Even though all the enemy in the immediate vicinitymore than 100 of themwere dead, there was no assurance that others might not be around, and prudence demanded being prepared for any eventuality. Weapons used by Vietnamese irregular forces, Arrival of the armored personnel carriers, The regiment were divided into three separate task forces for the operation against Ap Tan Thoi. The final attack mounted by the M-113 company failed.
WebAt Ap Bac, for the first time, the Viet Cong fought at battalion strength and won a decisive victory against Vietnamese troops supported by American helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery. What was the outcome of the Ap Bac Battle? Web2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. [19] Together, elements of the Viet Cong 261st and 514th Battalions in Ap Tan Thoi and Ap Bac formed a 'composite battalion', which was placed under the commander of Colonel Hai Hoang. It [23] To the south and west of Ap Bac, the Viet Cong dug a series of foxholes in front of an irrigation dike, which afforded them an unobstructed field of fire in the surrounding rice fields. The U.S. military had every advantage, yet mistakes were made and battles lost. [50] The 1st Company, 261st Battalion, led the column, followed by litter carriers carrying the dead and wounded. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. After South Vietnamese soldiers had disembarked from the helicopters, one CH-21 was too severely damaged to get off the ground. Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation. WebAt Ap Bac, for the first time, the Viet Cong fought at battalion strength and won a decisive victory against Vietnamese troops supported by American helicopters, armored vehicles, and artillery. [27] Immediately, the South Vietnamese infantrymen were forced to hug the ground. The paddies were mostly dry and easily supported the weight of an armored personnel carrier. [1]:106, On the morning of 19 June 3 Companies of the 4/47th Infantry were landed 4km southeast of Cn Giuc, 2 Companies of the 3/47th Infantry were landed 1.6km south of Cn Giuc while the ARVN 2/46th Infantry was landed near Ap Bac. As it prepared to land, the main rotor was struck by enemy gunfire. WebFor the VC, the Battle of Ap Bac marked the first time they stood and fought a large South Vietnamese formationdespite being outnumbered by more than five to one. Due to a misunderstanding, the artillery battalion commander refused to relinquish control of his batteries to the forward observers on the ground. American advisers Captain Fletcher Ware and Sergeant Russell Kopti, who had parachuted in with the South Vietnamese, were also wounded. 19th Battle):Thank you Bill. This UH-1 gunship was one of five helicopters shot down during the Battle of Ap Bac. Ammunition was rapidly dwindling, for the effort to maintain fire superiority caused huge expenditures. The aircraft flipped over to the right and crashed. The U.S. military had every advantage, yet mistakes were made and battles lost.
Company A was to move by trucks furnished by the brigade besides organic vehicles form the battalion, and upon arrival would go into battalion reserve near the line of departure. ft) of the southern end of Ap Bac, the Viet Cong opened fire from their foxholes and immediately killed the leading company's commander and wounded the task force commander. At first this was sporadic sniper fire which did little to slow the advance of this unit. Thanks for the memories on this Veterans Day, 2007. WebOn January 2, 1963, regular army and civil guard forces of the Republic of Vietnam engaged a Viet Cong battalion at the village of Ap Bac in Dinh Tuong province, 35 miles southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. Customarily, when major events occurred in Vietnam, there was nothing to indicate that the days operation would be other than routine. As soon as the woods were reached the infantrymen jumped out and began destroying the enemy troops in their position, where they had been trapped and pinned down by the heavy volume of fire. Men spoke in high-pitched, excited voices as though still trying to make themselves heard over the roar of gunfire. The Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. One of the Hueys returned to pick up the crews of the two downed CH-21 "Flying Bananas". [10], In 1962, Diem decided to split the command of the area in the south around Saigon into two, the former III Corps area being reduced in size to cover the area northeast of Saigon, and the newly created IV Corps taking over the west and southwest. WebIt is the first battle since the Vietnam War in which two living service members earned the Medal of Honor. So far as the battalion commander of the 3/60th was concerned, all his chips were in the pot. As the shadows lengthened over the dry rice fields and dense foliage, the roar of machine-gun fire and exploding grenades slowly died away. On the south, Company A was exchanging fire with most of the enemy defenders. [14] It intercepted radio signals in the hamlet of Ap Tan Thoi in Dinh Tuong Province where the ARVN 7th Infantry Division was headquartered. Later, two AD-6 Skyraiders arrived over Ap Bac and attacked the thatched houses with conventional bombs and napalm. Anything and everything that couldn't fit in any of the other categories. It was also worried about inciting the United States into directly supporting South Vietnam, and had recommended a