We have buried your dead and taken care of your wounded from this battle.[7]. Moving aggressively, the company closed on the enemy, killed several and forced the others to flee to the north. [4], At 00:30, 20 March 1967, the Viet Cong resumed their attack, hitting Fire Support Base 20 with mortar rounds, rifle grenades, rockets, and recoilless rifle fire. '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); 0000002380 00000 n 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. General Harkins noted that the South III, Vietnam, JanuaryAugust 1963, I. Reassessment, January 1-March 14, 1963: Hilsman-Forrestal Report, Information, United States Department of of the facts. He conceded that the South Vietnamese forces had made if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); This was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. The battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam, 2007. found: Wikipedia, viewed Apr. 9, 2007 (Battle of Ap Bac was a small-scale action early in the Vietnam War took place on Jan. 2, 1963, The operation concluded on 21 June, U.S. casualties were 46 killed and 15 sailors wounded, while claiming VC losses of 255 killed. They developed a deep caring for each other and their mission.. Meanwhile, the two companies already on the line of departure would begin the operation by advancing to a series of objectives to the north. 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. response to his concern. Learn about the battle, including the cause, the tactics and its impact on the Vietnam War in this lesson. The probe was spearheaded by a herd of fifteen belled cattle being driven across Route 13 at a point 150 meters northeast of the perimeter. Clifton, Major General Chiefs of Staff which suggested that the press was painting the battle //]]>-->, Alpha Company walked into a batallion-sized ambush, said Powell resident and Army veteran Jim Heller. 5-September 1967: Relocate to Dong Tam. They received their orders in December 66 and departed in January 1967. Thanks to Tornado Jones, these guys were ready, Heller said. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Farther to the north (about 30 meters) was another dike, parallel to the one behind which the dead lay. This time, darkness would provide no convenient cover for their escape. memorandum prepared for the President by the Joint Staff of the Joint Alcala expanded the perimeter by 40m with a counterattack at 02:20. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? However, by this time all elements of the 3/60th had closed the final assault line and were beginning to meet enemy fire. [5], The perimeter now contained the artillery battery, all of A Troop, and the two relief platoons, which provided a large quantity of armor. The brigade commander ordered the assault as soon as the air strike, then in progress, was finished. The troop formed into a circular (wagon train) perimeter defense. But experience had shown that at best this was an educated guess, one that all too often had proved false. As Chili went through the other end of the tree line, he was shot, Zies recalled. 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 Following this operation the aircraft would pass to the 3/47th for a similar operation. 2014-04-30 20:40:28. Vietnamese forces at Ap Bac had made a number of errors, but he Out there at my place on the Willwood where things were quiet, there were no agendas, no one had to go anywhere for food. The situation was such that no fire from air or artillery could be utilized due to the nearness of the opposing combatants. Cc c vn M v phi cng M cht 3 ngi v b thng 8 ngi. American Army captain was killed while out front pleading with them to if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); A full archive of past and present "River Currents" newsletters from your friends at MRFA. Refresher training period. to the Joint Chiefs at the end of January, see Document 26. 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. there are days. 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. [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. (Initially 3rd-Bn 47th Inf then 4th-Bn, 47th Inf) Even though the general location of the enemy was known, the excellent camouflage and small holes customarily used by the Viet Cong made it impossible to spot exact fire positions until very close to them. document.write (document.charset ? Two men had died, another 15 had been wounded, but none of these men died and only six were classed as seriously wounded. 63037 from General C.V. Clifton 0000008029 00000 n WebThe Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. 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. 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 While fighting continued, part of Festa's unit were trying to evacuate their wounded. The 3rd Battalion, 47th Infantry, would also advance to the north as soon as it arrived. 13-17 June 1967: Operations in southern NHOM TRACH, including attach I-10 Headquarters. We looked across the field and saw a lot of 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. Due to a misunderstanding, the artillery battalion commander refused to relinquish control of his batteries to the forward observers on the ground. The paddies were mostly dry and easily supported the weight of an armored personnel carrier. Seeing this, the two men following, a machine gun team, quickly jumped up and rushed the position, dispatching the Viet Cong with a burst. 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. if( width > 480 ){ assessment of the battle by Neil (The Washington Post, January 3, 1963; The New York Times, January 4, 1963) On January 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. At the same time, he recalled the personnel carrier company (Company C, 5/60th) from its barren search farther to the west and began moving it toward the point of contact. It was the first time at the reunion for both. Sheehan, Current b. Parrots Beak was 71 KM (water distance) and 43 KM (straight-line) from Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! and helicopters. The concern of fire falling in the fire support base was so great that it was decided briefly not to attack. battle, and, unlike the Viet Cong, were supported by artillery, armor, American intelligence analysts believed that the whole regiment participated. zoneId = '8'; 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. Inspired by the performance of these two men (who have been recommended for the Medal of Honor), the rest of the platoon jumped up and attacked, destroying the other enemy troops in close combat. 0000001668 00000 n Occasionally the throaty whine of an armored personnel carrier would rend the eerie darkness momentarily as the carrier jockeyed on the battlefield. [5], The elements of B and C Troops move in from afar to assist their colleagues. 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. 10 March 1967: Commanding officer 2nd-Bde moves to Dong Tam and takes command of Dong Tam base with two battalions (3rd-Bn-60th Inf, then 5th-Bn (M) 60th Inf). Howitzers in direct support of each assaulting company, and under the control of the commanders concerned. Battle of Ap Bau Bang II happened on 1967-03-20. After knocking past a hastily built communist ambush just north of the perimeter, they moved around to the south. 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. They claimed 227 communist killed and captured three, while losing only 3 and suffering 63 wounded. Who was the American commander at Ap Bac? go of it. Harry D. Felt, Commander in Viet-Nam: Current American Concern and Misunderstanding; National [4], The communists increased their intensity and two M113s were hit directly, wounding several Americans and destroying the vehicle. It was a terrible day for the 4th of the 47th.. Thank you for stopping by. The main attack came from the south and southwest, accompanied by a secondary attack from the north. 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. at the White House to General Godfrey T. McHugh with the President at major defeat in which communist guerrillas shot up a fleet of United State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, ORG-3 WG/VN Mtgs with Other Agencies), The battle of Ap Bac was reported in the press in the United States as a 23 August 4 September 1967: Operations in CAN GIOUC District and GO CONG Province. adequately report GVN victories which 4 August 1967: MRB relocated to Vung Tau. Their mission was to secure the base for B Battery (105-mm.) At 07:00 the final air strike and artillery rounds were fired. WebThis was the plan finally coordinated on the evening of 1 May 1967. Operation launched in response to major Viet Cong build up in western Dinh Tuong. 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. Thank you for stopping by. Thirteen men had died in the little pasture and many more had been wounded. Status of the, Quarterly 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. Vietnam, filed an after-action report on the Ap Bac operation which They had become highly proficient in group and individual tactics. Web19-20 June 1967: Operation CONCORDIA. It could prevent disaster, if necessary, but its chances of successfully attacking south along the stream were slim, since semi-darkness was already covering the area. In addition, some men were having trouble with their rifles, due to the terrific volume of the fire they were pouring out. From Albert's Peach Cobbler to an Irish Chicken Dinner, we have them all! D. Wheeler, General Earle 0000001694 00000 n b. if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write ("&exclude=" + document.MAX_used); If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free web account by clicking here. 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. 27 July 1967: Relocate to Dong Tam. Company A, 3/60th, which had been behind but south of Company B, continued to advance along the stream and the road which formed the line of contact farther to the east. At about this time, Company A succeeded in getting a squad across the stream under cover of supporting fire. D. 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