Timeline, April 2nd

[David]

PREBELLUM:
April 1945 (20th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rooster [At Dau]): The Viet Minh begin to plan for a national liberation, placing the Vietnam Liberation Army under the command of Vo Nguyen Giap. Their "liberated zone" beyond Cao Bang Province has now expanded to include seven provinces in the North. In the aftermath of the Japanese coup, Viet Minh contact with American intelligence officials also intensifies.

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
April 2, 1954 (29th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]) (Fall): Dien Bien Phu: As the night progresses, enemy pressure on H6 and H7 increases. By 0400, a multitude of Viet Minh infantry with artillery support are inside. All French battery positions are under intense enemy fire. Nonetheless, a company of Legionnaires, Vietnamese and T'ai holds out in one of the corner bunkers throughout the night in bitter hand-to-hand fighting. About 100 French and Vietnamese troops in three platoons, supported by three tanks, are ordered to break through to H7, and do, with the enemy falling back, shocked by the arrival of the tanks and the Legionnaires. The French keep H7, but it is still under the guns of the abandoned hills of Anne-Marie 1 and 2, and at 0805 H7 is abandoned, with one platoon left behind for additional reinforcement on H2. At 0845, heavy Viet Minh artillery fire has decimated gun crews at both Isabelle and Dien Bien Phu and there are exactly 12 serviceable 105's left at the two garrisons. Dien Bien Phu informs Hanoi that the French Air Force and Navy fighters will have to take over counterbattery fire against the Communist artillery position at captured Beatrice. During the day, French troops on E2 gnaw away at enemy positions there and by nighttime, E2 is almost entirely in French hands, though at the price of heavy casualties. Once more enemy artillery starts another heavy bombardment of E2, forcing the paratroopers to fall back again at 1930 as Viet Minh infantry once more appear over the hill's eastern slope. At 2230, the enemy artillery stops, but the infantry keeps coming on. At 1830, air drops of reinforcements again start, but only 106 men and a few supplies reach arrive, two sticks of men having been misdropped. Late that night, heavy pressure again develops on E2 and there is a sudden large-scale attack on H6.

At 0045 Isabelle, under heavy bombardment since the offensive began on March 30, reports that only four of its guns are working, though nine guns are available by 1035. At 2045, Isabelle again reports heavy artillery fire incoming.

INTERBELLUM:
April 1955 (3rd month, Year of the Goat [At Mui]): The first of two Michigan State University teams arrives in South Vietnam to consult with Diem.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
April 1962 (28th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): The "Dirty Thirty" appear. These are 30 USAF pilots detailed to serve with the South Vietnamese Air Force in its C-47 squadrons, which permits the VNAF to release some of its own experienced pilots to form new units for its rapidly-expanding air arm. The name originates because of the group's round-the-clock duty hours, which require them to wear their flying suits constantly. This results in a passing comment about "one of those dirty pilots" and the term "Dirty Thirty" is born A second group of 30 USAF pilots will replace the first group in the spring of 1963 and fly with the VNAF until the project ended in December 1963. During the 20-month period they're on loan, the 60 pilots will fly approximately 25,000 hours with the VNAF. During the period of Dirty Thirty operations, 97 Air Medals and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses will be awarded.

April 1963 (3rd and 4th month, Year of the Hare [Quy Mao]) (US Advisory): The Chieu Hoi amnesty program starts.

April 1965 (1st day of the 3rd month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): The Battle of Phung Du.

April 1, 1966 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): The US Air Force is assigned responsibility for strikes in Route Packages 5 and 6A, the closest areas to that service's airfields in Thailand, and MACV for operations in Route Package 1, adjacent to the critical northern provinces of South Vietnam. The Navy assumes control of operations in the heavily populated, militarily vital coastal Route Packages 2, 3, 4, and 6B. This measure enables American aviators to become thoroughly familiar with the special characteristics of their operating areas and lessens command confusion.

April 2, 1966 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Joint Operation Lightning V starts in Binh Dinh Province.

April 1967 (2nd and 3rd months, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Junction City update: After the Battle of Ap Gu, Junction City becomes "a pale shadow of the multidivision effort it had been at its outset." Most Army units are withdrawn, either to return to their bases or to participate in other operations. The 196th Infantry Brigade is transferred to I Corps to help replace Marine forces sent north to meet a growing enemy threat near the demilitarized zone. Contacts with enemy forces in this final phase of the operation are meager.

