Battle of Ban Me Thuot - Background

Background

At the beginning of 1975, members of the North Vietnamese Political Bureau paid close attention to the military situation in South Vietnam to plan for their next major offensive. On January 8, two days after the Vietnam People’s Army 4th Corps had captured Phuoc Long on the northern edges of South Vietnam’s III Corps Tactical Zone, North Vietnamese leaders agreed to launch an all-out military offensive, in order to end the war. Originally the North Vietnamese leaders expected the campaign would last two years, be completed in 1976, and pave the way for final victory. Their key objectives were to bring military pressure closer to Saigon, annihilate as many South Vietnamese military units as possible, and create favourable conditions on the battlefield so that combat forces could be deployed from their current localities.

Following extensive discussions on the fighting ability of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, the Political Bureau approved the General Staff’s plan, which had selected the Central Highlands as the main battlefield for the upcoming offensive. The Central Highlands campaign was codenamed ‘Campaign 275’ and the goal was to capture the city of Ban Me Thuot. To achieve that objective, North Vietnamese General Van Tien Dung placed great emphasis on the principles of massed force, secrecy, and surprise to draw South Vietnamese forces away from the main objective. For the element of surprise to be successful, North Vietnamese forces needed to launch strong diversionary attacks on Pleiku and Kontum, thereby leaving Ban Me Thuot completely exposed. Once the element of surprise had been achieved, the North Vietnamese would mass their forces on Ban Me Thuot, and prevent South Vietnamese reinforcements from retaking the city.