Timeline, July 29th

[David]

PREBELLUM:
July 29, 1941 (6th day of the 6th month, supplemental, Year of the Snake [Tan Ti]): Five months after Ho Chi Minh has returned to Vietnam and set up his headquarters in a cave at Pac Bo, near the Chinese border, to begin establishing a Viet Minh apparatus throughout the country and creating a secure base in the Viet Bac border region from which southward expansion can begin, Vichy France and Japan sign an agreement pledging military cooperation in defense of Indochina.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
July 1964 (5th and 6th months, Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin] (US Advisory): At the end of the month, the USS Maddox enters the Gulf of Tonkin to join patrols there in obtaining intelligence on coastal geography and hydrography, defensive installations, naval forces, and junk traffic, especially in the area around the Hon Me, Hon Nieu, and Hon Matt islands and off Vinh Son. At the same time, the 34A boat force for the first time is authorized to conduct offshore bombardment of targets in North Vietnam.

July 29, 1965 (2nd day of the 7th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): 1 RAR begins Operation 5/65, a battalion patrolling operation in both 1 RAR and US 2/503d Infantry TAOR of the 173rd Brigade TAOR, 6 km northeast of Bien Hoa air base, to provide warning for and defense of the air base during the brigade operation in Phuoc Tuy province. The AO is roughly a 30 square km rectangle of undulating to flat terrain with rice, rubber plantations, vegetable farms and jungle. Deployment is on foot, by APC for particular tasks. Two old VC camps will be located during the operation.

July 29, 1965 (2nd day of the 7th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Rhade Montagnards briefly and bloodlessly take over the CIDG camp at Buon Brieng in Darlac Province.

July 29, 1965 (2nd day of the 7th month, Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): US strength at 81,400. US KIA 509.

July 29, 1966 (12th day of the 6th month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): 1 ATF goes on alert, as intelligence advises the presence three days earlier of a VC battalion dug-in, in dense jungle within Line Alpha, 4 km due west of Nui Dat. The area is subjected to intense air and artillery strikes. Heavy ground fire is encountered by the Chinook gunships. A further intelligence report is received advising that 1,000 Viet Cong have been detected moving within the Rung Sat Special Zone southwest of Ba Ria. The report also states that in a one- to two-day period 3,000 Viet Cong would have arrived in Phuoc Tuy province 'to attack Allied forces'. A combination of intelligence reports indicates the build-up of enemy forces to the east of the 1 ATF base. 1 ATF intelligence staff assess that the enemy could mount a multi-regimental attack on the base and the Commander 1 ATF concludes that there is a direct threat to the base. The Australian 547 Signal Troop (radio location and tracking) at Nui Dat detects what appears to be a VC main force unit (275 VC Regiment HQ) beginning to move towards Nui Dat from the area immediately north of Xuyen Moc and 22 km east of Nui Dat. Other intelligence suggest that 275 Regiment is also building up its strength with troops from North Vietnam. For the OC of 547 Troop this indicates something important is to happen. The OC reports his findings to an Intelligence Officer at HQ 1 ATF. 1 ATF HQ is skeptical of the information and appear to take little notice of it. 547 Troop continues to map the location of 275 Regiment radio down the map towards Nui Dat. It is also possible that this a ruse.

4:15 P.M.: 6 RAR is ordered back to Nui Dat. The Commander 1 ATF intends to conduct base security with both battalions and patrol outwards in an attempt to prove or disprove the enemy locations and strengths. 1 ATF HQ request assistance from American forces to counter the threat. The Americans consider there is no threat and refuse the request. The Task Force is kept on full alert.

July 29, 1967 (22nd day of the 6th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): A Zuni rocket accidentally goes off on the deck of the USS Forrestal, a large-deck 65,000-ton carrier which has only recently arrived at Yankee Station. The rocket sets off a chain reaction of explosions and fire among 750-pound bombs, fuel, and other inflammable materials. Firefighting parties from the ship and from destroyers Rupertus, Samuel N. Moore, and George K. Mackenzie extinguish the fire on deck in little over an hour, but the fire below decks continues to burn for 14 hours. Other ships converge on the stricken carrier to rescue men in the water or use their helicopters to ferry casualties to medical facilities afloat. One hundred thirty-five men are killed or missing and 63 more are injured. The loss of 21 planes, partial destruction of 31 others, and damage to the ship put Forrestal out of action for many months. It will never return to Yankee Station.

July 29, 1967 (22nd day of the 6th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Coronado II update: Elements of the South Vietnamese Marine Corps move into the Ban Long base area. The 3rd Battalion, VMC will do the majority of the fighting in this operation and perform very well against the VC. U.S. Navy TF 116 (Game Warden) patrols the My Tho river from My Tho to Sa Dec with 30 river patrol boats.

July 1967 (5th and 6th month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): An estimated 233 SAMs are launched by the Communists but of the 19 Navy planes lost, most fall to AA guns.

July 29, 1968 (5th day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V): Operation Macarthur update.

July 29, 1968 (5th day of the 7th month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase V): C Company 3 RAR conducts a cordon-and-search operation northeast of Hoa Long.

July 29, 1969 (16th day of the 6th month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Summer-Fall 1969): Operation Double Shift.

July 29, 1971 (8th day of the 6th month, Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Consolidation I): C Company 4 RAR locates a strongly defended bunker system near Suoi Ca. Heavy fighting takes place.

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.