Timeline, November 19th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
November 1946 (Year of the Dog [Binh Tuat]): Even as Ho Chi Minh continues to try to work out a modus vivendi with the French, the number of nominal opposition members in the DRV's National Assembly is cut down to 20 out of more than 300 seats, and a few members of the now-dissolved Indochinese Communist Party dominate the proceedings. However, Ho's government will continue to maintain the facade of a coalition through 1949, with his supporters remaining in the minority and the nominal opposition VNQDD and Dong Minh Hoi politicians consistently included.

Elsewhere, the one-year-old 1st Naval Infantry River Flotilla (Flottilles Fluviales de Fusiliers-Marins, or FFFM) takes part in fighting at Haiphong.

November 19, 1951 (Year of the Hare [Tan Mao]): Hoa Binh: General de Lattre flies in to congratulate and reward his troops. Total CEFEO casualties for the capture of both Cho Ben and Hoa Binh have been eight dead and nine wounded with an estimated 608 enemy dead.

November 1952 (Year of the Dragon [Nham Thin]): Operation Lorraine update: General Giap replaces the supplies seized by the CEFEO with more from China, and while some units continue to ambush the French troops during the withdrawal, he counterattacks, taking the outposts at Ba Lay and Moc Chan.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
November 19, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti]) (US Defense): Ia Drang Valley: Evacuation of American dead and wounded is completed. Soon after the fight at LZ Albany, orders arrive that no one is to speculate or suggest to any reporter that the North Vietnamese are using Cambodia as a sanctuary or passing through it on their way to South Vietnam. Meanwhile, at some point during this time, the most powerful southern-born man on the Politburo, Le Duan, issues "a new resolution for the South."

November 19, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Attleboro update: The 1/5th Mech continues its RIFs and establishes the new base.

November 19, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): 2nd Platoon, Company C, of the 1/14th, 25th Infantry Division, finds an enemy bunker complex while on a search-and-destroy mission with B/1/14th, the Battalion recon platoon and Special Forces/CIDG troops near Plei Djerang.

November 19, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Macarthur/battle of Dak To update: In the morning, A/1/503 captures one wounded NVA in the vicinity of Hill 882, and clearing patrols from A, C, and D companies find 51 NVA bodies and 18 individual weapons.

Meanwhile, the 2/503 starts up the center of enemy resistance, Hill 875. They pause at the base, noting the steps cut into the hill, and then Charlie and Delta companies assault the hill from two sides while Alpha follows behind. The two lead companies are hit with automatic weapons fire as they reach the first ridge, and then with recoilless rifle fire and rifle grenades as they spread out. Then the NVA infantry launches a human wave assault. In fighting that resembles the hill battles of the final stage of the Korean War, paratroopers near the summit take several casualties and Alpha Company moves back down the hill to chop out a LZ for medevacs. However, before they can get a clearing established, Alpha Company is attacked by a large NVA force. The Americans near the summit establish a perimeter defense and Alpha withdraws back up the hill. In spite of the intensity of battle, the Americans get to within 25 meters of enemy bunkers during this day's assault.

November 19, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): An F4 is downed over Laos.

November 19, 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): Spud 06, an Army Mohawk, is downed.

November 19, 1971 (Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Consolidation 1): The last missions are flown by the RAAF No 9 Squadron helicopters. During its 51/2 years in Vietnam, the unit's helicopters have flown 237,000 sorties, carried over 414,000 passengers, 4,000 casevacs and 12,000 tonnes of freight. The squadron has had seven aircraft destroyed or written off, and 37 damaged, 23 by ground fire. Four members of the unit have been killed.

November 19, 1974 (Year of the Tiger [Giap Dan]): Operation Quyet Thang 18/24 update: The 9th ARVN Infantry contacts the enemy in sharp fighting west of Base 82; 40 ARVN soldiers are wounded, and the enemy withdraws, leaving behind 14 dead and many radios and weapons.