[8] The 1972 Easter Offensive/Nguyen Hue Campaign began with a massive attack on the Demilitarized Zone with 30,000 People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) soldiers and more than 100 tanks.

The North Vietnamese knew that if they could capture Kontum and the Central Highlands, they would cut South Vietnam in half.

The 22nd also controlled five fire support bases (FSBs) that stretched south-west from Tan Canh towards Kontum along a backbone of mountains nicknamed Rocket Ridge.

[9]: 755 John Paul Vann, the civilian "general" of II Corps, had received intelligence that a major battle was coming.

Helicopters from the 52nd Combat Aviation operating out of Camp Holloway in Pleiku, were dispatched to provide support.

Vann, already in the area for an air rescue, was able to direct attacks on the PAVN soldiers entering the base with Cobra gunships.

[3]: K-9  A T-54 moved into the base and began direct fire on the command post, the two remaining M41s engaged the T-54, however their 76mm guns had no apparent effect on the T-54 which quickly knocked out both M41s.

With the failure of this counterattack and the loss of command and control the ARVN forces began to evacuate the base towards the south.

As the ARVN attempted to cross the Dak Poko river they came under intense PAVN fire and the senior U.S. adviser Lieutenant colonel Robert Brownlee disappeared during this engagement.

[3]: K-11  With the loss of the main camps, the remaining firebases along Rocket Ridge were abandoned and the PAVN had a clear approach to Kontum.

On 25 April, the Joint General Staff(JGS) took the 2nd airborne brigade out of Vo Dinh, once the 6th Ranger Group arrived to fill the gap a day before.

[11]: 91  This event made the JGS began to trust Vann's contention that the PAVN's real goal was to take Kontum and Bình Định, not An Lộc nor Quảng Trị, to cut South Vietnam in two.

On April 28, Du was ordered to Saigon to see President Thiệu, then finally replaced by Major general Toàn on May 10.

[3]: K-12  II Corps began its new defensive plan against the PAVN advance, by assigning Colonel Lý Tòng Bá, commander of the 23rd Division, to command all forces in Kontum province, including his division's 53rd Regiment, 2nd and 6th Ranger Groups, and Kontum sector forces.

[11]: 92 After two days of heavy attacks-by-fire, the 6th Ranger Group's command post and U.S. advisors were airlifted to FSB November on 27 April.

[3]: K-14 On 13 May 1st Combat Aerial TOW Team (Hawk's Claw) pilots noticed signs of a large buildup to the north.

[3]: K-15 As captured documents stated that the attack would take place at 04:00 on 14 May, Truby suggested to Vann that they order an air strike in preparation.

The sky was overcast and tactical air support was not able to operate, however, Hawk's Claw helicopters had arrived on the scene from Camp Holloway.

Truby called Lt. Col. Tom McKenna, senior advisor to the 44th ARVN Regiment, and told him to pull his men back and to have his troops find deep foxholes.

As the hour for the B-52 strike approached, ARVN troops laid down cover fire to allow those in close proximity to the PAVN forces to be pulled back.

This request was denied by the MACV staff because the intended strike area was too close to a small village shown on the map.

After considerable debate and analysis by the advisory staff, Truby remembered a technique taught at Fort Leavenworth and suggested to Bá that the troops at the nose of the penetration be withdrawn 500 yards (460 m) despite the obvious difficulty of such a nighttime maneuver.

Truby and Bá convinced Vann that if the ARVN forces could be pulled back during the cover of darkness, their safety concerns could be met.

[3]: K-17  The request was approved by II Corps and MACV and the new strike was adjusted by the B-52 in flight while ARVN artillery continued heavy fire to hold enemy forces in place.

Rhotenberry, the division's new senior adviser, and Bá decided to pull up nine M41 tanks and to direct all that fire to the enemy position along with helicopter gunships.

Under the artillery cover, the PAVN sappers, some dressed in ARVN uniforms, moved into the buildings south of the Kontum Airfield.

On 6 June, the PAVN's B3 Front Command mobilized their last reserve unit, the 66th Regiment to cover the withdrawal of all remaining within the town.

On 9 June the city of Kontum was declared fully secure by the 23rd Division Commander, Bá, who had been promoted to Brigadier General.

Vann had been key in developing a more subtle and flexible approach to the war, one based on winning over the hearts and minds of the local population while using the US military's traditional strengths.

Certainly the hundreds of missions between February and June were a major element of the success, but the PAVN had neutralized this advantage in large part by using the jungle and attacking at night.