policy of avoiding battle at no, costs. [13] Between December 28 and 30, 1962, an American aircraft equipped with eavesdropping equipment located a Viet Cong radio transmitter. In short, a nice, tidy plan had gone awry. Then just before midday, further reinforcements were flown in from Tan Hiep, and the fifteen U.S. helicopters ferrying the troops were riddled by Viet Cong gunfire, and five helicopters were lost as a result. After discussing the pros and cons with the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, the brigade commander decided to continue the operation, even though the loss of the blocking force did not augur well for success. Moving aggressively, the company closed on the enemy, killed several and forced the others to flee to the north. The American pilots landed their helicopters within 200 meters (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". He was fearful that the battle would turn out to be the largest defeat of South Vietnamese forces up to that point of the war. They had scored the biggest successes of the pacification campaigns of 1962, killing thousands of Viet Cong fighters and leaving thousands of others cut off from supplies. The last battle for which two living service members received the Medal of Honor was the 1967 Battle of Ap Bac in Vietnam, a spokeswoman for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society said. Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. God bless!John W. Gerbing - MRFA Member, From Tim Johnson's sister (Tim gave the ultimate sacrifice during the June WebLearn about the Battle of Ap Bac, a major battle fought in Vietnam on January 2, 1963. Sp4 West was instrumental in my not being with A company that day and probably saved my life. Cn Giuc District in Long An Province was a VC stronghold in the Mekong Delta. This was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. Although the enemy would have suffered heavy casualties, his defeat would not have been nearly as final as the one which occurred. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! Nearly wipes out 514th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion 15 May 1967: 1st CAM SON riverine operation, using TF-117 boats. On the morning of January 2, 1963, the South Vietnamese Civil Guards spearheaded the attack by marching toward Ap Tan Thoi from the south. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. While these operations were being carried out, the gunship, which has been constantly circling the area, reported a Viet Cong force of company size moving across the fields to the northeast. Particles of phosphorus from the heavy artillery that had lashed the area flared fitfully, lighting up shattered palms and underbrush with a ghostly glow. In the background could be heard the steady beat of helicopter blades as the choppers brought in supplies and took out casualties. However, when they reached the hamlet of Ap Bac, which situation southeast of Ap Tan Thoi, they were immediately pinned down by elements of the Viet Cong 261st Battalion. WebBattle Of Ap Bac January 2, 1963 Overview Historical Debates Resources Elements of the South Vietnamese 7th Infantry Division engage a smaller Viet Cong force outside the village of Ap Bac, 40 miles southwest of Saigon, in the Mekong Delta. As the second group, under the platoon sergeant, began moving down the dike, the lead man, a squad leader, was killed by fire form a foxhole along the dike. Against overwhelming odds, the Viet Cong achieved their first major victory. Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. Most were shot down as the troops of Company A, seizing the break they had been waiting for, quickly overran the position. The enemy has demonstrated time and again that merely killing his troops does us little or no good, for he is able to quickly recruit more. Shortly afterwards, Ziegler returned with Dam's permission, and Ba was ordered to move his M-113 carriers in the direction of the white smoke that were rising from the burning hamlet. WebOperation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. !Roy Burns - November 12, 2007. By 20:00 darkness and enemy fire stopped the assault with Companies B and C, 3/47th Infantry, still some 600 meters west of the ambush site. Joanne Stone - November 12, 2007, Bill, outstanding story and publication. Thus the units in contact would have to finish the job. [49], Vann wanted to use a C-47 flare plane to illuminate the rice fields on the eastern flank of Ap Bac and Ap Tan Thoi. At the same time Company A, 4/47th Infantry moving south towards Company C, 4/47th Infantry walked into an L-shaped ambush from well-entrenched VC; exposed on open rice paddies the Company sustained heavy casualties. In order to establish a blocking force that would prevent any enemy from withdrawing ahead of our advance, it was decided that Company A, 3/60th, would utilize the helicopters beginning at 0700 to make an airmobile assault and secure a blocking position astride the most likely route of enemy withdrawal. ft) southeast of the regiment's position. They were partners at that time. Not bad for a small neighborhood. [30] By 10:30 am, all the South Vietnamese soldiers who had landed on the field were under heavy fire from inside Ap Bac and refused to move. It had proved once again that the American fighting man, when well trained and aggressive, is the finest in the world.

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