Battle of Ba Gia

The Battle of Ba Gia or Bãi Xoan was a battle of the Vietnam War, that began after an ARVN battalion was ambushed by Viet Cong (VC) forces on May 28, 1965.

The battle highlighted the vulnerability of the ARVN as a military force against the flexible VC.

Viet Cong soldiers were driven out of Ba Gia after the USAF conducted airstrikes using napalm, rockets and cannon fire from A-1 Skyraiders and F-100 Super Sabres.

Pouncing on the government outpost at Ba Gia, a Viet Cong battalion killed 30 South Vietnamese and captured two 105-mm. howitzers. Ba Gia's defenders quickly snapped back, drove the Reds out and pinned them down while U.S. planes came in, inflicting heavy casualties. A second Communist blow fell farther to the west, where Viet Cong raiders overran the district capital of Dak To, then ambushed a relief column corning in by road from Kontum. Again the Reds could not hold onto what they had taken: after two days of fighting, the Viet Cong pulled out.