[2]:37, At 10:00 U.S. intelligence learned that a battalion size VC force was located east of the ARVN blocking position. The attacking force was stopped within 15m of the perimeter. May 1966: 2nd Bde receives fill of troops military problems and report on future prospects for the war. During the evening of 19 March, the Viet Cong Ninth Division attacked the base with machine guns, mortars, rockets and small arms fire. Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. Timeline, Biographies Ap Bau Bang II was the heaviest clash of Operation Junction City. For the Viet Cong, the Battle of Ap Bac marked the first time they decided to stand and fight a large South Vietnamese formation, although outnumbered by more than five to one. [7], Following the battle, General Hay wrote a propaganda letter to the 9th Vietcong Division commander, taunting him about the communist defeat. Because of its earlier start and lack of contact, this battalion was already north of the general line of contact, although some three kilometers to the west. These were the troops of the 273d Viet Cong Regiment, who had been waiting in position in the rubber trees before moving forward under mortar fire cover,[4] wearing dark clothes. If you would like to purchase a subscription click here. Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. During this battle with elements of this Division and attached units your officers failed to accomplish their mission and left the battlefield covered with dead and wounded from their units. //]]>-->, Alpha Company walked into a batallion-sized ambush, said Powell resident and Army veteran Jim Heller. [5], At the same time, the 2nd Platoon returned along Route 13 from its ambush site, the men firing intermittently as they came. For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. In a short time, all of those forward were dead from multiple bullet wounds, and the platoon was temporarily wrecked as a fighting force. 209 0 obj <> endobj indicated that the Viet Cong attributed their success at Ap Bac to Those on the south were believed to harbor Viet Cong, and the southern platoon of Company A would attack through that area. Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! As they took their positions, they were hit with recoilless rifle fire and grenades. - William Shakespeare, Henry V, Navy Cross recipients, Distinguished Service Cross recipients, and Medal of Honor recipients from the Navy Mobile Riverine Force and Army 9th Infantry Division. If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one. Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. Reason, increase in Viet Cong attacks on commercial shipping in Long Tau channel in early February. Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. THE BATTLE : At 07:00 on the 2nd January, 10 Shawnee Helicopters landed West of Ap Bac, dropping the first wave of the 3 Rifle Companies. In addition, farmhouses were scattered throughout the rice paddy terrain. The perimeter was manned on the west by the 1st Platoon, commanded by First Lieutenant Roger A. Festa and to the east by the 3rd Platoon under Second Lieutenant Hiram M. Wolfe, IV.[3]. [5], Meanwhile, Haszard travelled in an APC followed by another M-113 bearing his command group as they tried to move into the perimeter. The Americans relayed the location of the Viet Cong radio transmitter to the South Vietnamese high command, which then ordered the 7th Division to take Tan Thoi However, overall enemy losses had been more than 200 men. Although the enemy would have suffered heavy casualties, his defeat would not have been nearly as final as the one which occurred. Vietnamese forces, and concluded: It also hurts here when irresponsible "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." At this point, the situation was confused, and the brigade commander was unhappy. The men then began Advanced Infantry Training, a highly specialized program for their operational designation the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. realize that bad news about American casualties filed immediately by document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); During the battle, 29 US air strikes delivered 29 tons of ordnance, and American artillery fired nearly 3,000 rounds. Most were shot down as the troops of Company A, seizing the break they had been waiting for, quickly overran the position. Wolfe's men fired and the Viet Cong stopped, having struck one American vehicle's gun. 10 January 1967: 2nd Bde departed Oakland, CA. The scar on his face, a wound that required more than 500 field stitches, is Hellers legacy; a reminder of the men lost and wounded and the reverberation of war. military advisers charged today that Vietnamese infantrymen refused response to his concern. On January 7, the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized Army Chief of Staff if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); Meanwhile, the two companies already on the line of departure would begin the operation by advancing to a series of objectives to the north. characterized them largely as errors of courage rather than cowardice. a. MACV MDMAF concept postulated a maximum radius of 50 KM from MRB. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here. Vietnam, April-Dec. 1963), The Department of State and the White House expressed concern over the Fortunately, the initial reports of the personnel carrier company proved to be exaggerated, and while one man had been killed and several wounded, all the tracked vehicles, including the damaged ones, were able to move forward in the assault. 7, The Washington Post printed a front-page The Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on 2 January 1963 during the Vietnam War, in nh Tng Province (now part of Tin Giang Province), South Vietnam. 209 18 In the zone of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, the attached mechanized company (Company C, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry) was given the deeper objectives because its mobility and speed would allow it to quickly search out those objectives. When it arrived the 11 carriers quickly deployed in line to the north of Company a so that the battalion was deployed on an assault line 1,000 meters long and facing the east. September 1966: 2nd Bde designated Army Component of (MDAF- Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Base). WebThe Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. <<1580FEC57EE0BF4FA30A1AAA607739CA>]>> in misleading colors: It appears that the initial press reports have [1]:107, With nightfall the casualties of Company A, 4/47th Infantry were able to be evacuated, while most of the VC were able to escape through gaps in the U.S. positions. to the poor state of training of the South Vietnamese units, a system of Sheehan, Current Losses in the 3/47th were more severe. Farther to the north (about 30 meters) was another dike, parallel to the one behind which the dead lay. At 23:00 the Viet Cong opened fire on the northeast section of the perimeter with a wheel-mounted .50-caliber machine gun located on the railway embankment. Thank you for stopping by. Alcala sent a tank out of the perimeter to help. We were fortunate in that we were attacking a known position, Heller said. They all had to be searched and cleared, even though most were found to be unoccupied. [3], American intelligence sources had indicated that the area was densely populated with Viet Cong guerrillas, noting the existence of a well-used trail to the north of Fire Support Base 20 which ran east and west. The ceremony at the memorial was highlighted by the recitation of names by platoon chaplain Charlie Zies of the Tornados killed in action during the war, as well as a stirring recollection of Chili Saizs bravery on his final day. 0000000668 00000 n Heaviest casualties to date Co-A-4th-47th takes Seeing this, the two men following, a machine gun team, quickly jumped up and rushed the position, dispatching the Viet Cong with a burst. It was also planned to place a battery of 105-mm. Get the recipe! '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); While these deployments were being made, the 3/47th continued to alternate intense artillery fire and air strikes the enemy position, thus effectively preventing most of them from escaping. [2] It was the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War using armored vehicles. Most of the attendees arrived the weekend of Fathers Day, and they gathered at the Irma Hotel Sunday night in Cody for a reunion dinner. Three American advisers were killed in the Their mission was to secure the base for B Battery (105-mm.) assessment of the battle by Neil Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! of the 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery, commanded by Captain Duane W. That is a huge, huge loss., Lieutenant Heller and his fellow soldiers in . [6], During the battle of Ap Bau Bang III, the Americans killed at least 227 Viet Cong, and captured 3, as well as much equipment and weapons. Particles of phosphorus from the heavy artillery that had lashed the area flared fitfully, lighting up shattered palms and underbrush with a ghostly glow. When recoilless fire began hitting the tracked vehicles, the die was cast. The dead lay along a small dike extending perpendicular to their front. An Air Force flareship kept the battle area continually lighted. The Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. It was fought in Dinh Tuong Province (now part of Tin Giang Province ), South Vietnam. On December 28, 1962, U.S. intelligence detected the presence of a radio transmitter along with a sizable force of National Front for Perhaps more significantly, no mines or booby traps had been encountered, usually a good sign that you are in an area highly frequented by the Viet Cong. Afterwards, American advisers were to say that the Viet Cong soldiers at Bac and Tan Thoi were the most determined Communist fighters they had encountered in more than one year. xref Cc c vn M v phi cng M cht 3 ngi v b thng 8 ngi. Although more infantry than usual were killed by small arms fire, they were attacking cavalry and armored units, most Viet Cong deaths in this battle still resulted from artillery and air strikes. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. 0000003035 00000 n Then when the fire lifted to the rear of the enemy, to block his escape positions, the infantry would assault before the enemy could recover. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. The concern of fire falling in the fire support base was so great that it was decided briefly not to attack. