Oscar 8
US Special Forces suffered a devastating defeat while attacking an NVA base deep inside Laos
- History
The Planet’s Most Heavily Bombed Areas
Nape Pass and Mu Gia Pass
Early in the war, the Nape Pass and Mu Gia Pass were the two main entrances to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The NVA quickly abandoned the former due to its exposure in open ground. The Mu Gia Pass then became the most significant crossover point into Laos due to a natural opening through the Truong Son Mountain range. Hundreds of AAA and automatic weapons defended the area. US pilots nicknamed this region the “Dog House” due to its lethal reputation. Some 40 jets were shot down over the Pass. To the south of the Pass was the Phanop Valley, also interlaced with AAA guns (sometimes on top of karst rock outcrops), storage areas, and caves. During the entire war, 15,600 aircraft attacked Mu Gia Pass and Phanop Valley and dropped over 53,400 bombs.
Ban Karai Pass and Ban Laboy Ford
The Mu Gia Pass was vulnerable, so in 1965, the NVA constructed a new road, Route 20, that stretched from Phong Nha over the Ban Karai Pass and then onto the Mu Gia road. Later, the NVA also constructed another entrance road starting at Ban Raving Pass and another one that crossed over at the DMZ. In March 1966, a pair of FACs discovered significant construction in the jungle northeast of the Chokes. Snaking southeast from Phong Nha over the Ban Karai Pass, Ban Laboy Ford and onwards to the Lum Bum intersection, this major Trail, codenamed Route 20, was to become a significant alternative to the Mu Gia Pass. The NVA built 123 km of road through complicated karst rock formations in just four months from Phong Nha to the Chokes. Ban Laboy Ford consisted of a prepared ford, a cable bridge, and a cable ferry/pontoon bridge across the Ta Le River.
Concentrated Bombing
Mu Gia, Phanop and Ban Laboy were the most heavily bombed sections of the Trail, mainly because they were ‘target boxes’ that were smashed around the clock at the end of 1970 – the picture above highlights such ‘skyscraper’ stacks of bombs. The terrain made each area vulnerable because rock karst formation forced the Vietnamese to build the Trail in small, confined areas.
Target Boxes
At the beginning of each season, around November, the US would attempt to block these roads to hold up the truck convoys. They designated several Target boxes in the Phanop Valley and south of Ban Laboy Ford. The Ban Karai Pass and Ban Laboy Ford were then bombed so often the NVA built numerous bypass roads around the vulnerable Phu La Nick canyon, which the US nicknamed “Rat Fink Valley. The NVA also built the secret ‘K’ road #20C, which was entirely covered by forest and used during the day. US pilots never discovered this road.
Smashed Ground with Thousands of Bomb Craters
The Vietnamese countered these concentrated attacks by portering supplies across the smashed terrain and building bypass roads. They also placed SAAM missiles to discourage the use of B52s. The photos above show the target boxes in the Phanop Valley and on either side of the Phu Na Nick Canyon that were smashed by around-the-clock bombing. These aerial photos show how the target boxes were smashed with thousands of bombs. To this day, the ground is riddled with bomb craters and looks like the moon.
Ban Laboy and the Dog's Head
Ban Laboy was easily recognisable to airmen because the Ta Le River had a distinctive dog’s head shape. Over 12,500 aircraft attacked the area and dropped more than 61,000 bombs. Approximately 35 aircraft were lost in the Ban Karai Pass area – 31 KIA, 28 rescued and three POWs. NVA trucks faced a formidable task negotiating this route. The Ford was very vulnerable, and south of it was a steep slope followed by a thin, narrow canyon the trucks were forced to drive through.
Do or Die
An NVA base was located near Ban Laboy and tasked with keeping the Ban Laboy Ford, and the Phu La Nick pass open. Caves in the region still contain remnants from the war, such as truck tires, ammunition boxes and parachutes. At night, female road workers would stand waist-deep in the Ford wearing white clothes and holding white flags to assist trucks crossing the Ta Le River.
Ban Raving Pass and the DMZ
Later in the conflict, the NVA opened two more roads into Laos, at Ban Raving Pass and further south in the DMZ. Both these roads shortened the time the NVA trucks spent in Laos. Both directed trucks to Sepon on Highway 9. The NVA also floated barrels down the Banghiang River, carrying supplies from the DMZ towards Sepon. The NVA built a POL pipeline to carry fuel down to Sepon. To this day the pipes can still be seen as house frames, eletricity poles and fences.
Video
By Digby Greenhalgh
Digby Greenhalgh is the founder of Explore Indochina, and a recognized expert on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. All motorcycle tours are designed and guided by Digby.
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