Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Bong Son

Battle of Bong Son was a battle fought in 1966 in what is now Vietnam. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the Vietnam War, which ran from 1955 to 1975. The recorded result: Inconclusive. Recorded strength: 5,700; ~10,000; unknown against ~6,000 (US estimate).

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U.S. Army Bell UH–1D Huey helicopters pick up soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division during operations on the Bong Son Plain, Vietnam, in 1966.
U.S. Army Bell UH–1D Huey helicopters pick up soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Division during operations on the Bong Son Plain, Vietnam, in 1966.. US Army, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1966
WhereVietnam14.429N, 109.016E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsUnited States; South Vietnam; Third Republic of KoreaagainstNorth Vietnam; Viet Cong
Part ofVietnam War1955 to 1975

Where it sits in the Vietnam War

Battle of Ap Bac, 1963Battle of Go Cong, 1963Battle of Nam Dong, 1964Battle of An Lao, 1964Gulf of Tonkin incident, 1964Battle of Binh Gia, 1964Operation Starlite, 1965Battle of Dong Xoai, 1965Battle of Ba Gia, 1965Battle of Song Be, 1965Battle of Dương Liễu–Nhông Pass, 1965Attack on Camp Holloway, 1965Battle of Núi Thành, 1965Siege of Plei Me, 1965Battle of Gang Toi, 1965Battle of Ap Bau Bang, 1965Battle of Ia Drang, 1965Battle of Xa Cam My, 1966Battle of A Shau, 1966Operation Crimp, 1966Battle of Bong Son, 1966Battle of Suoi Bong Trang, 1966Battle of Long Tan, 1966Battle of Tra Binh Dong, 1967Battle of Tam Quan, 1967Operation Cedar Falls, 1967Operation Bribie, 1967Battle of Hill 881, 1967Battle of Suoi Chau Pha, 1967Operation Francis Marion, 1967Battle of Ong Thanh, 1967First Battle of Loc Ninh, 1967Battle of Dak To, 1967Battle of Saigon, 1968New Year's Day Battle of 1968, 1968Battle of Khe Sanh, 1968Battle of Ban Houei Sane, 1968Battle of Quang Tri, 1968Battle of Lang Vei, 1968Tet Offensive battle of Cholon and Phu Tho Racetrack, 1968Action of 1 March 1968, 1968Battle of Hue, 1968Battle of Lima Site 85, 1968Battle of An Bao, 1968Battle of Kham Duc, 1968Battle of Coral–Balmoral, 1968Operation Speedy Express, 1968Battle of Hat Dich, 1968Operation Dewey Canyon, 1969Battle of Hamburger Hill, 1969Battle of Binh Ba, 1969Battle of Kompong Speu, 1970Battle of Prey Veng, 1970Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord, 1970Operation Ivory Coast, 1970Operation Lam Son 719, 1971Battle of FSB Mary Ann, 1971Battle of Snuol, 1971Battle of Long Khanh, 1971Battle of Nui Le, 1971First Battle of Quảng Trị, 1972Battle of Loc Ninh, 1972Battle of Đồng Hới, 1972Battle of Kontum, 1972Second Battle of Quảng Trị, 1972Operation Linebacker II, 1972Battle of Cửa Việt, 1973Battle of the Paracel Islands, 1974Battle of Kampot, 1974Battle of Svay Rieng, 1974Battle of the Iron Triangle, 1974Battle of Phuoc Long, 1974Battle of Ban Me Thuot, 1975Battle of Xuan Loc, 1975Fall of Saigon, 197519631975Battle of Bong Son, 1966
75 placed engagements of the Vietnam War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1966 (year precision)
to 1966
PlaceVietnam
14.429N, 109.016E
KindBattle, Cold War
Strength5,700; ~10,000; unknown~6,000 (US estimate)
Casualties and losses288 killed; 990 wounded; 10 killed; 40 wounded; 119 killed; ~400 wounded; PAVN claim: 2,000+ killed, wounded or captured :chapter 4U.S. claim: 2,150 killed; 1,746 estimated killed; 300–600 captured; 500 defected; 254 weapons recovered; Unknown number of civilian casualties, reportedly 10,000+
Commanders
  • Harry Kinnard
  • Hal Moore
Battle of Bong SonBattle of Bong SonBattle of Tam QuanBattle of An BaoBattle of An LaoBattle of Ba GiaBattle of Mang Yang PassBattle of An BaoBattle of An LaoBattle of Ba GiaBattle of Mang Yang PassQui NhonPlay KuKon Tum100 km14.429N, 109.016E
Placed at its recorded location; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1966

Battle of Bong Son is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 140 in present-day Vietnam.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4870513, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Bong Son, revision 1372539408, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.