A Tale of Vietnam: The Dragon and the Phoenix Mk 2

[Julius Vogel]

Golly. So we now have a united Vietnam that will remain on amicable terms with France and with China.

Love the potential butterflies here. A friendly, competent power to the south to support the Nationalists, an undistracted France in Europe and Algeria.

There goes the next five years of OTL out the window

 

[La Rouge Beret]

I am still trying to work out if I want France to retain Algeria, from what I have read if the government was able to offer sufficient political concessions in 1945 / 1946 there was a good chance for peace. Which of course butterflies away President De Gaulle.

As for Nationalist China they are still restricted by the same limitations from OTL particularly corruption. But the Nationalist Chinese provide a friendly neighbour for the first years of a unified Vietnam, enabling the VNQDD to concentrate on much needed economic and education reforms.

 

[Julius Vogel]

Right.

I don't really know anything about the campaigns in the south of China but surely the Vietnamese are going to be sympathetic to the extent of either full blow or covert support. Which will no doubt mean the Americans are on side and assisting them with weapons or financing

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Right.

I don't really know anything about the campaigns in the south of China but surely the Vietnamese are going to be sympathetic to the extent of either full blow or covert support. Which will no doubt mean the Americans are on side and assisting them with weapons or financing

They certainly are sympathetic considering the assistance Nationalist China provided in securing their independence. Perhaps I may include a Vietnamese version of the Spanish Blue Division. However their links to the Nationalists will cause problems with the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 - with mutual distrust on both sides.

Remember the Vietnamese Communists are still in a government of unity with the VNQDD at this stage and for the foreseeable future, so when their Chinese communist colleagues emerge victorious we have an explosive situation.

 

[Maailmanmatkaaja]

I know this i a minor point, but how does the end of the French protectorates in Cambodia and Laos come about exactly (if it does)?

 

[La Rouge Beret]

There have been separate agreements settled with each Kingdom.

Cambodia is probably the best positioned, but there are structural problems that will manifest themselves later. Particularly as the mercurial, vain and erratic King Norodom Sihanouk remains at the top.

Laos is in a similar position with a government of unity established between the Royalists and Communists similar to the original time line. However as opposed to the original timeline no defensive pact has been signed between Laos and France.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Difficult times sometimes make for good policy

It is a common observation that the transition from an independence movement to government is fraught with difficulties. The difficulties faced in the initial years of government by the VNQDD would have been challenging for an established government. Road, rail and other key infrastructure were devastated, Tonkin was recovering from famine, the economy had contracted with the emigration of French technicians and inflation wreaked havoc.

Surprisingly for a newly independent government, one of their first steps was to reduce their military expenditure due to their benign strategic environment with Nationalist China to the north and the smaller Mekong states to the west. The Ford Foundation assisted the newly formed Vietnamese state to replace the French technicians. These funds freed were used to reconstruct key infrastructure and to purchase food to abate the famine in the North. However, in such a chaotic environment it should not be surprising that corruption reared its ugly head. Although the majority of funds and supplies reached their intended recipients several government officials and private citizens became tremendously wealthy.

A direct impact from the corruption was the increased popularity of the Communist party who maintained an air of incorruptibility in both manner and an austere lifestyle. Their simple way of life espoused by several of their senior officers slowly increased their support base and their popularity across the country. It may be surprising to think of it now, but the erosion of tax receipts into the government coffers was so severe the VNQDD used several Communist units on the Nationalist Chinese border to collect customs revenue for the government, a task they performed effectively.

Accordingly, this state of affairs could not continue indefinitely and this led to the formation of the ‘Ministry of Internal Security’ or ‘ole Miss’ as the Ministry was affectionately referred to by several American expatriates. Although they are better know for their counter intelligence operations during the Cold War their original mission was to eliminate internal government corruption and to destroy criminal enterprises that profited from same. The Ministry was effective in achieving their original task, however critics correctly pointed out that their behavior in several cases they acted as a government stand over man ensuring the state received their profit from the illegal activities.

The declining strategic situation in Nationalist China led the Vietnamese to deploy a Vietnamese division to assist their Chinese counterparts. Led by the charistmastic General Minh, the Vietnamese involvement in the Chinese Civil War was to have dire consequences in the foreseeable future. The division performed effectively in Northern China and attempted to break the ring of steel encircling the Nationalist Army during the Pingjin Campaign. At this moment the VNQDD government identified the tide had changed and similar to Xenophon and the 10,000, the Vietnamese division retreated south to Guangzhou.

Although the government had stabilized the economy by 1949 the General Staff and senior members of cabinet came to the stark realization that the Nationalists had lost in China. Belatedly the government expanded their military, as the People’s Liberation Army juggernaut under Marshal Lin Biao rolled southwards.

 

[tchizek]

Oh, that's bad news for the new Vietnam...very bad news.

Great update!

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Oh, that's bad news for the new Vietnam...very bad news.

Great update!

Thanks for your support.

When I originally drafted my notes for this update, this was going to my impetus for a divided Vietnam. Spoiler alert ** However, after further thought I have opted for a unified Vietnam under the VNQDD. But Laos and Cambodia will be the battlegrounds and ultimately fare worse in this TL.**

I am excited about the next update as the butterflies begin to descend on Vietnam. In fact it may have two installments so I can better cover all of the events, the only thing I am mulling over in my head is how to manage American involvement or even if I should have American involvement.

 

[Julius Vogel]

I wonder if anyone would step in and offer a guarantee of protection? If France or the US did so, would that give the Red Army pause for thought?

 

[La Rouge Beret]

I wonder if anyone would step in and offer a guarantee of protection? If France or the US did so, would that give the Red Army pause for thought?

The French are for the moment out of the scene and concentrating on the problems in Algeria.

As for the Americans I am doing some further reading on their initial involvement in Korea, which needs to be coloured by the proximity of their forces in Japan. So... perhaps a carrier task force flying close air support or even the engagement of a military assistance group acting as a trip wire force.

Happy for thoughts on this one.

Interestingly in OTL the PLA came incredibly close to crossing the Vietnamese border to destroy the retreating KMT army.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Do not ask for whom the bell tolls

Autumn 1949, the remnants of the Nationalist Chinese armies retreated southwards to Guangzhou. The majority of these forces fled to Hainan and onwards to Taiwan. However, the remainder crossed into Northern Vietnam with the vanguard of the People’s Liberation Army (“PLA”) on their heels.

The Nationalist forces initially crossed the border in small bands and then a torrent. They were met at the border by the Royal Vietnamese Army who proceeded to disarm them and escorted them into captivity. Lucien Bodard describes the scene:

It went on fast and smoothly. Every quarter of an hour there arrived a fresh batch or men, or rather creatures, for there were some were wretched beings with disgusting wounds. But after 10 o’clock it was no longer possible to control the Chinese. They suddenly began flooding in from everywhere in huge masses, panic stricken mobs coming by every track and path and down the mountainside. There were now a great many peasants carrying huge burdens in the crowd.
​

This crush of refugees announced the arrival of the first units from the People’s Liberation Army led by the Marshall Lin Biao reaching the border of Vietnam. A question reverberated around the country, would the Chinese invade Vietnam to destroy the remaining Nationalist forces?

The Vietnamese General Staff advised the government that their present force in Tonkin was unable to stop the Communist Chinese if they invaded. Accordingly, their recommendation was to conduct a fighting withdrawal to a defensive line north of Hanoi combined with a limited partisan campaign. The first division of the Royal Vietnamese Army began to dig in at Ky Lau in the mountains just north of Lang Son and nervously waited for the Communist hordes to roll south. Soldiers that had previously fought alongside Chinese soldiers during the March to Independence [1]now prepared to face their former comrades.

It was at this stage a message was delivered from Marshall Lin Biao advising the Vietnamese government if their army did not disarm and intern the Nationalist Chinese the PLA would do so at the point of their guns. The country as a whole held its collective breath, as Vietnamese Air Force Hayabusas shadowed Communist LA – 5’s over the heads of the retreating Nationalist Chinese soldiers.

The tip of the spear for the Vietnamese was the 2nd Battalion at Ai Diem led by Colonel Minh[2] who decided to parley with his Communist counterpart in a bid to defuse the escalating tension on the border. The Communist commander was physically a bear of man who spoke an incomprehensible northern dialect of Chinese. Through an interpreter he requested Colonel Minh repatriate all of the Nationalists soldiers that had surrendered to the Vietnamese in order to face justice. If this did not happen, then half a million communist soldiers would cross the border and do so. Colonel Minh apparently listened to the speech and remained impassive as it was translated to him. His reply was terse and has been paraphrased for readers:

We have only regained our independence from the French and we will not surrender this most precious gift easily. If you cross our border your logistical tail will be overextended and your armies no longer able to move as a fish through water.
​

It was said after the contents of the speech had been relayed to the Red Napoleon, that Marshall Lin Biao blinked. In reality it was a combination of factors, such as the recognising his army was at the end of their logistical supply line, his soldiers were exhausted and war had broken out on the Korean peninsula. The communist army moved away from the Vietnamese border to consolidate communist rule and the new neighbours eyed each other suspiciously.

