Timeline, March 28th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
March 28, 1954 (24th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]): Dien Bien Phu: 0600 The fort begins a massive rolling artillery barrage at five-minute intervals against the western flak positions at Ban Ban and Ban Ong Pet, while two battalions head out, one towards each position. At 0615, half of the artillery fire begins to concentrate on the frontage of one battalion and the other half, on the other battalion's frontage. A tank platoon is standing by in support, and Air Force fighters are on call as of 0630 to seal off the battlefield and pin down the Viet Minh reserves. The planes are delayed until 0900 because of weather, but are quite effective. Enemy resistance around Ban Ong Pet is stiff enough temporarily to pin down the French battalion attacking it. The tank platoon is called in and slams into the southern flank of the Communist position. Two tanks are slightly damaged by bazooka fire, but by 1500 the fight is over and the Viet Minh are retreating in disorder, leaving behind the bodies of 350 of their comrades, as well as five intact 20mm AA cannon, 12 .50 caliber AA machine guns, two bazookas, 14 automatic rifles and hundreds of other weapons. French losses are 24 KIA and 86 WIA. There aren't enough troops to hold and defend the conquered ground, though, especially as it's overshadowed by the hills behind it and soon after 1500 Bigeard gives the order to withdraw to the main line of resistance. Elsewhere at the fortress, Huguette 7's commander is seriously wounded and the two northern Huguette's are still pressured by enemy trenches. At 1300, an ambulance aircraft that had been repaired as time allowed during the assault is hit and destroyed just before its cargo of 25 wounded can be loaded aboard. The crew escapes but they and the Women's Air Force nurse aboard, Genevieve de Galard-Terraube, will not get another opportunity to leave during the rest of the siege.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
March 28, 1966 (7th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse {Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Operation Indiana/Lien Ket 30 begins in Quang Ngai.

March 28, 1967 (18th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Prairie III update.

March 28-29, 1968 (30th day of the 2nd month to 1st day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): The 155th AHC lifts 507 troops out of Cheo Reo for the Phu Bon Province Team and logs a total of 140 combat sorties without incident.

March 28, 1968 (30th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): Operation Alcorn Cove update.

End of March, 1968 (2nd and 3rd months, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): Carrier attack aircraft from TF 77 pounce on a large enemy convoy suddenly exposed by a break in the weather. Of the hundred or more trucks in the convoy, 98 are destroyed or damaged.

March 28-29, 1968 (30th day of the 2nd month to 1st day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Tet Counteroffensive): 7 RAR conducts Operation Woolgoolga.

March 28, 1971 (2nd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): A North Vietnamese attack on Fire Base Mary Ann south of Da Nang kills 33 U. S. military personnel, the most in a single attack since July 1970.