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. However, when they reached the Captured major caches of weapons, ammo, rice and medical supplies. 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. Forces from the 5th Cavalry Regiment were entrusted with the securing of Fire Support Base 20, around 1.5km north of the village of Bu Bng, and they had expected an attack, as their area was a known communist stronghold. adequately report GVN victories which 0000002715 00000 n 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. September 1966: 2nd Bde designated Army Component of (MDAF- Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Base). 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. Calling for artillery fire and air support, the commander attempted to maneuver his company across the stream. Losses in the 3/47th were more severe. Festa's track was hit, wounding his sergeant, as fire came in from the west. Sheehan, Current A relatively small engagement that had major media, political, and policy implications, the Battle of Ap Bac took place between Viet Cong (VC) and Army of the Republic of Viet Nam (ARVN) forces on January 2, 1963. Trong tng s 15 trc thng ym tr trong trn p Bc, c n 5 chic b bn ri. 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. 0000002380 00000 n It was fought in nh Tng Province (now part of Tin Giang Province), South the President, Visits by Foreign Heads 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. escaped with minor losses. zoneId = '3'; Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). 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 [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. 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 By noontime, troops of the the Wild Ones had reached and searched as far north as objective Queen without contact or major incident. Articles incorporating text from the United States Army Center of Military History, Vietnam articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1967, United States Army Center of Military History, http://www.history.army.mil/books/Vietnam/90-7/cont.htm. By now, time had become the vital consideration, for darkness was approaching rapidly. Information obtained from a captured Viet Cong assessment of the battle 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. (Telegram 662 to Almost form the moment it crossed the line of departure, it had begun to meet fire. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. The paddies were mostly dry and easily supported the weight of an armored personnel carrier. Electronic resources for U.S. foreign relations, Copyright Web19-20 June 1967: Operation CONCORDIA. They had become highly proficient in group and individual tactics. WebThe Battle of Ap Bac was to have been a routine heliborne operation into the rice rich Mekong Delta. Chiefs of Staff which suggested that the press was painting the battle 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. 4 August 1967: MRB relocated to Vung Tau. There was a huge explosion, an artillery round probably, and I woke up back here in the states about three weeks later.. However, for the Tigers of the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry, and especially for Company A of that unit, what had started out as a routine walk in the sun was rapidly becoming a grim one. This answer is: Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Explore historical photos, gripping stories, poetry and song submitted by MRFA members. This attack broke the back of the enemys defense. the US/GVN forces. 2014-04-30 20:40:28. of the Secretaries of State, Travels of Ive never had a bond like I have with these people.. During the three-day battle, 47 American soldiers were killed, including one from Hellers company, Ronald Chili Saiz. They crossed to the southern half of the perimeter under the heaviest communist attack. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." Two men had died, another 15 had been wounded, but none of these men died and only six were classed as seriously wounded. See more Bi nh m Major General Bi nh m (born c. 1926 30 May 2009) was a general of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). At 22:50 that night a Viet Cong probe signaled the start of the battle. Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. Despite the disparity of numbers and weapons, the Viet - 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. Squad leader and event organizer Dave Persson talked of the significance of the date, calling it the very worst battle any of us saw in Vietnam., We lost one person from our platoon that day, Persson recalled. 1-307-754-2221. A hundred Viet Cong died in the area. if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. Joint Chiefs of Staff as one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of 15 May 1967: 1st CAM SON riverine operation, using TF-117 boats. [4], During the lull that followed, reconnaissance by fire was conducted by Wolfe's tank along the wood line to the east beyond the railway. Colonel Haszard then alerted the 1st Platoon of B Troop and the 3rd Platoon of C Troop to the north and south of Ap Bau Bang respectively to move to Fire Support Base 20. Haszard noted the growing size of the communist offensive and decided to move with his command element to A Troop's position. 0000001118 00000 n Series, Other var width = jQuery(window).width(); Suddenly enemy troops began jumping out of their holes and attempted to escape. 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. [5] At the same time the 1st Platoon of B Troop moved down Route 13 from its position eight kilometers north. Marion. At 11:50 on March 19, 1967, A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Captain Raoul H. Alcala deployed within the perimeter of Fire Support Base 20. If you would like to purchase a subscription click here. They claimed 227 communist killed and captured three, while losing only 3 and suffering 63 wounded. 63037 from General C.V. Clifton Battle of AP Bac II, in AP Bac Hamlet, CAN/GUIOC District, Long An Province. D. Gilpatric, Roswell Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! Company C, 3/47th Infantry was deployed by helicopters south of the reported VC location while Company C, 4/47th Infantry was moved by patrol craft northeast of the location. 