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Regular formations were sent to South Vietnam from 1965 onwards; the 325th Division's 101B Regiment and the 66th Regiment of the 304th Division met U.S. forces on a large scale, a first for the PAVN, at the Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965.
On 4 April, the 1st Battalion 9th Marines attacked the 66th Regiment on Hill 471 south of the Combat Base, with the U.S. reporting 16 PAVN killed for the loss of 10 marines. The following morning the 66th Regiment counter-attacked, losing 140 killed and five captured while the Marines lost only one killed. [6]: 285
The Division was formed on 20 December 1965 from the PAVN 32nd, 33rd, 66th and 320th Regiment was under the control of the PAVN B3 Front in the Central Highlands. [1]: 156 [2] The Division's 33rd and 66th Regiments were engaged in the Battle of Ia Drang from 14-18 November 1965, losing 1070-1753 killed. [2]: 145–50
On 1 November elements of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry located a PAVN hospital area and killed 99 or more soldiers at a cost of 11 Americans dead and 47 wounded. On 3–4 November, the Americans ambushed (and were in turn counter-ambushed) an element of the newly arrived PAVN 66th Regiment, killing an estimated 72 PAVN at a cost of 4 American dead.
The PAVN had fed approximately 6,000 troops into the area, most of which made up the 1st Division. The 66th Regiment was southwest of Đắk Tô preparing to launch the main attack, while the 32nd Regiment was moved south to prevent any counterattacks against the 66th. The independent 24th Regiment held positions northeast of Đắk Tô to ...
[18]: 269 In late February, ground sensors detected the PAVN 66th Regiment, 304th Division preparing to mount an attack on the positions of the 37th Ranger Battalion on the eastern perimeter of the base. On the night of 28 February, the base unleashed artillery and airstrikes on possible PAVN staging areas and routes of advance.
US losses were 17 dead and 32 wounded, while 23 PAVN dead were found in the area the following day. [1]: 292 At the end of July prisoner interrogation indicated that the PAVN 66th Regiment was located on the north of the Chu Pong Massif and that the PAVN 32nd Regiment was located 10 kilometres southwest of LZ Oasis.
The PAVN were identified as members of the T8 Battalion, 66th Regiment, 304th Division. On 21 August a mechanical ambush set by Company D, 1/11th detonated. A sweep of the area found two PAVN dead and drag marks indicating the casualties had been removed. On 23 August a scout dog alerted Company D, 1/11th to a possible attack.