1966 in the Vietnam War Operation Crimp also known as the Battle of the Ho Bo Woods — was a joint US - Australian military operation during the Vietnam War in the Ho Bo Woods , north of Cu Chi in Binh Duong Province , South Vietnam , between 8 – 14 January 1966 . Operation Masher was a combined U . S . , ARVN , and ROKA operation that began on January 28 , 1966 . The name " Operation Masher " was changed to " Operation White Wing " , because the name was deemed too crude for ' nation - building ' . The Battle of Suoi Bong Trang was a major action during the Vietnam War fought on the night of 23 – 24 February 1966 between US and Australian troops , and the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army . The battle occurred during " Operation Rolling Stone " , a major American security operation to protect engineers building a tactically important road in the vicinity of Tan Bihn , in central Binh Duong Province , northwest of Bien Hoa airbase . The Battle of A Shau was waged in 1966 during the Vietnam War between the North Vietnamese Army and the forces of the United States and South Vietnam . The battle began on March 9 and lasted until March 10 with the fall of the special forces camp of the same name . The battle was an outright victory for the North Vietnamese ; it was nevertheless a costly battle that U . S . estimates suggest cost the attackers almost half of their force . The Battle of Xa Cam My was a battle of the Vietnam War fought over two days from April 11 to April 12 , 1966 . Originally planned as a U . S . search and destroy mission intended to lure out the " crack " Viet Cong D800 Battalion , Charlie Company soon found itself fighting for survival in the rubber plantations of Xa Cam My , approximately 42 miles ( 68 km ) east of Saigon . During this battle 134 men of Charlie Company , 2nd Battalion , 16th Infantry , 1st Infantry Division were ambushed by the Viet Cong . Operation Birmingham was a military operation of the Vietnam War in War Zone C , north of Saigon . The US 1st Infantry Division and the ARVN 5th Division conducted operations on the eastern flank of War Zone C . The goals were opening Route 13 from Saigon to the north and engaging the Viet Cong 9th Division . The Viet Cong suffered heavy losses , but managed to withdraw beyond the Cambodia n border . Operation Beaver Cage was a U . S . Marine Corps and U . S . Navy Joint Operation in North Vietnam along the coastline of the Bon Hai river in the Quang Nam province . The Operation took place 23 August 1966 , through 5 September 1966 . Operation Hastings was attempt to by the Americans to engage enemy troops in the Cam Lo area , on July 7 , 1966 , United States Marine Corps General Lew Walt led a joint U . S . Marine and ARVN force of 8 , 500 and 3 , 000 troops in a strike through the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) . Plans to maintain U . S . occupation of the Cam Lo area in the Quang Tri province soon became known as Operation Hastings . August . Operation Prairie ( Aug 3 - Oct 27 , 1966 ) was a military operation in northern South Vietnam . Its job was to eliminating North Vietnamese Army forces south of the DMZ . Battle of Đức Cơ was a major engagement between the North Vietnam ese 5th Battalion of the 33rd Regiment and the South Korean 3rd Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Regiment on August 9 , 1966 . The battle resulted from North Vietnamese attempts to infiltrate Đức Cơ from Cambodia . The Battle of Long Tan was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tần , about twenty seven kilometres north east of Vung Tau , South Vietnam on 18 August 1966 . It is arguably the most famous battle fought by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War . Operation Attleboro was a search and destroy operation by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade . The operation was named after Attleboro , Massachusetts , where the brigade had been formed . The Philippine Army deployed to Vietnam .