The assault began on 3 March, when the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Division was helilifted into FSB Lolo () south of Route 9. Eleven helicopters were shot down and another 44 were damaged as they carried one battalion into FSB Lolo. The assault was stopped and for six hours the area was hit by airstrikes, artillery and helicopter gunships before landings resumed. On 4 March the 1st Regiment headquarters, the 2nd Battalion and a battery of 105mm howitzers were landed at FSB Lolo. Meanwhile after 10 hours of preparatory airstrikes, the 4th Battalion established LZ Liz (), 6km west-northwest of Lolo. 65 helicopters took part in the assault, 18 were hit with two destroyed. On the morning of 5 March the 2nd Regiment was scheduled to be landed to establish FSB Sophia () 4.5km southwest of Tchepone, but this was delayed by bad weather. At 13:30 the first helicopters landed and by nightfall FSB Sophia had eight 105mm howitzers in position, three helicopters were shot down during the landing. The 4th and 5th Battalions, 2nd Regiment patrolled the area around Sophia finding the bodies of 124 PAVN killed by airstrikes and 43 AK-47s, nine 12.7mm machine guns, four RPDs and nine B-40 launchers. On the morning of 5 March the 4th Marine Battalion killed 130 PAVN and captured 25 weapons including two 82mm mortars, while losing six killed. The 4th Battalion operating near LZ Liz killed 41 PAVN and captured 15 weapons including two mortars.