• The biggest unit level battle of the Viet Nam war that involved Aussies.
• It lasted for 26 days, 12 May to 6 June 1968 and was made up of several actions.
• It cost more Aussie lives than the battle of Long Tan.
• Aussie artillery "lost" a gun for a short period and also fired over "open sights" (point blank, directly to front). Neither of these things had happened to any British Commonwealth artillery since the Boer war. The gun was recaptured.
• It all took place in Area of Operations Surfers and was instrumental in protecting Sai Gon and or Bien Hoa air base from attack by the NVA Units involved.

• 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment  (1RAR)
  • (Infantry and supports)
• 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment  (3RAR)
  • (Infantry and supports)
• 102 Field Battery, 12 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery 
  • (105mm howitzers)
• 161 Field Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery (attached 12 Field Regiment RAA)
  • (105mm howitzers)
• A Squadron 3 Cavalry Regiment, Royal Australian Armoured Corps 
  • (Armoured Personnel Carriers)
• C Squadron 1st Armoured Regiment, Royal Australian Armoured Corps 
  • (Centurion tanks)
• 104 Squadron Royal Australian Corps of Signals
• 161 (Independent) Recce Flight

The Roll of Honour in Area of Operations Surfers

"LEST WE FORGET"

• On 23 May 68, George Constable of 161 Recce Flight was flying 51-11969 when the aircraft was shot down and destroyed. George was killed in the crash. At the time he was shot down he was flying a vehicle convoy cover mission for an Australian convoy returning from Fire Support Base Coral.

• 267 NVA/VC killed in action (body count)
• 60 possible KIA
• 7 wounded
• 11 Prisoners of War
• 3 detained
• 2 surrendered

• Weapons captured
  • 36 crew served weapons
  • 112 small arms
  • 144 grenades
  • various mines & mortar bombs
  • food and equipment

During the "Mini-Tet" offensive mounted by Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in May 1968, the 1st Australian Task Force deployed two battalions to an area twenty kilometers north of Bien Hoa city to intercept and disrupt the approach of enemy forces towards the capital, Saigon, or the Bien Hoa-Long Binh base complex. Several fire support bases (FSBs) were established to provide defended firing points for artillery and mortars which would cover foot patrols to be sent out by the battalions (1 and 3 RAR). One of these FSBs was dubbed "Coral", situated seven kilometers north of the town of Tan Uyen.

Occupation of Coral was begun on 12 May, but the defences remained unfinished when, at about 3.30 am on 13 May, it was attacked following a brief but intense rocket and mortar barrage. The 1RAR mortar platoon position was over-run, along with one of the 102 Field Battery's six 105 mm M2A2 howitzers in the base. With the aid of extensive air support, the attack was beaten off by 6.30 am and the captured gun-pit was retaken - still with the gun in it (this howitzer is now in the Memorial's collection). 

Fire Support Base Coral, Bien Hoa Province, Vietnam. 13 May 1968. A 105 mm M2A2 howitzer, the No. 6 gun of 102 Field Battery, 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, on the morning after the first series of attacks on FSB Coral by troops of the North Vietnamese Army's 7th Division. AWM P01769.011

• Nine Australians were killed and 28 wounded, while the attackers lost more than the 52 bodies they left behind.

At 2.15 am on 16 May Coral again came under attack, this time from a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) force estimated at three battalions strong. The base was now defended by armoured personnel carriers of A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, and 1RAR's rifle companies, all of which were heavily engaged; part of the A Company position was occupied for a period, but the enemy was forced to withdraw. The attack was repelled after four hours of fighting, with the Australians having suffered five men killed and nineteen wounded. Two members of an American battery which had reinforced the base were also wounded. Only 34 enemy bodies were recovered, but blood trails and drag marks indicated that many more casualties had been removed.

On 22 May Coral was subjected to yet another rocket and mortar barrage, but this time the NVA troops were dispersed by return fire from 1RAR's mortars as they formed up to attack. Although there were further bombardments on 26 and 28 May, and patrols sent out from the base came into contact with the enemy, Coral was not seriously threatened again. During fighting on 26 May the base's defenders even turned the tables on the NVA by sending a troop of Centurion tanks from C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment (which had arrived as reinforcements three days earlier), outside the perimeter wire with infantry support; these engaged and destroyed most of a NVA bunker system that had been discovered.

Enemy efforts on 26 May were primarily focused on another FSB named "Balmoral", which was established about 4.5 kilometers further north on 24-25 May by 3RAR supported by tanks. The defenders easily threw back assaults launched against Balmoral on 26 and 28 May. On the latter occasion, the attacking NVA regiment lost at least 42 killed and seven prisoners, but again casualties were thought to have been higher. One Australian was killed and six wounded.