FOIA: DRV attack on US Ships in Gulf of Tonkin; 2 - 4 August 1964

relea00129.pdf
Summary of SIGINT Reflections of DRV attack in Gulf of Tonkin 2 - 4 August 1964
Unsuccessful attack on the USS Maddox - 2 August 1964 - and VRC
Document date: 1964-08-04
Department: NSA Headquarters, Ft. Meade, MD (DIRNSDA)
Author: SIGINT
Document type: Report
pages: 3


Archivist's Notes: A short but detailed report regarding an attack on US ships. Mentions VRC losses in the attack. It also mentions a second attack which was initiated by the VRC.




[edit on 3/4/2008 by JacKatMtn]

This short document is a brief summary of the events in the Gulf of Tonkin between the dates of August 2nd and August 4th of 1964.

Intercepted DRV (Democratic Republic of Vietnam; aka "North Vietnam") Naval Communications transmissions revealed that North Vietnam was concerned with, and focused on, recovering two PT Boats, identified as the T339 and the T336, and shadowing the USS Maddox, which had been unsuccessfully attacked on August 2nd, 1964, as well as the USS Turner Joy, which had now joined the USS Maddox.

The T339 PT Boat was sunk by the USS Maddox, while the T336 received major damage. The T333, which had accompanied the other two PT Boats in the unsuccessful attack on the USS Maddox, had escaped with minimal damage. All three boats were identified as part of the Torpedo Flotilia 135.

An extensive search by another PT Boat, the T146, located the damaged T333 and T336 at around 1900 hours local time on August 3rd, 1964. On August 4th, 1964, a tugboat left Haiphong to retrieve the damaged boats.

Pilots reported that one PT Boat was hit and sunk, while the two others, although hit and damaged, managed to make it out of the area. The document speculates that the damaged boats could have made it to the Lach Chao Estuary at the mouth of the Red River*, which is just east of the city of Thanh Hoa.

The USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy were ordered to resume patrols north and south of Hon Me Island after the unsuccessful attack. On August 3rd, North Vietnam began to shadow and track the two destroyers. Both the Maddox and Turner Joy reported the tracking and shadowing by the North Vietnamese Naval Communications. This shadowing was apparently done by two North Vietnamese aircraft as well.

On the night of August 4th, 1964, the T142 and T146 PT Boats were allegedly told to prepare for "military operations". The T333, which was minimally damaged in the first attack, was apparently ordered to obtain oil and move to participate in the second attack. On that same night, the USS Maddox transmitted that the boats had appeared on radar, were closing in, and were identified as hostile. The Maddox began firing on the enemy boats closing in on the destroyer.

Reports stated that two of the PT Boats were sunk by the fire from the USS Maddox. A North Vietnamese transmission seemed to confirm this when it said "We sacrificed two ships and the rest are okay."

The message also stated that two "enemy aircraft" had been shot down and one damaged, although this was never confirmed. But according to the document, these "shot down aircraft" could have simply been flares, which are used to illuminate the battle area.

Although these initial messages stated that the T142, T146, and T333 boats would be involved in this second attack, subsequent messages suggested that none of these boats were involved at all. Reports state that the USS Maddox came under fire 70 nautical miles northeast of the Naval Base at Quang Khe, and according to the document, "suggest that naval units subordinate to the Seventh Fleet Command with its headquarters near Ben Thuy (near Vinh) were involved in the second attack."

It was later determined that the translation "We sacrificed two ships and the rest are okay", which was reported in NSA documents, was actually false. The correct translation was "we sacrificed two comrades" and was directed at the failed August 2nd attacks, and not the August 4th attacks that the North Vietnamese had allegedly taken part in.

This seemingly staged attack led to the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which essentially gave President Lyndon Johnson the power to "assist" any Southeast Asian nation who was "jeopardized by communist aggression," obviously referring to the North Vietnamese as the "communist aggression."

The passing of this resolution led to the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War.


Additional Links:
President Johnson's Speech to Congress
Wikipedia - Gulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 40 Years Later
NSA Gulf of Tonkin Info
Gulf of Tonkin Info & Pictures
San Francisco Chronicle: Tonkin Gulf Reports Cooked?


* - Possibly incorrect information; The document states that the boats could have headed to the mouth of the "Song Ma River", however, after a search for this river, nothing came up; The "Red River" seems to fit the description best, so this was put as the name of the river instead.

[edit on 3/5/08 by NovusOrdoMundi]

Thanks NovusOrdoMundi for the detailed review and the 'helpful' links


I allowed myself to do a short description of the incident:

A 3 page Spot Report Document dated 4th August 1964.
Title: SUMMARY OF SIGINT REFLECTIONS OF DRV ATTACK
IN GULF OF TONKIN 2-4 AUGUST 1964.


Details of the event are as follows:

• DRV (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) Naval Communications were unsuccessful in attacking USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin on 2 Aug. They wanted to recover and dispose of 2 PT boats that were damaged by the Maddox and the aircraft that was launched by the USS Ticonderoga. They also wanted to track and shadow the Maddox and the USS Turner Joy which had joined the Maddox.

• Attack was by torpedo Flotilia 135. It had 3 PT boats –T333, T336,T339. T339 was sunk, T336 had heavy damage, T333 minor damage. Another PT boat – T146 – searched for the Flotilia. It located T333 and T336. A tugboat towed the 2 damaged craft back to Haiphong.

• This information was a confirmation of the facts described by pilots of the Ticonderoga.

• After 2 August attack, USS Maddox was ordered to resume patrol along with USS Turner Joy with air cover from the Ticonderoga.

• DRV Naval Communications of 4 August reflected tracking and shadowing all day. A DRV merchant ship advised the shipping office that 2 bombers would fly in the direction of the ship and investigate.

• DRV Naval Communications again indicated prep for another attack on the night of 4 Aug. T142 and T146 ordered to prepare. T333 ordered to obtain oil and participate.

• That night Maddox reported surface craft and aircraft appearing on radar screen. Later identified as hostile. At 1440 hours it reported firing on PT boats. 2 were sunk. Quoted message “We sacrificed two ships and the rest are okay”. In the same message, the report said 2 enemy planes had been shot down and one damaged and that this had lifted the morale of their men. Cincpac had stated that no U.S. aircraft were lost in the engagement. It was thought that the flares used to light up the area may have been mistakenly thought to be falling aircraft.

• Although T142, T146 and T333 were identified as being in the attack, subsequent messages suggested that none were involved. Maddox reports identified naval units subordinate to the Southern Fleet command were involved in the second attack.