A symbol of Vietnamese courage and intelligence.

During those historic August days, alongside the milestones etched in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, there was a victory of epochal significance: on August 5, 1964, our army and people defeated the most modern air and naval forces of the United States. Sixty years have passed, but the echoes of that first victory remain as vivid as ever.

Naval combat ships shoot down American aircraft in Hon Gai town, August 5, 1964. (Archival photo)

Sixty years ago, in an attempt to salvage the failure of the "Special War" strategy, the US imperialists intensified their war of aggression against the South with a new strategy and launched a bombing campaign against the North using air and naval forces – which they considered the "roots" and support base of the Southern revolution – to stifle the construction of socialism in the North, prevent the large-scale support from the North to the Southern battlefield, and undermine the determination of our army and people to fight for the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country.

From March 1964, the US deployed destroyers to patrol the coast of North Vietnam, both for reconnaissance and to gather intelligence, while also providing support for the South Vietnamese navy's attacks on islands and coastal settlements in the provinces of Military Region 4. On July 31, 1964, off the coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, the destroyer USS Maddox advanced aggressively northward, seriously violating the territorial waters of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, both for espionage and to threaten and intimidate our fishing vessels.

On August 2, 1964, with high vigilance, readiness for combat, and a determination to punish invading enemy ships, the Naval Command directed Battalion 135 to use three torpedo boats (333, 336, 339) of Detachment 3, in coordination with two patrol boats, to leave their base and launch an attack to drive away the USS Maddox. In this unequal battle, the officers and soldiers of Detachment 3 shot down one enemy aircraft, damaged another, and the USS Maddox was hit by gunfire, suffering damage to some equipment, forcing it to retreat from our waters.

The Quang Ninh self-defense force fought and shot down American planes on August 5, 1964. (Archival photo)

Immediately after the USS Maddox was driven away, with a pre-planned scenario, the American authorities fabricated the so-called "Gulf of Tonkin Incident," falsely accusing the North Vietnamese navy of attacking a US warship operating normally in international waters. This was done to deceive world public opinion and the American people, using it as a pretext to launch the "retaliation" operation codenamed "Operation Pierce Arrow," beginning an escalating war of destruction against North Vietnam.

On August 5, 1964, they mobilized 64 modern aircraft from the 7th Fleet, divided into many groups, to attack almost simultaneously economic targets and most bases, warehouses, and ship shelters of our navy along the coast from the Gianh River (Quang Binh), Cua Hoi, Vinh, Ben Thuy (Nghe An), Lach Truong (Thanh Hoa) to Bai Chay, Hon Gai (Quang Ninh), aiming to destroy our naval forces and initiating a large-scale sabotage plan against North Vietnam.

In the first wave of air and naval attacks on North Vietnam, the most intense air raid on Bai Chay, Hon Gai town (now Ha Long City), which took place on the afternoon of August 5th, was particularly fierce. Eight enemy jets, divided into two groups, swooped in, dropping bombs, firing 20mm rounds, and launching rockets at the naval base on the Cua Luc River, west bank of Bai Chay (now B12 Oil and Gas Port). With high vigilance and readiness for combat, from the very first minute, our naval ships, in coordination with the 217th Air Defense Battalion and the air defense forces of the self-defense forces, armed police, military, and people of Quang Ninh province, resolutely repelled the enemy aircraft. Infantry soldiers, armed police, and militia closely coordinated with anti-aircraft artillery, creating a dense, multi-layered air defense network.

Commemoration ceremony for the heroic martyrs and people who fought bravely and sacrificed their lives in the "First Victory" at Cua Luc sea area (Ha Long City), August 1, 2024.

Thanks to the tenacious and courageous fighting spirit of our air defense and naval forces, along with the active coordination and cooperation of the militia and self-defense forces of Hon Gai Port, the People's Armed Police of Quang Ninh, and the military and people of the mining region, we achieved a resounding victory, shooting down 3 jet aircraft on the spot. Among them, the 14.5mm artillery battery of Company 141, 217th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, occupying the high ground of Hon Gai town, hit an A4D aircraft, causing it to burst into flames and crash into the Dau Moi estuary. Lieutenant E. Alvarez, piloting this aircraft, was forced to parachute into Khe Ca (Ha Tu) and was captured alive. He was the first American pilot we captured in North Vietnam.

The heroic fighting of the naval forces, air defense forces, armed police, militia, and people of the coastal provinces (Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Binh) crushed the air raids of the American imperialists, dealing a strong blow to the prestige of the US Navy, shocking the Pentagon; and at the same time strongly encouraged the will of the army and people of the whole country to resolutely defeat the American invaders.

The officers and soldiers of Brigade 170, Region 1 of the Navy, are instructed to carry out their assigned tasks.

The victory on August 5, 1964, became a prime example of a heroic achievement, marking the beginning of a glorious chapter in the history of the Vietnam People's Navy's construction, combat, victories, and growth. This victory inspired the entire Party, army, and people in the North and the South to compete in fighting the enemy and achieving victories, determined to win national independence and reunification. It marked the beginning of a glorious epic of the Vietnam People's Navy and of the North's army and people in resisting the destructive war waged by the US imperialists; a victory of the political and spiritual strength of the entire nation, of the resolute will to fight, to be determined to fight, and to know how to win; and a symbol of Vietnamese courage and wisdom.

The victory of August 5, 1964, also holds special significance for Quang Ninh province. At that time, Quang Ninh had been established for less than a year, yet the provincial government, military, and people, in close coordination with the navy, repelled American aircraft, achieving remarkable victories, protecting factories, enterprises, and mines, and preventing casualties among the people. In 1994, Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (who was present in Hon Gai on August 5, 1964) affirmed: "This is a magnificent victory of the army and people of Quang Ninh, the result of 10 years of building, fighting, and maturing; a manifestation of the superiority of the socialist regime guided by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh; and the beginning of great achievements in Quang Ninh's resistance war against the US for national salvation…"

The echoes of the first victory still resonate today. Continuing the tradition of winning the first battle and the traditions of previous generations, the army and people of Quang Ninh continue to unite as one to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Vietnamese People's Army; to build Quang Ninh province into a solid provincial defense area in terms of national defense and security, a frontline for international economic cooperation and competition...

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/bieu-tuong-cua-ban-linh-tri-tue-viet-nam-3312232.html