Early civil war operations 1960.E2.80.931964 Royal Lao Army Airborne

during september 1960, company of 1er bp flown reinforce sam neua in face of pressure joint neutralist/pathet lao forces. in same month, 2e bp parachuted team near mahaxay harass royalist forces. during november, contingent 1er bp flown luang prabang reinforce royalist elements. late month, royalists began offensive retake vientiane, , 8 december 1er bp had advanced paksane. led defense minister maj. gen. phoumi nosavan, royalist forces launched combined ground , airborne assault on vientiane. between 14 , 16 december, during battle vientiane 1er bp parachuted east of laotian capital, linking 3e bp , other sympathetic anl units. defeated after 2 days of fighting, kong le s neutralist paratroopers , pathet lao guerrilla forces withdrew north capital in organized fashion, gathering recruits neutralist cause along way. veered east, , conquered strategic plain of jars in central xieng khouang province new year s eve. once established on plain, capt. kong le (self-appointed major-general in december 1962) set headquarters @ former royal lao air force (rlaf) muang soui airfield, , on 4 january 1961 formed neutralist armed forces (french: forces armées neutralistes – fan). neutralists controlled plain of jars muang soui hq extending eastwards along route 7 border north vietnam. along other ex-anl units, both 2e bp , company 3e bp provided nuclei of new force. original 2e bp, had swelled 6 companies during battle of vientiane in late 1960, sub-divided, each of first 5 companies becoming separate neutralist para battalion – 1er, 2e, 3e, 4e, , 5e bps – , sixth company becoming airborne training centre @ muang phanh. however, because of lack of transport aircraft, few of neutralist paratroopers airborne-qualified.

once secure in vientiane, anl command repeatedly delayed all-out attack recapture plain of jars. on 2–3 january 1961, 1er bp dropped on southern edge of plain in attempt rally government forces, forced withdraw on foot tha thom 8 january. on next month royal lao government attempted several offensives against fan. during period, airborne designations became confused new para battalions added official order-of-battle. elements of 1er bp occupying tha thom redesignated 11er bp, , 12e bp raised in seno in mid-january, 2 of companies flown luang prabang on 17 january. understrength 3e bp remained stationed in vientiane.

during february , march, 12e bp remained @ luang prabang, 3e bp operated north of vientiane, , 11er bp kept @ tha tom, 100 paratroopers 12e bp dropped reinforcements on 4 february. in addition, new 55e bp had been raised @ seno, elements of battalion sent paksane. on 5 april, 1 company reconstituted 1er bp dropped on muong kassy trap neutralist contingent fighting along route 13, main paved road linking vientiane luang prabang; remainder of battalion heli-lifted vicinity later day. however, after anl reinforcements failed arrive, 1er bp forced evacuate on foot luang prabang on 14 april. on 24 april, airborne formations gathered under new regimental-sized airborne mobile group 15 (french: groupement mobile 15 aeroportée – gm 15) @ seno. during may, understrength 3e bp , 12e bp absorbed 55e bp, leaving 1er, 11er, , 55e bp in gm 15. remainder of 1961, gm 15 carried out small-scale sweeps north , east of savannakhet.

by may 1961 ceasefire signed , hostilities dropped off. laotian army, renamed royal lao army (rla) in september of year, concentrated on small-scale sweeps until heavy fighting broke out again in february 1962 when pathet lao began exerting heavy pressure on north-western garrison @ luang namtha. on 12 february, during battle of luang namtha, 1er bp withdrawn static defense positions east of savannakhet , parachuted town. enemy pressure built around luang namtha, 55e bp , assigned u.s. special forces (ussf) white star mobile training team advisors dropped in on 27 march, followed 11er bp on 16 april. after weeks of heavy enemy pressure during april, 1er bp began advancing towards nearby enemy-held town of muong sing on 3 may. battalion smashed, sending paratroopers fleeing luang namtha , on 5 may garrison began collapse, precipitating mass exodus; on 2,000 rla troops headed thai border, many not stopping until had crossed mekong river thailand. 55e bp offered resistance, losing half of strength in process. badly mauled, gm 15 not reconstituted @ seno until 25 april. laotian paratroopers spent rest of 1962 replacing losses, , in beginning of following year, revigorated 55e bp sent on small-scale clearing operations in military region 5 (pakse).

