At 5:00 on the morning of 1 February 1968 heavily armed members of the Viet Cong's D445 Provincial Battalion began entering Bà Rịa, quickly occupying the main buildings.

The VC also occupied bungalows housing the US Provincial Aid Organisation, a CIA office and Van Kiep Airfield east of Ba Ria.

[9] In response, 3RAR’s A Company boarded A Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment's armoured personnel carriers at 8am and left Nui Dat for Ba Ria.

As they approached the town three hours after the initial assault, the Australians came under small arms fire, and as the infantry left their APCs to advance towards Hoa Long village, faced rocket propelled grenades explosions mixed with rifle and machine gun bullets.

[11] Simultaneously, the ARVN deployed reinforcements by helicopter from the recaptured Van Kiep Airfield, while air support was called in to force the VC out of several blockhouses, with 45 being killed.