The Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam: They Did Everything but Learn from It

225 Pages·2001·15.12 MB·English

by  David M. Toczek

The Battle of Ap Bac,
Vietnam
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The Battle of Ap Bac,
Vietnam
They Did Everything but Learn from It
David M. Toczek
Foreword by W. B. Rosson
Contributions in Military Studies, Number 208
GREENWOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut • London
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Toczek, David M., 1966-
The battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam : they did everything but learn from it / David M.
Toczek ; foreword by W.B. Rosson.
p. cm.—(Contributions in military studies, ISSN 0883-6884 ; no. 208)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-31675-9 (alk. paper)
1. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975—Campaigns—Vietnam—apBac. 2. ap Bac
(Vietnam)—History. I. Title. II. Series.
DS557.8.A53T63 2001
959.704342—dc21 00-069515
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright ©2001 by David M.Toczek
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-069515
ISBN: 0-313-31675-9
ISSN: 0883-6884
First published in 2001
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
@r
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
Copyright Acknowledgment
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission for use of the following material:
Extracts from letters, dated 26 and 28 August 1999, from Professor James R. Reckner to David M.
Toczek, West Point, NY. Reprinted by permission.
To Carla
The Americans in Saigon were, in fact, to do everything but learn from it.
David Halberstam, The Making of a Quagmire, 1965
Contents
Figures ix
Foreword by w.b. Rosson xi x
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxiii
Abbreviations xxv
1 THE BACKGROUND 1
2 THE BELLIGERENTS 23
3 THE FIGHT 65
4 THE AFTERMATH 117
5 CONCLUSIONS 153
Appendix A: Brief Chronology of Events 159
Appendix B: Key American Leaders in Vietnam 161
Appendix C: "The Ballad of Ap Bac" 163
Appendix D: Operational Terms 165
Appendix E: ARVN Weapon Systems Characteristics 167
viii Contents
Appendix F: U.S. Army/ARVN Vehicle/Aircraft Characteristics 169
Selected Bibliography 171
Index 179
Photo essay follows page 116.
Figures
1.1 South Vietnam 13
3.1 Ap Bac and Vicinity 66
3.2 PLAF Defensive Positions, 1-2 January 1963 69
3.3 Unit Locations, 0700 Hours, 2 January 1963 77
3.4 Downed Helicopter Locations 82
3.5 Unit Locations, 1030 Hours 85
3.6 Unit Movements, 1030-1600 Hours 90
3.7 Unit Locations, 1805 Hours 100
3.8 GVN Unit Locations, 1900 Hours, 3 January 1963 105
3.9 GVN Unit Locations, 1100 Hours, 4 January 1963 107