Key Facts
- Dates
- 10–12 May 1968
- PAVN estimated casualties
- 1,500–2,000
- Personnel evacuated
- ~1,500 military and civilian
- Air sorties flown
- ~350 sorties by ~150 aircraft
- Distance: Ngok Tavak to Kham Duc
- 8 km south
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 10 May 1968, PAVN forces attacked the outlying outpost at Ngok Tavak, overrunning much of it before the surviving MIKE Force troops evacuated toward Kham Duc. A reinforced U.S. battalion was airlifted in as part of Operation Golden Valley. On 12 May, both regiments of the 2nd Division attacked Kham Duc directly, assaulting hilltop outposts. Approximately 350 air sorties by U.S. and South Vietnamese aircraft inflicted an estimated 1,500–2,000 PAVN casualties, preventing penetration of the airstrip.
01 / The Origins
After the PAVN 2nd Division was defeated at the Battle of Lo Giang during the 1968 Tet Offensive, General Chu Huy Mân withdrew his forces into the mountains to regroup. North Vietnamese planners selected the U.S. Special Forces camp at Kham Duc as the next target, hoping to draw American reinforcements away from populated lowlands, inflict a major defeat, and exploit the battle for propaganda purposes on the eve of the Paris peace talks.
03 / The Outcome
Despite the air superiority displayed and heavy PAVN losses, General Westmoreland ordered a full evacuation of Kham Duc on 12 May, completing the withdrawal of roughly 1,500 military and civilian personnel. B-52s bombed the surrounding area for two subsequent days. The abandonment of the camp was ultimately judged a North Vietnamese victory, as U.S. forces ceded the position without achieving the strategic denial originally intended.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Chu Huy Mân.
Side B
2 belligerents
William Westmoreland, William Momyer.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.