Operation Maharat
| Operation Maharat | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Campaign Z, Laotian Civil War | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Kingdom of LaosForces Armées Neutralistes |
 Pathet LaoPatriotic Neutralists |
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| Units involved | |||||||||
| Bataillon Voluntaires 25 11th Brigade Bataillon Voluntaires 56 Bataillon Volontaires 52 Bataillon Volontaires 25 Bataillon Commando 208 Bataillon Guerrier 121 Bataillon Guerrier 122 Bataillon Guerrier 131 |
N/A | ||||||||
Operation Maharat (30 December 1971–16 March 1972) was a military offensive of the Royal Lao Government aimed at Communist insurrectionists. At stake was the sole road junction in northern Laos well in the rear of Royalist troops fighting in Campaign Z. On 30 December 1971, the garrison of a Royal Lao Army artillery battery and two Forces Armées Neutralistes battalions was besieged by an attacking force of Pathet Lao and Patriotic Neutralists. On 21 January 1972, the Royalists were reinforced by 11th Brigade, then overrun. The Communists spread north and south along Route 13 over a 110 km (68 mi) stretch. A Royalist counter-attack on 16 March 1972 would find both Route 13 and the intersection vacated.
The road network built by the French while they controlled the Kingdom of Laos was a minimal one. They extended Routes 7 and 9 from the Vietnamese coast into the interior of Laos. These east-west roads connected with the only Laotian north-south road, Route 13. Route 7 dead-ended into Route 13 approximately midway between Luang Prabang and Vientiane. It was the only road junction in the entirety of central northern Laos. The French intent was to link Laos with Vietnam, which it had also colonized.
When the French granted Laos independence in 1954, a Vietnamese invasion had already taken place, and a Laotian communist insurgency had begun. Thus the Laotian Civil War burgeoned into being.
As Campaign Z raged along Route 7, a separate engagement behind the Royalist forces being attacked threatened their rear area. Route 13 intersected with Route 7 at Sala Phoun Khoun. Route 13 ran north/south and connected Vientiane to Luang Prabang; Route 7 branched off to cross the Plain of Jars (PDJ) to Dien Ben Phu, Vietnam. Both roads were the only ground lines of communication available. Recognizing the importance of Sala Phou Khoun, the Royal Lao Government (RLG) stationed an artillery battery and two battalions of volunteers to defend it against Communist attack—Bataillon Voluntaires 25 (BV 25) and Bataillon Voluntaires 56 (BV 56).
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