The 8th of November

Operation Hump was a military campaign carried out by United States and Australian forces on November 5, 1965, during the Vietnam War. The joint objective was to expel Viet Cong (VC) units that had entrenched themselves on several crucial hills in War Zone D, approximately 17.5 miles (28.2 km) north of Bien Hoa. The U.S. 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (1/503rd) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade executed a helicopter assault on a Landing Zone (LZ) northwest of the Dong Nai River and Song Be River. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) was positioned to the south of the Dong Nai.

The most significant engagement of the operation occurred on November 8, when a VC Regiment attempted to encircle and overpower the 1/503rd. This encounter resulted in 49 U.S. casualties and an estimated 400 to 700 VC fatalities. Simultaneously, on the same day, in a clash later known as the Battle of Gang Toi, 1RAR launched an assault on a VC bunker and trench system, leading to the demise of six VC members and the capture of five, with two Australians listed as missing in action.