However, the hard eyed red mandarins of the Chinese Communist Party remembered the defiance shown by the Vietnamese Nationalists and began to slowly build a rapport with their Vietnamese counterparts.

Author's notes:

[1] TTL reference to the liberation of Vietnam from the French by the VNQDD.

[2] Referred to as ‘Big Minh’ in the OTL, in this TL known as Buffalo Minh.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Title: The Doe Review

‘Do you know what astonished me most in the world? The inability of force to create anything. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the spirit. Soldiers usually win battles and generals get the credit for them... If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin pricks that precede cannon shots.’
Napoleon Bonaparte


Upon independence the Kingdom of Vietnam faced a pressing problem, namely creating a National Army from the VNQDD forces and those who had fought for France. An apt comparison is George Washington fusing a united army from the Continental Army and the Loyalist remnants.

An example of integration at work is illustrated by the four battalions comprising the ‘Tonkinese Rifles’ were renamed the ‘the Rifles’ following independence. The unit remained a light infantry force and retained all of their battle honours with the exception of those earned within Vietnam. In recognition of their previous legacy as a French unit, all soldiers are entitled to wear the fourragere in recognition of their origins and all privates are referred to as a skirmished. The unit has a relationship with the French Troupes de Marine and the British Army regiment ‘the Rifles.’

At a Service Chief level the inaugural heads were: Chief of the Army - General Van Tien Dung, with the Chief of the Air Force - General Trinh whom became the inaugural Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Navy was a loaned officer Captain Arleigh Burke, USN.

Following independence the Vietnamese government prioritised the rehabilitation of the country over their military capability. Their once impressive military that had spearheaded the August Storm offensive, had atrophied after four years of neglect. The impact of these cuts were keenly felt as Vietnamese soldiers lacking sufficient tanks, anti tank weapons and artillery were deployed to the border to nervously glance over the border at a larger and better equipped Red Chinese force.

With the victory of the Chinese communists in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Vietnamese military was reorganised to face the looming threat on their borders. The majority of the war fighting element was situated in I Corps (Tonkin), with the remaining two Corps (Annam and Cochinchina) having a smaller force. Recognising the difficulty they would have in stopping the Red Chinese juggernaut American military assistance with reforming their military and with American financial and military support the Army became the backbone of the state.

Major General Jens A Doe, who originally been slated to retire was dispatched to Vietnam, under the auspices of the Military Assistance and Advisory Command, to report on the situation facing the Kingdom and to draft a paper on the ideal structure of the Vietnamese Army. This paper became known as the Doe Review. Although General Doe initially envisioned a force of 150,000 soldiers, upon seeing the tactical situation was persuaded to increase that force to 180,000 soldiers and expand the National Police Field Force to 40,000 to deal with the low level communist insurrection and assorted ethnic tensions.

As a consequence American advisers after completing a six week cultural course were embedded in Vietnamese training establishments, supply depots and staff headquarters units. Vietnamese officers and senior soldiers were sent en masse to training courses conducted in the United States, Okinawa and the Philippines.

Following a chance meeting at the Pentagon, between the head of the Imperial General Staff Field Marshall Sir William Slim and Major General Doe regarding counter insurgency. He recommended that the Army should have a limited counter insurgency role with its main focus on being able to stop a conventional invasion. The National Police Field Force with its special constables would bear the brunt of the counterinsurgency campaign. He justified his stance by stating that

‘A counterinsurgency campaign can hurt, but if the Army can’t stop a torrent of T-34’s flooding across the border – then it has failed itself and the country.’
​

Noting the inhospitable terrain facing both sides, any equipment that was used by the RVA had to be reliable and easy to carry.

The main personal weapon of the soldier was the M 1 Garand, with the Model 43 submachine or the ‘Duck’ still issued to armoured and airborne units. Due to their ease of manufacture mortars were attached at the company level. A small number of M 4 Shermans were supplied to augment the existing M – 24 Chaffees in service.

