# Battle of Ấp Bắc (2 January 1963)

URL: https://allhistories.com/vietnam/timeline/1963-battle-of-p-b-c
Location: Ấp Bắc, Định Tường Province
Themes: Guerrilla War, Mekong Delta

On 2 January 1963, at Ấp Bắc in Định Tường Province in the Mekong Delta, about 350 Viet Cong guerrillas from the 261st and 514th Battalions faced roughly 1,400 South Vietnamese troops supported by 13 M113 armoured carriers, helicopters and American advisers. The guerrillas stood their ground, shot down or destroyed five of the 15 helicopters sent, and withdrew under cover of darkness. Allied commanders expected an easy victory over a small force. South Vietnamese units, however, advanced hesitantly, and the Viet Cong had prepared defensive positions and learned how to fight against the new helicopters and armoured carriers. The adviser John Paul Vann called the South Vietnamese performance a miserable one, though historian Mark Moyar argues Vann was concealing flawed American intelligence and leadership. South Vietnamese losses were about 83 to 86 killed and more than 100 wounded, against three Americans and 18 Viet Cong killed, according to differing figures. The Viet Cong won its first major victory. The battle encouraged sceptical press reporting and deepened a gap between American advisers in the field and optimistic official assessments in Saigon and Washington. At this point in the timeline (1963), in the south, the Republic of Vietnam was headed by President Ngo Dinh Diem (30 April 1955 – 2 November 1963); Ho Chi Minh (2 September 1945 – 2 September 1969) led the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with Le Duan as First Secretary of the Workers' Party and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (20 September 1955 – 2 July 1976). Vietnam had been divided at the 17th parallel by the 1954 Geneva Accords.

## Why it matters
It showed that the Viet Cong could stand against mechanised, helicopter-borne forces, and exposed the gap between official optimism and conditions in the field.

Ruler at the Time: [Ho Chi Minh](https://allhistories.com/vietnam/rulers/ho-chi-minh)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Battle of Ap Bac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ap_Bac)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Vietnam War](https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War)