Operation Chenla II

Part of Cambodian Civil War, Vietnam War

Map showing the areas under Communist control.

Date	August 20 – December 3, 1971
Location	Kompong Thom, Cambodia
Result	Decisive North Vietnamese victory

Belligerents

North Vietnam

Viet Cong

Khmer Republic

Commanders and leaders

Trần Văn Trà

Hou Hang Sin

Strength

20,000+

25,000+

Casualties and losses

Unknown (Cambodian sources claimed 3,500+ killed during Phase I)¹

Decimation of 10 FANK Battalions

Operation Chenla II or Chenla Two was a major military operation conducted by the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) during the Cambodian Civil War. It began on August 20 and lasted until December 3, 1971.

During the days of Prince Norodom Sihanouk's rule in Cambodia in the 1960s, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and their Viet Cong (VC) allies were able to use base areas in Cambodian territory in order to provide logistical support for their combat troops within South Vietnam. Following the March 1970 coup led by the pro-U.S. General Lon Nol, the North Vietnamese aggressively expanded their control over the provinces of northeastern Cambodia, coming dangerously close to the capital Phnom Penh.

Initially, the small, largely untrained and poorly-equipped Cambodian Army (ANK) was not up to the challenge, especially against the larger and more experienced VC and North Vietnamese forces. However, by the summer of 1971, and with massive American and South Vietnamese assistance, the ANK grew into a force of more than one-hundred thousand men.

During the period between September 1970 and June 1971, the ANK won its first victories after they successfully dislodged elements of the NVA's 9th Division along Route 13 and in some parts of the Mekong Delta.

By April 1971, Marshal Lon Nol decided to renew the offensive against the Communist forces, taking advantage of the high morale among the Cambodian Army troops following the partial success of Operation Chenla I. For the Khmer National Armed Forces (FANK) everything was at stake, as many reserves and prestige were invested in the operation. The FANK High Command's main objective was to reopen all of Route 6 and to secure the road between Kampong Cham and the isolated garrison at Kampong Thom. A ANK task-force of ten infantry battalions – again including a large percentage of Khmer Krom troops – gathered into three brigade groups supported by armour and artillery was assembled for the operation, which relied heavily on U.S. air support to soften an estimated two NVA divisions in the region.

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