Operation Phou Phiang II

Operation Phou Phiang II
Part of Laotian Civil War
Date6 August – 25 October 1972
Location
Result North Vietnamese repel Lao attack
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Laos
Supported by
 United States
 North Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Laos Vang Pao
United States James Parker
Raymond Seaborg  
George Bacon
North Vietnam Vũ Lập
Units involved
Groupements Mobile 24
Groupements Mobile 23
Groupements Mobile 22
Task Force Vang Pao
Bataillons Guerrier 105
Bataillons Guerrier 110
Bataillons Guerrier 209
Bataillons Guerrier 228
Bataillons Guerrier 233
Bataillons Guerrier 224
Groupements Mobile 30
Groupements Mobile 31
Groupements Mobile 15
Groupements Mobile 27
Groupements Mobile 26
Bataillon Guerrier 103
Bataillon Commando 607A
Bataillon Commando 609
Groupements Mobile 32
Groupements Mobile 28
12th Brigade
13th Brigade
Commando Raiders
Thailand Two Thai battalions
21st Special Operations Squadron
Laos RLAF air support
174th Regiment
866th Independent Regiment
148th Independent Regiment
335th Independent Regiment
88th Regiment
42nd Artillery Battalion
27th Dac Cong Battalion
421st Dac Cong Battalion

Operation Phou Phiang II (6 August – 25 October 1972) was one of the final battles of the Laotian Civil War. It was an attempt to relieve the siege on the guerrilla headquarters at Long Tieng on the Plain of Jars. It was designed as a two phase attack consisting of five task forces of Thai mercenaries and Royalist guerrillas upon the People's Army of Vietnam invading Laos. Air superiority was used to direct over 100 air strike sorties daily to support the offense, and air mobility to shuffle attacking troops. A new radar bombing program by F-111 Aardvarks and B-52 Stratofortresses failed to cripple the Communist forces. Designed to overwhelm Communist defenses with its multiplicity, the five Lao task forces were defeated in detail by the Communists despite two new columns being improvised and introduced into the fray.

Key to the Lao defeat was the lack of competent staff work to coordinate the operation, the immaturity and carelessness of their troops, as well as a widespread outbreak of trench foot.