Gulf of Tonkin Incident (Part 1)

In recent days, South Vietnamese commandos aboard American-provided torpedo patrol boats (PTFs, or “Patrol Torpedo Fast”) have been staging OPLAN 34A raids against North Vietnamese facilities on the islands of Hon Me and Hon Ngu in the Gulf of Tonkin. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox (DD-731) is cruising nearby, where it has been conducting secret DESOTO patrols since July 31. Onboard, it houses a mobile communications station that uses specialized electronic equipment to gather radio intelligence and covertly support the South Vietnamese raids in the area.

As Maddox cruises just northeast of Hon Me—between 16 and 18 miles from the mainland—communications officers intercept a North Vietnamese attack order by three torpedo boats against an enemy presumed to be Maddox. Conducted possibly without authorization from Hanoi, the order was later rescinded, albeit too late to stop the attack.

The three Soviet-built 66-foot torpedo boats—shadowed by two “Swatow” patrol boats—approach the ship from Hon Me mid-afternoon, moving at approximately 30 knots. The commander of Maddox, Captain John J. Herrick, orders several warning shots as they enter a 10,000-yard perimeter. When the enemy vessels continue their approach undeterred, Maddox opens fire with its 5-inch guns, discharging a total of 283 shells. The intensity of the fire from the American destroyer forces the boats to fire their torpedoes haphazardly and from extreme range, making them easily avoidable. As the torpedo boats turn to withdraw, a single bullet from one of their machine guns hits Maddox’s superstructure. It is the only damage the destroyer takes during the engagement.

The nearby aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) launches four F-8 Crusader jets to attack the fleeing North Vietnamese boats. The Crusaders’ rockets fail to hit their mark, but the jets manage to damage all three of the torpedo boats with 20-millimeter cannon fire, one pouring smoke from its engine. None of the North Vietnamese boats are sunk, and a series of miscommunications prevent U.S. forces from making further attempts to fully destroy them.

When word of the engagement reaches Washington, D.C., President Johnson decides not to immediately retaliate, but orders Maddox to remain on station in the Gulf of Tonkin with reinforcement. The Navy sends the nearby destroyer USS Turner Joy (DD-951), a ship specialized in high-speed combat vessel screening and anti-submarine warfare. U.S. commanders warn them to stay further away from the coast as South Vietnamese PTF boats conduct another 34A operation the next day, shelling a North Vietnamese radar station nearby at Vinh Son.1