VENETIC

Battle of Buôn Ma Thuột

10 March 1975

As the Ho Chi Minh Campaign kicks off in the Central Highlands, a mechanised company of PAVN’s 316th Division is assaulting the outskirts of Buôn Ma Thuột, defended by the ARVN 23rd Division.

A ZSU-57-2 moves around to cover the the main road, on the flank of the mechanised infantry’s advance.

An SU-85 moves up to the main road to support the ZSU-57-2.

At the same time, more mechanised infantry move up south of the main road.

North of the main road, the lead PAVN troops find themselves under fire from a hedgerow.

ARVN troops are pouring fire into them.

PAVN return fire is heavy and, in spite of their cover, the ARVN troops start taking casualties.

The North Vietnamese also suffer casualties in the heavy firefight.

In spite of heavy casualties, more PAVN squads are thrown into the breach.

An ARVN M48 tank is sent in to reinforce the defenders, but it bogs down on the edge of the paddy field.

Three T-54 tanks are sent in to boost the assault. One of them also bogs down, but the remaining two keep moving forward.

The ARVN M113 goes up in smoke after being hit by the lead T-54.

While the ARVN defence north of the main road is collapsing, other PAVN troops are advancing to seize their objective; the crossroads.

The M48 crew, still stranded on the edge of the paddy field, watch helplessly as the remaining defenders are wiped out under heavy fire.

The surviving 2 crew members of the destroyed M113 flee the battlefield.

Finally, as two T-54s are about to burst through the hedgerow, the M48 manages to get itself unstuck and it lumbers forward to face the enemy, opening fire.

A second M48 moves forward on the south side of the main road at the same time.

Unfortunately it is unaware of the presence of the T-54s and enters their field of fire.

The T-54 repeatedly misses as the M48 swivels and opens fire.

The T-54 is knocked out.

The second T-54, sheltering behind the wreck, opens fire at the other M48.

The M48 is brewed up.

The surviving M48 hesitates to move any further, being aware of the presence of PAVN infantry in the vicinity.

Using the burning T-54 on the side road as a screen, the PAVN commander moves up his forces to outflank the intersection.

The M48 engages the PAVN infantry across the intersection with machine gun fire.

Several PAVN infantry fall under the machine gun fire.

However the M48 is already in the sights of an RPG team.

There is more movement from the ARVN rear too: an M113 is moving up.

The RPG team misses the M48, which opens fire at it and the rest of the PAVN squad with its main gun.

The ARVN commander now counter-attacks, throwing an M113 and its squad into the fray.

The other M113 at the rear, having spotted two T-54s and supporting PAVN infantry flanking it, begins a hasty withdrawal.

A T-54 reaches the main road behind the M48 guarding the crossroads and opens fire at it.

The first shot misses. The M48 rotates its turret and returns fire but also misses. The T-54’s second round slams into it.

Things are not looking good for the ARVN commander. His forces defending the crossroads have been completely outflanked.

The PAVN flanking movement is no mere feint.

The M113 taking evasive action falls into the line of sight of the other T-54. It fires but misses.

Under fire, the M113 abruptly pivots so it can bring its recoilless rifle to bear. It will be a close-run thing.

After another miss by the T-54, the M113 returns fire and the result is a knock-out.

The M113’s main machine gunner begins laying down fire on the PAVN infantry, killing several of them.

The sole remaining T-54 edges forwards cautiously on the M113’s flank then opens fire at it.

It scores a direct hit.

At this point, the ARVN commander throws in the towel and admits defeat. He has lost the crossroads to the PAVN force.

It was a hard-fought victory for the PAVN commander, who lost two tanks, an APC and around a third of his mechanised infantry, but superior fire and movement won the day.