Battle of Svay Rieng

Battle of Svay Rieng
Part of the Vietnam War
Date April 27 – May 2, 1974 Location Cambodia/South Vietnam Result South Vietnamese victory
Belligerents
North Vietnam Viet Cong	South Vietnam Khmer Republic
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	Pham Quoc Thuan Tran Quang Khoi
Strength
5th Division 275th Regiment 25th Sapper Battalion	25th Division 3rd Armor Brigade
Casualties and losses
ARVN claim: +1,200 killed 65 POW	Fewer than 100

The Battle of Svay Rieng was the last major operation of the Vietnam War to be mounted by the South Vietnamese army against the Communist VPA forces.

Summary

The operation began with a major thrust against the North Vietnamese 5th Division by the ARVN, the South Vietnamese Regional Force established blocking positions on the southwestern edge of the 5th Division as the South Vietnamese air force conducted strikes against base areas of the 5th Division. The ARVN 40th Infantry Regiment and the 7th Ranger Group, under the command of General Thuan, pushed around Duc Hue towards the Cambodian border. On April 28, the VPA 275th Regiment and the 25th Sapper Battalion launched a fierce attack on the Long Khot District Town as eleven South Vietnamese Battalions were preparing for a major assault. The VPA offensive did not deter the movement of ARVN forces. On the morning of the next day, ARVN armoured forces smashed across the Cambodian border west of Go Dau Hau directly towards the VPA 5th Division Headquarters.

The movement of the South Vietnamese forces was such a threat that the North Vietnamese was forced to defend their logistical installations with units from Long Khot. The 275th Regiment was threatened with isolation when the ARVN advanced into the Elephant's Foot. As part of the operation, the South Vietnamese army penetrated 16 km into Cambodian territory with surprised attacks on Communist positions, with some ARVN units conducting sweep operations between Duc Hue and Go Dau Hau. By the time all South Vietnamese operations were seized, VPA communication lines and logistical installations were severely damaged. Due to the nature of secrecy, speed and accuracy of the operation, South Vietnamese casualties were kept to a minimum, while the North Vietnamese suffered heavy losses in terms of manpower and equipment.

References

• Dougan. C, Doyle. E, Lipsman. S, Martland. T, Weiss. S (1983) The Vietnam Experience: The False Peace. Boston Publishing Company, USA.