A U.S. Army unit suffered approximately 80 percent casualties after being ambushed by Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation in Phước Tuy Province in 1966.
Key Facts
- Dates
- April 11–12, 1966
- U.S. unit engaged
- Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
- U.S. strength
- 134 men
- U.S. casualty rate
- Approximately 80 percent
- Distance from Saigon
- 42 miles (68 km) east
- Province
- Phước Tuy Province, South Vietnam
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
U.S. forces planned a search and destroy operation to draw out and engage the Viet Cong D800 Battalion, an elite enemy unit, near Cẩm Mỹ village in Phước Tuy Province, approximately 42 miles east of Saigon.
On April 11–12, 1966, Charlie Company, 2/16th Infantry, consisting of 134 men, entered the rubber plantations around Cẩm Mỹ and was ambushed by Viet Cong forces. The company fought for survival over two days, sustaining devastating losses in close-quarters combat.
Approximately 80 percent of the 134-man Charlie Company became casualties, making the battle one of the costliest proportional losses for a U.S. Army unit in the Vietnam War and illustrating the dangers of search and destroy operations against entrenched Viet Cong formations.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent