 The Battle of Suoi Chau Pha ( 6 August 1967 ) was fought during the Vietnam War between Australian troops and the Viet Cong . The battle took place during Operation Ballarat , an Australian search and destroy operation in the eastern Hat Dich area , north @-@ west of Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy province . Following a covert insertion the day before which had caught a number of Viet Cong sentries by surprise , A Company , 7th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment ( 7 RAR ) had patrolled forward unaware of the presence of a large Viet Cong main force unit nearby . Clashing with a reinforced company from the Viet Cong 3rd Battalion , 274th Regiment , a classic encounter battle ensued between two forces of roughly equal size . Fought at close quarters in dense jungle amid a heavy monsoon rain , both sides suffered heavy casualties as neither was able to gain an advantage . Finally , after a battle lasting several hours , the Australian artillery proved decisive and the Viet Cong were forced to withdraw , dragging many of their dead from the battlefield after having suffered crippling losses . 
