The Division was formed on 13 June 1966 in the
Mekong Delta region from the 52nd,
141st and 165th Regiments. Shortly after midnight on 7 August 1967 the Division's 165th Regiment attacked
Tonle Cham Camp. Gunships guided by illuminating shells stopped the first wave of sappers, but a second assault penetrated the southern perimeter. Many of the defenders in that sector surrendered, only to be executed by their captors. A similar fate might have befallen the others had the camp's ammunition bunker not detonated. The explosion caused heavy casualties on both sides and forced most of the PAVN to flee. Although the PAVN assaulted the camp twice more that night, they had lost their momentum, and the defenders held. In the end the garrison lost 26 men killed and 87 wounded. A search of the area around the camp turned up 152 PAVN dead and 60 weapons. On 24 November 1967 while the
United States Army was conducting
Operation Shenandoah II the Division attempted to close
Highway 13 sending the 2nd Battalion, 165th Regiment to attack a U.S. night defensive position on the shoulder of Highway 13 12 km south of
An Lộc. The attack was repulsed with the PAVN leaving 57 dead, U.S. losses were four dead. On 3 December the 1st Battalion, 141st Regiment attacked another U.S. night defensive position 3 km to the south. This time the PAVN succeeding in penetrating the perimeter before again being forced back by defensive fire, air and artillery strikes. PAVN losses were 27 killed, while U.S. losses were seven killed. On 10 December the Division attacked Firebase Caisson VI 6 km south of An Lộc losing 143 killed while killing only one U.S. From 12 May to 6 June 1968 the Division's 141st and 165th Regiments fought
1st Australian Task Force units in the
Battle of Coral–Balmoral losing 267 killed and 11 captured for Australian losses of 25 killed. In mid-March 1969 the Division was operating in the
Michelin Rubber Plantation where it came under attack from the
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in
Operation Atlas Wedge losing 335 killed for U.S. losses of seven killed. In March 1970 the 209th Regiment engaged the U.S. 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment near Lộc Ninh, U.S. units claimed a
body count of over 200 killed. By 1971 the Division was operating in Cambodia and PAVN command formed the Corps-sized Group 301 comprising the Division and the
5th and
9th Divisions, the 28th Artillery Regiment and the 12th Anti-aircraft Machine Gun Battalion. From June to November 1974 the Division's 141st Regiment fought the ARVN in the
Battle of the Iron Triangle. On 20 July 1974, the High Command of the PAVN created the
4th Army Corps with Major General Hoang Cam appointed as its first commander. The 4th Army Corps comprised the 3rd and 7th Infantry Divisions, the 429th Special Forces Regiment, the 25th Engineers Regiment, the 210th and 235th Logistical Groups and the
Viet Cong 9th Division. For the
1975 Spring Offensive, in March the 4th Corps attacked ARVN installations in
Tây Ninh Province and
Bình Dương Province. On 11 March the 4th Corps attacked
Dầu Tiếng taking it within 2 days they then proceeded to attack other ARVN units and by 2 April controlled all of
Bình Long Province. The 4th Corps then began to approach
Xuân Lộc part of the last defensive line before
Saigon from the northeast. Two regiments from the 7th supported the main assault by the
341st Division. The ARVN
18th Division withstood the initial attacks and on 12 April were reinforced by men of the elite
1st Airborne Brigade and
Vietnamese Marines. By 16 April the battle was turning in favour of the PAVN and on 19 April the ARVN General Staff ordered the units defending Xuân Lộc to withdraw to defend
Biên Hòa. The 4th Corps pushed on towards Biên Hòa and at 5pm on 26 April they attacked
Bien Hoa Air Base and
Long Binh Post. By the morning of April 28 troops from the 4th Corps overran ARVN positions at the eastern end of the
Newport Bridge. ==Present day==