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription. Members of 4/47 9th Infantry Division remember, reflect on life, those lost. Information obtained from a captured Viet Cong assessment of the battle Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. At one point, the VC sought to overcome the advantage of US mechanization by swarming over the actual vehicles. 11-12 June 1967: Relocate to NHA Be. Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. d. 7th ARVN took all area North of route 4. Battle of p Bc Trn p Bc; Part of the Vietnam War: A map of the battlefield. Learning that elements of the 3/47th were in contact, and anticipating that his battalion would become involved, the commanding officer of the 3/60th ordered company B to move toward the area of contact, followed by Company A. What followed was a classic, coordinated assault such as can be seen only on a movie screen or at a demonstration at Fort Benning, but seldom in live combat. From Albert's Peach Cobbler to an Irish Chicken Dinner, we have them all! Alcala expanded the perimeter by 40m with a counterattack at 02:20. General Harkins noted that the South Battle of Ap Bac. States helicopters carrying Vietnamese troops into battle. They came to know each other. 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. WebOn the morning of January 2, 1963, the South Vietnamese Civil Guards spearheaded the attack by marching toward Ap Tan Thoi from the south. 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. They claimed 227 communist killed and captured three, while losing only 3 and suffering 63 wounded. Explore artwork by members, and read historical articles and books. Releases, Administrative (Attached ibid.) [5] Later Wolfe's track was directly hit for a second time by an RPG-2 rocket. Ammunition was rapidly dwindling, for the effort to maintain fire superiority caused huge expenditures. However, by this time all elements of the 3/60th had closed the final assault line and were beginning to meet enemy fire. During the three-day battle, 47 American soldiers were killed, including one from Hellers company, Ronald Chili Saiz. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam They Did Everything But Learn From It By David M. Toczek Subject: Clear the Decks 50% - 90% OFF | General Military & Naval History | Vietnam Trong trn p Bc, qun Vit Nam Cng Ha tn tht 83 cht v t nht 100 ngi b thng. Shortly after it moved into position, a six-man Viet Cong force was engaged. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." Kennedy on January 7 in State. Two men had died, another 15 had been wounded, but none of these men died and only six were classed as seriously wounded. Funston. Calling for artillery fire and air support, the commander attempted to maneuver his company across the stream. Operation in Dinh Tuoung including CAM SON and CHO CAO. But experience had shown that at best this was an educated guess, one that all too often had proved false. [5] Several Viet Cong who attempted to remove the .50-caliber machine gun from one of the burning tracks of Festa's unit were killed, as were others trying to storm the foxholes containing the wounded. [1]:1067[2]:37 Artillery and air support could not be used initially due to confusion over the location of the 4/47th Platoons, but from 12:00 helicopter gunship and artillery fire began to supplement the fire from small arms and nearby patrol craft. - William Shakespeare, Henry V, Navy Cross recipients, Distinguished Service Cross recipients, and Medal of Honor recipients from the Navy Mobile Riverine Force and Army 9th Infantry Division. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. 19 August 1967: Relocate to SOIRAP?VAMCO Cong battalion inflicted heavy casualties on the government forces and Dinh Tuong province, 35 miles southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. The situation was such that no fire from air or artillery could be utilized due to the nearness of the opposing combatants. You play a dangerous game, and people get hurt. Department of State, U.S. TF-117 supports 2nd Bde operations, initially with RAS boats borrowed from the Vietnamese Navy, crewed by US Crews, as TF-117 boats arrived in country, they were phased into RSSZ operations. Its a good family of vets, and its always a joy to see them.. This last wave of firepower ended the offensive. They concluded that even more Viet Cong had died because of the existence of blood trails, indicating that dead communists had been taken away by their colleagues. [CDATA[ Click most pictures to enlarge. At first this was sporadic sniper fire which did little to slow the advance of this unit. WebIn June the MRF formally formed. The MRFA is launching our Historical Data Project (HDP), featuring as much MRF TF-117 data as possible. preparation, motivation, and [Page 2] Meanwhile, the battalion commander of the 3/47th had committed his company B to the right of Company A; but Company B was soon stopped by a heavy fire from along the same streamline. A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. At 03:30 the communist fire eased; resupply of the units and evacuation of the wounded was completed during the next 75 minutes while the artillery and air strikes continued. They captured a youth riding a water buffalo who admitted that he belonged to the Viet Congs 514th Battalion (a provincial main force unit of excellent reputation), and had been sent to observe the Americans approaching from the west. of State, World War I and the Continuing its advance, the company began to meet more and more fire as it crossed the open rice fields opposite a built-up area of thatched huts along a deep stream that ran across their front. fighting and five helicopters were shot down. there are days. (Telegram 662 to Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! 