As part of the Doe review a two year period of National Service was implemented for all males above the age of 18. The conscript following the successful completion of his basic and employment training would be sent to a unit that held affiliated with their home province. After their initial period of service of two years, they would be liable for continued training each year in their unit. A period of forty five days each year was mandatory and would coincide with the fallow periods of the agricultural calendar. The ‘activated’reservists would join their unit and relieve permanent soldiers that had accrued leave throughout the year.

Those that wished to continue serving in the military were sent on a three month promotion course before promotion to Lance Corporal for a period of two to three years. After promotion to full Corporal they were allowed to marry and this coincided with a posting to a training establishment. The junior non commissioned officer was viewed as the back bone of the Army, their time in rank prior to promotion would vary between 3 – 7 years depending upon their performance and Corps allocation.

Undergraduate Officer training was conducted at the prestigious Royal Military College at Dalat, the college held affiliations with the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Royal Military Academy in Canada and the Royal Military College at Duntroon. Two classmen were sent annually to one of their sister institutes.

Another alternative was the 12 month long Officer Candidate School (OCS) located at Thu Duc for those that held a baccalaureate. Upon receiving their conscription papers if the young man presented himself with an unopened envelope he could elect to serve as an officer. Alternatively if an ordinary conscript was deemed to be of a sufficient standard he was taken aside and offered the opportunity to serve as an officer. As a notable former soldier remarked of the then system:

‘As an officer you have three choices you can go through the front door – that’s Da Lat, you can go through the back door at Thu Duc or you can go through the trap door as a conscript. However it doesn’t matter if you come through the front, back or trap doors – someone from the front door will always be there to greet you.’

 

[Maailmanmatkaaja]

At a Service Chief level the inaugural heads were: Chief of the Army - General Van Tien Dung, with the Chief of the Air Force - General Trinh whom became the inaugural Chief of the General Staff and Chief of the Navy led by a former Imperial Japanese Naval Officer Tameichi Hara.

Can you clarify? You have a former Imperial Japanese Naval Officer, in the wake of WW2 as the head of a foreign navy and of a country formerly occupied by the Japanese (even if run by the French). How do you justify this?

Also on the use of M1 Garands, M1 carbines would be better, simply for reasons of physiology. Vietnamese are not known for their physical size, something which the M1 needs to be operated effectively.

Still, keep it coming, I'm always anxiously waiting for a new update

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Can you clarify? You have a former Imperial Japanese Naval Officer, in the wake of WW2 as the head of a foreign navy and of a country formerly occupied by the Japanese (even if run by the French). How do you justify this?

In OTL former Japanese soldiers were used extensively by several former adversaries including the Viet Minh, the Chinese Communists (including a fighter wing from memory), and the Nationalist Chinese.

What I may do is have a Nationalist Chinese officer be the acting initial Chief of Navy, while a Vietnamese Office undergoes Command and Staff College before assuming the role. During that interim period as the Vietnamese Navy consists of two former Japanese escort ships, the senior officer of the two is promoted as their Commodore Flotilla and helps to draft the training program etc. I will have to look at the experience of the Korean Navy in this regard post WW II. Happy for thoughts on this.

Also on the use of M1 Garands, M1 carbines would be better, simply for reasons of physiology. Vietnamese are not known for their physical size, something which the M1 needs to be operated effectively.

The M - 1 Garand was opted due to the sheer number available post world war II and its ability to punch through the jungle and touch someone. I'll have a look at the M - 1 Garand carbine and am also open to suggestions.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Actually after further consideration I might consider having a USN or RN officer loaned to the Vietnamese military.

Thoughts?

 

[DD951]

(snip)

The M - 1 Garand was opted due to the sheer number available post world war II and its ability to punch through the jungle and touch someone. I'll have a look at the M - 1 Garand carbine and am also open to suggestions.

IOTL, the US supplied a little under a quarter million Garands & a little under 800k M-1 Carbines to South Vietnam, as well as a small number of M1917 Enfields. Also, the M-1 Carbine is an entirely different weapon that uses a different mechanism & only shares a couple screws in common with the Garand rifle.

Not sure what else could be available, as beyond the mix of French & Japanese gear they would have inherited, there's not a whole lot of stuff being produced for export right after WW2- the British & Commonwealth could probably scrape up some surplus Lee-Enfields, there's probably some ex-German stuff available, & Mauser 98-type rifles from FN in Belgium & Brno in Czechoslovakia (at least until the Soviets force them to cease production for export & start building Soviet types for Warpac use), & possibly some AG-42s & Mausers from Sweden.

