The insertion of Australian forces into Fire Support Base Coral in May 1968 was marked by confusion, urgency and vulnerability. Troops from 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment were rapidly deployed by helicopter into a clearing that was only partially secured. Units arrived in fragments, with limited coordination and incomplete defensive works.

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As night fell, Coral remained exposed. Defensive positions were hastily prepared, artillery sited under pressure, and communications struggled to keep pace. Within hours, North Vietnamese forces launched probing attacks, exploiting the disjointed arrival. The insertion, intended as a controlled deployment, instead set the conditions for one of the most intense battles fought by Australian forces in Vietnam.