Battle of Haiphong Harbor
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Haiphong Harbor, or Operation Lions Den, was an engagement fought in 1972 during the Vietnam War
. On August 27, four United States Navy
warships and a pair of naval attack aircraft launched a raid against the North Vietnamese forces protecting the port of Haiphong
. In a night surface engagement, the American vessels successfully bombarded the enemy gun positions around Haiphong and then sank three out of four Russia
n-built torpedo boat
s which threatened the squadron. It was one of the few ship-to-ship naval battles of the war and the most recent naval battle involving the United States to have been fought in nighttime conditions. The New York Times called it "a daring raid into strongly defended enemy territory..... The enemy has once again been reminded of the mobility of the fleet."
In the spiring of 1972, the North Vietnamese were stalling at the peace conferences in Paris
so President
Richard Nixon
and his military advisors concocted Operation Linebacker II
to try and force the North Vietnamese to capitulate. The operation was largely carried out by planes from the United States Air Force
, and naval aircraft, though several warships would be deployed to provide counter battery fire against enemy targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
and other important logistical areas. Haiphong was North Vietnam's main port along the Gulf of Tonkin
so it was heavily defended, primarily by coastal artillery
but also with a few surface combatants. The American naval ships that participated in Operation Linebacker II became known as the "Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club." One of these vessels was the destroyer
USS Rowan
, Commander
Robert Comer, and for the first few months of the operation, she and three other ships would routinely bombard the Vietnamese coast in support of ground troops. On August 27, 1972, Vice Admiral
James L. Holloway III
launched a raid to bombard the North Vietnamese shore batteries protecting Haiphong and an enemy barracks
located within the city. The Americans intended to engage the batteries alone, using the cover of darkness, they were not expecting to have to fight a squadron of torpedo boats which were patrolling the area. Holloway took with him his ship, the heavy cruiser
USS Newport News
, the light cruiser
USS Providence
and the destroyers USS Robison
and USS Rowan. The aircraft carrier
USS Coral Sea
provided two attackers to assist in Holloway's mission. According to Chuck Packer, who served as an electrician
aboard the Rowan, the crews of the four ships did not receive news of the operation until about two hours before it began. The four ships were sailing independently, south of Haiphong, when they received instructions to commence the engagement so they set a northern course at a speed of about twenty-five knots. The squadron arrived a short time later, on the same night of August 27.
Packer said; "I remember standing on the starboard weather deck just forward of amidships when the announcement was made. Then Rowan changed course north and put on twenty-five knots while starting to light off the third and fourth boilers and bring them on line. I thought of the confused night surface battles of the Solomons campaign
in 1942 where destroyers took tremendous punishment resulting in much loss of life and the severely injured sailors that were left fighting for life in the choking fuel oil fumes and flames, having abandoned their sinking ships. Preston, Monssen, Gwinn, Barton, and too many other cans went down with their dead and trapped crews during these type of night battles for which Rowan was now headed at her best speed. I remember thinking that I had to get a grip on my emotions because the green boots aboard would be looking to us old salts for cues and examples. Perhaps leadership would be too strong a word. Lastly, I remember the peace I experienced when I accepted that I could quite possibly die that night. We went into battle well prepared. Rowan was amongst the sharpest shooters in the Navy having had more gunnery practice under combat conditions with the same crew during the few months leading up to this night than few ships have in a lifetime. Moreover, Rowan had just had her guns relined in Yokosuka [Japan] and the 80 plus rounds of 5" HE [high explosive] that we could put into a precise area in under a minute was devastating. The Shrikes were a plus; but, the plethora of fire control radars in and around Haiphong overwhelmed the four missiles that we had at the ready. In the final analysis, it was the experience and solidarity of her crew that gave Rowan her edge. Rowan's battle that night is best told through the experience of her crewmembers, some of which are related below. Briefly, after the four ship task unit had fired on their assigned targets, Providence and Robison retired to the Southeast leaving Rowan and Newport News on their own, as no doubt intended. My perspective was limited. During the raid and ensuing battle I was at my battle station in the forward emergency generator room below the scullery and fire control/IC compartment, just forward of the forward fireroom. I was the electrician's mate on the emergency boards and I had an engineman to assist in the operation of the diesel that powered the 100 kW emergency generator. While I manned the electrician's phone circuit, it gave little detail of what was happening. Initially it seemed like another LINEBACKER II raid. I felt