and 514th Battalions in Ap Tan Thoi and Ap Bac formed a "composite battalion", which was placed under the command of Colonel Hai Hoang. Previously, the leadership of the 261st Battalion alternated between Hoang, a South Vietnamese revolutionary who had returned from North Vietnam after 1954, and Tu Khue, a native of North Vietnam. Khue was unpopular among the battalion's soldiers because he was very strict and demanding. However, he was meticulous about details. In contrast, Hoang was far more relaxed and commanded a high degree of confidence from the soldiers of the 261st Battalion. Thus, due to his strong leadership skills and popularity, Hoang was selected to take command of VC forces for operations in Ap Bac. Most of the soldiers under Hoang's command were equipped with captured US weaponry, such as M1 Garands, M1 carbines, BAR light machine guns, .30 caliber machine guns, and a single 60mm mortar. In the days before the battle, Hoang anticipated a major attack from the South Vietnamese government, as VC intelligence agents in Dinh Tuong had reported the arrival of 71 truckloads of ammunition and other supplies from Saigon, about to the northeast. In addition, with the information provided by Pham Xuan An, a well-connected journalist and undercover VC agent in Saigon, Hoang's soldiers conducted last-minute anti-helicopter and anti-M113 training by studying US weaponry and South Vietnamese plans and manuals. Furthermore, using radios captured from the ARVN, the VC was able to intercept news of the attack due to unencoded radio communications from the ARVN. The VC also took full advantage of the local terrain by taking up positions in Ap Tan Thoi in the north, along a tree-lined creek in the southeast, and Ap Bac in the south. Their positions were well-concealed by trees and shrubs, making them difficult to see from the air and providing good protection from heavy weaponry. To the south and west of Ap Bac, the VC dug a series of foxholes in front of an irrigation dike, which afforded them an unobstructed field of fire in the surrounding rice fields. The foxholes were deep enough for one man to stand up or big enough to accommodate a two-person machine gun crew. Behind the foxhole line, the irrigation dike enabled VC units to communicate with each other. In short, the VC enjoyed a great advantage over any attacking force. Battle The fight begins At 04:00 on the