battle of ap bac 1967

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. [2] It was the first major U.S. battle of the Vietnam War using armored vehicles. We continued to pour fire into his position and to inch forward, taking best advantage of the cover. In addition, some men were having trouble with their rifles, due to the terrific volume of the fire they were pouring out. [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 South Vietnamese forces enjoyed a 4-1 numerical advantage in the if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); [4], The communists increased their intensity and two M113s were hit directly, wounding several Americans and destroying the vehicle. The main attack came from the south and southwest, accompanied by a secondary attack from the north. Felt noted that it was important to [7], Following the battle, General Hay wrote a propaganda letter to the 9th Vietcong Division commander, taunting him about the communist defeat. In fact, if anything, the operation got off to an inauspicious start. D. Kennedy, John I yelled for a medic and one ran across the field.. Anything and everything that couldn't fit in any of the other categories. 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. 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 At about this time, Company A succeeded in getting a squad across the stream under cover of supporting fire. (The Washington Post, January 3, 1963; The New York Times, January 4, 1963) On January From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. After knocking past a hastily built communist ambush just north of the perimeter, they moved around to the south. Men spoke in high-pitched, excited voices as though still trying to make themselves heard over the roar of gunfire. Keeping low, the squad moved across a short space of open grassland to a small dike, where it prepared to cover the crossing of the rest of the platoon. This last wave of firepower ended the offensive. Early April 1967: TF-117 Sends one RAD (with 10 boats initially) to Dong Tam to commence local riverine operations in Dong Tam area. Company C, 3/47th Infantry would act as reserve. 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. February 1966: 2nd Bde Activated Fort Riley, KS. [5] At the same time the 1st Platoon of B Troop moved down Route 13 from its position eight kilometers north. He adopted a conventional formation of two battalions advancing abreast, the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, on the west, the 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry on the east, with Highway 4 as a line of departure. b. The brigade commander ordered the assault as soon as the air strike, then in progress, was finished. Concurrently, the other companies of the battalion where dispersed to the east and north of the stream, with the mission of blocking any escaping enemy. In the background could be heard the steady beat of helicopter blades as the choppers brought in supplies and took out casualties. 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. 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. The First Battle of Ap Bau Bang occurred on November 1112, 1965. 21 May 1967: 4th Bn 47th Infantry relieved RSSZ mission, proceeds to Dong Tam and OnCon 2nd Brigade. of the Secretaries of State, Travels of 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. 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. 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 Web19-20 June 1967: Operation CONCORDIA. Joint Chiefs of Staff as one of the bloodiest and costliest battles of September 1966: 1st Coronado Conference, 9th Infantry Division However, by this time all elements of the 3/60th had closed the final assault line and were beginning to meet enemy fire. The bomb dropped, but the pilot had been blown up in the blast. Initially the artillery covered the northwest, west, and southwest sides of the perimeter while aircraft attacked on a north-south axis east of Route 13. [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. [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. 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. The Powell Tribune has expanded its online content. The MRFA is launching our Historical Data Project (HDP), featuring as much MRF TF-117 data as possible. But experience had shown that at best this was an educated guess, one that all too often had proved false. The troop formed into a circular (wagon train) perimeter defense. Wolfe's men fired and the Viet Cong stopped, having struck one American vehicle's gun. Department, Buildings of the Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. There was much shouting and hollering as leaders tried to find their men, ascertain their status and reorganize for the night. Heaviest casualties to date Co-A-4th-47th takes From Albert's Peach Cobbler to an Irish Chicken Dinner, we have them all! 0000001668 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). Making the experience even more memorable was the appearance of Don and Mark Saiz Chili Saizs twin brother and nephew. 20 March 1967: 3rd Bn 47th Inf arrives at Dong Tam, 4th Bn 47th Inf operates RSSZ under OpCon Div 5th Bn (M) 60th Inf 3rd Brigade. This killed the communists, but in one case, Viet Cong mortar hit simultaneously, blowing up the APC, killing one and injuring many others. Clifton, Major General They all had to be searched and cleared, even though most were found to be unoccupied. For the 3rd Battalion, 60th Infantry, it looked like another dry hole. Click most pictures to enlarge. 7th ARVN Division, on own initiative, started on 26 July the most ambitious campaign for years. concluded that the operation was a failure. A reinforced company, and possibly more, had been lost for the time being to the Viet Cong 514th Battalion. We welcome content contributions! Also, all commanders were concerned about the possible effects the .50 caliber fire of the armored personnel carriers would have when they assaulted. They had biggest bag of the operation. 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. 18 June 1967: Relocate to SOIRAP/VAMCO, Commence Operation CONCORDIA. [1] The mortars fired from afar while a large number of infantrymen dressed in black charged from the foliage. