Vietnam.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent