 Firebase Bastogne, like most other support bases in Thừa Thiên Province, came under intense fire during the Easter Offensive of 1972.On 28 April Bastogne fell to People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces while bases nearby, including Firebase Birmingham just 6km east, continued to repel the offensive.A force of over 4,000 ARVN soldiers of the 1st Division launched a counterattack due to the strategic importance of Firebase Bastogne as it was approximately 32km southwest of Huế and within shelling distance.