the ship heal and slow as we turned onto our twenty knot firing run. I heard the guns in action and the Shrikes [AGM-45 Shrike] firing at varying intervals. While the action seemed heavier than normal, it wasn't any more than what I had been expecting. After the firing run I felt Rowan again heal in a tight turn. The blowers in the fireroom just aft increase in pitch and the wave noise from the ship's passage increase as we worked up to the thirty plus knots for our getaway. The command over the 1MC to Now set condition YOKE was the next thing we expected to hear. It came in due course and I had just taken off my phones and was opening the scuttle in the hatch above preparing for the Secure from GQ command when the captains voice came over the 1MC. This is the Captain speaking. It's not over yet! We've two high-speed surface contacts closing fast! Reset condition ZEBRA. Re-man all General Quarters stations. Then three things happened virtually at once: The whine from the fireroom increased to a crescendo, the height of which I had never before heard as Rowan worked up to over thirty-one knots; she started to heal one way and then reverse her rudder and heal hard over in the opposite direction; and the guns were firing at a frantic rate. I thought, here we are in a night surface battle after all and the high-speed contacts were missile boats with ship killing Stix [P-15 Termit] missiles. Years later we found out the were torpedo boats. One way or the other!"
Bryson "Fats" Riordan was a snipe
that manned the Rowans bridge during the battle. Riordan wrote "My GQ [general quarters] station was 1JV phone talker on the bridge and as always it was my job to let the CO [commanding officer] know the condition of the engineering department. Prior to the attack on Haiphong Harbor, I had the watch in Main Control [in the] #1 engine room making sure all 4 boilers were on the line and superheat was up and the plant was up. I was relieved prior to GQ by Chief Understall and the Chief Engineer [LT Hubble] and went to the bridge to get into battle gear, for me weighing 230 lbs., I had the largest flak vest and had my own set of sound powered phones. We [Rowan] were to act as a shield for the Newport News and to make the second pass after the USS Robinson and USS Providence made their run. We were receiving counter battery from the beach and could feel the concussions as they walked to as close as 20 yards. The Skunk Alpha [torpedo boat] was approaching at 40 plus knots and Mount 52 was engaging and making direct hits as far as what I could tell the USS Newport News after guns could not depress low enough to engage the target. The USS Newport News took the credit along with us scoring hits on the Motor Torpedo Boat. All I know is Fire Control telling the Captain that we had scored hits. Chief Understall was yelling in my ears wanting to know what was going on. It was the darkest night that I had seen on the bridge. All I could see was the gun flashes from all the vessels and a couple of the closest water bursts. As far as being able to see aft there was nothing that I or anyone on the bridge could see, especially with all of the doors closed. All I know was that I was laughing at Understall and me knowing that he was scared as shit, I was afraid but there was nothing that I could do."
ET2 Richard Spicer kept a record of the engagement in his log; "Arrived at Haiphong harbor with the USS Newport News, USS Providence, and USS Robison. At 2230 GQ is sounded, 2310 all ships came to firing course. At 2325 all ships are ordered to go hot and commenced firing at coastal gun sites, NVA [North Vietnamese Army] barracks and other targets. ECM [radar] in CIC [combat information center] now sees three cross slot gun site radars radiating, and we now are receiving counter battery! All ships are continuing firing at their targets, still receiving counter battery. Oh shit they are hitting real close now! Providence and Robison turn out to sea as they have fired their rounds at targets, leaving the Newport News and us in the harbor. The Newport News and we keep firing, when ECM gets a bearing on a cross slot radar site and we launch our first Shrike anti-radar missile at it. This is from our new SOB system (Shrike on board). [Seven] min. later another cross slot radar is radiating at us and the second Shrike bird is launched. We are still receiving counter battery and lots of it! Newport News is still providing cover for us, with her 8-inch guns. We see another cross slot radar come up and fire our last two shrikes at it, this time hitting the site! With our entire Shrike missiles fired the Newport News and we turn out to sea at 26knts. As fast as we can. We are still taking heavy counter battery, and sonar reports closest hits at 20 yards off the port bow. We are hauling ass out to sea when radar sees Skunk-A [torpedo boat] at 17,000 yards closing at 48knts. We request to go hot on Skunk-A and turn 180 degrees to go back and provide cover for Newport News and shoot at Skunk-A. We are shooting at Skunk-A, now at 9,000 yards and closing [on the] stbd. beam. Newport News and we continue shooting at Skunk-Alfa when CIC radar sees Skunk-Bravo closing in on us. But we have tac-air cover and they take Skunk-Bravo. The Newport News and we connect on Skunk-Alfa, a torpedo boat with Russian [P-15 Termit] missiles on it, and sink it while tac-air sinks Skunk-Bravo! This was a very tense operation for me, I know I thanked God for making it through it with just minor flak damage to the ship!"
