Key Facts
- Operation dates
- 12 September – 5 October 1967
- VC killed (reported)
- 376 total (213 + 163)
- Allied losses
- 7 killed (Kiến Hòa phase)
- Provinces covered
- Định Tường and Kiến Hòa
- Target unit
- VC 263rd Main Force Battalion
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 12 September, three Allied battalions inserted by helicopter and boat made immediate heavy contact with the enemy. Although Allies reported 134 VC killed, most escaped. Continued sweeps led to another major confrontation on 15 September, raising the four-day toll to 213 reported VC dead. Forces then shifted to adjoining Kiến Hòa Province, where from 5–7 October a further engagement with the 263rd Battalion yielded 163 reported VC killed.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1967, Viet Cong main force units had established strong footholds in the Mekong Delta, using its waterways and dense terrain for cover. U.S. intelligence located the VC 263rd Main Force Battalion operating in Định Tường Province, prompting the U.S. Mobile Riverine Force and Army of the Republic of Vietnam to plan a combined air and waterborne assault to disrupt these strongholds and degrade Viet Cong combat capacity in the region.
03 / The Outcome
The operation concluded on 5 October 1967 with Allied forces reporting a combined total of approximately 376 Viet Cong killed across both provinces. Allied losses in the Kiến Hòa phase were seven killed. Despite the reported enemy casualties, the bulk of the VC 263rd Battalion evaded destruction in the initial contact, limiting the operation's disruption of Viet Cong infrastructure in the Delta.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.