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

[La Rouge Beret]

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today” – Thich Nhat Hanh

It is hard to imagine that the present Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang (“VNQDD”) is the same party that was originally conceived as a revolutionary party. The present incarnation is a world away from their original goal to:

The aim and general line of the party is to make a national revolution, to use military force to overthrow the feudal colonial system, to set up a democratic republic of Vietnam. At the same time we will help all oppressed nationalities in the work of struggling to achieve independence, in particular such neighboring countries as Laos and Cambodia.

The seeds of change followed the abortive uprising at Yen Bai and the subsequent reprisals by the French authorities. Those members that were not captured by the Surete fled into Yunnan and a previously disciplined organisation was riven by internal bickering which threatened to consign the party into irrelevance. It was here that the demoralised members of the VNQDD first encountered the remnants of Vietnamese Restoration League.

It was fortuidous for Vietnamese independence that at a time of weakness a patriot of the standing of Phan Boi Chau [1]emerged to unite the disparate nationalist groups into a single political entity. Perhaps if the Yen Bai uprising had not failed as clearly, the leadership cadre of the VNQDD would not have been as receptive to change and the history of Vietnam significantly different. In what has become known as the Gejiu pact the VNQDD absorbed the remnants of the Vietnamese Restoration League and installed Phan Boi Chau as their leader.

Their inaugural congress established several principles to restore Vietnamese independence, particularly by focusing their effort at a village level through uniting and educating the nha que[2]. As the Vietnamese peasants remained politically unaware, respected institutions such as the monarchy would be utilised as a tool to broaden their support base. The decision to create a political base within the peasantry was to prove instrumental in the later success of the VNQDD.

At the congress the then unknown Le van Nhuan[3] made a speech that changed the long term independence strategy for the VNQDD and the future of Vietnam. He urged his fellow members to recognise with the destruction of their political infrastructure in Tonkin and Annam, combined with the closure of the Chinese / Vietnamese border meant that they must consider all alternatives to attain independence. His proposal was for the VNQDD to create a political base in Cochin China and to expand north when French attention inevitably waned. Although his proposal was initially greeted with derision, after several days of robust bargaining his proposal became policy. Other organisations such as the Vietnamese – Chinese business society were created to finance their revolutionary activities.

Their success at rebuilding their support base is illustrated in the biography ‘Hanoi adieu’ by a former French army officer of his first encounter with a VNQDD supporter in 1940.

The sounds of the prisoners’ truck jarred me out of my trancelike state. It seemed to take an age for the vehicle to enter the quarry and come to a halt. Guards jumped out and began to open the back door. Suddenly someone shouted, one of the prisoners: ‘Down with Imperialism! Independence for Vietnam!’ I looked across as the men were marched to the marks I had set. They turned to face us – and my heart missed a beat. It couldn’t be. How could it be? I peered at the man and knew I had been right. It was Nguyen Nga, my friend.

Author's notes:

[1] Author of a ‘History of the Loss of Vietnam,’ founder of the Vietnamese Restoration and ‘Visit to the East’ society

[2] Peasant, traditionally used in a perjorative way.

[3] Better known in OTL as Le Duan.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

An army for the revolution

Remember, the storm is a good opportunity for the pine and the cypress to show their strength and their stability – Anon.

An army of independence was originally conceived by the Vietnamese Restoration League with standing orders constituted, rates of pay established and a training plan drafted. However they lacked men, material and an opportunity.

Although the age of the military governor was drawing to a close in Nationalist China, their various armies still required a constant supply of manpower. An agreement was reached with the governor of Yunnan, Long Yun, to establish an infantry company comprised of Vietnamese volunteers. Although the company would be under his operational control, they were subject to their internal code of discipline. Officers would have the opportunity to train at the military academy in Yunnan and for a privileged few the military academy in Nanjing. The costs of maintenance would be borne equally between the military of Yunnan and shadowy Vietnamese – Chinese business associations. This marked the emergence of the military’s involvement with the business community and allegations of crony capitalism. ​

The ‘old dragon[1]’ was receptive to the idea of a Vietnamese unit as the Vietnamese provided him with a willing supply of soldiers that were both loyal and effective in battle. Surprisingly the French authorities provided tacit support for the concept, as it removed potential trouble makers from Indochina. Long Yun summarised his position with this quote that provoked much mirth over the dining table, ‘The Vietnamese give me soldiers and the French provide me subsidies for using them.’​

However, the VNQDD did not establish an embryonic army for the sole benefit of a military Governor. They seized an opportunity to create a cadre of experienced soldiers to await the chance to liberate Vietnam from the French. It also provided an overt distraction for the Surete to concentrate on, while unknowingly ignoring the greater threat posed by the resurrection of the VNQDD political network across Vietnam.​

Surprisingly, one of the largest influences on the embryonic army was an American Brigadier General Carson Evans the father of the Marine Raiders. Fresh from his experiences with the Communist guerrillas with Edgar Snow, he unsuccessfully advocated for the adoption of their tactics by the Nationalists against the Japanese. Although his arguments were ignored by the majority of the Nationalist army he found willing converts within the VNQDD.

His legacy was displayed by well planned and aggresively executed attacks. These tactics caused numerous problems for the Japanese Army in China, Vietnam and notably in Burma with the OSS Detachment 101. His input into their doctrine was not his only contribution. He also provided further professional military opportunities for Vietnamese soldiers notably a young guerrilla leader named Do Mau, who upon graduating from the Virginia Military Institute unofficially became the first Vietnamese graduate of a Western military academy due to being enrolled as a Chinese citizen. ​

The first opportunity to pursue their goal of independence was presented during the occupation of Vietnam in 1940 by the Japanese Empire. Recognising their chance, the VNQDD established a small liberated zone in an isolated part of Northern Vietnam. The French were powerless to stop them, the Imperial Japanese Army did not care, but for the Vietnamese this was their first breath of freedom in fifty three years.​

Author's notes:​

[1] A term of affection for the Military Governor of Yunnan.​

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The Arsenal of Democracy

The leaders of the VNQDD understood that as General Long Yun controlled their supply of arms he maintained a vice like grip on their future. If they were to regain their freedom an independent source of arms must be found. September 1940 heralded the Japanese invasion of French Indochina and inexorably the escalation of World War II. However the invasion had a severe impact on the Nationalist armies in Yunnan and Guangxi, isolating them from their previous supply route from the port of Haiphong. Similar to the Roman outposts left behind in Britain, they were forced to look to their own defence.

The VNQDD located their base of operations high in the mountainous Ha Giang province, and commenced planning to construct an arsenal. At this embryonic stage of planning an eccentric one armed former British Army engineer[1] offered his services. One Armed Sutton or General Sutton to use his formal title had narrowly escaped Japanese captivity in Shanghai and with a sense of adventure previously confined to stories written by Rudyard Kipling was soon creating an arsenal around a speck on a map known as Meo Vac.

Having worked in China for over two decades General Sutton held strong views as to the treatment most weapons would receive from a peasant soldier. As the army was built around a light infantry force, he focused on weapons that would act as a force multiplier. Accordingly the first weapon produced by the arsenal was a modified Stokes mortar. The mortar was constructed to withstand the tender mercies of the nha que and simple enough to be wielded with deadly effect by a soldier with a modicum of training. This weapon soon became the first and last sound many Japanese soldiers heard.

Next on the development list was the Model 43 sub machine gun, a weapon that became synonymous with the Army and their fight against the Imperial Japanese Army. Despite its official designation it became known as the Duck by the OSS due to its sound made when firing. Aesthetically it bore a strong resemblance to the Australian Owen gun.