SM3 Dana Perkins, USS Rowan, relates, "I remember the night of the Haiphong Harbor pretty well. I don't think they passed the word of our objective until shortly before General Quarters, as I'm sure the mission was of utmost importance and secret. Also I think that they didn't want us to have much time to think about what was about to unfold. As a signalman I was on the highest point on the ship and had a clear view of all the action. Myself and three other signalmen were manning the Redeye [FIM-43 Redeye] shoulder fired missiles, loaded, armed and ready to squeeze the trigger in the event the time should come. When we started to see the lit shoreline and the lighted buoys of the harbor, make no mistake about it, the tension was high. All of a sudden the whole shoreline lit up with counter battery, spewing bright fireballs as each round was fired at us. The North Vietnamese weren't using flashless powder like we had. At one time I remember counting about 22 shore batteries rapid firing at the squadron. The shells were dropping all around us like seagull shit, leaving thunderous columns of white spray as they splashed into the ocean. Some of the shells were proximity and burst in the air. I remember one shell passed over the Rowan and burst in the air, causing the shrapnel to hit the side of the ship. I think it put some heavy-duty dents on the starboard side of the ship along the upper outer passageway. Luckily no one was hit! The whole time the ships in the squadron were firing on their intended targets with gunmounts and Shrike missiles. It was like the most intense 4th of July display I'd ever seen. The Newport News was off our port side at about 270 relative position, rapid firing her 8-inch guns and launching missiles as fast as they could get them off the deck. All of a sudden the word came over the sound powered phone that we had 2 torpedo boats, (Russian Osha class I believe) about 80 feet long coming out to attack. The guys in the magazine were jamming whatever shells they could get their hands on into the hoist. The first round that we hit one of those boats with was actually a practice starburst round and it tore right through it. The second round did explode. I think an A-6 Intruder [attack aircraft] came in and finished it off with an air to surface missile. The Newport News I believe sank the other boat. All I could think about the whole time was how un-watertight some of those hatches on the old Rowan were. Luckily we got past them and then the word came in that there were some inbound bogeys [MiGs] headed our way. I white knuckled the pistol grip of that Redeye missile and prepared for whatever was about to happen. At about 30 miles inbound we pushed the power button and the gyro on the missile head whined as it spooled up. Adrenaline was in overdrive by now. Then at about 20 miles out, we got word that they turned away and were outbound. I guess they knew the deck was stacked against them! As we turned away (at probably flank speed I might add), the shore batteries were trying their damnedest to get in a few last shots at us. We were out of sight of land and an occasional round was still reaching us and splashing into the ocean. The whole event probably didnt take 15 minutes but seemed like an eternity with all the action going on. The next day I remember as a chill passed through me, they told us that we weren't that far from the mines that were dropped at the harbor entrance. Thanks for that comforting bit of info. Note: The air support, whether it was an A-6 Intruder or an A-7 Corsair II, came from an attack squadron flying from USS Coral Sea (CV 43)."
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. On August 27, four United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
warships and a pair of naval attack aircraft launched a raid against the North Vietnamese forces protecting the port of Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
. In a night surface engagement, the American vessels successfully bombarded the enemy gun positions around Haiphong and then sank three out of four Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-built torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s which threatened the squadron. It was one of the few ship-to-ship naval battles of the war and the most recent naval battle involving the United States to have been fought in nighttime conditions. The New York Times called it "a daring raid into strongly defended enemy territory..... The enemy has once again been reminded of the mobility of the fleet."
