The North Vietnamese response to the incursion was gradual.
Hanoi's attention was riveted on another diversionary maneuver being conducted by a U.S. naval task force off the coast of the North Vietnam.
This force conducted all of the maneuvers necessary for the carrying out of an amphibious landing only 20 kilometers off the city of Vinh.
Hanoi's preoccupation with a possible invasion did not last long.
Its B-70 Corps commanded three divisions in the incursion area, the 304th, 308th and 320th.
The 2nd Division had also moved up from the south to the Tchepone area and then began to move east to meet the ARVN threat.
By early March, Hanoi had massed 36,000 troops in the area, outnumbering the South Vietnamese force by two-to-one.

The method chosen by PAVN to defeat the invasion was to first isolate the northern firebases by utilizing anti-aircraft artillery.
The outposts would then be pounded by round-the-clock mortar, artillery, and rocket fire.
Although the ARVN firebases were themselves equipped with artillery, their guns were quickly outranged by PAVN's Soviet-supplied 122mm and 130mm pieces, which simply stood off and pounded the positions at will.
The defensive edge that could have been provided by the utilization of tactical B-52 bomber strikes was nullified by the close-in tactics of the PAVN.
Massed ground attacks, supported by artillery and armor, would then finish the job.

As early as 18 February, PAVN forces had begun attacks by fire on bases Ranger North and South.
A UH-1H medevac helicopter from the 237th Medical Detachment was hit by PAVN fire and crash-landed at Ranger North: two of its crew were rescued by another helicopter while the crew chief Sp4c.
Dennis J. Fuji was unable to reach the rescue helicopter due to fire and stayed at the base to assist the Rangers, providing medical assistance and directing US airstrikes.
On 19 February, the attacks commenced against Ranger North conducted by the 102nd Regiment, 308th Division, supported by Soviet-built PT-76 and T-54 tanks.
The ARVN held on tenaciously throughout the night.
President Thieu, oblivious to the previous nights attacks, and who was visiting I Corps headquarters at the time, advised General Lãm to postpone the advance on Tchepone and to shift the focus of the operation toward the southwest.
By the afternoon of the 20th, the 39th Ranger Battalion had been reduced from 500 to 323 men and its commander ordered a retreat toward Ranger South, six kilometers away.
Fuji and several Rangers were evacuated by helicopter but it was hit by PAVN fire and autorotated onto Ranger South.
The crew was rescued but Fuji was again stranded on the ground.
Only 109 survivors reached Ranger South by nightfall.
Although more than 600 PAVN troops were estimated as killed during the action, casualties in the three-day fight totaled 75 percent of the ARVN battalion.

North Vietnamese attention then shifted to Ranger South, where 400 ARVN troops, including the 109 survivors of Ranger North, held the outpost for another two days before General Lãm ordered them to fight their way five kilometers southeast to FSB 30.
Fuji was evacuated from Ranger South on 22 February together with 122 wounded Rangers: he would later be awarded the Silver Star, later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross.
Another casualty of the battle, although an indirect one, was South Vietnamese General Đỗ Cao Trí, commander of III Corps and hero of the Cambodian campaign.
Ordered by President Thieu to take over for the outclassed Lãm, Trí died in a helicopter crash on 23 February while en route to his new command.

That same day FSB Hotel 2 (16.472°N 106.585°E), south of Route 9, also came under an intense artillery/infantry attack.
It was evacuated on the following day.
FSB 31 was the next ARVN position to fall under the hammer.
Airborne Division commander General Đống had opposed stationing his elite paratroopers in static defensive positions and felt that his men's usual aggressiveness had been stifled.
Vicious PAVN anti-aircraft fire made reinforcement and resupply of the firebase impossible.
Gene
The North Vietnamese response to the incursion was gradual. Hanoi's attention was riveted on another diversionary maneuver being conducted by a U.S. naval task force off the coast of the North Vietnam. This force conducted all of the maneuvers necessary for the carrying out of an amphibious landing only 20 kilometers off the city of Vinh. Hanoi's preoccupation with a possible invasion did not last long. Its B-70 Corps commanded three divisions in the incursion area, the 304th, 308th and 320th. The 2nd Division had also moved up from the south to the Tchepone area and then began to move east to meet the ARVN threat. By early March, Hanoi had massed 36,000 troops in the area, outnumbering the South Vietnamese force by two-to-one.
The method chosen by PAVN to defeat the invasion was to first isolate the northern firebases by utilizing anti-aircraft artillery. The outposts would then be pounded by round-the-clock mortar, artillery, and rocket fire. Although the ARVN firebases were themselves equipped with artillery, their guns were quickly outranged by PAVN's Soviet-supplied 122mm and 130mm pieces, which simply stood off and pounded the positions at will. The defensive edge that could have been provided by the utilization of tactical B-52 bomber strikes was nullified by the close-in tactics of the PAVN. Massed ground attacks, supported by artillery and armor, would then finish the job.
As early as 18 February, PAVN forces had begun attacks by fire on bases Ranger North and South. A UH-1H medevac helicopter from the 237th Medical Detachment was hit by PAVN fire and crash-landed at Ranger North: two of its crew were rescued by another helicopter while the crew chief Sp4c. Dennis J. Fuji was unable to reach the rescue helicopter due to fire and stayed at the base to assist the Rangers, providing medical assistance and directing US airstrikes. On 19 February, the attacks commenced against Ranger North conducted by the 102nd Regiment, 308th Division, supported by Soviet-built PT-76 and T-54 tanks. The ARVN held on tenaciously throughout the night. President Thieu, oblivious to the previous nights attacks, and who was visiting I Corps headquarters at the time, advised General Lãm to postpone the advance on Tchepone and to shift the focus of the operation toward the southwest. By the afternoon of the 20th, the 39th Ranger Battalion had been reduced from 500 to 323 men and its commander ordered a retreat toward Ranger South, six kilometers away. Fuji and several Rangers were evacuated by helicopter but it was hit by PAVN fire and autorotated onto Ranger South. The crew was rescued but Fuji was again stranded on the ground. Only 109 survivors reached Ranger South by nightfall. Although more than 600 PAVN troops were estimated as killed during the action, casualties in the three-day fight totaled 75 percent of the ARVN battalion.
North Vietnamese attention then shifted to Ranger South, where 400 ARVN troops, including the 109 survivors of Ranger North, held the outpost for another two days before General Lãm ordered them to fight their way five kilometers southeast to FSB 30. Fuji was evacuated from Ranger South on 22 February together with 122 wounded Rangers: he would later be awarded the Silver Star, later upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross. Another casualty of the battle, although an indirect one, was South Vietnamese General Đỗ Cao Trí, commander of III Corps and hero of the Cambodian campaign. Ordered by President Thieu to take over for the outclassed Lãm, Trí died in a helicopter crash on 23 February while en route to his new command.
That same day FSB Hotel 2 (16.472°N 106.585°E), south of Route 9, also came under an intense artillery/infantry attack. It was evacuated on the following day. FSB 31 was the next ARVN position to fall under the hammer. Airborne Division commander General Đống had opposed stationing his elite paratroopers in static defensive positions and felt that his men's usual aggressiveness had been stifled. Vicious PAVN anti-aircraft fire made reinforcement and resupply of the firebase impossible. Gene
Operation Lam Son 719