261st Viet Cong Main Force Battalion, normally in Kien Hoa, moved up to west Ding Tuong early July. 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. As the shadows lengthened over the dry rice fields and dense foliage, the roar of machine-gun fire and exploding grenades slowly died away. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. 3rd and 4th Battalions, 47th Infantry Regiment, United States Army Center of Military History, "U.S. Making the experience even more memorable was the appearance of Don and Mark Saiz Chili Saizs twin brother and nephew. Who was the American commander at Ap Bac? 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 At the direction of Alcala, the platoon swept 1.5km south of the defenders along the rubber tree line. Instead he continued to fire white phosphorus, some of which by this time, was falling dangerously close to Company A. 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. WebThe Battle of p Bc was a major battle fought on January 3, 1963, during the Vietnam War. 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. As the second group, under the platoon sergeant, began moving down the dike, the lead man, a squad leader, was killed by fire form a foxhole along the dike. Customarily, when major events occurred in Vietnam, there was nothing to indicate that the days operation would be other than routine. I yelled for a medic and one ran across the field.. Information obtained from a captured Viet Cong assessment of the battle Encapsulating the great terrors, mistakes, ironies, and courageous acts of the Vietnam War, The Battle of Ap Bac recounts the clash in which the Viet Cong first won their spurs. telegram 100910Z to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on January 10. Viet Cong prisoners confessed that they were from the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 273rd Regiment of the 9th Viet Cong Division. Although the enemy would have suffered heavy casualties, his defeat would not have been nearly as final as the one which occurred. Get the recipe! However, by this time all elements of the 3/60th had closed the final assault line and were beginning to meet enemy fire. 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. Nearly wipes out 514th Main Force Viet Cong Battalion The quarry this time was a concentration of guerrillas near the village of Aboard USS Pope. The men were in Park County earlier this month to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Ap Bac. Series, Other 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. 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. Operation Concordia was an operation conducted by the U.S. 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. Many of their large haystacks concealed bunkers. Quickly dividing his platoon, the platoon leader directed his men to start crawling along the sides of the two dikes under cover of the supporting fire of Company A, 3/47th, from the southern side of the stream. Vietnamese forces at Ap Bac had made a number of errors, but he 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. The First Battle of Ap Bau Bang occurred on November 1112, 1965.