Battle
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
so President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and his military advisors concocted Operation Linebacker II
Operation Linebacker II
Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam during the final period of US involvement in the Vietnam War...
to try and force the North Vietnamese to capitulate. The operation was largely carried out by planes from the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, and naval aircraft, though several warships would be deployed to provide counter battery fire against enemy targets along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
and other important logistical areas. Haiphong was North Vietnam's main port along the Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...
so it was heavily defended, primarily by coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
but also with a few surface combatants. The American naval ships that participated in Operation Linebacker II became known as the "Gulf of Tonkin Yacht Club." One of these vessels was the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
USS Rowan
USS Rowan (DD-782)
USS Rowan was a of the United States Navy, the fourth Navy ship named for Vice Admiral Stephen C. Rowan .Rowan was laid down on 25 March 1944 by Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Seattle, Washington; launched 29 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. David S. Folsom, great-grandniece of Vice Admiral Rowan;...
, Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Robert Comer, and for the first few months of the operation, she and three other ships would routinely bombard the Vietnamese coast in support of ground troops. On August 27, 1972, Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
James L. Holloway III
James L. Holloway III
James Lemuel Holloway III is a retired United States Navy admiral and naval aviator who was highly decorated for his actions during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War, he was posted to The Pentagon, where he established the Navy's Nuclear Powered Carrier...
launched a raid to bombard the North Vietnamese shore batteries protecting Haiphong and an enemy barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
located within the city. The Americans intended to engage the batteries alone, using the cover of darkness, they were not expecting to have to fight a squadron of torpedo boats which were patrolling the area. Holloway took with him his ship, the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
USS Newport News
USS Newport News (CA-148)
The second USS Newport News was a in the United States Navy. Newport News was laid down 1 November 1945; launched on 6 March 1948 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia. The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. Homer L. Ferguson upon commissioning on 29 January 1949,...
, the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
USS Providence
USS Providence (CLG-6)
USS Providence , a Cleveland-class light cruiser was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named after the city of Providence, Rhode Island.-Construction and commissioning:...
and the destroyers USS Robison
USS Robison (DDG-12)
USS Robison , named for Rear Admiral Samuel Shelburne Robison, was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile armed destroyer in the service of the United States Navy....
and USS Rowan. The aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
USS Coral Sea
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...
provided two attackers to assist in Holloway's mission. According to Chuck Packer, who served as an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
aboard the Rowan, the crews of the four ships did not receive news of the operation until about two hours before it began. The four ships were sailing independently, south of Haiphong, when they received instructions to commence the engagement so they set a northern course at a speed of about twenty-five knots. The squadron arrived a short time later, on the same night of August 27.
Packer said; "I remember standing on the starboard weather deck just forward of amidships when the announcement was made. Then Rowan changed course north and put on twenty-five knots while starting to light off the third and fourth boilers and bring them on line. I thought of the confused night surface battles of the Solomons campaign
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, during the first six months of 1942...
