Operation Coburg (24 January - 1 March 1968) was an Australian and New Zealand military action during the
Vietnam War. The operation saw heavy fighting between the
1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) and
North Vietnamese Army and
Viet Cong during the wider fighting around
Long Binh and
Bien Hoa. American and South Vietnamese intelligence reports had indicated that an imminent communist offensive during the
Tet New Year festival was likely, and in response the Australians and New Zealanders were deployed away from their base in
Phuoc Tuy Province to bolster American and South Vietnamese forces defending the Long Binh–Bien Hoa complex north-east of
Saigon. 1 ATF deliberately established
fire support bases astride the communist
lines of communication in the vicinity of the village of
Trang Bom, expecting that they would attempt to destroy them. The Australians subsequently clashed with the Viet Cong during early patrols in
Area of Operations (AO) Columbus, while later Fire Support Base (FSB) Andersen was repeatedly subjected to major ground assaults.