It is a testament to the work of the Vietnamese and General Sutton, an OSS Colonel[2] attached to the VNQDD referred to the arsenal as a system to rival any Ford production line.

Author's notes:
[1] General F.A. Sutton was also known as ‘One Armed Sutton’ and all of his exploits are detailed in his biography entitled ‘General of Fortune.’

[2] Colonel Archimedes Patti

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The United Front

‘We have no permanent allies, only permanent interests.’

It was pressure from the Office of Strategic Services and their Chinese Nationalist counterparts that created a Vietnamese United Front against the Japanese. Reluctantly, the VNQDD incorporated guerrilla bands from the Dai Viet and their smaller rival the Indochinese Communist Party (“ICP”) into their war against the Japanese. Wary of the mistakes their Chinese Nationalist counterparts had made, the ICP and Dai Viet sent representatives to Meo Vac to liaise with the VNQDD so a coordinated war could be waged against the Japanese. Each representative was monitored closely by the VNQDD internal security apparatus.

The United Front was sealed over a five course dinner in Gejiu, marked with numerous celebratory toasts for both sides. Chairman Chau in an example of good will proposed a toast to Nguyen Ai Quoc, despite the latter cooperating with the Suretee to have him arrested. It appeared to the western onlookers this decision had been forgiven as Chairman Chau and Nguyen Ai Quoc embraced, although in the long term it was to mark a brief cessation in long term hostilities.

For two parties that held such divergent political outlooks it should be unsurprising that both identified two key areas for reform. The first was for complete Vietnamese independence from France post war. An example of this was the categorical refusal to work with French Jedburgh teams, which in several cases led to French operative’s being disarmed and placed into ‘protective custody’ for the duration of the mission. Both parties lobbied their American advisors on their right to self determination and illustrated the similarities with the American Revolutionary war. Following the defeat of the Japanese, both parties agreed in principle to the formation of a unified government, which would govern the country until elections could be held.

After several days of debate it was the eloquent arguments of Nguyen Van Giap*, [1]widely seen as the father of the Vietnamese constitution, which led to the adoption of a Westminster parliamentary system. In his biography he described his affection for Emperor Bonaparte not as a General but for his introduction of a comprehensive legal code to Europe. It was this admiration for Emperor Bonaparte’s role as a lawmaker that led to Mr Giap's legal career and his tireless work representing mulitple peasant farmers' claims against rapacious landlords. Accordingly, after he had drafted the Vietnamese consititution he became the inaugral Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vietnam in 1949.

The second issue was land reform, although each proposed method was markedly different. The ICP advocated seizure by the state and immediate redistribution to the Nha Que, the VNQDD proposed a land value tax combined with recommendations from the Rural Reconstruction Team in China.

The details of the United Front were dictated by the VNQDD through virtue of larger numbers, although in a spirit of bipartisanship they conceded graciously on several unimportant points. The sheer dominance of the VNQDD created a sense of bitterness within the ICP at their policy exclusion. Perhaps if the VNQDD had been more inclusive than Vietnam would not have been divided, or perhaps partition was inevitable at this point.

Author's notes:

[1] In OTL considered becoming a Lawyer, in TTL he does.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The Guns of August

‘The blossoms in spring are the fruit in autumn’

Several historians have written about the Hung Dao Dai Vuong offensive launched by the Nationalist Revolutionary Army and VNQDD at the end of World War Two. It has been compared to, ‘Operation August Storm,’ the Soviet invasion of Manchuria due to its impact at the start of the Cold War.

The offensive was conceived as an additional objective to the second Guangxi campaign by Colonel Van Tien Dung[1], the head of the Vietnamese General Staff, and General Li Zongren. Colonel Dung briefed General Zhang Fakuai[2] commander of the Second Front Army on his proposal and recommended integrating the Vietnamese brigade following the battle of West Hunan. Surprisingly Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek agreed with their proposal to expand the Guangxi campaign for two reasons. The first was to elevate his post war credentials and the second to secure his southern border including reasserting control over Yunnan. The schedule of operations drafted by General Li and Colonel Dung called for two phases.

