The Vietnam War lasted from 1 November 1955 to 30 April 1975, officially between North Vietnam (North Vietnam) and South Vietnam (South Vietnam). In reality, it was an international war between the French at first and then the United States and its allies on the side of South Vietnam, and the Communist Bloc on the side of North Vietnam
The US believed it was saving Vietnam from Communism while North Vietnam saw it as an extension of their fight for independence against colonial rule.
To counteract the superior armed and technology of the United States, North Vietnam combined modern weaponry with guerrilla tactics to deadly effect.
The most notable battles in that conflict are as follows.
1. Battle of Ấp Bắc
On 28 December 1961, US intelligence discovered that a large group of North Vietnamese Army (North Vietnam Army) were near the village of Ấp Bắc – deep in South Vietnam territory. The Army of the Republic of South Vietnam (ARVN) 7th Infantry were therefore ordered to destroy them with superior American weapons and training
On 2 January 1963, US helicopters dropped the ARVN near the village, but it was a disaster. The South Vietnam were defeated, while five American helicopters were destroyed. More had to be brought in to rescue the surviving ARVN.
The US realized that it had to get more involved.
2. Battle of Pleiku
In 1964 the Gulf of Tonkin Incident happened – it was claimed that a US ship was attacked by the North Vietnamese though it turned out much later that no attack had taken place. This gave them the excuse to bomb North Vietnam, forcing the Soviets to get involved. North Vietnam retaliated by attacking bases in South Vietnam.
The following year, the Viet Cong (VC) 409th Battalion attacked Camp Holloway (an American helicopter base) in Pleiku on February 6, while the VC 30th Company attacked a South Vietnam Army base on February 7.
These attacks convinced a reluctant President Johnson into escalating America’s involvement in Vietnam. As a result, China and Cuba were forced to do the same.
3. Battle of Van Tuong
Also called Operation Starlite, this was the first purely American assault on the VC, which took place on 18 August 1965. A VC defector claimed that North Vietnam was planning to attack the American Chu Lai Air Base from Van Tuong, so it was decided to launch a preemptive strike.
The Americans launched their assault near the border with North Vietnam using helicopters, tanks, and naval ships. Fighting ended on August 24 with a US victory after killing 614 VC, while the Americans lost 45.
North Vietnam claimed that it had won, however, since they kept the US forces out of their territory.
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