▁C owe ▁without ▁opposition . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁had ▁successfully ▁completed ▁their ▁mission ▁in ▁capt uring ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁Spr at ly ▁group ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁by ▁South ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁Ph ú ▁Qu ý ▁Island ▁Ph ú ▁Qu ý ▁island , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Cu ▁La o ▁Th u , ▁is ▁located ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁southern ▁Vietnam . ▁The ▁island ▁is ▁about ▁ ▁away ▁from ▁Ph an ▁Th i ế t , ▁and ▁ ▁away ▁from ▁Cam ▁Ran h ▁Bay . ▁The ▁island ▁is ▁about ▁ 2 1 ▁square ▁kilom eters ▁in ▁size , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁AR V N ▁maintained ▁a ▁security ▁team ▁on ▁Ph ú ▁Qu ý , ▁which ▁included ▁one ▁police ▁pl ato on ▁and ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁civil ian ▁self - def ense ▁forces . ▁From ▁April ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁local ▁AR V N ▁forces ▁on ▁Ph ú ▁Qu ý ▁were ▁joined ▁by ▁an ▁additional ▁ 8 0 0 ▁AR V N ▁soldiers , ▁who ▁escaped ▁from ▁the ▁main land ▁town ▁of ▁H à m ▁T ân ▁when ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁forces ▁captured ▁it . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 2 , ▁the ▁R V N ▁deployed ▁the ▁H Q