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. 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 Mas ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. 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 , , war = the Vietnam War , image = FNL Flag.svg , caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green. , active ...

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