Atlas of Battles

battle, Cold War

Battle of Lạng Sơn

Battle of Lạng Sơn was a battle fought in 1979 in what is now Vietnam. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at its recorded location. It was part of the Sino-Vietnamese War. The recorded result: Chinese victory.

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Fought1979
WhereVietnam21.848N, 106.758E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeChinese victory
BelligerentsChinaagainstVietnam
Part ofSino-Vietnamese War1979

Where it sits in the Sino-Vietnamese War

Battle of Lào Cai, 1979Battle of Cao Bằng, 1979Battle of Móng Cái, 1979Battle of Lạng Sơn, 197919791979Battle of Lạng Sơn, 1979
4 placed engagements of the Sino-Vietnamese War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1979 (year precision)
PlaceVietnam
21.848N, 106.758E
KindBattle, Cold War
Territorial changeCapture and brief occupation of Lạng Sơn by Chinese troops
StrengthAt least 8 regular divisions; ~130,000 troops; Fire support: 1st Artillery Division; 70th Anti-Aircraft Division1 regular division; plus regional troops and militia; Total ~13,000 troops; (Reinforced by the whole 327th, 337th, 338th Divisions since 2 March)
Casualties and lossesChinese source: 1,271 killed; 3,779 wounded; Vietnamese source: ~19,000 casualties; 76 tanks/APCs destroyedVietnamese source: 3rd Division: 6.6% killed, 8.4% wounded; 327th Division: no data; 337th Division: 650 killed; 338th Division: 260 killed; Chinese source: 10,401 casualties; (including ~300 killed of 42nd/327th Regt.); 50 tanks/APCs destroyed
Commanders
  • Xu Shiyou
  • Zhang Tingfa
  • Hoàng Đan
  • Nguyễn Duy Thương
Battle of Lạng SơnBattle of Lạng SơnBattle of Nui BopBattle of Bang BoBattle of Bạch ĐằngBattle of Bạch ĐằngBattle of Phu Tong HoaBattle of Bang BoBattle of Bạch ĐằngBattle of Bạch ĐằngBattle of Phu Tong HoaNanningHaiphongThái NguyênViệt TrìSơn TâyBắc GiangPingxiangCao Bằng100 km21.848N, 106.758E
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 1979

Battle of Lạng Sơn 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 Q23020687, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Lạng Sơn (1979), revision 1370448428, 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.