0000000668 00000 n Explore gatherings, speakers and events. WebThis was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber. From Albert's Peach Cobbler to an Irish Chicken Dinner, we have them all! Chaplain Charlie Zies, 1st Platoon Bravo Company, 4/47 9th Infantry Division, delivers a short service to the surviving members of his platoon, the Tornados, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Cody. 18 June 1967: Relocate to SOIRAP/VAMCO, Commence Operation CONCORDIA. [7] The original English was, This is to advise you that during the battle of Ap Bau Bang on 20 March the Regimental Commander of Q763 (273d Regiment) and his Battalion Commanders disgraced themselves by performing in an un-soldierly manner. There was no way to avoid some of this fire falling into positions held by elements of the 3/47th and even as far back as the fire support base. the Secretary of State, Travels of 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. The ambush was to be in position by 18:00. are occurring more frequently. (National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T-182-67). However, throughout the area, the small streams could be crossed only at certain points. 0000007973 00000 n Mobile Riverine Force in conjunction with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) from 1921 June 1967 against the Viet Cong (VC). F. Taylor, General Maxwell Out there at my place on the Willwood where things were quiet, there were no agendas, no one had to go anywhere for food. Who was the American commander at Ap Bac? After that, the men spent the rest of the week exploring the area, meeting up at Hellers cabin at the end of each day. (Initially 3rd-Bn 47th Inf then 4th-Bn, 47th Inf) Battle of AP Bac II, in AP Bac Hamlet, CAN/GUIOC District, Long An Province. mistakes at Ap Bac based upon faulty intelligence and inexperience, but 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. Explore a glossary of terms, manuals, statistics, historical accounts and reports, maps and articles by MRFA members. [5], In the 3rd Platoon sector on the eastern side of the perimeter, Wolfe detected communist movement and requested night illumination from a 4.2-inch mortar, which revealed Viet Cong troops crossing the highway from east to west. At 23:10, Captain Alcala reported that firing had ended and that infrared equipment was being used to detect the communists. startxref It took place in an area of the Mekong Delta that had been dominated by VC guerrillas. States helicopters carrying Vietnamese troops into battle. He gave Alcala permission to recall his 2nd Platoon from the ambush site to the perimeter. %PDF-1.4 % 7-8 September 1967: Operations in NHON TRACH against elements of 54th Viet Cong rear service group. d. 7th ARVN took all area North of route 4. 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 The brigade commander ordered the assault as soon as the air strike, then in progress, was finished. Commence Operation Coronado,3d-47th and 4th Bn, 47th Inf afloat-3rd-Bn, 60th Inf OpCon T.F. The two platoons in the rice until they could gain fire superiority, then moving again. Three VC were killed and the others fled to the south. Vietnam, filed an after-action report on the Ap Bac operation which concluded that the operation was a failure. At least they got most of it. Harkins assessment closely paralleled that of Admiral For the artillery, it was especially difficult; the tubes were so hot from continuous use that now the rounds they fired were beginning to become erratic. We had great food, great company; it was just wonderful. b. Parrots Beak was 71 KM (water distance) and 43 KM (straight-line) from Then, without pausing, they ran along the entire length of the dike, which had foxholes every five meters or so, to take out the enemy positions one by one. Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. 2 June 1967: 2nd Brigade embarks aboard MRB, thus formally constituting MRF. To the south of the position was a rubber plantation, while wooded areas were prominent to the north and west. (SACSA Briefing, April 24; Department of 0000008029 00000 n [5] By 01:00 an AC-47 Spooky gunship and a light fire team of helicopter gunships were sent to aid Wolfe's platoon. 23 August 4 September 1967: Operations in CAN GIOUC District and GO CONG Province. Then a helicopter came in to pick up the wounded; the second helicopter came in and was shot down.. Darkness finally came to the rice paddies of Dien Thoung Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, but it came slowly. The bomb dropped, but the pilot had been blown up in the blast. Were all so close; these are brothers. Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions. Their mission was to secure the base for B Battery (105-mm.) We knew they were there. That is a huge, huge loss., Lieutenant Heller and his fellow soldiers in . military problems and report on future prospects for the war. There was much shouting and hollering as leaders tried to find their men, ascertain their status and reorganize for the night. It took place in an area of the Mekong Delta that had been dominated by VC guerrillas. Explore our catalog and purchase official MRFA gear here. WebThe second Battle of Bu Bng occurred during the night of 1920 March 1967 during Operation Junction City, a search and destroy mission by American military forces in Tay 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. 0000001694 00000 n Please sign the MRFA guestbook! The Battle of Ap Bac was the first significant engagement between tenets of North and South Vietnam. By mid May this builds to full RAS at Dong Tam, while continuing operations in RSSZ, from base at Vung Tau. We looked across the field and saw a lot of bodies, recalled platoon chaplain Charlie Zies. Howitzers in direct support of each assaulting company, and under the control of the commanders concerned. 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. On January 7, the Joint Chiefs of Staff authorized Army Chief of Staff '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? One thing that we found out over there, and what we didnt realize until years later, was what a friend was, he said. So far as the battalion commander of the 3/60th was concerned, all his chips were in the pot. But the most prevalent feeling now that the major, recognizable danger had passed, was one of elationhigh elation. Particles of phosphorus from the heavy artillery that had lashed the area flared fitfully, lighting up shattered palms and underbrush with a ghostly glow. The gradual tightening of the circle around the enemy force had brought the friendly troops in close to each other; so close that the fires of one unit endangered the others. Now the brigade commander faced a serious problem. But experience had shown that at best this was an educated guess, one that all too often had proved false. Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. WebIn June the MRF formally formed. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam, was forwarded to President "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." Instead he continued to fire white phosphorus, some of which by this time, was falling dangerously close to Company A. The rest of the troops would move to their jump-off positions by vehicles with the 3/60th departing first because it had the longest distance to travel. VC casualties were limited to 18 soldiers killed and 39 wounded, even though their positions had been hit by more than 600 rounds of artillery, napalm, and other ordnance released by 13 warplanes and five UH-1 gunships. Ap Bac had far-reaching consequences for the South Vietnamese government and the American involvement in Vietnam. Also 1 company operation each week in RSSZ. American public is not getting the facts on the situation in Viet-nam, 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. 3. Its what happens, unfortunately, Heller said. 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. Explore artwork by members, and read historical articles and books. By 1500, Company A had reached the restraining line designated by the brigade commander, and was deployed along it in assault formation with three platoons abreast. Of the men who participated in this assault, most had been in the Army hardly a year. Type Chapter Information Triumph Forsaken Saigon, January 7; Department of State, Central Files, 951K.6211/1-763) [5] Later Wolfe's track was directly hit for a second time by an RPG-2 rocket. Even so, it was of little help to the Viet Cong, most of whom had died. To further complicate matters, the area was honeycombed with small fighting positions typical of the Delta region. e. GVN Committed a 2nd Battalion Brigade of VN Marines in US Zone. 7, The Washington Post printed a front-page document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneId+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. The battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam, 2007. found: Wikipedia, viewed Apr. [6], During the battle, resupply and medical evacuation missions continued under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Paul F. Gorman of the 1st Infantry Division. if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); Releases, Administrative 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. 9, 2007(Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War took place on Jan. 2, 1963, near the hamlet ("ap" in Vietnamese) of Ap Bac, 65 kilometers southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta) Change Notes 2007-04-26: new 2007-04-27: revised Alternate Formats Infantry Division, January 9; JCS Files) Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. of the Department, Foreign Relations of the United States, 19611963, Volume Wheeler Mission, Mansfield Report, Comprehensive Plan, Thompson They developed a deep caring for each other and their mission.. 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 [1]:104 The operation plan called for the deployment of five Companies of the 3rd and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry Regiment into the operations area by assault craft and sweep south towards the ARVN 2nd Battalion, 46th Infantry blocking positions near the town of Ap Bac in Tien Giang Province. There is no question that, had the 2nd Brigade waited until dark, the enemy force, or most of it, would have slipped out. Later a switch was made and the aircraft attack runs were made from east to west on the south and southwest sides of the perimeter. The troops on the ground began digging in around the rice paddies to secure their LZ, awaiting the rest of At this point, the situation was confused, and the brigade commander was unhappy. [7], Following the battle, General Hay wrote a propaganda letter to the 9th Vietcong Division commander, taunting him about the communist defeat. Some rice had been found, more proof that Viet Cong had been in the area. 209 18 telegram 100910Z to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on January 10. Most of the Tornados were drafted in May 1966 and went through basic training in Ft. Riley, Kansas. If we were going to win, the enemy must soon begin to break and run. indicated that the Viet Cong attributed their success at Ap Bac to Two 3rd Platoon tanks were hit, but were not disabled. With the help of artillery and air strikes, as well as flares and aerial searchlights to spot their enemies, the Americans repelled the communists with ease. The break we were looking for finally came on the right (southern) flank, where the platoon was coming along the stream line. 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. 5-September 1967: Relocate to Dong Tam. We spent a lot of time evacuating the wounded, going out into rice paddies and getting shot doing that, Heller said. zoneId = '8'; 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. 0000002679 00000 n (The Washington Post, January 3, 1963; The New York Times, January 4, 1963) On January Kennedy on January 7 in D. Wheeler, General Earle since Ap Bac the complaint has been increasingly heard that the try to rescue their pals. Like any engagements in war, Harkins concluded, there are days-and / 10.43833N 106.19528E / 10.43833; 106.19528 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. 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. [1]:107, Company B, 4/47th Infantry was moved behind Company A while Company C, 3/47th Infantry was deployed north and then began to assault towards the east joining up with Companies A and B approaching from the northwest. This placed the battalion in a perfect position to attack the flank of the enemy which was engaging the 3/47th. In the first 10 minutes, 95 percent of them were killed. This was prompted in part by the need to get as close to the enemy as possible before assaulting, plus the necessity of crossing the tracked vehicles over the two tracked vehicles, would continue to advance by using fire and maneuver within the platoons to destroy individual enemy positions as they were discovered. Heaviest casualties to date Co-A-4th-47th takes However, by this time all elements of the 3/60th had closed the final assault line and were beginning to meet enemy fire. [6]