Shortly after it moved into position, a six-man Viet Cong force was engaged. [20], In the days before the battle, Hoang anticipated a major attack from the South Vietnamese government, as Viet Cong intelligence agents in Dinh Tuong had reported the arrival of 71 truckloads of ammunition and other supplies from Saigon, about 65 kilometers (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". The dead lay along a small dike extending perpendicular to their front. [27] Immediately, the South Vietnamese infantrymen were forced to hug the ground. 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. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was on 2nd January, 1963. No doubt, some escaped in the fading light. One was the commander of the Communist forces. Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1963, National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. When recoilless fire began hitting the tracked vehicles, the die was cast. The U.S. military had every advantage, yet mistakes were made and battles lost. NOTE: This video is part of a lesson plan titled The Battle of Ap Bac. Ultimately, their presence made little difference as the FNL stood their ground and killed more than a dozen South Vietnamese M-113 crews in the process. In a short time, all of those forward were dead from multiple bullet wounds, and the platoon was temporarily wrecked as a fighting force. By 1600, everything was ready for the coordinated attack. During the next five hours, they managed to launch three major assaults, but failed to break the Viet Cong's line of defense. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was on 2nd January, 1963. American advisers Captain Fletcher Ware and Sergeant Russell Kopti, who had parachuted in with the South Vietnamese, were also wounded. This time, darkness would provide no convenient cover for their escape. [50] The 1st Company, 261st Battalion, led the column, followed by litter carriers carrying the dead and wounded. for our troops. The Viet Cong lost 18 soldiers killed and 39 wounded, although hit by more than 600 rounds of artillery, napalm and other ordnance released by 13 warplanes and five UH-1 gunships. 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. This was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. [14] Furthermore, South Vietnamese and American intelligence personnel believed the Viet Cong had deployed a reinforced company of about 120 men to protect the transmitter. Since no officers could be identified among the enemy dead, except for the battalion surgeon, there was reason to suspect that these key people may have moved out earlier in the day, and possibly were some of those that had been encountered by Company B. Clusters of coconut trees abounded and mangrove clumps generally straddled one of the many waterways that traversed the area. 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. Due to a misunderstanding, the artillery battalion commander refused to relinquish control of his batteries to the forward observers on the ground. Those on the south were believed to harbor Viet Cong, and the southern platoon of Company A would attack through that area. Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. In front of the platoon was the small pasture where the lead squad of Company A, 3/47th, had been destroyed earlier. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. [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. [1] The American participants, who included advisors and aircrews, counted three dead and eight wounded. By now, fire from all sides was intense, but despite this, several men of the platoon crawled forward to aid the wounded, only to die themselves. [26], North of Ap Tan Thoi, three companies of the ARVN 11th Infantry Regiment fared no better. 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. [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. When the leading Civil Guard battalion came within 30 meters (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". [38] When Ba recovered, his company launched a frontal assault on the Viet Cong's foxhole line. [8] His solution was to fill the ARVN with Catholic political cronies and friends like Cao, Le Quang Tung, and Ton That Dinh, who had little military ability, but were very likely to help stop a coup attempt. Cn Giuc District in Long An Province was a VC stronghold in the Mekong Delta. They were partners at that time. Command of the 7th was given to Cao's chief of staff, Colonel Bui Dinh Dam. 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. In short, the Viet Cong enjoyed a great advantage over any attacking force. [15], An operational plan suited for an attack on a small enemy formation was drafted by Ziegler, who was an adviser to Dam and the command staff of the 7th Infantry Division. 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. The battle was a significant milestone for the Viet Cong as a fighting force. [20] Most of the soldiers under Hoang's command were equipped with captured U.S.-made weaponry, such as the M1 carbine, BAR light machine guns, .30 caliber machine guns, and a single 60mm mortar. 
The Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. 
Please sign the MRFA guestbook! A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. The flamethrower had a range of up to 200 meters (Bad rounding hereScript error: No such module "Math". WebAs night fell, PLAF soldiers fled the battlefield to the east under the cover of darkness, securing their first pitched battle victory of the war with America and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). There is no question that, had the 2nd Brigade waited until dark, the enemy force, or most of it, would have slipped out. The break we were looking for finally came on the right (southern) flank, where the platoon was coming along the stream line. After a skirmish on a highway that resulted in a small number of South Vietnamese casualties along with several trucks destroyed, Cao was called to Saigon and reprimanded by Diem. 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. In response, Vann asked his pilot to make low passes over the trees which covered Ap Bac. [27] Although he could not see any Viet Cong positions, Vann knew there was a well-fortified position at the southern end of the hamlet, due to the impact of the Viet Cong's firepower on the Civil Guards since the very beginning of the battle. [4] The lightly armed Viet Cong had no weaponry capable of stopping the armored carriers and inevitably were forced to flee, taking heavy casualties. Small-scale military actions, which would eventually escalate into the Vietnam War, started in the late 1950s, when South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem instituted an anti-Communist campaign aimed at rooting out "left behind" Viet Minh forces. It was surprised to encounter an entire NVA regiment, which counterattacked causing a bloody fight in which 3/26 suffered 300 casualties (40% including 37 KIA) and lost several tanks. Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly Historical Supplement June 1967", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Concordia_(Vietnam)&oldid=1101635797, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1967, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 August 2022, at 01:43. [5], The most successful South Vietnamese force had been the 7th Infantry Division, then under the command of Colonel Huynh Van Cao. WebIt is the first battle since the Vietnam War in which two living service members earned the Medal of Honor. [7] Unknown to Vann, Diem would reprimand or demote any officer who lost too many men, no matter how successful the operation. Almost form the moment it crossed the line of departure, it had begun to meet fire. WebHello and thank you for watching! 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. [43] In his final effort to defeat the Viet Cong, Vann flew into Tan Hiep and asked Cao to deploy an airborne battalion on the eastern side of Ap Bac, the most logical retreat route for the Viet Cong. A stalemate of sorts followed, as South Vietnamese forces took so long to reach these areas that the guerilla fighters were able to retreat with little difficulty. Thus, the battle ended. WebA brief lecture on the 1963 Battle of Ap Bac. Company C, 3/47th Infantry would act as reserve. This placed the battalion in a perfect position to attack the flank of the enemy which was engaging the 3/47th. It truly is a small world! [45] Cao had also lost confidence in Vann, because Cao felt Vann had placed the lives of many South Vietnamese soldiers at risk to save the lives of a handful of Americans. Ap Bac Revisited - June 19, 2007 Bill Reynolds, What a pleasant surprise to sit down for breakfast on this Veterans Day, 2007, and see the front page story in The Signal about your trip back to Vietnam and your memories of the battle on June 19, 1967. WebOperation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. Get the recipe! Although Vann was suspicious, he decided it was a better landing zone because the area was tranquil despite the heavy fighting elsewhere. The operation concluded on 21 June, U.S. casualties were 46 killed and 15 sailors wounded, while claiming VC losses of 255 killed. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. At this point, the situation was confused, and the brigade commander was unhappy. [39], Scanlon, with the help of Bowers, ran forward to aid the wounded men and carry them back to the M-113 formation. Two Viet Cong soldiers received North Vietnams highest military-exploit medal for winning this battle. Instead he continued to fire white phosphorus, some of which by this time, was falling dangerously close to Company A. Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. 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. The artillery rounds killed another five South Vietnamese soldiers and wounded fourteen others. [22] The Viet Cong also took full advantage of the local terrain by taking up positions in Ap Tan Thoi in the north, along a tree-lined creek in the southeast, and Ap Bac in the south. 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