Battle of Lima Site 85 - Battle

Battle

The attack on Phou Pha Thi began about 6:00pm on 10 March with an artillery barrage while a Special Forces team climbed "up the mountain to dismantle the mines and quick-fuse grenades" on infiltration routes. At 7:45pm the barrage stopped having disabled the Hmong 105 mm howitzer with a direct hit. At 8:21pm the artillery attack resumed until about 9:00pm followed by several infantry assaults by the VPA Regiment.

About 3:00am, Assault Team 1 Cell 4 maneuvered to the airstrip's west side (instead of the planned east side) to use the higher terrain and buildings. Their attempt to seize the airstrip was blocked by a Hmong mortar position. The Cell 4 commander was isolated from his three soldiers, and the cell fought to hold positions until daybreak against an encirclement by about 2 Hmong platoons. Cell 4 escaped by using the rough terrain to cover their positions and later linked up with other units at the mountaintop.

"About four in the morning", the 7th Air Force began an aerial counterattack to defend LS-85, causing the hill facing Phou Pha Thi and most of the valley between (to the northeast) to be "set ablaze or obscured by smoke" (Capt Donald Westbrook was shot down in his Douglas A-1 Skyraider and died.) An Air America helicopter landed on the airstrip and picked up 2 CIA officers and 1 forward air-controller. The VPA captured one 105 mm howitzer, one 85 mm artillery piece, four recoilless rifles, four heavy mortars, nine heavy machine guns and vast amounts of ammunition.