Battles of Firebases Coral and Balmoral Part 2

After the initial assaults on FSPB Coral, the Australian forces commenced an aggressive patrolling regime with combined infantry and armored forces. These patrols would often spring NVA and VC forces preparing for an attack in their bunker and tunnel systems. …

1968-05-17

LOF07

After the initial assaults on FSPB Coral, the Australian forces commenced an aggressive patrolling regime with combined infantry and armored forces. These patrols would often spring NVA and VC forces preparing for an attack in their bunker and tunnel systems. On this particular occasion, the Australians and their tanks run head long into a NVA force on their way to conduct another assault of FSPB Coral.

North of Tân Uyên, South Vietnam

The Battle of Coral–Balmoral (12 May – 6 June 1968) was a series of actions fought during the Vietnam War between the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) and the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 7th Division and Viet Cong (VC) Main Force units, 40 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of Saigon. Following the defeat of the PAVN/VC Tet offensive in January and February, in late April two Australian infantry battalions—the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR)—with supporting arms, were again deployed from their base at Nui Dat in Phước Tuy Province to positions astride infiltration routes leading to Saigon to interdict renewed movement against the capital. Part of the wider allied Operation Toan Thang I, it was launched in response to intelligence reports of another impending PAVN/VC offensive, yet the Australians experienced little fighting during this period. Meanwhile, the PAVN/VC successfully penetrated the capital on 5 May, plunging Saigon into chaos during the May Offensive in an attempt to influence the upcoming Paris peace talks scheduled to begin on the 13th. During three days of intense fighting the attacks were repelled by US and South Vietnamese forces, and although another attack was launched by the PAVN/VC several days later, the offensive was again defeated with significant losses on both sides, causing extensive damage to Saigon and many civilian casualties. By 12 May the fighting was over, and the PAVN/VC were forced to withdraw having suffered heavy casualties. US casualties were also heavy and it proved to be their most costly week of the war.

Wikipedia: Battle of Coral-Balmoral

Australian

North Vietnamese