An early engagement of Operation Junction City in which U.S. forces repelled a Viet Cong battalion assault through air and artillery superiority.
Key Facts
- Date
- February 28, 1967
- Operation
- Operation Junction City
- U.S. unit
- 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
- U.S. casualties (KIA)
- 25 killed
- VC casualties
- 167 killed
- Location
- Near Prek Klok, Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During Operation Junction City, the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment was deployed near Suối Đá and Prek Klok to protect a highway, airfield, and artillery base and to conduct search and destroy operations in Tay Ninh Province, west of Saigon.
On the morning of February 28, 1967, elements of the battalion moving east were ambushed by Viet Cong infantry using gunfire, rockets, and mortars, and then attacked from all sides as a VC battalion-sized force attempted to encircle them. The Americans responded with air strikes and artillery, repelling the assault by mid-afternoon.
The battle ended with 25 American soldiers killed and 167 Viet Cong killed. The U.S. forces successfully defended their positions, demonstrating the effectiveness of combined arms firepower in defeating larger VC attacks during Operation Junction City.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent