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. Explore our Navy section: awards, stories, points of interest, origin of navy terminology and much, much more! 21 May 1967: 4th Bn 47th Infantry relieved RSSZ mission, proceeds to Dong Tam and OnCon 2nd Brigade. Harry D. Felt, Commander in Even so, it was of little help to the Viet Cong, most of whom had died. [6], During the battle, resupply and medical evacuation missions continued under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Paul F. Gorman of the 1st Infantry Division. [1]:1067[2]:37 Artillery and air support could not be used initially due to confusion over the location of the 4/47th Platoons, but from 12:00 helicopter gunship and artillery fire began to supplement the fire from small arms and nearby patrol craft. True, our division G2 had indicated that a sizeable enemy force was in the Ap Bac area. It resulted in a US/ARVN victory. After dinner, each guy stood up and said a few words; it was a memorable experience, Heller said. To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a subscription. attack. An assessment done in the Department of State on January 15 of [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. Thirteen men had died in the little pasture and many more had been wounded. [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. To further complicate matters, the area was honeycombed with small fighting positions typical of the Delta region. Ap Bac 01 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 7, The Washington Post printed a front-page This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. Considered small-scale action, Ap Bac was fought on January 2, 1963, in the hamlet (ap in Vietnamese) of Bac. At 07:00 the final air strike and artillery rounds were fired. Wheeler Mission, Mansfield Report, Comprehensive Plan, Thompson Type Chapter Information Triumph Forsaken in misleading colors: It appears that the initial press reports have Howitzers to screen the battalions approach. 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. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); discipline in the execution of small-unit tactics. Some rice had been found, more proof that Viet Cong had been in the area. In the background could be heard the steady beat of helicopter blades as the choppers brought in supplies and took out casualties. The positions were located by radar from Lai Khe, although one officer thought that airborne artillery observers seeing the flashes were more effective. 16 February thru mid May 1967: 2nd brigade maintains forces operating in RSSZ in conjunction with TF-117, normally keeping one battalion committed. Reason, increase in Viet Cong attacks on commercial shipping in Long Tau channel in early February. In half an hour they had advanced to within 100 meters of the main enemy line, but were held up by intense fire from small arms and mortars. young reporters representing the wire services without careful checking Trong trn p Bc, qun Vit Nam Cng Ha tn tht 83 cht v t nht 100 ngi b thng. The command track, and its communications equipment, was safely pulled into the perimeter without losses to the communists. L. Harkins, General Paul It was as hoped that in this manner the tracked vehicles could compensate for the lack of a blocking force. It took place in an area of the Mekong Delta that had been dominated by VC guerrillas. Members of 4/47 9th Infantry Division remember, reflect on life, those lost. American Army captain was killed while out front pleading with them to WebThe battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam, 2007. found : Wikipedia, viewed Apr. 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. Trong tng s 15 trc thng ym tr trong trn p Bc, c n 5 chic b bn ri. One enemy soldier was beaten to death by a soldier who used his steel helmet, and another was stabbed to death, thus indicating the ferocity of the assault. Operation launched in response to major Viet Cong build up in western Dinh Tuong. a team of officers to Vietnam to investigate conflicting reports on 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. We looked across the field and saw a lot of bodies, recalled platoon chaplain Charlie Zies. Department, Buildings of the Explore points of interest in the US Army section; awards, citations, index, roster and select information related to the mobile riverine force! command which never placed a Vietnamese officer above the rank of 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 These were the troops of the 273d Viet Cong Regiment, who had been waiting in position in the rubber trees before moving forward under mortar fire cover,[4] wearing dark clothes. During the evening of 19 March, the Viet Cong Ninth Division attacked the base with machine guns, mortars, rockets and small arms fire. - 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. if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); Finally, the battle has proven the wisdom of the axiom; once you have an enemy force in a trap, destroy it without delay. 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. Also, all commanders were concerned about the possible effects the .50 caliber fire of the armored personnel carriers would have when they assaulted. if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he today that sheds his blood with me, shall be my brother." [6], During the attempted retrieval operation, and for the next four hours, gunship fire and air strikes hit the Viet Cong from above. Cn Giuc District in Long An Province was a VC stronghold in the Mekong Delta. 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. 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. 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. Memorials and museums dedicated to the Mobile Riverine Force. Haszard was fired on as he left the APC to attach the towline. Employing 0 battalions in the field for 8 days. The First Battle of Ap Bau Bang occurred on November 1112, 1965. WebIn June the MRF formally formed. }else{ We welcome content contributions! - 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. [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. 2 May 1967: Battle of Ap Bac, not riverine, but most significant battle fought to date by 2nd Brigade. and the operation is being continued. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Our first operation was in the northern Rung Sat. 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. 0000000016 00000 n