Timeline, April 13th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
April 13, 1954 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]) (Fall): Dien Bien Phu: The Viet Minh shell much of Dien Bien Phu over the night of April 12-13, but generally the ground action has slackened. At 1425, a French divebomber drops his bombs between Huguettes 1 and 6, while another bombs one of the fort's ammo depots, which explodes, killing several soldiers and detonating almost 1000 rounds of 105mm howitzer shells. Five full plane loads of ammunition were also misdropped behind enemy lines during the night of April 12-13. Only 71 reinforcements parachute into the fortress during the same period. At 1915, the Communist artillery opens up on the forts HQ area as well as the artillery positions on Claudine, destroying one howitzer and setting the ammo depot there on fire. The battery commander on Claudine, mortally wounded in his halfcollapsed CP, orders his crew chiefs to "Keep firing! We've got to show them..." and dies shortly afterwards. Meanwhile, the commander of the Condor rescue operation now has at his command four battalions and a commando group for a total of 3088 men, including 1682 Laotians.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
April 13, 1964 (2nd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): At Soc Trang, 6 CH-21's of the 121st AVN are caught in an LZ after dark by heavy AW fire but escape safely.

April 13, 1964 (2nd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): Tan Son Nhut airbase, on the outskirts of Saigon, is attacked for the first time. About 75 mortar and recoilless rifle rounds strike the installation but no enemy contact occurs.

April 13, 1965 (12th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): The decision is made to deploy immediately the 173d Airborne Brigade to the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau area for security and counterinsurgency combat operations, and the Joint Chiefs so notify CINCPAC.

April 13, 1967 (4th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): The US Air Force successfully tests a new anti-rain plane for South Vietnam, the A-7A Corsair 2.

April 13, 1968 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Operation Toan Thang update.

April 13, 1968 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): DEROS date for Fritz Steiner.

April 13, 1969 (27th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive): Operation Toan Thang III update.

April 13, 1969 (27th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive): Operation Montana Raider starts.

April 13, 1970 (8th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Four enemy rockets strike Saigon, the first in nearly four months.

April 13, 1970 (8th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Dak Pek SF camp update. Fighting is also still going on at Dak Seang.

April 13, 1971 (18th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): Breaking a two-week siege, relief forces reach Fire Base 6 in the Central Highlands.

April 13, 1972 (30th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: After a heavy artillery bombardment in the early morning hours, which reduces much of the town to rubble, An Loc is assaulted by over 100 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles followed by two NVA regiments. The ruins provide excellent cover to the city's defenders but canalize the tanks, which then can be picked off one by one with LAWs. Meanwhile, the main body of NVA infantry forms up outside of town, where it's a perfect target for B-52s and other aircraft.

The 40th ARR Squadron is tasked to find USMC Major Clyde D. Smith, who has been shot down between Tchepone, Laos, and the DMZ.

April 13, 1973 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Ox [Quy Suu]): Operation End Sweep update.

April 13, 1975 (3rd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Hare [At Mao]): The US Dept of Defense announces that US aircraft are parachuting supplies into Phnom Penh; the airport has been closed by enemy fire.

POSTBELLUM:
April 13, 1992 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Nham Than]): The US lifts its embargo on telecommunication links with Vietnam and by the end of April agrees to begin trading such crucial items as medicine and food.