Timeline, December 20th

[David]

FIRST INDOCHINA WAR:
December 20 to approximately December 26, 1946 (Year of the Dog [Binh Tuat]): Ho Chi Minh and his government flee to the jungle and the French take over Hanoi. General Giap is heartened that, although his poorly equipped forces were beaten by superior French firepower during the first intense fight on the 19th, it takes the French some seven days to completely clear city.

December 20, 1951 (Year of the Hare [Tan Mao]): Hoa Binh campaign: The Foreign Legion paratroopers of 1 BEP and 5 BEP continue a reconnaissance in force into the Xom Sui depression and recover the dead left by the 1st Colonial para's (1 BPC) some 10 days earlier. With the area now temporarily clear, the French consider the battle for the Black River over, and return the airborne task force battle staff, 3/4th RTM, 2 BEP and 1 BPC to Hanoi for general reserve duties.

SECOND INDOCHINA WAR:
December 20, 1960 (Year of the Snake [Canh Ty]): The existence of the new National Liberation Front political group is announced on "Liberation Radio."

December 1963 (Year of the Hare [Quy Mao]) (US Advisory): Since the downfall of Diem, a triumvirate has coalesced to rule South Vientam. It is formally headed by the former Vice President, Nguyen Ngoc Tho, but is actually dominated by the Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council, General Duong Van Minh ("Big Minh"). General Minh talks of what TVW calls a "democracy of efficiency," but has no real plan for government and allows his subordinates to engage in struggles for power, with scores of provincial chiefs and minor officials loyal to Diem being removed and replaced by inexperienced administrators who are loyal to Minh. Meanwhile, the Viet Cong are on the offensive across the country, in part aided not only by ineffectual government but also by the destruction of many police files and procedures that had been maintained by Diem's brother. Commanders of South Vietnam's military corps are:
I Corps, General Nguyen Khanh;
II Corps, General Do Cao Tri;
III Corps, General Tran Thien Khiem;
and in IV Corps, General Nguyen Huu Co.

General Nguyen Van Thieu is Chief of Staff of the Joint General Staff (I think - some sources seem to say General Khanh is; this needs more research), and Colonel Nguyen Cao Ky is Commander of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.

December 20, 1964 (Year of the Dragon [Giap Thin]) (US Advisory): At 0200, General Khanh and ten of the 'Young Turks' who support him visit South Vietnam's Prime Minister and tell him that the ruling High National Council, established in August to draft a constitution and form a civilian government, has been dissolved. Ambassador Taylor meets with Khanh and the 'Young Turks' and "very forcefully" expresses his disappointment in the move: "We cannot carry you for ever if you do things like this." The 'Turks' resent being treated "like schoolboys" and walk out on him.

December 20, 1965 (Year of the Snake [At Ti\) (US Defense): An F-105 is downed by ground fire.

December 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Market Time update: Allied coastal surveillance forces detect a trawler carrying contraband headed for Binh Dinh Province and force it to abandon its mission. The coastal surveillance operation covers nine (initially eight) patrol sectors that patrol the 1,200-mile coast from the 17th parallel to the Cambodian border and extend 40 miles out to sea. Within these areas, vessels of the US Navy and Coast Guard, and the South Vietnamese Navy look for contraband. American aircraft operating from ships offshore and from bases in South Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines also fly search patterns over the Market Time area.

December 20, 1966 (Year of the Horse [Binh Ngo]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Duck update: A four-man SAS patrol spots nine well-armed VC.

December 20, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): A/7/17th Cavalry inserts ground troops into suspected rocket positions around the Ben Het SF camp.

December 20, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): Operation Phoenix, the American contribution to the ongoing South Vietnamese Phung Hoang Program begins.

December 20-21, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): From its location in a night ambush site at the mouth of Happy Valley, near Phuoc Ninh in Quang Nam Province, a six-man squad from the 1/7th Marines' Delta Company sights an estimated 100 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars moving in what is likely to be an attack on the US base at Da Nang.

December 20, 1967 (Year of the Goat [Dinh Mui]) (US Counteroffensive Phase II): In Saigon, Pham Chanh Truc, secretary of the Saigon Youth League, begins conducting daily rehearsals of demonstrations designed to incite a general uprising.

December 1969 (Year of the Rooster [Ky Dau]) (US Winter-Spring 1970): The 1st Marines establish a new system of helicopter-borne combat patrols to supplement ground forces, code-named Kingfisher. Their purpose is to seek out and initiate contact with the enemy rather than exploit engagements or assist ground units already under fire.

December 20, 1972 {Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): The Australian Army Assistance Group(AAAG) departs Vietnam on board the last two RAAF C130s to fly in support of Australian troops there. Only a small Australian Embassy Guard remains in Vietnam.

December 20-21, 1972 {Year of the Rat [Nham Ty]) (US Cease-Fire): Nguyen Hue/Easter Offensive: Operation Linebacker, Day Three. The strong wind that has sped the B-52s to their targets continues, and it also keeps dispersing radar-distracting chaff sown by pre-strike craft, so that the big planes have to rely on their own jamming gear for radar protection. In addition, as part of the restrictions imposed on them to avoid collisions (which include prohibition on any evasive maneuvers, crossing tracks, shorter bomber streams, approaches from different directions, random altitudes and spacing, and random changes of altitude), the B-52s are still required to do a steeply-banked post-target turn that puts them head-on into the 100-knot wind, which not only slows their retreat but also diverts their countermeasures pattern, so that enemy radar can penetrate resulting weak spots. In addition, as the night's events show, the long bomber streams and the use of a single point for post-target turns have also given the defenders the ability to zero in on the turning point after the first cell has passed.

The lead B-52s in the first wave have no problems, but all the rest come under intense SAM fire. Two B-52G's that are exposed during post-target turns are hit by SAMs, and both crash in Hanoi. A heavily damaged B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress (tail number 0622) makes it back to Thailand before crashing; four crewmembers are KIA, two eject and become POWs. The last B-52 wave loses two B-52G's over Hanoi, and a heavily damaged B-52D-35-BW Stratofortress (tail number 0669) makes it only to Laos before crashing; all six crew members eject, but only five are rescued. A total of six B-52s are lost in nine hours this night. Of the nine B-52s lost in the operation to date, five were in their post-target turn and five of the B-52G's were not modified to carry more powerful jamming transmitters.

Back at U-Tapao, bomber crews argue in front of tactics panel for changes, particularly for the need to employ evasive maneuvers and make shallow turns to get out of the area fast, exiting "feet wet" over the Gulf of Tonkin, as the Joint Chiefs of Staff extend the bombing campaign but reduce its levels. SAC accepts these ideas and makes other changes, including installing better jamming equipment in the planes and concentrating on the destruction of the missile defense network (but permission to bomb the assembly plant in heavily populated southeast Hanoi is still denied). The naval blockade is tightened, but Soviet ships off shore continue to resupply the North Vietnamese defenses, from which have been launched a total of 221 SAMs this night.