In addition to the US bases, the city of Biên Hòa was the headquarters of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) III Corps and home to a large prisoner of war camp.

As a result long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs) from Company F, 51st Infantry Regiment were positioned north of Long Binh to detect PAVN/VC approaching the base.

[2]: 347 At 01:00, a six-man LRRP from Company F, 51st Infantry Regiment spotted PAVN/VC moving through rubber trees several hundred meters to the north of Long Binh Post.

[2]: 349  Captain Reginald V. Maisey Jr. of the 3rd Security Police Squadron was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross for leading the defense of Bunker 10.

[2]: 350 With the base returned to full operation, that afternoon C–130s landed the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment to help ARVN forces fighting the VC in Biên Hòa city.

[2]: 350 At approximately 16:45 F-100 Super Sabres of the 531st Tactical Fighter Squadron conducted a Napalm strike against a PAVN/VC company at the east end of the base runway.

[7]: 12 Several dozen of the PAVN rockets exploded near the II Field Force and 199th LIB headquarters in the Plantation Compound (10°57′28″N 106°52′41″E / 10.9577°N 106.878°E / 10.9577; 106.878) causing minimal damage.

[2]: 347 The VC 275th Regiment had taken up positions in a residential area known at the Widows' Village (10°57′31″N 106°52′37″E / 10.9587°N 106.877°E / 10.9587; 106.877), which housed the wives and families of dead ARVN soldiers and was located across Route 316 from the Plantation Compound.

[3]: 201–5 At 04:00 a 60-man VC sapper team penetrated the northeastern perimeter of the base killing three MPs and entered the massive ammunition dump (10°56′46″N 106°54′36″E / 10.946°N 106.91°E / 10.946; 106.91) where they planted eighteen Satchel charges before being forced to withdraw by the 720th Military Police Battalion.

Bomb squads disarmed seven of the charges, but at 07:30 the remainder exploded with three igniting pallets of artillery shells and their Propellant bags causing a massive explosion, blast wave and mushroom cloud.

[2]: 352 [3]: 206–7 At approximately 05:30, the 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, mounted on M113 Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicles (ACAVs) coming from Bearcat approached the Plantation from the southwest and formed a skirmish line to engage the VC, while helicopter gunships from the 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment swept in to rocket and machine gun the VC positions.

[3]: 239–50 In the late afternoon of 31 January after clearing the Widow's Village 2/47th Infantry advanced into Ho Nai from the south, the town appeared deserted.

The VC/PAVN attacked the position that night in a six hour long assault which was met initially by US mortar and artillery fire, then helicopter gunships and then napalm strikes.

"[3]: 205 The Tet offensive attacks on Bien Hoa AB and Tan Son Nhut Air Base slowly led to an improvement in air base defense across South Vietnam, with improved bunkers and heavier defensive armament including 0.50 cal machine guns, M67 recoilless rifles and M29 mortars.

[8] The Tet offensive attacks and previous losses due to mortar and rocket attacks on air bases across South Vietnam led the Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Nitze on 6 March 1968 to approve the construction of 165 "Wonderarch" roofed aircraft shelters at the major air bases.