Battle of Svay Rieng

The Battle of Svay Rieng was the last major operation of the Vietnam War to be mounted by the South Vietnamese army against the Communist VPA forces.

Summary
The operation began with a major thrust against the North Vietnamese 5th Division by the ARVN, the South Vietnamese Regional Force established blocking positions on the southwestern edge of the 5th Division as the South Vietnamese air force conducted strikes against base areas of the 5th Division. The ARVN 40th Infantry Regiment and the 7th Ranger Group, under the command of General Thuan, pushed around Duc Hue towards the Cambodian border. On April 28, the VPA 275th Regiment and the 25th Sapper Battalion launched a fierce attack on the Long Khot District Town as eleven South Vietnamese Battalions were preparing for a major assault. The VPA offensive did not deter the movement of ARVN forces. On the morning of the next day, ARVN armoured forces smashed across the Cambodian border west of Go Dau Hau directly towards the VPA 5th Division Headquarters.

The movement of the South Vietnamese forces was such a threat that the North Vietnamese was forced to defend their logistical installations with units from Long Khot. The 275th Regiment was threatened with isolation when the ARVN advanced into the Elephant's Foot. As part of the operation, the South Vietnamese army penetrated 16km into Cambodian territory with surprised attacks on Communist positions, with some ARVN units conducting sweep operations between Duc Hue and Go Dau Hau. By the time all South Vietnamese operations were seized, VPA communication lines and logistical installations were severely damaged. Due to the nature of secrecy, speed and accuracy of the operation, South Vietnamese casualties were kept to a minimum, while the North Vietnamese suffered heavy losses in terms of manpower and equipment.