Timeline, November 25th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
November 25, 1947 (Year of the Boar [Dinh Hoi]): Prime Minister Chao Souvannarath becomes head of the Royal Lao Government. Laos is currently an autonomous member of the French Union and, since May of this year, a constitution has given the country a parliamentary form of government with an elected National Assembly. Meanwhile, the nationalist Laotians in exile are split, with the "traditionalists" on the Thai border and in Thailand either integrating back into the Royal Lao Army or trying to cope with the new anti-Communist government of Phiboun Songkhram, which is pushing them toward cooperation with the French, while those Laotian nationalists on the border with Vietnam are becoming more and more influenced by the Viet Minh.

November 25, 1953 (Year of the Snake [Quy Ti]): Operation Castor update: The airstrip has been rebuilt and, at 1130, the first Dakota cargo plane arrives at the Dien Bien Phu garrison.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
November 25, 1961 (Year of the Ox [Tan Suu]): The USS Enterprise (CVA(N)-65), the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, is commissioned at Newport News, Virginia. Of note, when the North Vietnamese took Phuoc Long in late 1974, the US initially threatened action by diverting the Enterprise carrier battle group toward South Vietnam, but the Enterprise soon turned away.


November 25, 1962 (Year of the Tiger [Nham Dan]) (US Advisory): An ARVN regiment begins Operation An Lac in a major drive to gain control of Darlac Province in the Central Highlands.

November 25, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Bismark begins.

November 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Arc Light update: B-52 sorties from Guam reach 600 per month.

November 25, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Attleboro update: The 1/5th Mech conducts a RIF and establishes a new base. Company A departs at 0800 and moves to the new base without incident, closing at 1715. Company B departs at 0755 as lead element of the battalion, and at 0952, one APC hits an AT mine, with extensive damage was done to the vehicle and three WIA's sustained and evacuated. Company B eventually closes into the new battalion base, minus three vehicles which got stuck on the edge of the base. Company C secures the LZ for the artillery extraction, and upon completion of that, departs at 1400 for the new battalion base, closing at 1700 hours. Heavy Mortar Platoon's Command Post is extensively damaged by an AT mine at 1410, with three men wounded and evacuated. It is destroyed in place.

Operation Attleboro ends this date. For the 1/5th Mech, results have been:
a. Friendly.
(1) 471 personnel participated in the operation;
(2) 61 WIA (29 of which were treated and returned to duty) and 1 KIA sustained;
(3) Two APC (M113), one carrier, 81mm mortar (M125A1) and one command post (M577) damaged beyond repair by AT mines and destroyed in place.

b. Enemy.
(1) Killed: 12 VC (BC), 1 (est)
(2) Captured: 2 VCs, 1 U.S. M1 rifle, 1 U.S. BAR, 3 Russian carbines, 1 60mm mortar, 2 Chicom assault rifles, 2 VC notebooks, 100 NVN "5" Dong notes, 25,000 Dong, 2 VC payment books, 1 VC flag, Miscellaneous documents, Assorted VC ID cards;
(3) Destroyed: 34 Chicom grenades, 7 rifle grenades, 4 Chicom claymores, complete, 5 rounds 7.62mm Russian SMG ammunition, 4 60mm mortar rounds, 15 CBU bomblets, 1 500 pound bomb, 48 bunkers, 17 firing positions, 2 bunker/tunnel complexes, 8 ox carts, 150 gallons acid (type unknown), 6 bicycles, 2 canteens, 300 meters electrical wire. 350 feet of blasting wire, 2 blasting caps, 7 magazines.

Overall, Operation Attleboro has been the largest operation of the war to date, a massive corps engagement supported by 22,000 allied troops (though with combat mostly at the platoon and company level, often at night), 12,000 tons of tactical air support, 35,000 artillery rounds and 11 B-52 strikes. The Viet Cong have withdrawn to their sanctuaries in Cambodia, leaving 1,106 dead on the battlefield and 44 captured. Friendly losses have been 155 killed and 494 wounded. US Army forces now withdraw from the area, leaving the Special Forces in the area to deal with the inevitable return of the enemy; MACV is already planning a large operation to follow Attleboro in two months, and this time is determined to establish a cordon around the war zone to prevent the enemy from withdrawing.

November 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Operation Arc Light update: A B-52 sortie rate of 1200 per month is approved, to begin on February 1, 1968.

November 25-29, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]): Operation MacArthur update: The 1/503 continues search-and-destroy operations in its AO near Hill 882.

November 25, 1967 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase III): Information on 3/4th Cavalry Night Thrust operations near Cu Chi.

November 25, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): Operation Sheridan Sabre update: B/1/7th Cavalry engages the enemy in Tay Ninh Province.

November 25, 1968 (Year of the Monkey [Mau Than]) (US Counteroffensive Phase VI): Operation Meade River update: The NVA evacuate their positions at the Horseshoe during the night With civilians evacuated and the Horseshoe cleared, BLT 2/26 and the 2/5th Marines begin the next phase of the operation by attacking from the eastern edge of the cordon toward Suoi Co Ca, where the 51st ARVN Regiment has earlier established blocking positions.

November 25, 1971 (Year of the Boar [Tan Hoi]) (US Consolidation I): A 37th ARRS Jolly Green is shot down while returning to base.

THIRD INDOCHINA WAR:
November 1977 (Year of the Snake [Dinh ti]): Announcement of talks to resolve difficulties between Cambodia (Kampuchea) and Thailand. Meo refugees state that more than 5000 anti-government guerrillas have been killed in Laos in a major offensive by Laotian and Vietnamese troops near the Plain of Jars.

November 1978 (Year of the Horse [Mau Ngo]): Vietnam receives an additional 20 MiG-21 fighters as well as two Soviet Petya II-class frigates after it signs a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union.