The Battle of Vientiane was the decisive action of the 1960 Laotian coups. Fought between 13 and 16 December 1960, the battle ended with General Phoumi Nosavan winning control of the Kingdom of Laos with the aid of the Royal Thai Government and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Vientiane was left devastated by the fighting, with about 600 civilians dead, about the same number of homes destroyed, and 7,000 left homeless. The losing Forces Armées Neutralistes under Captain Kong Le retreated onto the strategic Plain of Jars, to begin an uneasy coexistence with the Pathet Lao and the invading People's Army of Vietnam.
With the northeastern quarter of Laos under communist control, the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand deepened their involvement in the Laotian Civil War.
Overview
Beginning on 23 December 1950, the United States began military aid to the French administration of the Kingdom of Laos as they fought the First Indochina War. U.S. support would increase to the point of underwriting the Lao budget in its entirety. The rationale behind the support was that it was in American interests to combat the communist insurrectionists in Laos. Banned by treaty from stationing an overt Military Assistance Advisory Group in Laos, in December 1955 the U.S instead chose to establish a "civilian" military aid office within the U.S. embassy in Vientiane. The Programs Evaluation Office was charged with channeling the materiel to the Lao military.
Of the 68 ethnic minorities that comprised the Lao population, the Lao Loum numerically predominated. They dwelt along the Mekong River Valley along the southern border with the Kingdom of Thailand. The King of Laos and most of the ruling class of Laos were Lao Loum. About 20 of these influential lowland Lao families actually controlled Laos.
Background
Capital Kong Le was an American-trained paratrooper considered one of the more aggressive Lao officers. On 29 July 1959, he led his unit, Bataillon Parachutistes 2 (Paratroop Battalion 2) in a futile attempt to reinforce other Royalist troops engaged with the Pathet Lao in armed disputes over Royalist outposts in Xam Neua Province. Kong Le and his men were disgruntled by the RLA's failure to pay them while they were on the combat sweep.
Subsequently, on 25 December 1959, Kong Le and his disaffected paratroopers would supply the muscle for General Phoumi Nosavan's coup. Phoumi became the defense minister and the de facto ruler of Laos.
When matters worsened for the airborne troops, Kong Le led his mutinous paratroop battalion in a nearly bloodless coup on 9 August 1960. Once he gained control of his national capital of Vientiane, he deposed the Royal Lao Government. The Minister of Defense, General Phoumi Nosavan, was his only real opposition. As the captain solidified his grip on the Kingdom of Laos, Phoumi settled into Savannakhet in southern Laos to gather forces to support a counter-coup.
Prelude
Movement to contact
At 08:00 on 21 November 1960, Phoumi Nosavan's army moved from Savannakhet into the offensive. Its mission was to march northward on Route 13 along the eastern bank of the Mekong River some hundreds of kilometers and seize the capital. Groupement Mobile B (Mobile Group B) led off, with two M-24 tanks and six armored cars, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Tiao (Prince) Ekarath Souvannarot. In trail to GMB was Groupement Tactique (Tactical Group), a mixed force of paratroopers from Bataillon Parachustistes 1 (Paratroop Battalion 1), two infantry battalions, a volunteer battalion, and a contingent of artillery from 1st Field Artillery Group. A third contingent, Major Siho Lamphouthacoul's Groupement Mobile Special 1 (Special Mobile Group 1) containing Bataillon Speciale 11 (Special Battalion 11) and Bataillon Speciale 33 (Special Battalion 33) boarded landing craft to be transported northward on the Mekong River.
On 22 November, the Central Intelligence Agency flew in five five-man commando teams from the Thai Police Aerial Reinforcement Unit (PARU). Each team contained two officers, a medic, and two radiomen. PARU Teams A and B would join the head of the column. Teams D and E would trail the movement. Team C would flank the movement to the east, at Khamkeut. They supplied added communication and control capability to the column and advised on ways to circumvent any opposing strong points.