At 07:00 on 15 September 11
LVT-5s from landed and secured the beachhead without resistance, simultaneously HMM-363 helicopters operating from landed the heliborne forces unopposed. At 13:30 a platoon from the
3rd Reconnaissance Battalion engaged a PAVN force northeast of
Đông Hà. The outnumbered Marines called for helicopter extraction, but this was aborted after five helicopters were hit by ground fire. Artillery and air support was called in following which the helicopters were able to extract the Marines. Marine losses were one killed and one missing while PAVN losses were nine killed and a further 30 estimated killed. Following this engagement Company A was ordered to move to the area and arrived by the evening of 16 September and established a night defensive position. At 03:30 on 17 September the PAVN assaulted the position but this was repulsed by the Marines with the support of artillery and naval gunfire. A search of the perimeter found 12 PAVN dead and a wounded PAVN soldier was captured who revealed that the 3rd Recon Marine missing on 15 September had been killed and his burial site was located later that day. In the northwestern area, on 16 September Company D was hit by heavy mortar fire while patrolling from the DMZ, the Marines called for naval gunfire support and later found three destroyed mortars and 14 dead PAVN. Further south Company B was ambushed by the PAVN losing two dead in a 75-minute engagement. The Marines found that the PAVN had constructed numerous bunkers and fighting positions in the Con Thien-
Gio Linh area. ==Aftermath==