Timeline, April 14th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
April 14, 1954 (12th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]) (Fall): Dien Bien Phu: A Viet Minh commando force infiltrates the airfield during the night of April 13-14 and blasts a trench almost completely across the southern third of the airfield between Huguette 1 and 2. At 1020, H1 reports that its western perimeter is almost completely surrounded by trenches as close as 15 m to the outer barbed wire, which also has had a 3 m gap in it blasted by Bangalore torpedos almost to the innermost strands (the French apparently had missed both these events because of the night's artillery bombardment).

At 1200 a relief force attempts to break through to H1, but is stopped by newly laid mine fields across the airfield area and by extremely dense enemy mortar fire. H1 and H2 are now almost completely sealed off, and if they fall, the fort will lose about 20% of its area, including two thirds of its airfield. H6 has become "a veritable hell" with its dugouts almost completely smashed and its men short of ammo and water. One officer is killed and another wounded on H6 by an enemy shell during the day.

That night, a supply mission to H6 is attempted and is pinned down for almost four hours between H1 and H2, by enemy artillery as well as by enemy infantry holding the trench blasted into the air field. Meanwhile, French intelligence learns that General Giap is recalling battalions from Laos and moving elements of other units into the siege ring, thus making up for his earlier losses, and once again can field at least 35,000 front-line troops and 12,000 artillerymen and engineers. Red China has also been requested to immediately supply an additional 720 tons of ammo and one more complete flak regiment. The French go on short rations starting today after Communist fire destroys much of the food supplies dropped the previous night. They also make their first request for bulletproof vests, which is processed by US forces in Japan within five days, though it will take the French supply system longer than that to get the vests to Dien Bien Phu.

April 14, 1965: Two Marine enclaves are established when BLT 3/4 arrives and replaces BLT 2/3's companies at Phu Bai. By the end of the month, 8878 Marines will have landed.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
April 14, 1968 (17th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Khe Sanh: Two battalions advance behind a massive barrage to clear the area northwest of the base. 3/26 attacks Hill 881N and kills 106 NVA; 6 Marines are killed.

April 14, 1968 (17th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): Peace talks in Paris open.

April 8-14, 1968 (11th through 17th days of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): The 7/17th Cavalry Squadron has concentrated in the area north of Ban Me Thuot in support of TF 1/12. Two days support was devoted to the 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division west of Polei Kleng. A total of three NVA were killed during the week.

April 14, 1969 (28th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive): Operation Massachusetts Striker update. After avoiding the pursuing Americans of the 1/502nd for 33 days, the NVA's 816th Battalion stops at a small mountain called Dong A Tay, where they have a system of bunkers, tunnels and trenches looking down on carefully cut fields of fire, and makes a stand.

April 14, 1970 (9th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Lon Nol appeals for foreign military assistance. the US launches a program of direct aid to the Lon Nol regime while MACV begins planning a series of cross-border operations into Cambodia.

April 14, 1971 (19th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Counteroffensive, Phase VII): The HQ of III MAF, 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing leaves Da Nang; in its place is the 3rd Marine Amphibious Brigade, totaling 1,322 Marine and 124 Navy officers and 13,359 and 711 Navy enlisted men.

April 14, 1972 (1st day of the 3rd month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: In I Corps, Operation Quang Trung 729 starts. "There was no great surge of infantry and armor crossing the line of departure, however. On the contrary, the weary troops on the western flank were already in close contact with the enemy, as they had been for two weeks, and were unwilling or unable to advance. NVA artillery fire was devastating and attrition in the ARVN ranks was heavy."

In II Corps, Fire Support Base Charlie at the northern end of Rocket Ridge and 10 km southwest of Dak To is attacked. The NVA 320th Division first hits the base with heavy fire from 130mm and 105mm artillery, 75mm recoilless rifle, mortars and rockets and then launches two Korean type massive assaults against the base, which is defended by an airborne battalion. In spite of support by U.S. tactical air and gunships, the paratroopers are forced to evacuate the base during the night after inflicting serious losses on the enemy forces.

In Binh Dinh Province, the NVA 3 "Gold Star" Division attacks three northern district towns.

At An Loc, the NVA presses the attack again, preceding its armor advance in the early morning with heavy artillery fire. This time, the tanks are accompanied by small groups of infantry. One of these tanks gets to within 500 meters of the 5th Division CP before it's disabled. Eventually, however, all enemy efforts during the day once again end in failure. Meanwhile, reinforcements are on the way. The 1st Airborne Brigade meanwhile has been withdrawn from the Tau O area, quickly refitted, and helilifted during April 13 and 14 into positions on Hill 169 and Windy Hill, 3 km southeast of An Loc and the 21st Infantry Division from the Mekong Delta has reached Tau O on its way northward to relieve An Loc.

April 14, 1975 (4th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Hare [At Mao]): 13,000 Vietnamese children have been airlifted to the US through Operation Babylift. The US asks the European Community (EEC) to condemn North Vietnam's invasion of South Vietnam. The EEC decides to send food and medical supplies to both sides and not to condemn the North on the grounds that the EEC is not prepared to apportion blame for the fighting.