Timeline, July 27th

[David]

PREBELLUM:
July 27, 1953 (17th day of the 6th month, Year of the Snake [Quy Ti]): The Korean War ends as an armistice is signed dividing the country at the 38th parallel into Communist North and Democratic South. The armistice is seen by many in the international community as a potential model for resolving the ongoing conflict in Vietnam.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
July 27, 1961 (15th day of the 6th month, Year of the Ox [Tan Suu]): The South Vietnamese are reported to have launched "[s]uccessful and fairly large scale operations against the Viet-Cong" during the last several weeks.

July 27, 1965 (29th day of the 6th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): LBJ reviews the deployment of additional US combat troops in Vietnam with the National Security Council.

Summer 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti])(US Defense): The NVA organizes an Armor Command at Vieng Phu to run the armor training center there and to improve command and control over its growing armor assets, although these won't start traveling down the Ho Chi Minh trail until 1967.

July 27, 1966 (10th day of the 6th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Springfield update: Phase II begins.

July 27, 1967 (20th day of the 6th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Coronado II begins, with the MRF joining the largest force it will cooperate with during the war in order to attack three of the four VC base areas in Dinh Thuong Province. On the 27th, elements of the 7th ARVN Division with the 44th ARVN Rangers initiate operations north of Highway 4 around the Ap Bac base area and eastern portion of base area 470.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V): VC sappers penetrate Tuy Hoa air base.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Update on Operations Wheeler/Wallowa and Burlington Trail.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Action reported for the 1st Aviation Brigade, the 235th AWC, the 307th CAB, the 121st AHC, the 13th CAB and the 9th ARVN Division.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Operation Jeb Stuart update.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Action reported for the 1 Infantry Division, the 1/18th Infantry, the 1/4 Cavalry 1 Infantry and the 2/39th Infantry.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Action reported for the 9th Infantry Division, the 7/1st Cavalry and the 3/34th Artillery.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Action reported for the 25th Division and the 3/4th Cavalry 25th Infantry.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): Operation Nevada Eagle update.

July 27, 1968 (3rd day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V) (AR): "Cavalrymen Repel Midnight Assault"

ONGOING OPERATIONS:
SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1972 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive:
- Operation Lam Son 72 (6/28-9/16/72) (18th day of the 5th month through 9th day of the 8th month): In Thua Thien Province, ARVN 1st Division troops at FSB Checkmate are subjected to heavy enemy attacks during which the fire base is overrun and retaken several times during the month; the South Vietnamese Airborne Division and Marines continue advancing on Quang Tri City; the three provinces south of the Hai Van Pass were able to maintain reasonable control despite the low strength of friendly forces.
- The Chu Pao Pass area is cleared and the highway between Kontum and Pleiku opens to commercial traffic in early July. However, the enemy continues to harass traffic with sporadic attacks by fire and Route QL-14, although open, remains insecure.
- A total of six enemy regiments are reported in northern Dinh Tuong Province, about 65 km southwest of Saigon. After taking Kompong Trabek, NVA forces, probably elements of the 9th Division, supported by local Khmer Rouge units, are tightening control over Route QL-l from the Parrot's Beak area to Neak Luong on the Mekong River. By July 2 (22nd day), only two towns in the area remain under National Khmer control, Neak Luong and Svay Rieng. The series of heavy engagements between the NVA and South Vietnamese troops in the Elephant's Foot area in Military Region 4 continue; NVA continues to put pressure on QL-4, the supply route between the Delta's rice bowl and the nation's capital, while launching a series of coordinated attacks on the towns of Sam Giang, Cai Be and Cai Lay in Dinh Tuong Province from mid-May through mid-July; the attacks are driven back by territorial forces with strong support from U.S. tactical air and helicopter gunships.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1979 (6th month and supplemental month, Year of the Goat (Ky Mui]): The Vietnamese have consolidated control over all major Cambodian towns and cities. PAVN forces in Cambodia reach a high of 224,000 in 1979, and then stabilize at an average of 170,000 to 180,000 troops, including 11 combat divisions. Up to eight divisions operate along the border in the dry season (December to June) and pull back to established garrisons during the rainy season (July to November).

July 1981 (6th and 7th months, Year of the Rooster [Tan Dau]): The beginning of the rainy season forces the Vietnamese to pull back from the border town of Pailin, which they have occupied since May in response to Khmer Rouge advances at Phnom Malai.

July 1982 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Dog [Nham Tuat]): Some 20,000 PAVN troops are sent home in the first major troop rotation since 1978. Taking their place are fresh troops, many of them southern draftees sent to complete basic training in the forward bases of understrength divisions.

July 1983 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Boar [Quy Hoi]): The Khmer Rouge increase their attacks on PAVN garrisons during the rainy season.

June-July 1984 (5th, 6th and 7th months, Year of the Rat [Giap Ty]): PAVN rotates its troops again, sending home three brigades and replacing these with an estimated 14,000 fresh troops, many of whom are sent to reinforce the weakned 5th Division.

July 1985 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Ox [At Suu]): This year as the rainy season begins ten PAVN combat divisions remain in Cambodia, all of them understrength, some with as few as 5000 troops. Meanwhile, the non-Communist resistance is recovering from PAVN's most recent dry season offensive.

July 1986 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Tiger [Binh Dan]): During this summer, PAVN withdraws Divisional Group 98 from Cambodia, replacing some of the troops with fresh men.

July 1988 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Dragon [Mau Thin]): PAVN has moved the bulk of its combat troops inland, with PRK Cambodian troops increasingly deployed on the border.