At 02:10 on 29 March, an estimated two battalions of the PAVN 38th Regiment, consisting largely of well-equipped men fresh from North Vietnam, reinforced by two VC sapper battalions, stormed into Duc Duc. Under cover of a mortar and rocket barrage, the PAVN struck directly at the district headquarters compound, while the sappers began systematically destroying the nearby civilian hamlets with satchel charges and by setting fires. Duc Duc's defenders, the 412th Regional Force Company and the 123rd Popular Force Platoon with a handful of United States Army advisors, fell back to the district headquarters compound and made a stand. Soon the PAVN had them completely surrounded and enemy infantry had reached the perimeter defensive wire. The cloud ceiling, down to or, prevented fixed-wing air support from coming to the aid of the defenders. Marine helicopter gunships from HML-167 and HML-367 at Marble Mountain Air Facility were directed to Duc Duc and flying under the clods they found the Duc Duc by the light from the burning villages. As the helicopters approached they contacted the Army advisors by radio who told him that the district compound was in danger of being overrun and gave the Marines clearance to fire at targets anywhere around their perimeter. The Army advisors also stated that they would be unable to direct air strikes from the ground, as enemy fire had forced them under cover. The helicopters engaged the PAVN/VC and were met by heavy automatic weapons fire. The helicopters remained in action for four hours until the PAVN/Vc broke off the attack and fell back northwestward toward the Thu Bon River, where they began wading the river and paddling across in boats. The gunships pursued the PAVN/VC and were credited with four confirmed enemy dead, a probable ten more killed and six boats destroyed. The fighting around Duc Duc continued for the next several days. Units of the ARVN 51st Regiment, sent to reinforce the RF and PF garrison, made repeated contact with the PAVN.
Aftermath
In the initial attack and the two days of fighting that followed, the PAVN/VC lost at least 59 men killed, and three captured and 22 individual and six crew-served weapons captured while the RF/PF forces who had defended the compound suffered 20 dead and 26 wounded. 103 South Vietnamese civilians had died in the blazing hamlets; 96 more had been injured and 37 kidnapped. At least 1,500 homes had been destroyed. In spite of ARVN counterattacks, the 38th Regiment remained in the Duc Duc area, instead of pulling back into the mountains. On 3 April, the PAVN again attacked the Duc Duc District Headquarters and neighboring hamlets with 100 rounds of mortar fire, numerous RPG rounds, and small arms fire, but did not follow with another ground assault.
