3,000 600 Date 26 February 1964 Combatants South Vietnam, Viet Cong | 16 killed 40 killed Location Long Dinh | |
Result South Vietnamese victory, but successful Vietcong withdrawal Similar Battle of Suoi Bong Trang, Operation Shed Light, Battle of Gang Toi, Battle of Suoi Chau Pha, Operation Chenla II | ||
The Battle of Long Dinh was a battle of the Vietnam War that involved the People's Liberation Armed Forces (Việt Cộng) and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). U.S. helicopter survelliance had spotted a large group of Viet Cong fighters assembling in a forest glade near Long Dinh. General Nguyễn Khánh immediately rushed his heavy infantry forces there, using APCs.
On February 26, 1964, three-thousand regular South Vietnamese soldiers encircled the PLAF 514th Battalion at Long Dinh. During the 8-hour battle, the South Vietnamese army avoided contact with the VC, instead the ARVN commander relied on air and artillery strikes to inflict damage. As a result, the PLAF 514th Battalion was able to slip through the gaps and successfully withdraw from the area, using sniper teams to secure river crossings.
Due to the incompetence of the ARVN at this battle, General Nguyễn Khánh sacked five of his division commanders.