Battle of the Rach Ba Rai River

The 263d Main Force Viet Cong Battalion attacks a Mobile Riverine Force convoy on the Rach Ba Rai River, in the Mekong Delta. The American force is comprised of a U.S. Army Mobile Riverine brigade and elements of Navy Task Force 117. When the U.S. convoy rounds a bend in the river, the Viet Cong attack with rockets, recoilless rifles, and small arms. They hit 21 boats and kill 7 American servicemen while wounding 123 men. Many of the casualties are Navy Sailors from Task Force 117, making it one of the Navy’s costliest riverine actions to date. The majority of the Viet Cong battalion slips away during the night, leaving behind 79 dead.¹