in 1942 where destroyers took tremendous punishment resulting in much loss of life and the severely injured sailors that were left fighting for life in the choking fuel oil fumes and flames, having abandoned their sinking ships. Preston, Monssen, Gwinn, Barton, and too many other cans went down with their dead and trapped crews during these type of night battles for which Rowan was now headed at her best speed. I remember thinking that I had to get a grip on my emotions because the green boots aboard would be looking to us old salts for cues and examples. Perhaps leadership would be too strong a word. Lastly, I remember the peace I experienced when I accepted that I could quite possibly die that night. We went into battle well prepared. Rowan was amongst the sharpest shooters in the Navy having had more gunnery practice under combat conditions with the same crew during the few months leading up to this night than few ships have in a lifetime. Moreover, Rowan had just had her guns relined in Yokosuka [Japan] and the 80 plus rounds of 5" HE [high explosive] that we could put into a precise area in under a minute was devastating. The Shrikes were a plus; but, the plethora of fire control radars in and around Haiphong overwhelmed the four missiles that we had at the ready. In the final analysis, it was the experience and solidarity of her crew that gave Rowan her edge. Rowan's battle that night is best told through the experience of her crewmembers, some of which are related below. Briefly, after the four ship task unit had fired on their assigned targets, Providence and Robison retired to the Southeast leaving Rowan and Newport News on their own, as no doubt intended. My perspective was limited. During the raid and ensuing battle I was at my battle station in the forward emergency generator room below the scullery and fire control/IC compartment, just forward of the forward fireroom. I was the electrician's mate on the emergency boards and I had an engineman to assist in the operation of the diesel that powered the 100 kW emergency generator. While I manned the electrician's phone circuit, it gave little detail of what was happening. Initially it seemed like another LINEBACKER II raid. I felt the ship heal and slow as we turned onto our twenty knot firing run. I heard the guns in action and the Shrikes [AGM-45 Shrike] firing at varying intervals. While the action seemed heavier than normal, it wasn't any more than what I had been expecting. After the firing run I felt Rowan again heal in a tight turn. The blowers in the fireroom just aft increase in pitch and the wave noise from the ship's passage increase as we worked up to the thirty plus knots for our getaway. The command over the 1MC to Now set condition YOKE was the next thing we expected to hear. It came in due course and I had just taken off my phones and was opening the scuttle in the hatch above preparing for the Secure from GQ command when the captains voice came over the 1MC. This is the Captain speaking. It's not over yet! We've two high-speed surface contacts closing fast! Reset condition ZEBRA. Re-man all General Quarters stations. Then three things happened virtually at once: The whine from the fireroom increased to a crescendo, the height of which I had never before heard as Rowan worked up to over thirty-one knots; she started to heal one way and then reverse her rudder and heal hard over in the opposite direction; and the guns were firing at a frantic rate. I thought, here we are in a night surface battle after all and the high-speed contacts were missile boats with ship killing Stix [P-15 Termit] missiles. Years later we found out the were torpedo boats. One way or the other!"
Bryson "Fats" Riordan was a snipe
Snipe (disambiguation)
A snipe is a wading bird.Snipe may also refer to:*Snipe , a member of the engineering staff on a U.S. Navy vessel, specifically those who work the boilers, most famously referenced in the anonymous poem "The Snipe's Lament."...
that manned the Rowans bridge during the battle. Riordan wrote "My GQ [general quarters] station was 1JV phone talker on the bridge and as always it was my job to let the CO [commanding officer] know the condition of the engineering department. Prior to the attack on Haiphong Harbor, I had the watch in Main Control [in the] #1 engine room making sure all 4 boilers were on the line and superheat was up and the plant was up. I was relieved prior to GQ by Chief Understall and the Chief Engineer [LT Hubble] and went to the bridge to get into battle gear, for me weighing 230 lbs., I had the largest flak vest and had my own set of sound powered phones. We [Rowan] were to act as a shield for the Newport News and to make the second pass after the USS Robinson and USS Providence made their run. We were receiving counter battery from the beach and could feel the concussions as they walked to as close as 20 yards. The Skunk Alpha [torpedo boat] was approaching at 40 plus knots and Mount 52 was engaging and making direct hits as far as what I could tell the USS Newport News after guns could not depress low enough to engage the target. The USS Newport News took the credit along with us scoring hits on the Motor Torpedo Boat. All I know is Fire Control telling the Captain that we had scored hits. Chief Understall was yelling in my ears wanting to know what was going on. It was the darkest night that I had seen on the bridge. All I could see was the gun flashes from all the vessels and a couple of the closest water bursts. As far as being able to see aft there was nothing that I or anyone on the bridge could see, especially with all of the doors closed. All I know was that I was laughing at Understall and me knowing that he was scared as shit, I was afraid but there was nothing that I could do."