0000001118 00000 n direct orders to advance during Wednesdays battle at Ap Bac and that an There was some delay caused by problems of coordination between the two battalions, so not until after 1700 did the battalion reach and deploy on the eastern side of the final irrigation ditch. However, when they reached the (Summary telegram 677 from ARPAC to JCS, January 4; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam of the Wheeler report, submitted 226 0 obj<>stream Military Assistance Command in Vietnam, was forwarded to President On 20 June 4/47th Infantry searched south of the ambush area locating a VC force north of the Rach Gion Ong stream at Ap Nam and assisted by a Company from the 2nd Battalion, 60th Infantry, wiped out a VC Platoon. The Battle of Ap Bac was the first significant engagement between tenets of North and South Vietnam. These soldiers, infantrymen of the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry (the Wild Ones), and their attached mechanized support (Company C, 5th Battalion, 60th Infantry), were utterly exhausted and physically weak from their exertions. After that, the men spent the rest of the week exploring the area, meeting up at Hellers cabin at the end of each day. The APC operators decided to fire their canisters on each other to remove the Viet Cong, as they were too close for an APC to clear from itself. Viet-Nam: Current American Concern and Misunderstanding; National Alpha Company didnt; they walked right into an ambush that was prepared for the entire battalion, not just one company, Heller explained. This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. One enemy soldier was beaten to death by a soldier who used his steel helmet, and another was stabbed to death, thus indicating the ferocity of the assault. inability to take effective advantage of air superiority, and a lack of L. Harkins, General Paul A unit of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry, attached to the 1st Infantry Division, A Troop had 129 men, six M48 tanks, twenty M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs), and three 4.2-inch mortar carriers. [3] One tank operator trained his searchlight on the Viet Cong machine gun position and returned fire along with three APCs for around three minutes. On the north and south was a line of dense coconut trees and undergrowth. Get the recipe! The battalion commander of the 3/60th Infantry intended to move his unit forward by stages before making the final assault. [4], The communists increased their intensity and two M113s were hit directly, wounding several Americans and destroying the vehicle. Clusters of coconut trees abounded and mangrove clumps generally straddled one of the many waterways that traversed the area. At 07:00 the final air strike and artillery rounds were fired. WebThe battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam, 2007. found : Wikipedia, viewed Apr. Web19-20 June 1967: Operation CONCORDIA. document.write ("&loc=" + escape(window.location)); 16 February 1967: 2nd Bde puts one battalion into RSSZ, working with advance party of TF-117. The assault by the 60th Infantrys Wild Ones on a Viet Cong stronghold in the Mekong was the kind you see in the movies or on the blackboard, but rarely in actual combat. concluded that the operation was a failure. [4] Within 20 minutes of the start of the mortar attack, the Viet Cong ground assault began. 0000008029 00000 n [2]:39 Due to its location east of a town called Ap Bac, the 19 June ambush is sometimes referred to as Second Ap Bac after the disastrous Battle of Ap Bac on 2 January 1963, however that battle took place approximately 40km further west. States adviser to the Seventh Division of the Army of the Republic of The brigade commander quickly approved the action taken by the 3/60th, and at the same time directed that Company B, 3/60th, which was closest to the scene of combat, be placed under the operational control of the 3/47th and moved to a position to block the enemys escape to the north. At least they got most of it. Harkins assessment closely paralleled that of Admiral We knew they were there. When I got hit, I had just gotten back to the chopper with some of the wounded, he said. Electronic resources for U.S. foreign relations, Copyright mini-guns. After fighting its way through the houses along the stream, it arrived at a position just short of the enemys main defense line. We had great food, great company; it was just wonderful. Saigon, January 7; Department of State, Central Files, 951K.6211/1-763) g. Results: heavy contact with 514th Viet Cong Battalion, and 263rd Viet Cong Main force Battalions by US and VNMC, light contact with 261st Main Force Viet Cong Battalion by the 7th ARVN. Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Situated near Ap Bac Village in the Long An Province of Vietnam, the soldiers of Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry were slogging through a couple hundred yards of open rice paddies when they stumbled into chaos. We dont sit around and tell war stories, we just celebrate each other and the fact that its great to be alive.. 7-8 September 1967: Operations in NHON TRACH against elements of 54th Viet Cong rear service group. On 28 December 1962, US intelligence detected the presence of a radio transmitter along with a sizable force of Viet Cong (VC) soldiers, reported to number around 120, in the hamlet of Ap Tan Thoi in Dinh Tuong Province, ho 0000001845 00000 n On January 2, 1963, regular army and civil guard forces of the Republic Palm Beach, January 7; ibid.) startxref While fighting continued, part of Festa's unit were trying to evacuate their wounded. [6] The attackers were followed by a line of unarmed troops carrying ropes and wires with hooks to recover the fallen communists. adequately report GVN victories which Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. [7] Instead he continued to fire white phosphorus, some of which by this time, was falling dangerously close to Company A. The rest of the company dug in on the south side of the stream and continued to blast the area with fire from artillery and small arms. Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). b. Parrots Beak was 71 KM (water distance) and 43 KM (straight-line) from During the battle of Ap Bau Bang II, the Americans claimed to have killed at least 227 VC and captured 3, as well as much equipment and weapons. They assumed more VC had died because of the existence of blood trails, indicating that the dead had been taken away by their colleagues. :135 Explore our catalog and purchase official MRFA gear here. Links to friends, affiliates and other sites you should visit! Two companies of the 3/60th were at the jump-off point, the 3/47th was en route but had not yet arrived, and one company of the 3/60th was sitting in the brigade area at Dong Tam without transportation. 3 August 1967: 3rd Bn, 60th Inf come afloat, 4th Bn 47th Inf OpCon Funston. 27 July 1967: Relocate to Dong Tam. I yelled for a medic and one ran across the field.. 2. thus this was not a real and valid test test of operating radius. 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 261st Viet Cong Main Force Battalion, normally in Kien Hoa, moved up to west Ding Tuong early July. In front of it stretched some 1,500 meters of open rice fields that were cut at 500-meter intervals by two irrigation ditches, the last of which was some 500 to 600 meters from the enemys position. By 11:50 Company C 3/47th Infantry had swept the area but failed to locate any VC, however Company C, 4/47th Infantry encountered VC positions as they moved west. var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999); September 1966: 1st Coronado Conference, 9th Infantry Division Thus the units in contact would have to finish the job. 3. 0000008278 00000 n document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneId+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); This time, darkness would provide no convenient cover for their escape. The letter was translated into Vietnamese, and leaflets were dropped into the communist area. Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. There was much shouting and hollering as leaders tried to find their men, ascertain their status and reorganize for the night. 15 May 1967: 1st CAM SON riverine operation, using TF-117 boats. Comm retrans station at RACH Kien, secure US Base midway between AO and MRB Captured major caches of weapons, ammo, rice and medical supplies. No doubt, some escaped in the fading light. Zies was carrying ammunition for Saiz, an assistant machine gunner, and followed him to a clump of palm trees. Although unexpectedly The brigade commander ordered the assault as soon as the air strike, then in progress, was finished. In rapid succession they destroyed an automatic rifle position and light machine gun post, and then penetrated the enemys main line to destroy a mortar which had been causing some trouble for the rest of Company A. Haszard was fired on as he left the APC to attach the towline. The break we were looking for finally came on the right (southern) flank, where the platoon was coming along the stream line. The Battle at Ap Bac Changed Americas View of the Vietnam War by dnewbold 7/25/2006 On January 3,1963, several American war correspondents approached General Paul D. Harkins to ask what he thought about the battle the 7th Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Division had just fought at a village named Bac. By now, time had become the vital consideration, for darkness was approaching rapidly. press reaction across the country to the battle of Ap Bac noted that In half an hour they had advanced to within 100 meters of the main enemy line, but were held up by intense fire from small arms and mortars. the Secretary of State, Travels of Because of a shortage of transportation, the 3/47th was delayed, and did not move until later. discipline in battle.

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