Timeline, April 20th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
April 20, 1954 (18th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Giap Ngo]) (Fall): At 0316, Isabelle launches a successful tank-supported counterattack beyond strongpoint Wieme. At 0345, an attack against the yet unfinished strongpoint Opera with its small garrison of Vietnamese paratroopers is easily fended off. At 1000, the fort radios Hanoi that it's being hit hard by directly observed fire on the HQ and battery area from 75mm recoilless rifles on Communist-held Dominique 1 and asks that the Air Force attack D1.

At 1220, a deserter brings word of poor morale and harsh conditions among the Viet Minh, but also says that there are Chinese advisers stationed at each 37mm AA gun, thereby accounting for their deadly effectiveness. Late in the afternoon, seven T'ai auxiliaries desert from strongpoint Juno.

At night, the Viet Minh probe Huguette 1 just strongly enough to ensure no supplies will reach the strongpoint. Also this night, the French launch a raid on Dominique 6, held by the enemy for over a month, killing 19 Viet Minh and capturing three, and destroying four bunkers and seizing many automatic rifles and four submachine guns.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
April 20, 1965 (19th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Snake {At Ti]) (US Defense): A conference is held in Honolulu between Ambassador Taylor and senior US government and military officials where Ambassador Taylor apparently is "brought around" and everybody agrees that the bombing campaign will not achieve a decisive outcome, so an increase of US combat troops in Vietnam is needed. It's also decided that other countries should be solicited for aid, notably Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, in what is sometimes called the "more flags" policy, first proposed in 1961 with the flags then being those of SEATO nations, though only Australia helped out then, sending 30 experts in jungle warfare to assist US advisers in South Vietnam in 1962. Now in Australia, under tight security, Operation Plan "Trimdon," codename for the dispatch of the Australian battalion, is sent to top levels in the Army. It includes a cover story explaining 1 RAR as simply being "exercised". In America, however, over the next few days, LBJ hesitates.

April 20, 1966 (30th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive): Operation Paul Revere update: 155th AHC has two WIAs.

April 20, 1967 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Khe Sanh: Combat assets at KSCB pass to operational control of Col. Lanigan's 3rd Marines, who commence Operation Prairie IV.

April 20, 1967 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): An SAS patrol contacts an enemy group of ten. Result 1 enemy KIA. The patrol withdraws and extracts from the area.

April 20, 1967 (11th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Rolling Thunder update: U.S. aircraft bomb two power plants inside Haiphong for the first time.

April 20, 1968 (23rd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): 155th AHC continues to support the Phu Bon Province Team. Flying out of Cheo Reo, five UH-1H aircraft lift 235 troops in 84 sorties.

April 20, 1968 (23rd day of the 3rd month, Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase IV): (Zaffiri): Operation Delaware update: In the morning, the 1/7th attacks southeast toward the A Loui airstrip and the 5/7th attacks down the highway toward Laos. The 1st runs into stiff resistance, facing small groups of NVA fighting rear-guard actions every foot of the way across the valley floor. As well, both American units face enemy snipers. A constant stream of medevacs moves in and out of the valley, many of them becoming casualties themselves, either getting shot out of the sky or so damaged by bullets that they have to crash-land.

April 20, 1969 (4th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Tet69/Counteroffensive) (Zaffiri): Operation Massachusetts Striker update: The 1/502nd constructs a firebase astride Highway 614, cutting numerous enemy supply routes moving in and out of the southern A Shau Valley. The contact the Americans hoped to make with a large enemy force in the southern valley doesn't materialize. Instead, units from the 9th NVA Regiment abandon their base camps, caches, trucks and supply routes and retreat, unknowingly heading right into an area the allies are planning to invade in the next A Shau operation, Apache Snow.

April 20, 1970 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Cambodia: South Vietnamese armored and ranger units conduct an overnight operation in the Parrot's Beak area. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops have seized large areas of the country and the Cambodian Government calls for assistance.

April 20, 1970 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): The US announces that 15,000 more troops will leave by the spring of 1971.

April 20, 1970 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): 1 ATF begins Operation Concrete.

April 20, 1970 (15th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Dog [Canh Tuat]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): 1 ATF begins Operation Nudgee.

April 20, 1972 (7th day of the 3rd month, Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: Resupply missions to An Loc by USAF C130's begin, first using the HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) technique, although most supplies in the first eight drops fall outside the drop point into enemy hands due to improper parachute packing by ARVN aerial resupply personnel who lack the technical training and experience required for the HALO method. The USAF then reverts temporarily to the low altitude container delivery method requiring daylight drops, but the C-130's are particularly vulnerable at low speeds over the drop zone, and although they succeed in delivering supplies to the ARVN defenders, the enemy's well placed AAA causes considerable damage to almost every aircraft.

On the ground, the enemy offensive continues and the ARVN 6th Battalion takes heavy casualties in the big battle at Windy Hill, but the Communists do not meet their April 20th deadline for taking An Loc.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
April 1984 (3rd month, Year of the Rat [Giap Ty]): Vietnamese marines take part in an amphibious assault exercise with Soviet Naval Infantry south of Haiphong.