Phou Khao Kham

The French loss of the First Indochina War led to the establishment of the independent Kingdom of Laos by the 1954 Geneva Agreements. While Laotian neutrality called for a ban on foreign military forces save for a French advisory mission. However, North Vietnamese troops had settled in northeastern Laos to support a Lao communist insurrection. The Laotian Civil War was the result.[1][2]

Although the administrative capital of Vientiane had suffered through the Battle of Vientiane and several subsequent coups,[3] there had been only one early military operation in Military Region 5—Operation Triangle in July 1964.[4][5] However, beginning 5 August 1971, there would be another.[6]

The new offensive, code named Phou Khao Khouai ("White Buffalo Mountain") began at Moung Kassy on Route 13 on 5 August 1971, on the sole road between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Two Royalist battalions, Bataillon Commando 206 (BC 206), and Bataillon Infanterie 6 (BI 6) were detailed for the attack, along with a commando company from the Military Region 5 Commandos. Their objective was a highway sweep north on Route 13, leading to capture of the forward fighter base at Muang Soui on the branching Route 7.[6]

Moving north from Moung Kassy on 5 August 1971, the Royalist column crept through the rain for the following fortnight, meeting only sporadic Communist opposition. It came to a halt against the defended Routes 7/13 intersection at Sala Phou Khoun. Unable to force entry into the mouth of Route 7, the Royalist column veered off Route 13 to parallel Route 7 to its south. The flanking movement penetrated 15 kilometers before being balked by a Pathet Lao battalion. Phou Khao Khouai stalled there for about a month, until mid-September.[6]

The stalled offensive force was removed from the ridge where it had encamped, and leapfrogged over the foe to be landed at a vacant Auto Defense de Choc (ADC) site, Xieng Dat. They were refurbished for three days in preparation of a heliborne assault on Muang Soui; in the process, the operation was renamed Phou Khao Kham (meaning Gold Mountain).[6]

On 24 September 1971, 62 Commando Raiders from Military Region 2 (MR 2) were picked up by two 21st Special Operations Squadron (21st SOS) helicopters. The Raiders were inserted in locations six kilometers both southwest and southeast of Muang Soui. Covered by U.S. A-1 Skyraiders, the Raiders moved from the hills into town. By dark, they had occupied it.[6]

Early 25 September, six copters from the 21st SOS began lifting soldiers from BI 6 onto Muang Soui's runway. They landed under an umbrella of both U.S. and Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF) tactical air power. Both RLAF and Air America helicopters carried in BC 206 and the commando company. By noon, sporadic Communist mortar and light machine gun fire died off as they retreated northwards.[6]

The Royal Lao Government recaptured and held the forward tactical aircraft base at Muang Soui.[6]

Operation Maharat
Operation Maharat II

• Anthony, Victor B. and Richard R. Sexton (1993). The War in Northern Laos. Command for Air Force History. OCLC 232549943.
• Castle, Timothy N. (1993). At War in the Shadow of Vietnam: U.S. Military Aid to the Royal Lao Government 1955–1975. ISBN 0-231-07977-X.
• Conboy, Kenneth and James Morrison (1995). Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. Paladin Press. ISBN 978-1-58160-535-8.
• Dommen, Arthur J., Chapter 1. Historical Setting. Savada, Andrea Matles, ed. (1995). Laos a country study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 0-84440-832-8.