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. They were assured of swift success. adequately report GVN victories which 226 0 obj<>stream / 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. Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! Explore gatherings, speakers and events. States helicopters carrying Vietnamese troops into battle. 0000002380 00000 n 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. battle, and, unlike the Viet Cong, were supported by artillery, armor, a. MACV MDMAF concept postulated a maximum radius of 50 KM from MRB. Learn about the association, Board Members, Officers, and download a membership application form! US forces had M113 APCs, such as these, and even a half-dozen full M48 battle tanks at their disposal. 6th US Battalions committed. This attack broke the back of the enemys defense. at the White House to General Godfrey T. McHugh with the President at By now, time had become the vital consideration, for darkness was approaching rapidly. Report. 23 August 4 September 1967: Operations in CAN GIOUC District and GO CONG Province. Explore gatherings, speakers and events. Initially, they swarmed over the American armored vehicles, but were dispersed by the vehicles shooting on one another, although some of the vehicles were destroyed. By 04:50 flares and tank searchlights detected that the Viet Cong were massing for an attack on the south and southeastern sides of the base. Dinh Tuong province, 35 miles southwest of Saigon in the Mekong Delta. Information, United States Department of Close to the perimeter, Haszard's APC was disabled by a communist hit. A friend is a person that would be standing by your side, even if he knew it was going to cost him his life. 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. stiff resistance was apparently encountered, contact has been maintained We dont sit around and tell war stories, we just celebrate each other and the fact that its great to be alive.. 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. 3. Information obtained from a captured Viet Cong assessment of the battle 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. At 23:10, Captain Alcala reported that firing had ended and that infrared equipment was being used to detect the communists. (Summary telegram 677 from ARPAC to JCS, January 4; Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam We spent a lot of time evacuating the wounded, going out into rice paddies and getting shot doing that, Heller said. Wiki User. 59, Files of the Office of Public Opinion Studies, U.S. Policy on S. However, overall enemy losses had been more than 200 men. Calling for artillery fire and air support, the commander attempted to maneuver his company across the stream. Thus, the battle ended. 1. 209 0 obj <> endobj The operation concluded on 21 June, U.S. casualties were 46 killed and 15 sailors wounded, while claiming VC losses of 255 killed. 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. The letter was translated into Vietnamese, and leaflets were dropped into the communist area. 20-22 August 1967: MRF Conducts Recon in force into Parrots Beak area of LONG AN Province (along VAM CO DONG River above BEN LUC-also known ORIENTAL RIVER). Company A, 3/60th, had moved forward several kilometers from the line of departure in order to remain in supporting distance of the forward companies. Most of the Tornados were drafted in May 1966 and went through basic training in Ft. Riley, Kansas. Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. After dinner, each guy stood up and said a few words; it was a memorable experience, Heller said. Employing 0 battalions in the field for 8 days. The two platoons in the rice until they could gain fire superiority, then moving again. Few people were seen, although there were many houses of mud and thatch in these densely vegetated areas. D. Gilpatric, Roswell 7, The Washington Post printed a front-page press reaction across the country to the battle of Ap Bac noted that Meanwhile, Company A, 3/60th, was formed up and waiting at the helicopter pickup site for the promised company of choppers. Unit awards, medals and ribbons, and information on applying for and obtaining your medals and ribbons. 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. mini-guns. of Vietnam engaged a Viet Cong battalion at the village of Ap Bac in Due to the nature of the battle and the abundant use of automatic weapons on armored vehicles, two and in some cases three basic loads of .50-caliber and 7.62mm. General Harkins noted that the South 0000008029 00000 n Alcala expanded the perimeter by 40m with a counterattack at 02:20. Archives and Records Administration, RG even at this time when American casualties are mounting. (Alert on Funston. This past June 19 marked the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. As they took their positions, they were hit with recoilless rifle fire and grenades. The positions were located by radar from Lai Khe, although one officer thought that airborne artillery observers seeing the flashes were more effective. Such is the aftermath of violent combat. Originally, our 2nd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, had been promised two helicopter companies for the operation; however, late on the day before the operation began, one of these was withdrawn. L. Harkins, General Paul Visibility was excellent and the day was hot and clear. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. Whereas a company might be made up of 80-250 soldiers, an Army battalion can consist of between 300 to 1,200 soldiers. Battalion severely damaged. [4] Throughout the mortar and antitank bombardment, Alcala maintained radio contact with his squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney S. Haszard, who was located to the south. of the 7th Battalion, 9th Artillery, commanded by Captain Duane W. Military Assistance Command in Vietnam, was forwarded to President Festa's track was hit, wounding his sergeant, as fire came in from the west. We all decided this was the best reunion weve ever had, Heller said. Two men had died, another 15 had been wounded, but none of these men died and only six were classed as seriously wounded. f. By agreement with 7th ARVN, MRF had a VN Ranger Battalion as MRF reserve and employed it in combat. document.write ("

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