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The '''Battle of Xuân Lộc''' ({{lang-vi|Trận Xuân Lộc}}) was the last major battle of the [[Vietnam War]] that took place at [[Xuân Lộc district|Xuân Lộc]], [[Đồng Nai Province]]. Over a period of twelve days between 9 and 21 April 1975, the outnumbered [[South Vietnam]]ese reserves attempted to stop the [[North Vietnam]]ese forces from
From the beginning of 1975, PAVN forces swept through the northern provinces of South Vietnam virtually unopposed. In the [[Central Highlands (Vietnam)|Central Highlands]], the ARVN [[II Corps (South Vietnam)|II Corps]] was completely destroyed, whilst attempting to evacuate to the [[Mekong Delta]] region. In the cities of [[Huế]] and [[Da Nang]], ARVN units simply dissolved without putting up resistance. The devastating defeats suffered by the ARVN prompted South Vietnam's National Assembly to question [[Leaders of South Vietnam|President]] [[Nguyễn Văn Thiệu]]'s handling of the war, thereby placing him under tremendous pressure to resign.
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Evidence of increasingly heavy PAVN commitments in Long Khánh flowed into [[III Corps (South Vietnam)|III Corps]] headquarters in Bien Hoa. The PAVN 141st Regiment, 7th Infantry Division had apparently participated in the attack on Định Quán. Hoai Duc was overrun by the PAVN 812th Regiment, 6th Infantry Division, while that division's other two regiments, the 33rd and 274th, seized Gia Ray. The ARVN outpost on the conical peak of Chua Chan, standing {{cvt|2200|ft}} above Xuân Lộc and providing excellent observation, also fell to PAVN 6th Infantry Division forces and Xuân Lộc itself began to receive artillery fire, including [[M101 howitzer|105 mm]] fire. III Corps commander Lieutenant General [[Nguyễn Văn Toàn (general)|Nguyễn Văn Toàn]] responded to the burgeoning threat on his eastern flank first by sending the 5th Armored Cavalry Squadron and then one battalion of the 48th Regiment from Tây Ninh to Long Khánh.<ref name=LeGro/>{{rp|169}} The rest of the 48th Regiment was still heavily engaged near Go Dau Ha. The 3rd Battalion made contact with a PAVN company west of the [[Vàm Cỏ Đông River]] on 17 March, killed 36, and captured a number of weapons.<ref name=LeGro/>{{rp|169}} On 26 March, Toàn sent the headquarters and two battalions of the 48th Regiment to reinforce Khiem Hanh.<ref name=LeGro/>{{rp|169}}
After capturing all key objectives surrounding Xuân Lộc in Long Khánh Province, the PAVN 4th Army Corps spent four days preparing for the final push against the ARVN 18th Division. PAVN Major General [[Hoàng Cầm (general)|Hoàng Cầm]] personally took control of the operation; he decided to launch a full-frontal assault on Xuân Lộc using his infantry, tank and artillery units from the north and northwest. [[Colonel]] Bui Cat Vu, deputy commander of the 4th Army Corps, would direct operations from the east.<ref name=Hoang>{{cite book |last=Hoang |first=Cam |title=The Journey of Ten Thousand Days |publisher=People's Army Publishing House |year=2001}}</ref>{{rp|168}} While the PAVN were closing in on Xuân Lộc, Đảo and the chief of Long Khánh Province, Colonel Nguyen Van Phuc, were also busy lining up their units in anticipation of the PAVN onslaught. Prior to the battle, Đảo told foreign media that: "I am determined to hold Xuân Lộc. I
On 1 April, Toàn returned the headquarters and two battalions of the 48th Regiment to the 18th Division. The regiment moved to the Xuân Lộc area but sent its 2nd Battalion to [[Hàm Tân District]] on the coast of Bình Tuy Province to secure the city and port. Large numbers of refugees poured into the province from the north. About 500 troops, survivors of the ARVN [[2nd Division (South Vietnam)|2nd Division]], were among those arriving from I Corps. When reorganized and reequipped, they would take over the security mission in Hàm Tân. The 52nd Regiment meanwhile was pressing forward on Route 20 south of Định Quán and in sharp fighting on 1 April killed over 50 PAVN troops. The 43rd Regiment was fighting east along Highway 1, near Xuân Lộc and in contact with a major PAVN force.<ref name=LeGro/>{{rp|172}}
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