Key Facts
- Duration
- November 1967 – January 1968
- VC killed (total)
- 444+
- U.S. killed
- 9
- ARVN Marines killed
- 40
- Largest engagement VC killed
- 266 (4 December 1967)
Strategic Narrative Overview
Operations began in mid-November 1967, with early clashes yielding 178 VC killed and the seizure of supplies and hideouts against 26 Allied dead. Activity quieted for several weeks before a major engagement on 4 December, when a VC battalion met the South Vietnamese 5th Marine Battalion; 266 VC were killed, mostly by the Marines, who lost 40 killed alongside 9 American dead. Sporadic skirmishes continued through the Christmas period.
01 / The Origins
By late 1967, Viet Cong forces had established fortified strongholds and supply networks throughout the Mekong Delta, exploiting the region's dense waterways to evade conventional ground forces. The United States and South Vietnam deployed the Mobile Riverine Force, a joint Army-Navy formation designed specifically for amphibious and riverine combat, to penetrate these areas and destroy VC infrastructure ahead of anticipated escalations in the wider Vietnam War.
03 / The Outcome
In early January 1968, medium-sized engagements resulted in additional VC losses numbering in the dozens before contact dropped off sharply. The operation concluded with no significant territorial change but left Viet Cong units in the targeted areas substantially degraded. The action took place weeks before the Tet Offensive, which would dramatically shift the strategic context across South Vietnam.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
2 belligerents
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.