Siege of Plei Me

Siege of Plei Me
Part of the Vietnam War
Special Forces camp at Plei Me in 1965
Date October 19–25, 1965 Location 13°37′01″N 107°55′01″E / 13.617°N 107.917°E / 13.617; 107.917Coordinates: 13°37′01″N 107°55′01″E / 13.617°N 107.917°E / 13.617; 107.917 Plei Me, Vietnam Result South Vietnamese-American victory Siege lifted
Belligerents
South Vietnam  United States	North Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Vĩnh Lộc (II Corps) William A. McKean (5th SF Group) Charles Beckwith (Delta Team) Nguyễn Trọng Luật (Armored TF)	Chu Huy Man (B3 Front) Tô Đình Khẩn (32nd Rgmt) Vũ Sắc (33rd Rgmt)
Strength
450 CIDG 12 U.S. Special Forces ARVN armored column of 1,400 men U.S. Air Force and TF Ingram	33rd and 320th PAVN Regiments (~4,200)
Casualties and losses
CIDG: KIA 14, WIA 28 ARVN: KIA 16, WIA 31 US: KIA 3, WIA 7	U.S. body count: 326 killed during siege U.S. estimate: 850 killed, 1,700 wounded during siege and pursuit North Vietnamese estimate: 600 killed in 33rd regiment.

South Vietnamese-American victory

U.S. body count: 326 killed during siege

The Siege of Plei Me (Vietnamese: bao vây diệt địch ở Pleime) (19–25 October 1965) was the beginning phase of the first major confrontation between soldiers of the communist North Vietnamese Army (PAVN) and the U.S. army during the Vietnam War. The lifting of the siege by South Vietnamese forces and American air power was followed by the pursuit of the retreating North Vietnamese from 28 October until 12 November, setting the stage for the Battle of Ia Drang. Plei Me was an isolated U.S. Army Special Forces and Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) camp in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam defended mostly by Montagnard tribesmen.

Plei Me camp was established in October 1963 by the United States Army Special Forces 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Pleiku city and less than 20 miles (32 km) from the Cambodia border in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Plei Me was one of many Special Forces camps scattered around the Central Highlands and charged with gaining and maintaining the support of the Montagnards for the South Vietnamese war effort and gathering intelligence about the infiltration into South Vietnam of North Vietnamese soldiers along the Ho Chi Minh trail.

In 1965 the camp was manned by more than 400 CIDG soldiers—local Montagnard irregulars, mostly members of the Jarai ethnic group. Many of them had families living just outside the camp. 12 American soldiers from the 5th Special Forces Group and 14 Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces assisted and advised the Montagnards. At the time of the attack on Plei Me, about 300 Montagnards, the 14 Vietnamese, and 10 Americans were inside the camp, the others were on patrol or stationed at nearby listening posts. The camp itself was under the control and command of II Corps Command.

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Wikipedia