Battle+of+Ap+Bac

 Battle of Ap Bac The Battle of Ap Bac was a major battle fought during the Vietnam War on January 3, 1963. It was fought in Dinh Tuong Province. On December 28, 1962, U.S. intelligence detected the presence of a radio transmitter and a larger force of Viet Cong soldiers, to be around 120 in the hamlet of Ap Tan Thoi in Dinh Tuong Province. The South Vietnamese and their American advisers planned to attack Ap Tan Thoi from three directions using Civil Guard battalions and parts of the 11th Infantry Regiment, ARVN 7th Infantry Division.

Politically, the Viet Cong 261st and 514th Battalions were able to show greater influence in their areas of operation because of the so called "bragging rights" of defeating the soldiers of Diem's regime. Despite the initial success of the Strategic Hamlet Program and the intensified military operations of 1962, the events at Ap Bac placed additional pressure on Diem's government because it showed it could not cope with the resurgence of the Viet Cong, particularly in the regions surrounding the Mekong River.

"The Battle at Ap Bac Changed America's View of the Vietnam War." History Net: Where History Comes Alive. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. < __http://www.historynet.com/the-battle-at-ap-bac-changed-americas-view-of-the-vietnam-war.htm>.__

Andrade, W, Dale.. "The Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam: They Did Everything but Learn from It." Journal of Military History 1(2002):269. eLibrary. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.

