Key Facts
- Date
- 17–18 February 1967
- Duration
- Approximately 5 hours of active combat
- Australian unit
- 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR)
- Viet Cong unit
- D445 Battalion (two companies, reinforced to battalion strength)
- APC disabled
- 1 M113 knocked out by recoilless rifle
Strategic Narrative Overview
A Company, 6 RAR, airlifted by American UH-1 helicopters and supported by M113 APCs, landed under fire at 13:45 on 17 February and was immediately struck by heavy Viet Cong fire from fortified positions, wounding a third of the lead platoon. B Company launched a two-company assault at 15:35, but faced a now battalion-sized, well-entrenched Viet Cong force. Multiple frontal assaults, including bayonet charges, failed to dislodge defenders; M113s finally arrived at 18:15, evacuating the wounded before the Viet Cong launched two repulsed counter-attacks.
01 / The Origins
On the night of 16 February 1967, Viet Cong forces from D445 Battalion attacked a South Vietnamese Regional Force compound at Lang Phuoc Hai in Phuoc Tuy province before withdrawing after heavy fighting. The following morning, reports of a Viet Cong company forming a perimeter near the abandoned hamlet of Ap My An prompted the 1st Australian Task Force to deploy a quick reaction force, aiming to intercept and destroy the enemy before they could withdraw.
03 / The Outcome
By 19:00, B Company broke contact and withdrew to a night harbour near the landing zone, covered by mortar, artillery, and airstrike fire. When Australians returned the following morning, the Viet Cong had withdrawn, removing most of their dead. Although 6 RAR held the field, the battle was inconclusive; both sides suffered heavy casualties, and the Viet Cong successfully evaded the large blocking force, marking the engagement as the closest Australia came to a major defeat in the Vietnam War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.