Battle of Tra Binh Dong

Battle of Tra Binh Dong Part of the Vietnam War Date February 14–15, 1967 Location Tra Binh Dong, South Vietnam Result ROK victory Belligerents North Vietnam Viet Cong Republic of Korea Commanders and leaders Unknown commander Jeong Kyung-Jin Strength 2,400+ 294 Casualties and losses 243+ killed 2 captured 15 killed 33 wounded

The Battle of Tra Binh Dong was probably the most famous battle fought by the South Korean Marines during the Vietnam War. It was fought in the Tra Binh Dong village near the border of Cambodia in February 1967. The battle took place after a Viet Cong defector, former commander of a training camp, revealed that the North Vietnamese Army were planning an attack on the ROKMC's 11th Company. On February 14, the North Vietnamese 40th and 60th Battalions moved into their positions in the forest surrounding the perimeter of the South Korean 11th Company. The regular VPA battalions were also supported by one VC local force battalion from Quang Ngai. With their troops built up around the area, the Communist forces planned to cut all communication lines and wipe out the South Korean forces in the area.

At dawn on February 15, the battle began with the Viet Cong attempting to cut through the wires of the South Korean base. The South Korean marines were dug in and waiting with requests for air-support. But due to foggy weather, AC-47s couldn't commence attack on the Viet Cong, so they only had the artillery support. When the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong had penetrated Korean positions, heavy fighting immediately followed. Initially the outnumbered South Koreans, though vastly superior in firepower, were pinned down, but Communist forces' ranks soon started to break up in heat of the battle as the South Koreans counterattacked. When the fighting ended 246 enemy bodies were left behind. After the battle, 3 flamethrowers, 5 antitank rocket launchers, 2 machine guns, 28 rifles, 100 pieces of dynamite, and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition were captured by the South Koreans. Following the defeat, the NVA abandoned plans for subsequent attacks against the Chu Lai airbase and the city of Quang Ngai. Two of the communist Vietnamese were taken prisoner in the end, one of which was a North Vietnamese battalion commander

Order of battle

Democratic Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam People's Army

2nd Division

1st Regiment

60th Battalion

21st Regiment

40th Battalion

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea Marine Corps

2nd Marine Brigade (Blue Dragon)

1st Battalion

1st Company

3rd Platoon

3rd Battalion

11th Company - Cpt. Jeong Kyung-jin

External links

• The Blue Dragon heros who won a brilliant victory at Tra Binh Dong operation
• [1] (cached)