April 2, 1968 (5th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): A chopper is downed while in support of B/7/17th Cavalry southwest of Polei Kleng, with the loss of the pilot.

April 1968 (3rd and 4th months, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV: Col. Tran Van Dac, a VC political officer with responsibilities equal to an American general, and the commander of the elite 165th VC Regiment give themselves up, saying that they view the war as hopeless and believe the Communists can't win.

April 2, 1970 (26th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): A Company 8 RAR reacts again to the area east of Dat Do.

April 2, 1972 (19th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Easter Offensive: Defense positions take shape in northern Quang Tri Province and around Quang Tri City.

At 0900 a 20-tank T54 column advances onto Route 1, heading to Dong Ha. To the east, another column of PT-76 amphibious tanks moves along the sea towards Cua Viet. The South Vietnamese 3rd Marine Battalion receives orders to hold Dong Ha "at all costs". The anti-tank groups of the 6th Marine Battalion, equipped with 106mm cannons, are sent to reinforce Dong Ha. For the first time, the NVA T54 and PT-76 tanks will face 106mm and M-72 anti-tank weapons. Naval guns from the US 7th Fleet are providing supporting fire, hitting a number of NVA tanks. The weather clears, enabling the VNAF to send A1s and A-37s out on sorties that take out another 11 tanks. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Marines establish themselves on the southern end of the Dong Ha bridge, the main bridge spanning the Song Cua Viet, and see an NVA flag already flying from the northern end of the bridge. From a middle position on the bridge's southern tip, Sgt. Luom sees an enemy T-54 heading in his direction and fires a LAW at it. The first round misses, but a second rocket hits the tank, affecting its ability to traverse its main gun. Although perfectly capable of firing and attacking, the tank halts and its puzzled commander appears and looks across the bridge. Rather than resume the attack, he backs off the bridge and the offense there momentarily comes to a halt, allowing enough time for two American advisers to place explosive charges on this and a nearby railway bridge. At 1630 the charges are detonated and both bridges are destroyed. Unable to advance further, the NVA tanks then move westward, hoping to cross further inland, but are stopped by naval gunfire.

At 1430, Camp Carroll surrenders, after its American adviser has been air-lifted out, with the loss of 1500 troops and 22 artillery guns, the largest artillery assemblage in I Corps. The news of the loss demoralizes southern troops. At 1800, the ARVN 4th Marine Battalion, which had suffered heavy casualties while retreating out of Mt Ba Ho and Sarge on the night of March 30, regains radio contact with the 147th Marine Brigade Headquarters and finally reaches Mai Loc, which is now the front line after the fall of Carroll. However, artillerymen at Mai Loc are out of ammo now and blow up their 105mm's. At 2200 Mai Loc is abandoned, with the South Vietnamese retreating to Dong Ha.

Elsewhere in the country, NVA attacks on the central part of the country start with diversionary attacks near the Cambodian border: FSB Lac Long, about 22 miles northeast of Tay Ninh City, is overrun by a regimental-sized, armor-equipped Communist unit and soon another FSB at Thien Ngon falls. ARVN forces begin to react against the apparent threat to Tay Ninh City.

April 2, 1972 (19th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): The man known as BAT 21 is shot down, and the largest rescue mission in the history of the United States Air Force begins.

April 2, 1975 (24th day of the 2nd month, Year of the Hare [At Mao]): Ho Chi Minh Campaign: Nha Trang falls, though the Boo Heung Pioneer and Pioneer Commander have managed to bring 11,500 passengers on board and put out to sea before it happens. A US naval task group composed of the Dubuque, Durham, Frederick, and the Task Force 76 flagship Blue Ridge is monitoring operations at Cam Ranh Bay and Phan Rang, and the first Marine security force boards the Pioneer Contender.

BORDER CLASHES:
April 2, 1976 (3rd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dragon [Binh Thin]): Sihanouk resigns as head of state in Kampuchea and Khieu Samphan takes his place; Pol Pot becomes prime minister.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
April 2, 1979 (6th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Goat [Ky Mui]): There are now some 52,000 Vietnamese refugees in temporary camps in Malaysia.

April 1982 (3rd and 4th months, Year of the Dog [Nham Tuat]): PAVN uses its Mi-8 helicopters in a gunship role in Cambodia, attacking resistance forces near the Tonle Sap Lake. During the same operation, it also uses An-26s for pallet-bombing.