100 moved to a designated area known as Corps Tactical Zone 2 (CTZ2), which was roughly a triangle with corners at Kon Tum, An Khê and the Chu Dreh Pass in the Central Highlands.

In January the unit was ordered to reinforce Pleiku, Kon Tum and Cheo Reo which were vital strategic centres in the plateau region.

[2] Within days the unit became engaged in combat with the 803rd Việt Minh Regiment in and around the crucial post at Đăk Tô Northwest of Kontum.

[4] French Air support was called in; fighter bombers from airfields in Nha Trang made strafing missions around the besieged post which continued until nightfall.

[5] At the same time, the French High command led by Pierre Chasse saw the perilous situation and decided to abandon Kon Tum for fear of being cut off and surrounded.

Getting as far as the barbed wire perimeter the French opened fire on them, and artillery aided by a light aircraft spotter with flares enabled Grumman Goose planes which had been adapted for ground attack, succeeded in repelling the Viet Minh.

[7] The following day two platoons from the Korean Regiment managed to force their way through Việt Minh lines to relive the garrison, and bring the total number up to 130.

During the initial bombardment a lucky strike by a mortar hit the French command post, igniting Jerry cans of petrol, and another took out the electrical generator - this meant that searchlights used to illuminate the area were now defunct.

The Việt Minh then launched infantry attacks against the outpost - the battle raged throughout the night, lit up by the flames of the burning command post bunker.

After the battle, walkie-talkies in the area picked up someone whistling the La Marseillaise among the smoking ruins – the identity remains unknown.

[11] 1st Korea hoped to launch a push to recover the outpost and see if there were any survivors but were frustrated when orders were received to break out of Pleuku.