The initial phase commenced with dispersed guerrilla attacks on isolated Imperial Japanese Army (“IJA”) garrisons and their logistical train, which forced the IJA to concentrate their forces. This coincided with a disinformation campaign, which suggested the attacks were intended to distract the IJA forces prior to an Allied invasion in Cochin China.

The second phase commenced on 25 July 1945 with one column from the Chinese Second Front Army assaulting into Vietnam from Guangxi and the second from the Fifth Chinese Army in Yunnan. The vanguard of the Second Army was the battle hardened Vietnamese brigade. The Chinese advance was characterised by their drive south which sought to isolate and encircle several IJA formations. An unremarked upon aspect of their campaign is the work of the VNQDD is route preparation, victual supply and bivouac preparation. This prevented the famine being exacerbated by rapacious Chinese soldiers and increasing the hardship suffered by the Nha Que.

Upon liberation by the Allied forces a provisional revolutionary council was immediately established from the village up to the provincial level. One of their initial acts was for rice stockpiles to be placed under armed guard and distributed to the local community. Although the rations were inadequate for a normal adult, they were sufficient to prevent starvation.

With their total air superiority negated by inclement weather the combined offensive reached the outskirts of Hanoi on 3 August 1945. The battle for Hanoi was surprisingly brief with the city being declared liberated on 7 August 1945. The National Revolutionary Army and the Vietnamese brigade resumed their southward advance reaching Vinh at the date of the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945.

On September 12 1945 a military parade was held in Ba Dinh square in Hanoi to celebrate the unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan and the liberation of Vietnam. National Revolutionary Army M – 3 Stuart tanks trundled past, followed by the combined armies. After the parade Chairman Chau made his famous declaration of independence for Vietnam. His speech was punctuated by the roar of two Ki –43 Hayabusa’s, featuring hastily painted Vietnamese flags, whom due to low cloud cover were forced to fly at rooftop height much to the delight of the thronging crowd [3]. It was noteworthy that the curfews imposed by the Japanese on French civilians ostensibly for their own safety were not relaxed by the Vietnamese.

In Saigon the formal surrender of Japanese forces to the Allies was chaired by Major General Douglas Gracey, who belatedly accommodated the request by General Li Zongren representing the Nationalist Chinese and Le Van Nhuan representing the VNQDD. Although the 20th Indian Division had re imposed order in Saigon, they were powerless in the countryside as the VNQDD moved quickly to assume control. Recognising the potential for the situation to explode, it was General Gracey’s efforts and political pressure from the United States that prevented a wider scale conflict.

Several units of the Japanese Army, their air service and the Imperial Japanese Navy surrendered independently to Vietnamese forces. Selective individuals and units accepted the opportunity to continue to serve. 12 September 1945 is commemorated by the Royal Vietnamese Navy as their birthday, symbolised by the historic lowering of the Imperial Japanese Naval ensign on HIJMS Etorfu, and the hoisting of the Vietnamese Naval Jack.

To the Vietnamese the only flag that mattered, was the same flag fluttering proudly at the bow of RVNS Etorfu.

Author's Notes:
[1]Author of the Ho Chi Minh offensive in 1975 and the attack by the PAVN on Kampuchea in 1979.

[2] General Zhang in OTL advocated the liberation of Vietnam to remove the French and to install a government friendly to Nationalist China.

[3] In OTL American P - 38's roared overhead, ITTL Vietnamese Ki - 43's. Incidentally if anyone wants to photoshop some aircraft for me that would be much appreciated.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Winning the peace

“The great secret of success in life is for a man to be ready when his opportunity comes.”

— Benjamin Disraeli

The unilateral declaration of independence by Vietnam by Prime Minister Chau was unsurprisingly not greeted with universal enthusiasm by its former colonial master France. French domestic opinion ranged from bemusement to bellicose calls for a military intervention to reassert their dominance over this recalcitrant colony.