Until the likes of the AK-47, SKS, FAL & G3 hit the export market in the late 50s & early 60s, most countries without intact domestic arms industries got their infantry weapons from WW2 surplus supplied as military aid from the US, UK/Commonwealth, or Soviets depending on political alignment, what was left of their pre-WW2 arsenal, & captured Axis equipment.

Actually after further consideration I might consider having a USN or RN officer loaned to the Vietnamese military.

Thoughts?

That'd probably be better for a Western-aligned country in the late 1940s- French loaners would probably be too awkward for Vietnamese domestic politics, & having ex-IJN mercenaries hold that high of a position would cause all sorts of political problems both domestically & abroad. Having them as advisors, staff officers, captains, & shipboard officers might be one thing, but running the whole show quite another. Nor would having ex-IJN officers have a hand in the formation of strategy, doctrine, & institutional culture be a very good idea.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

That'd probably be better for a Western-aligned country in the late 1940s- French loaners would probably be too awkward for Vietnamese domestic politics, & having ex-IJN mercenaries hold that high of a position would cause all sorts of political problems both domestically & abroad. Having them as advisors, staff officers, captains, & shipboard officers might be one thing, but running the whole show quite another. Nor would having ex-IJN officers have a hand in the formation of strategy, doctrine, & institutional culture be a very good idea.

What I will do is create a different career path for a Vietnamese Officer and have them command a Flower class corvette during the Battle of the Atlantic. Noting his inexperience at commanding a fleet the Vietnamese ask for a loan officer to act as their inaugral Chief of Navy. Upon the RVN being formed he has a shore posting with Sea Training Group or equivalent, off to Staff College, then back to sea commanding a flotilla and then to Chief of Navy. So all in all in an abbreviated fashion another 6 - 9 years.

Personally I am considering Captain Emile Dechaineux RAN as the loan CN, due to his experience at commanding a task force during wartime, a positive reputation, and an ability to speak French. I envisage a three year stint and a replacement with another pro Western loan officer for three years before my unknown Vietnamese officer is of sufficient seniority to assume the reins as CN. If you have any ideas for the second one perhaps from the USN or RCN let me know. I guess the main requirements being they have an affinity with foreign languages and a reputation for having 'happy ships.' The temptation of 31 knot Burke is there...

As for the IJN officers, the officer I am thinking of Captain Hara was highly critical towards the lack of lateral thinking of the IJN during WW 2. His book Japanese Destroyer Captain is a great read and one I highly recommend if you want to see the perspective from the other side.

Honestly talking about the Navy has gotten me excited about writing another update!

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Chief of Navy updated to Captain Arleigh Burke, USN.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Royal Vietnamese Navy

RVNS Chi Lang I formerly USS Brownson



00:15 hours, 15 January 1963 – South China Sea



‘Captain Sir, Officer of the Watch.’



‘Captain’



‘Sir, we are 2,000 yards off the starboard quarter of the suspected smuggler identified by Black Cat. My recommendation is to take the ship to boarding stations and to close within 500 yards of the smuggler.’



‘Concur Officer of the Watch. Have the searchlights trained on the vessel, once we are closed up at boarding stations illuminate the vessel at 500 yards, have the battle ensign hoisted and I am on my way to the bridge.’



‘Aye, Aye Sir.’



A claxon echoed around the ship as the quartermaster piped, ‘hands to boarding stations, hands to boarding stations.’



00:42 hours



‘Captain Sir, we are at 500 yards on the starboard quarter of the vessel and remain undetected. The vessel is closed up at boarding stations.’


‘Very well, illuminate the vessel, launch the starboard sea boat with the Marines, commence hailing the vessel and cover the boarding party with the 5 inch.’



‘Unidentified vessel this is Vietnamese naval ship on your starboard quarter we are going to board you, you are to reduce to six knots, and have your crew muster on the quarterdeck.’



The Executive Officer was peering through the large bridge wing binoculars, ‘Sir, they are not reducing speed and appear to be under wheel to port.’



‘Guns, Captain - fire one round over their bow.’



The Mk 12 turret containing the five inch cannon traversed to port and fired a single star shell across the bow of the suspected smuggling vessel.



‘Captain Sir, the vessel is reducing speed and the crew is mustering on the quarterdeck.’


‘Very good.’



