Timeline, October 29th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
October 29, 1945 (Year of the Rooster [At Dau]): With My Tho now occupied by Groupement Massu, the French naval infantry and commando units re-embark on the Annamite, and in a repeat of their operation against My Tho, sail off to eventually take Vinh Long and, on the following day, Can Tho. General Leclerc, impressed with these successes, orders the formation of a riverine flotilla of transport and landing craft from the Far East Marines Brigade (Brigade Marine d'Extr?me-Orient, or BMEO) and locally available resources. Two small flotillas are quickly formed at Can Tho and My Tho from barges and launches which have been hurriedly armed and armored, together with two old ex-Japanese motorized junks (renamed Arcachonnaise and Lorientaise).

October 29, 1952 (Year of the Dragon [Nham Thin]): Viet Minh assault in the highlands/trek from Tu Le update: Around this time, Bigeard, believing there to be no survivors from the Muong Chen garrison, starts collecting posthumous quotations about the men there to form a tribute to them.

Meanwhile, with northwest Tonkin and the Laos border open to the Viet Minh, General Salan launches Operation Lorraine, targeting Viet Minh supply bases in the Viet Bac by striking along the line of the Clear River and RC2 with a force of 30,000 troops (the largest French force collected in one place in Indochina to date). These include four Groupes Mobiles, two Sous-Groupments Blind?s (1er Chasseurs and 8e RSA) and a Dinassaut (DNA 12) on the Clear River. The land forces assemble at two points, Trung Ha on the Red River northwest of Son Tay, and Viet Tri on the Clear River to the northeast, and start off on this date with the plan of linking up at Phu Tho, some 20 miles to the north.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
October 29, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Ia Drang campaign/Plei Mei SF/CIDG camp: At 2245, the camp takes its last mortar barrage of the battle. Total casualties for the battle, per VHPA sources, are: Killed in action: 3 SF, 1 LLDB, 15 ARVN Rangers, 14 CIDG, and 1 American reporter; the NVA left 141 dead around Plei Me. Wounded in action: 7 SF, 2 LLDB, 29 ARVN, 28 CIDG.

October 29, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Pawnee III begins along Highway 1 in the Phu Loc District north of the Hai Van Pass.

October 29, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Shenandoah II update: Elements of the 1/18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, encounter VC in War Zone D in the first battle of Srok Silamlite. Meanwhile, the US 1st Infantry Division expands the operational area to include Loc Ninh after the enemy attacks SF/CIDG forces and regional leaders there this date.

October 29, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): At 0115, an estimated battalion of the 273rd VC Regiment supported by a battalion from the 84A North Vietnamese Army Artillery Regiment attacks Loc Ninh A-331 SF/CIDG camp in III Corps with 82-mm. mortar and heavy small arms and automatic weapons fire from the northwest. At almost the same time, the VC also attack the A-331 subsector Regional Forces and Popular Forces compound with coordinated mortar and ground attacks, as well as the camp at Hon Quan. At 0220, Viet Cong are reported to be within the RF/PF compound, but US troops can't substantiate the report until 0520, when it is confirmed that one U.S. adviser and a district chief are in the command bunker within the compound. During the initial heavy mortar attack, out of an estimated total of 180 82-mm. and 120-mm. mortar rounds and 15 RPG-40 rounds received during the entire 41/2-hour battle, some 12 rounds land inside the Loc Ninh compound, with five rounds landing near the camp's gate. At Hon Quan, no rounds land inside the compound, but the camp there takes approximately sixty rounds of 82-mm. mortars during the first hour, and the province chief's house is targeted by some 8 to 12 57-mm. recoilless rifle rounds. During the attack, Loc Ninh carries out a field operation in which twenty-three VC and NVA regulars are killed. The mortar attack on Loc Ninh begins to slow down around 0250, and finally ends at 0520.

A-331 goes on full alert at 0115. Forward air controllers, C-47s (Spooky), light fire teams and tactical air support are at their stations within 15 minutes and give continuous support to Loc Ninh throughout the night until the enemy breaks contact at 0520, when detachment A-331 at Loc Ninh launches an operation with two CIDG companies to relieve the Regional Forces and Popular Forces compound. By 1600 the compound has been secured and all Viet Cong expelled. The Loc Ninh camp also immediately begins to improve its defensive position.

October 29, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Summer-Fall 1969): Death of an Air CAV Scout west of Kin Long in the U-Minh Forest.

October 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Summer-Fall 1969): Operation SEALORDS update: One year into the campaign, Communist resupply and troop replacement lines from Cambodia have been delayed and disrupted. Allied raiding operations have hit Communist base areas and the Sea Float deployment has put allied forces deep into what had been a VC sanctuary. In addition, American and Vietnamese forces have captured or destroyed over 500 tons of enemy weapons, ammunition, food, medicines, and other supplies, and 3,000 Communist soldiers have been killed and 300 captured, at a cost of 186 allied men killed and 1,451 wounded.

October 1974 (Year of the Tiger [Giap Dan]): The party leadership in Hanoi meets to plan a 1975 military offensive that will concentrate on the Cambodian border area and the Central Highlands.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR - OTHER
October 29, 1980 (Year of the Monkey [Canh Than]): The USS Parsons rescues 110 Vietnamese refugees 330 miles south of Saigon.