Operation Thao La

Operation Thao La
Part of Laotian Civil War; Vietnam War
Date21 November — 16 December 1971
Location
Southern Laos
Result Pyrrhic victory for Kingdom of Laos
Territorial
changes
Royalists took Tha Theng and Ban Phong, lost Salavan
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Laos
Supported by:
 United States
 North Vietnam
Supported by:
 Soviet Union
 People's Republic of China
Units involved

Bataillon Infanterie 9
Bataillon Volontaire 46
Bataillon Volontaire 48
Bataillon Volontaire 41
Commando Raiders
Groupement Mobile 33
Groupement Mobile 41
Royal Lao Air Force
Raven Forward Air Controllers

U.S. Air Force
9th PAVN Regiment
Five PAVN battalions
Casualties and losses
399 killed
1,376 wounded
343 missing
1,204 killed
763 wounded

Operation Thao La (21 November–16 December 1971) was a Royal Lao Government (RLG) dry season offensive during the Laotian Civil War, aimed at severing the Ho Chi Minh Trail and retrieving the Lao Bolaven Plateau from the grip of the People's Army of Vietnam. Its objectives were the use of recently captured Salavan as a jumpoff point for occupying Tha Theng and Ban Phong. Key to the plan was a prearranged daily allotment of supportive tactical air power.

In the event, the Royalists captured their two objectives. However, they lost both Salavan and Paksong to the North Vietnamese; they also failed to find the Communist transshipment point whose conquest would have interdicted the Trail.