Background



Motto: To Quoc Dai Duong (Our Country – The Ocean)
​

The Vietnamese have a long, but relatively unknown maritime history to those outside of the country. One of their famous Admirals was Prince Tran Quoc Tuan whose tactical prowess resulted in the destruction of the Yuan fleet and certainly saved the Vietnamese from Mongol invasion in 1288. Another is Prince Nguyen Hue, after engaging western naval advisers to develop his Navy destroyed the Siamese fleet at the battle of Rach Gam in 1785. However, the naval power of the Nguyen dynasty waned after the battle of Rach Gam in comparison with the Western world and by the late nineteenth century the Vietnamese Navy was unable to prevent the colonization of the country by the French.

The Royal Vietnamese Navy was formed by former officers and sailors of the Marine National and the merchant marine. The RVN is considered to be the quiet achiever of the Vietnamese Armed Forces. Responsible for preventing the seaborne infiltration of men and material into Vietnam by the Communists, it was also responsible for preserving the internal waterways of the country. Although the VNQDD had utilised several junks to resupply their forces during the August Storm campaign, they recognised the difference between resupplying their forces by the sea and creating a Navy from scratch.

Accordingly, the Vietnamese requested loan officers be provided to assist in creating the RVN. It was fortuitous for the future of the RVN that the USN dispatched an outstanding officer to act as their inaugural Chief of Navy Captain Arleigh Burke, USN.



Above: Admiral Burke

Once Captain Burke, USN was appointed as the Chief of Navy, he made several decisions. On paper and in Janes’ Ships of the World the RVN consisted of two Etorofu class escort ships manned by former Imperial Japanese sailors. The senior captain of both vessels was a Commander Ayao Shirane, IJN. Commander Shirane was a former fighter pilot ace, who following injuries sustained in the Guadalcanal campaign had returned to the fleet as a deck officer.

The first was the ships’ company of both Etorofu ships were offered a choice of either remaining with their ships or being repatriated to Japan. Noting the utter devastation of post war Japan, it should not be surprising the majority remained. If they elected to continue serving they signed a three year contract and commenced intensive Vietnamese language classes. Another pre requisite was the former sailors and officers of the Marine National were integrated across the two units. Noting the benign submarine threat, all ASW equipment was removed due to the lack of a threat and to assist with maintenance. In 1948 a third Etorofu class ship was purchased. In fact their influence can be seen by the fact the RVN still has a ‘Curry Day’on Fridays.

Captain Burke then organized the RVN into two separate commands comprising a Fleet and Border Command. Riverine Command was established by his successor Captain Eugene B Fluckey USN. The main fleet base was located at Da Nang with smaller bases for patrol craft established in Haiphong and Phu Quoc island. Da Nang was chosen as the home port of the fleet due to its central position within Vietnam. The decision also reduced the threat of a potential Pearl Harbour attack occurring, which would be ameliorated by locating the fleet at Da Nang.

Due to the limited number of blue water patrol vessels the government used converted junks to patrol the territorial seas of Vietnam. Despite their inherent limitations in a converted design, the junks of the coastal force proved remarkably effective. Their effectiveness at reducing smuggling, may also be attributed to the head of Border Command being a former smuggler. The junks were progressively phased out from the 1950’s onwards as they were replaced by a modified Cape class cutter. The sole exception was the Yabuta junks, that were used to conduct reconnaissance operations along the Chinese and Cambodian coastlines.

Captain Fluckey recognised the importance of riverine traffic was to Vietnam as it is a long and narrow country, edged by seacoast. With bad or non-existent roads through jungle or swampy terrain subject to monsoonal flooding, the only reliable method of transport was by boat. This was not limited to the main rivers but also included the tens of thousands of small canals. Accordingly being able to police their porous borders and police the numerous amounts of riverine traffic would be an integral role of the Navy’s mission. On 1951 Riverine Command was established. Although after the end of the communist insurgency in the 1980’s Riverine Command was transferred to the National Police.




Above: The then Commander Fluckey, USN

Captain Fluckey was the last foreign Chief of Navy completing his tenure in 1952. He was replaced by Rear Admiral Trinh who had begun his career in the Marine National and finished World War II as the Captain of FNS Aconit. Following a posting ashore and then another sea posting commanding the RVN deployment to Korea he assumed his position of Chief of Navy in 1952.

