The Chu Pong Massif (also known as the Chu Prong), in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, is a mountain with complex topography, valleys, and forests that stretches into Cambodia. The Chu Pong is situated north of the Gia Lai river, south of the Ia Krel river, and lies within Vietnam's

Chư Prông District Chư Prông is a district (''huyện'') of Gia Lai province Gia Lai is a northern mountainous Provinces of Vietnam, province in the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Central Highlands region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam. It borders Kon ...

. The Chu Pong Massif was the site of the 1965

Battle of Ia Drang The Battle of Ia Drang (, ; in English ) was the first major battle between the United States Army and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), as part of the Pleiku campaign conducted early in the Vietnam War, at the eastern foot of the Chu Pong M ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. In March 1966 US Armed Forces conducted Operation Hot Tip, one of a series of deforestation efforts through firebombing, targeting the Chu Pong Massif because it had been used as a base by

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

and North Vietnamese forces. The operation initially bombed the forests of the Massif with napalm and the desiccant Agent Blue in mid February. Then in mid March US forces bombed the mountain again with eleven napalm strikes and M-35 bomblets delivered from B-52 bombers. The operation successfully destroyed much of the vegetation of the Chu Pong Massif but was not able to produce self-sustaining fire in its forests.

References

{{coord missing, Vietnam Geography of Vietnam Mountains of Vietnam