under new tripartite coalition government, peace in laos lasted 6 months. however, 1963 relations between pathet lao , maj. gen. kong le neutralists began fray, , on 6 april pathet lao launched several simultaneous surprise attacks on fan forces. same month, colonel deuane sunnalath (a former 2e bp company commander , kong le s chief rival) , brig. gen. khamouane boupha defected fan troops, included 1er bp , 4e bp, form separate faction called variously deuanist neutralists or patriotic neutralists, , allied pathet lao. neutralist 5e bp, stationed since 1962 @ central laotian town of nhommarath, pulled in june 1963 after clashing pathet lao guerrillas. heavy clashes flared across plain of jars, , in may 1964 concerted pathet lao offensive swept across strategic plain.

the remaining neutralist forces pulled west of plain of jars; muang phanh airborne training centre shut down pathet lao offensive forced training staff relocate vang vieng. kong le gathered remaining loyal paratroopers of 2e bp , 5e bp, , turned royal lao government support. mindful of kong le s deceit in august 1960, far high command nevertheless entered loose alliance neutralists. while maintaining façade of separate army, fan reduced subordinate branch of rla.

the alliance put test in november 1963, when neutralist 5e bp participated alongside royalist 11er , 55e bps in battle of lak sao. month, rla , fan agreed cooperate on joint ground operation against nva , pathet lao forces in upper laotian panhandle. after assembling @ nhommarath, rla/fan task-force under command of general sang kittarath – comprised 5e bp, 1 royalist infantry battalion , 1 neutralist armored company equipped soviet pt-76 amphibious light tanks – advanced northwards route 8 relieve isolated lak sao garrison, hoping cut north vietnamese units in 2 turning northeast towards nape pass, entry point north vietnam. although laotian allied forces successful, confronted strong north vietnamese counter-attack on 15 december. while sending 1 column down route 8 engage laotian task-force head-on, north vietnamese circled around southwards through mụ giạ pass strike towards nhommarath. following day, 11er bp dropped khamkheut , tried work way through route 8 lak sao, repulsed nva , forced retreat nak sao, before returning original drop zone. when khamkheut came under nva mortar fire, 11er bp retrated additional 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) west nam theun riverbank. battalion in risk of being destroyed, 55e bp parachuted ban, east of lak sao rescue 11er bp, strong winds blew off-course half of battalion on ridge adjacent predicted drop zone. second drop following morning more successful, , both para battalions bypassed khamkheut relieve rla garrison still holding ground @ lak sao. confused withdrawal down route 8 followed. january 1964, rla task-force – 5e bp included – had been chased field nva , pathet lao, , dispersed woods; regrouped @ thakhek. after coalescing @ phon tiou, 55e bp provided cover 11er bp withdrew towards mekong river.

in july 1964 rla , neutralists went offensive again, when launched operation triangle, first combined arms operation of laotian civil war, aim of recapturing strategic plain of jars. after assembling separately @ luang prabang, vientiane , muang soui, rla/fan task-force divided 3 columns under command of major-general kouprasith abhay – composed of neutralist 2e bp, 2 mobile groups (gms) , 3 adc hill tribal militia battalions backed thai artillery battalion, air support provided rlaf, royal thai air force (rtaf) , u.s. raven forward air controllers (a.k.a. raven facs) – converged on three-pronged assault against isolated pathet lao garrison occupying vital intersection of routes 7 , 13 @ sala phou khoun. however, operation partial success since 2e bp unable capture phou kout mountain, pathet lao stronghold overlooking muang soui blocked rla s advance plain of jars, after 4 failed attempts seize heights, in lost 106 men enemy minefields.

in november 1964, gm 15 launched operation victorious arrow, clearing operation east of savannakhet. during following year elements of each gm 15 para battalions brought ft. narai in thailand reconnaissance , commando training.