In the broader context of Vietnam War armored battles, Ben Het highlighted the tank’s versatility beyond jungle patrols, influencing later uses in operations like the Easter Offensive.
The Vietnam War is remembered for its intense helicopter combat operations and guerrilla warfare beneath intense jungle canopy. Indeed, the decade-long war between the United States Armed Forces and the irregular Viet Cong—and, in the later stages of the war, the open involvement of the North Vietnamese Army—saw few conventional clashes.
That is why the Battle of Ben Het stands out as among one of the few, notable exceptions.
Indeed, that conflict defied the normal interplay between the US military and the communist guerrillas of North Vietnam in that Ben Het saw US armored capabilities brought to bear, with staggeringly effective results.
The Battle of Ben Het
Fought on March 3-4, 1969, at the Ben Het Special Forces Camp near the tri-border region of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, the battle pitted American M48 Patton Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) against North Vietnamese PT-76 light tanks. As one of the only direct tank battles in the Vietnam War, the M48’s superior performance in firepower, armor, and night-fighting technology dictated the course of the battle, in which North Vietnam’s only response was to deploy those PT-76 light tanks—which had, as the name suggests, less armor and firepower than did the mighty American M48s.
By early 1969, the Vietnam War had entered a phase of escalating North Vietnamese offensives aimed at weakening the US and South Vietnamese positions. The Ben Het Camp, a remote outpost manned by the Fifth Special Forces Group, served as a strategic base for artillery support and reconnaissance along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Defended by around 12 Green Berets, 400 Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) troops, two M42A1 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, and a battery of 175mm self-propelled artillery, the camp was reinforced by four M48 Patton tanks from Company B, First Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment.
The North Vietnamese Army (NVA), specifically the 16th Company of the Fourth Battalion, 202nd Armored Regiment, south to overrun the camp and destroy its long-range guns. They prepared an assault wave composed of approximately 10 PT-76 amphibious light tanks and an unknown number of BTR-50 armored personnel carriers (APCs), supported by infantry and heavy artillery. This assault was part of a broader effort to disrupt American operations in the Central Highlands, where terrain favored ambushes but also allowed limited armored maneuvers.
The NVA waited until night to attack. Beginning at around 2100 on March 3 with intense NVA mortar, rocket, and artillery bombardment, the attackers attempted to soften the defenses of the American Ben Het Camp before committing their armor to battle. An anti-tank mine detonation illuminated the advancing NVA column, revealing PT-76 tanks and BTR-50s approaching the camp’s wire perimeter. US forces quickly responded, with M48 tank crews using infrared searchlights and night vision scopes to acquire targets in the low visibility.
American M48s fired high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds that destroyed enemy vehicles at the outset of the battle. Another US M48 positioned under fire in such a way to allow for the crew to coordinate with illumination flares and an AC-47 “Spooky” gunship that provided aerial suppression.
Meanwhile, the 90mm guns of the US M48s proved highly devastating, knocking out two PT-76 tanks and one BTR-50. In return, one M48 took a direct hit to its turret from a PT-76’s 76mm gun, killing two American crewmen and wounding another. The tank, however, was repaired and returned to service shortly thereafter.
Fighting lasted into the early hours of March 4, with NVA forces withdrawing after failing to breach the camp. Bloody bandages, a driver’s helmet, and abandoned equipment were left behind—indicating heavy NVA losses despite, as per usual, no NVA bodies being recovered.
What Ben Het Taught North Vietnam About Armored Warfare
This unique Vietnam War tank battle demonstrated how US armored tactics, combined with superior technology, could repel a numerically superior force. It was a sour lesson for the North Vietnamese, who hoped to score a decisive victory over the Americans and demonstrate their ability to win pitched battles.
One reason that Hanoi lost the engagement was simply because it brought the wrong equipment. The M48 Patton tank was superior in every way to the North Vietnamese PT-76. Unlike the PT-76, the larger M48 was a main battle tank that was designed for Cold War confrontations with robust armor. In Vietnam, these tanks excelled in direct fire support, its diesel engine providing reliability in rough terrain, and advanced optics enabling effective night engagements. At Ben Het, its thick armor withstood direct hits that would have destroyed lighter vehicles, allowing crews to continue fighting even after damage.
Though the PT-76 was also a capable platform for its mission set, it prioritized mobility and river-crossing capabilities over heavy protection, giving it a severe disadvantage against the stopping power of the Patton tank. Conversely, its armament was adequate for infantry support but lacked the punch to reliably penetrate the M48’s frontal armor range.
This is not to say that the PT-76 was not useful for the North Vietnamese. Indeed, its speed and amphibious design gave it immense utility in the hit-and-run style of warfare that characterized the Vietnam War as a whole. But the tank was woefully outmatched in the head-to-head clash against superior American armor at Ben Het.
The Americans enjoyed certain qualitative superiorities as well. Though it is difficult to quantify aspects such as crew training, the Americans far outstripped the North Vietnamese in that area, allowing them to quickly react and counterattack after the North Vietnamese attack began. Superior fire control systems and the ability to deliver accurate fire in low-light conditions likely played a role as well.
Ultimately, the Battle of Ben Het ended in a US victory, with minimal casualties: two Americans killed and another two wounded, plus South Vietnamese losses of one killed and six wounded. The camp’s defenses held, preserving its artillery assets and denying the NVA a strategic win. This engagement boosted US morale, proving that American tanks like the M48 could adapt to Vietnam’s unconventional nature.
In the broader context of Vietnam War armored battles, Ben Het highlighted the tank’s versatility beyond jungle patrols, influencing later uses in operations like the Easter Offensive. It also exposed NVA vulnerabilities in armored doctrine, as their light tanks fared poorly against heavier opponents.
Today, the battle remains a cast study in American tank performance, reminding strategists of the rare but decisive role of armor in the otherwise calamitous Vietnam War.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Aaron of L. A. Photography.