ET2 Richard Spicer kept a record of the engagement in his log; "Arrived at Haiphong harbor with the USS Newport News, USS Providence, and USS Robison. At 2230 GQ is sounded, 2310 all ships came to firing course. At 2325 all ships are ordered to go hot and commenced firing at coastal gun sites, NVA [North Vietnamese Army] barracks and other targets. ECM [radar] in CIC [combat information center] now sees three cross slot gun site radars radiating, and we now are receiving counter battery! All ships are continuing firing at their targets, still receiving counter battery. Oh shit they are hitting real close now! Providence and Robison turn out to sea as they have fired their rounds at targets, leaving the Newport News and us in the harbor. The Newport News and we keep firing, when ECM gets a bearing on a cross slot radar site and we launch our first Shrike anti-radar missile at it. This is from our new SOB system (Shrike on board). [Seven] min. later another cross slot radar is radiating at us and the second Shrike bird is launched. We are still receiving counter battery and lots of it! Newport News is still providing cover for us, with her 8-inch guns. We see another cross slot radar come up and fire our last two shrikes at it, this time hitting the site! With our entire Shrike missiles fired the Newport News and we turn out to sea at 26knts. As fast as we can. We are still taking heavy counter battery, and sonar reports closest hits at 20 yards off the port bow. We are hauling ass out to sea when radar sees Skunk-A [torpedo boat] at 17,000 yards closing at 48knts. We request to go hot on Skunk-A and turn 180 degrees to go back and provide cover for Newport News and shoot at Skunk-A. We are shooting at Skunk-A, now at 9,000 yards and closing [on the] stbd. beam. Newport News and we continue shooting at Skunk-Alfa when CIC radar sees Skunk-Bravo closing in on us. But we have tac-air cover and they take Skunk-Bravo. The Newport News and we connect on Skunk-Alfa, a torpedo boat with Russian [P-15 Termit] missiles on it, and sink it while tac-air sinks Skunk-Bravo! This was a very tense operation for me, I know I thanked God for making it through it with just minor flak damage to the ship!"
SM3 Dana Perkins, USS Rowan, relates, "I remember the night of the Haiphong Harbor pretty well. I don't think they passed the word of our objective until shortly before General Quarters, as I'm sure the mission was of utmost importance and secret. Also I think that they didn't want us to have much time to think about what was about to unfold. As a signalman I was on the highest point on the ship and had a clear view of all the action. Myself and three other signalmen were manning the Redeye [FIM-43 Redeye] shoulder fired missiles, loaded, armed and ready to squeeze the trigger in the event the time should come. When we started to see the lit shoreline and the lighted buoys of the harbor, make no mistake about it, the tension was high. All of a sudden the whole shoreline lit up with counter battery, spewing bright fireballs as each round was fired at us. The North Vietnamese weren't using flashless powder like we had. At one time I remember counting about 22 shore batteries rapid firing at the squadron. The shells were dropping all around us like seagull shit, leaving thunderous columns of white spray as they splashed into the ocean. Some of the shells were proximity and burst in the air. I remember one shell passed over the Rowan and burst in the air, causing the shrapnel to hit the side of the ship. I think it put some heavy-duty dents on the starboard side of the ship along the upper outer passageway. Luckily no one was hit! The whole time the ships in the squadron were firing on their intended targets with gunmounts and Shrike missiles. It was like the most intense 4th of July display I'd ever seen. The Newport News was off our port side at about 270 relative position, rapid firing her 8-inch guns and launching missiles as fast as they could get them off the deck. All of a sudden the word came over the sound powered phone that we had 2 torpedo boats, (Russian Osha class I believe) about 80 feet long coming out to attack. The guys in the magazine were jamming whatever shells they could get their hands on into the hoist. The first round that we hit one of those boats with was actually a practice starburst round and it tore right through it. The second round did explode. I think an A-6 Intruder [attack aircraft] came in and finished it off with an air to surface missile. The Newport News I believe sank the other boat. All I could think about the whole time was how un-watertight some of those hatches on the old Rowan were. Luckily we got past them and then the word came in that there were some inbound bogeys [MiGs] headed our way. I white knuckled the pistol grip of that Redeye missile and prepared for whatever was about to happen. At about 30 miles inbound we pushed the power button and the gyro on the missile head whined as it spooled up. Adrenaline was in overdrive by now. Then at about 20 miles out, we got word that they turned away and were outbound. I guess they knew the deck was stacked against them! As we turned away (at probably flank speed I might add), the shore batteries were trying their damnedest to get in a few last shots at us. We were out of sight of land and an occasional round was still reaching us and splashing into the ocean. The whole event probably didnt take 15 minutes but seemed like an eternity with all the action going on. The next day I remember as a chill passed through me, they told us that we weren't that far from the mines that were dropped at the harbor entrance. Thanks for that comforting bit of info. Note: The air support, whether it was an A-6 Intruder or an A-7 Corsair II, came from an attack squadron flying from USS Coral Sea (CV 43)."