Battle of Pat To The Battle of Pat To was a series of raids conducted by the Việt Cộng 200C Battalion against elements of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam ( ARVN ) 3 / 53rd Regiment , 23rd Infantry Division during the period from 10 September to 1 October 1969 . Following the Việt Cộng victories at Hoa Da and Song Mao , the commander of Military Region 6 were determined to inflict greater damages on the South Vietnamese , so the Việt Cộng ' s 200C Battalion was once again deployed to the battlefield with the task of raiding South Vietnamese military installations . Unfortunately for the members of the 200C Battalion , the first attack on Ma Lam was a great setback , as the South Vietnamese army already knew of their enemies ' plan to attack . Despite the heavy defeat at Ma Lam , the Việt Cộng ' s 200C Battalion were able to inflict great losses on the South Vietnamese forces at Pat To Hill , using mostly inexperienced reinforcements from North Vietnam . Major Setbacks . After their stunning victory over the ARVN 44th Infantry Regiment at Hoa Ha and Song Mao , the 200C Battalion were back on the battlefield looking to inflict further damages on the regular units of the South Vietnamese army . Subsequently , the South Vietnamese base at Ma Lam was selected as the next target , where the 200C Battalion would attempt to repeat their deadly assaults . Like previous ARVN installations at Hoa Da and Song Mao , the South Vietnamese forces at Ma Lam had constructed numerous blockhouses , multi - layered barbed - wire fences and minefields to protect their base . Undeterred by the obstacles created by their enemies , General Nguyễn Trọng Xuyên of the Việt Cộng ' s Military Region 6 ordered the 200C Battalion to attack Ma Lam . Unlike their previous missions , the 200C Battalion encountered greater challenges because South Vietnamese soldiers at Ma Lam were always on 24 - hour alert . To make matters worse the terrain around Ma Lam hindered the Việt Cộng , as the South Vietnamese had created a ' no - man ' s land ' around the base , which simply exposed potential attacking forces . During the first days of their mission against Ma Lam , the Việt Cộng had already begun to experience setbacks . In one incident a company commander from the 200C Battalion was killed , whilst leading a reconnaissance mission to collect information for the planned attack . Ultimately , 14 soldiers from the 200C Battalion were killed in their efforts to collect information about the Ma Lam base , including 5 scouts who died in the minefields . On the night of 21 March 1969 , the 200C Battalion were ready to stage their long - awaited attack . The Việt Cộng sappers quietly took up their positions around the base , and were ready to struck at their designated targets when the unthinkable happen . As members of the 200C Battalion were about to move forward , South Vietnamese flashlights from the Ma Lam base blinked three times to signal an attack . Then , suddenly artillery and helicopter gunships began firing on Việt Cộng positions around the base . The Việt Cộng commanders were forced to withdraw leaving more than 30 of their dead comrades on the battlefield . Back to the Battlefield . The defeat at Ma Lam had a severe impact on the Việt Cộng ' s 200C Battalion because they had lost about two - thirds of their personnel . To understand why they suffered such a heavy defeat , the commanders of 200C Battalion requested higher authorities to launch an investigation . The Việt Cộng ' s Military Intelligence Agency later revealed that it was a traitor from within their own ranks , a district - level commander , who had disclosed the 200C Battalion ' s battle plans to the South Vietnamese army . However , despite the crushing defeat which they had suffered , the 200C Battalion continued to send out small groups of soldiers to launch raids against South Vietnamese installations . In the summer of 1969 reinforcements from North Vietnam finally arrived to replace the soldiers who were killed during the operations against Ma Lam . Once the fresh reinforcements had settled in with the Việt Cộng ' s 200C Battalion , the commander of Military Region 6 began to plan another major combat operation . The 200C Battalion ' s next target would be elements of the 3 / 53rd Infantry Regiment , 23rd ARVN Infantry Division , based at Pat To Hill . The South Vietnamese base on Pat To Hill occupied an important position , which enabled South Vietnamese soldiers to maintain their observation of a key transportation route . The base itself was surrounded by a swamp and several rubber plantations , and protected by two artillery bases , blockhouses , barbed - wire fences and minefields . The ARVN 3 / 53rd Infantry Regiment at Pat To Hill were so confident that they often launched raids of their own , against Việt Cộng bases in the areas surrounding Pat To Hill . To put an end to the confidence displayed by the ARVN 3 / 53rd Regiment , the commander of Military Region 6 ordered the 200C Battalion to destroy the South Vietnamese base at Pat To Hill . Like their previous mission against the South Vietnamese base at Ma Lam , the attack on Pat To Hill also presented the 200C Battalion with a major challenge . In order to stage their attack the 200C Battalion had to move outside of their own base in Bình Thuận Province , and march hundreds of kilometres to reach Lâm Đồng Province , where the ARVN base at Pat To Hill was located . Furthermore , they only have two months to plan the operation , using mostly inexperienced reinforcements from North Vietnam . In June 1969 the 200C Battalion began making their journey towards Lâm Đồng . Upon arrival the Việt Cộng set up their base at Hon Bo , several dozen kilometres from the ARVN base at Pat To Hill . The Việt Cộng spent two months collecting information to learn about South Vietnamese routines , defence assets , and force deployment capabilities . Once the Việt Cộng got hold of the information they needed , the operation date was set for 4 September 1969 , two days after North Vietnam ' s independence day . On 2 September 1969 , however , all combat operations had to be postponed so North Vietnamese and Việt Cộng soldiers in South Vietnam could mourn the death of North Vietnamese President Hồ Chí Minh . One week following the death of Hồ Chí Minh the Việt Cộng decided to launch their operation . Before the Việt Cộng ' s 200C Battalion commence their operations , a ceremony was held in honour of Hồ . At 20 : 00 on 10 September 1969 , Việt Cộng sappers moved into designated positions about 500 metres away from Pat To Hill . As the Việt Cộng were about to make their move , flashlights from the ARVN base at Pat To Hill began to light up and South Vietnamese soldiers were moving towards Việt Cộng positions . Fortunately , unlike the disaster at Ma Lam , the South Vietnamese soldiers only went out to catch frogs unaware that Việt Cộng sappers were about to hit their base . At 21 : 00 the Việt Cộng reached Pat To Hill and began removing the obstacles which the South Vietnamese 3 / 53rd Infantry Regiment had put in place . Precisely at midnight the 200C Battalion fired a shot to signal their attack , and soon Việt Cộng formations were moving from one place to another , destroying designated targets such as the quarters of U . S . advisers , heavy weapons , vehicles and ammunition . Within 38 minutes the 200C Battalion had achieved their objective after killing and destroying large numbers of South Vietnamese soldiers and weapons ; however the 200C Battalion reportedly only lost two of their own soldiers in the battle . Following the devastation of their unit , the South Vietnamese 3 / 53rd Infantry Regiment became more cautious and alert in their approach to defend Pat To Hill . The 3 / 53rd Infantry Regiment scattered leaflets , placing large rewards of up to 500 , 000 dong to anyone who caught or killed Major Nguyễn Văn Bông , commander of the 200C Battalion . The Việt Cộng , on the other hand , were planning for a second attack on Pat To Hill . Following their first attack , the commanders of the 200C Battalion received permission from the commander of Military Region 6 to stage a second attack on Pat To Hill . The Việt Cộng , deploying only 32 soldiers for their second attack , successfully sneaked into the same base on the evening of 1 October 1969 . The second attack lasted only 28 minutes but the Việt Cộng successfully inflicted large numbers of casualties on the South Vietnamese . Aftermath . Like the Battle of Hoa Da - Song Mao before , the 200C Battalion considered their raids against the South Vietnamese base at Pat To Hill to be a great victory . Despite the lost of two - thirds of their personnel as a result of the defeat at Ma Lam , the 200C Battalion were able to return to the battlefield and inflict huge damages on the regular units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , all within a short space of 20 days in two separate assaults . Overall the Việt Cộng claimed to have inflicted about 430 casualties on the South Vietnamese in the first attack , and another 140 during the second . In contrast the 200C Battalion suffered only light casualties , with 3 killed and 1 wounded in both raids .