Battle of Xuan Loc

After the fall of I Corps and II Corps, the North Vietnamese army advances toward Saigon with 15 heavily reinforced infantry divisions. Three of them attack Xuan Loc, roughly 30 miles northeast of Saigon on Highway 1.

South Vietnamese defenders fight a courageous battle against long odds. Xuan Loc is defended by the reinforced South Vietnamese 18th Division and a number of Territorial Forces. The South Vietnamese air force provides helicopter support and airstrikes, including the use of massive cluster and “Daisy Cutter” bombs and a CBU-55B fuel-air bomb—the first one ever used in combat.

One North Vietnamese division retreats with heavy losses, but Xuan Loc is isolated and indefensible as its defenders suffer 30 percent casualties. In a surprise move on April 23, the 18th Division breaks out toward Saigon, on Highway 2, with its supporting units and artillery intact. The town falls to Communist control the same day. While the U.S. military once had poor regard for the 18th Division, under General Le Minh Dao it has become the most effective unit in the defense of Saigon.¹