Vung Ro Bay Incident
Encyclopedia
The Vung Ro Bay Incident refers to the discovery of a 100-ton North Vietnamese naval trawler
unloading munitions on a beach in South Vietnam's Vung Ro Bay on February 16, 1965. The incident spurred further United States Navy
involvement in the Vietnam War
.
commander, Vice Admiral
Paul P. “Brick” Blackburn
, observed that the Vung Ro find was “proof positive.” Blackburn and General
William Westmoreland
called for a major U.S.-Vietnamese anti-infiltration patrol operation.
On February 16, a United States Army
officer flying his helicopter
along the coast of central South Vietnam suddenly spotted a large, camouflaged naval trawler
perpendicular to the shore. Cargo was being unloaded and stacked on the beach at Vung Ro, an isolated bay on the rocky coast. The pilot immediately radioed his sighting to Lieutenant Commander
Harvey P. Rodgers, the Senior Advisor to the South Vietnamese 2nd Coastal District headquartered in Nha Trang
, who in turn notified the coastal district commander, Lieutenant Commander Ho Van Ky Thoai.
Thoai dispatched South Vietnamese A-1 Skyraider
s to the bay where they capsized and sank the ship. Additional air strikes pummeled the stores on the beach the next day, but it was not until 11:00 on the 19 that the South Vietnamese escort Chi Lang II, medium landing ship Tien Giang, and submarine chaser
Tuy Dong were able to overcome command indecision and enemy small arms fire from entrenched Viet Cong machine gun
ners to land their embarked troops and naval commando
s. The commandos used shotguns to sweep the defending Viet Cong fighters from their conrete bunkers.
What the soldiers and naval commandos, the latter accompanied by their United States Navy advisor, Lieutenant Franklin W. Anderson, discovered in the wrecked ship and piled up on shore ended a long-running debate among American military and intelligence officials. The allies recovered from the 130-foot North Vietnamese trawler and from shore sites 100 tons of Soviet and Chinese-made war material, including 3,500 to 4,000 rifles and submachine gun
s, one million rounds of small arms ammunition, 1,500 grenades, 2,000 mortar
rounds, and 500 pounds of explosives. The Vung Ro incident followed up on the success of Operation Market Time
. Three North Vietnamese naval trawlers of the same type were destroyed in battle
on March 1, 1968 by elements of Operation Market Time.
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
unloading munitions on a beach in South Vietnam's Vung Ro Bay on February 16, 1965. The incident spurred further 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...
involvement in the Vietnam War
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...
.
Incident
For years many American analysts had suspected that the Communists were using the sea to supply their forces in the South, but it was not until the Vung Ro event that they gained positive proof of such actions. The United States Seventh FleetUnited States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
commander, 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...
Paul P. “Brick” Blackburn
Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn may refer to:* Paul Blackburn * Paul Blackburn with English group, Gomez* Paul Blackburn , youth convicted of attempted murder in 1978, cleared and released in 2005...
, observed that the Vung Ro find was “proof positive.” Blackburn and General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
William Westmoreland
William Westmoreland
William Childs Westmoreland was a United States Army General, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak , during the Tet Offensive. He adopted a strategy of attrition against the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the North Vietnamese Army. He later served as...
called for a major U.S.-Vietnamese anti-infiltration patrol operation.
On February 16, a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer flying his helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
along the coast of central South Vietnam suddenly spotted a large, camouflaged naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
perpendicular to the shore. Cargo was being unloaded and stacked on the beach at Vung Ro, an isolated bay on the rocky coast. The pilot immediately radioed his sighting to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Harvey P. Rodgers, the Senior Advisor to the South Vietnamese 2nd Coastal District headquartered in Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...
, who in turn notified the coastal district commander, Lieutenant Commander Ho Van Ky Thoai.
Thoai dispatched South Vietnamese A-1 Skyraider
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
s to the bay where they capsized and sank the ship. Additional air strikes pummeled the stores on the beach the next day, but it was not until 11:00 on the 19 that the South Vietnamese escort Chi Lang II, medium landing ship Tien Giang, and submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
Tuy Dong were able to overcome command indecision and enemy small arms fire from entrenched Viet Cong machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
ners to land their embarked troops and naval commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s. The commandos used shotguns to sweep the defending Viet Cong fighters from their conrete bunkers.
What the soldiers and naval commandos, the latter accompanied by their United States Navy advisor, Lieutenant Franklin W. Anderson, discovered in the wrecked ship and piled up on shore ended a long-running debate among American military and intelligence officials. The allies recovered from the 130-foot North Vietnamese trawler and from shore sites 100 tons of Soviet and Chinese-made war material, including 3,500 to 4,000 rifles and submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s, one million rounds of small arms ammunition, 1,500 grenades, 2,000 mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
rounds, and 500 pounds of explosives. The Vung Ro incident followed up on the success of Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy’s effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing by sea from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War...
. Three North Vietnamese naval trawlers of the same type were destroyed in battle
Action of 1 March 1968
The Action of 1 March 1968 refers to three naval engagements fought during the Vietnam War on the same morning. A large force of American and South Vietnamese warships assigned to Operation Market Time engaged three North Vietnamese ships at different locations along the South Vietnamese coast...
on March 1, 1968 by elements of Operation Market Time.