Lý Tòng Bá | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-11-14)November 14, 1931 |
| Died | February 22, 2015(2015-02-22) (aged 83) |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| Years of service | 1950 – 25 October 1955 (Vietnamese National Army) 26 October 1955 – 30 April 1975 (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands | 23rd Division 25th Division |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Ap Bac Battle of Kontum |
Lý Tòng Bá (14 November 1931, inLong Xuyên – 22 February 2015, inLas Vegas, Nevada) was a major general of theSouth VietnameseArmy of the Republic of Vietnam.
Bá entered theVietnamese National Army in the 1950s during theFirst Indochina War. He was trained in armor and rose in rank, reaching captain by the early 1960s.[1][2]
In 1962 Bá commanded a mechanized company ofM113 armored personnel carriers attached to the7th Division based atMỹ Tho. On 25 September 1962 Bá's unit of nine M113s took part in a multi-regiment operation against theVietcong (VC) in thePlain of Reeds. Despite the advice of the US armored adviser that the terrain was unsuited for armor, Bá's unit was ordered to ordered to cross a canal and attack a group of 60 VC. After the lead unit had crossed they saw a group of 14 VC and Bá, decided to attack. While the armored adviser proposed a flank attack Bá's M113s charged straight ahead through the flooded paddies towards where the VC had last been seen. Suddenly VC appeared all around the M113s some firing automatic weapons and rifles and others running wildly in an attempt to evade the armored vehicles. As the M113s scattered the VC the ARVN soldiers on board fired from open roof hatches and with the mountedM2 Browning machine guns. The US advisor then convinced Bá to dismount the troops which was a mistake as they lost the advantage of manoeuvre and the troops were bogged down in knee-deep water. After an hour the troops remounted and the M113s advanced on the VC positions eventually forcing them to withdraw by mid-afternoon. ARVN units found more than 150 VC dead, captured 38 VC and seized 27 weapons, including an American .50-caliber machine gun and twoBrowning automatic rifles.[3]: 22–4
Bá's mechanized company was redesignated as the 4th Mechanized Rifle Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.[3]: 24 During theBattle of Ap Bac Bá was ordered to rescue ARVN forces who had been cut off, but he refused to take orders directly from US advisers and was reluctant to move his M113s across the terrain and a canal. Senior US adviserJohn Paul Vann who was flying overhead became so frustrated with Bá that he threatened to have him shot. Bá's unit eventually approached the besieged forces in single file rather than spread out and suffered losses as the VC were able to engage each M113 individually with his unit eventually losing 14 killed.[3]: 25–7 [4]
In the early 1960s the ARVN cavalry forces were regarded as an important factor in upholding or overthrowing any South Vietnamese government, having been used to suppress at least three coup attempts.PresidentNgo Dinh Diem acted to ensure the loyalty of his armor leaders. Only the most trustworthy armor officers were assigned to the greaterSaigon area. Diem also limited fuel allocations so that armored units could not reachSaigon and Bá had to telephone theIndependence Palace frequently to report his location. Despite these precautions armored units joined the November1963 South Vietnamese coup d'état and Diem and his brotherNgô Đình Nhu would beexecuted in a 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry M113.[3]: 48
In theSeptember 1964 South Vietnamese coup attempt he supported GeneralDương Văn Đức's unsuccessful coup attempt.
In 1966 he served as chief ofBình Dương province.[5] In 1968 he served as chief ofBình Định province.[1]
On 15 January 1972 he was appointed as commander of the23rd Division replacing Brigadier general Vo Van Canh.[6]
During theEaster Offensive of 1972, he commanded the 23rd Division and together with Vann successfullydefended Kontum against thePeople's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) attack.[7]
In 1975 he commanded the25th Division responsible for defending the northwestern approaches toSaigon.[8] As the PAVN forces closed in on Saigon in late April 1975, the 25th Division'sCủ Chi Base Camp came under artillery fire on 28 April and then siege from the PAVN. Bá ordered his force to fight in place, but on the morning of 29 April after PAVN tanks broke through the defensive lines, order collapsed and Bá and his remaining forces attempted to flee the base.[9][10]
After initially evading capture he was eventually caught by the PAVN and sent to a reeducation camp for 12 years. He emigrated to the United States in 1990.[1]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.  | This biographical article about the military of Vietnam is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