After suffering from the complete dominance of the combined Western Navies at sea during the Korean War, the Chinese government began to expand their naval capabilities. Accordingly the Yulin naval base on Hainan island was expanded to accommodate a larger naval presence. Yulin Naval base became home to the People’s Liberation Army’s Navy South Sea Fleet consisting of the 9th Destroyer flotilla, comprising Anshan and Luda class destroyers, and the fourth Submarine squadron with Type 033 submarines.

Slowly the capabilities of Fleet Command were expanded with the acquisition of three Gearing class destroyers in 1960, formerly USS Stribling, Brownson and Arnold J.Isbell to counter the deployment of the Chinese Navy Anshan and Luda destroyers on Hainan island. The Gearing class remained the largest surface combatant in service, until replaced by the Hatsuyuki class in the early 1980’s.

A submarine arm was formed in 1958 as a result of the Ruhle Review and to provide the RVN with a long range interdiction and surveillance capability. One of the fathers of the submarine arm within the RVN was Captain Shirane, whom having witnessed the impact of a properly executed submarine campaign was an enthusiastic advocate for their introduction into the RVN.

Accordingly, the RVN purchased two Balao class submarines formerly USS Pampanito and USS Razorback. These three submarines, a third former USS Ling was purchased in 1964, formed the backbone of the submarine force, until their replacement in 1984 by three Yushio class submarines. Overall, the submarine arm was to prove one of the more cost effective weapon systems used by the Royal Vietnamese Navy with their reconnaissance shots of Yelin Naval base and the sinking of several Chinese warships and merchant shippping. Within the USN emphasis on nuclear submarines, the potential Vietnamese submarine captains attended the Submarine Command Course held in the United Kingdom.

The Marine Corps - ‘Thuy Quan Luc Chien’



​

Above: The head of the US Military Mission inspects an honour guard from the VNMC.
​

The Vietnamese Marine Corps (“VNMC”) was created pursuant to the ‘Marine Corps’ Act of 1952 and as a direct result of a recommendation from the second Chief of Navy Captain Fluckey, USN. The VNMC was raised with an initial strength of two battalions comprising the 1stBattalion – ‘Quai Dieu’ (Monster Bird) and the 2nd Battalion ‘Trau Dien’ (Crazy Buffalos) and a headquarters element with an approximate strength of 2,000 Marines.

By 1962 the VNMC had expanded to its present organisational strength of six battalions, including a Force Reconnaissance element. The Force Reconnaissance Marines drew their inspiration from the Marine Raiders of World War 2 and were created with the sole purpose of conducting seaborne infiltration missions along the Chinese coastline and to conduct long range riverine operations into the dantean reality of the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea. Together with the Vietnamese airborne division the VNMC constitute the strategic reserve of the Kingdom of Vietnam.

Originally designated as the Marine Infantry of the Vietnamese navy, it subsequently became known as the Vietnamese Marine Corps. In order to avoid relying on the Royal Vietnamese Army it formed its own training and replacement centres located at the main Naval Training base at Nha Trang. Several of the initial officers and marines completed several courses at the Quantico, Virginia. As the VNMC is the smallest service of the VAF an emphasis was placed on small unit tactics, junior leadership and a corps wide marksmanship training course was implemented. The Marines also had the longest basic training of all services lasting for six months prior to commencing their specialist training.

Notably as a point of distinction and under the advice of the American advisers the Vietnamese Marines remain the only all volunteer force within the Vietnamese Armed Forces. The rationale behind this was that you choose to be a marine, you are not compelled. Accordingly, if a citizen presented himself with an unopened draft letter he could be admitted to serve as a Marine. The initial minimum period of service for the VNMC was four years for an enlisted marine and six years for an officer.
The Vietnamese marines similar to the Korps Mariniers (Netherlands Marine Corps) use naval rank insignia, but are addressed by the respective army rank titles. There are eight enlisted ranks and seven for officers from Marine through to the Commandant of the Corps.

Navy Divers
​

With an exposed coastline and with a majority of foreign trade coming through their ports the ability to be able to protect their shipping from mining operations assumed importance. One of the first roles of the Navy was to be able to conduct minesweeping and mine clearance operations. It was the second role that the Navy formed its first of four clearance diving teams. Their role was orientated towards removing explosive ordinance from the hulls of ships and clearance of wharves. A point that was understated was that they were also capable of planting explosives on the hulls of ships and wharves as well. These capabilities were enhanced with combined training conducted with divers from the Republic of China Navy’s.