However, despite the shrill calls for an armed intervention in Indochina from several conservative politicians, the socialist government grasped the situation clearly. Metropolitan France had suffered from four years of brutal occupation from the Bosche and was in dire financial straits. Accordingly, the cost in manpower and to the coffers of the Fourth Republic would be stark for a military campaign on the other side of the world. The scarce resources available to the Fourth Republic would be more appropriately expended on restoring the country’s desiccated infrastructure.

Throughout Indochina each colony was in revolt and independent governments were established. In Hanoi the VNQDD government in conjunction with their embryonic military staff prepared to face the mighty French Far East Expeditionary Corps in battle. The bulk of their military train was quietly moved westwards, away from the guns and aircraft of the prowling French Fleet waiting in the Tonkin Gulf. The grim spectre of war again hovered over Indochina.

The French Republic led by Leon Blum, in a final effort to avoid war dispatched an ambassador with a military attaché named Colonel Sairigne to attempt to resolve the issue one last time. It was the report made by Colonel Sairigne that compelled the government to come to a political agreement with the VNQDD. He noted the Vietnamese were united, disciplined and resolved to fight. His comment on the outcome of a war was seized upon, notably that ‘France may triumph in every battle, but would eventually run out of men or money or both.’

The commander of the expeditionary corps General LeClerc had echoed similar sentiments earlier to the President and reinforced Indochina’s infrastructure had been largely destroyed by the Japanese army, Vietnamese partisans and American bombing. Tonkin was suffering from famine and they were ‘theoretically’ opposed by a battle hardened Vietnamese – Nationalist Chinese force. The situation was clearly a mess and the prudent course would be to seek a political solution.

International opinion also entered the fray, President Roosevelt exerted subtle pressure on the French to adhere to their promises of fraternity, equality and liberty and allow their colony the right to attain independence. The Nationalist Chinese although having resumed their fratricidal war against the Chinese Communists deployed two squadrons of fighter aircraft to Hanoi, establishing their intent clearly.

Both sides recognised the futility of conflict and in November 1945 a Vietnamese delegation was ferried to the French heavy cruiser Suffren to sign the articles of Independence onboard the destroyer escort RVNS Etorfu. The articles of independence set Vietnamese independence for 1 January 1946. As simple as that, France washed her hands of her Indochinese possessions and focused her attention on the looming crisis in Algeria.

It is strange that the speech made by Prime Minister Chau was so magnamonious after he had fought for four decades to attain Vietnamese independence. Or as some academics argued he realised the French power was in decline and would be ultimately irrelevant to the future of Vietnam. An excerpt of his speech is listed below:

‘With France in particular, a country famous for its glorious tradition of liberty, the Kingdom of Vietnam ardently desires to form ties of confidence and friendship, which are indispensable to the restoration of peace in Vietnam and the settlement of all related questions. We stand for the establishment of economic and cultural relations with France on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. We need peace to enable us to work towards national reconstruction. We shall faithfully and strictly carry out all the terms of the agreement which we have signed. We hope and that France will do the same. We all need to maintain and consolidate the peace which has just been achieved.’
​

On 1 January 1946 up and down the length of the country the French tricolor was lowered for the final time and Vietnam was once again an independent united nation. It was to be, unfortunately, a brief interlude.

 

[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.

 

[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.’

 

[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)
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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’



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

 

[La Rouge Beret]

Foreign Investment


After independence the Kingdom of Vietnam lacked entrepreneurs, bankers and businessmen. The decision to allow restricted foreign investment was to produce dividends for the country. As the education standards were quite low, investment was focused on consumer and industrial goods such as textiles, cement, glass and paper.

It was the spur of the economic crisis of 1948 that prompted a greater amount of government involvement in the economy. The Vietnamese name for the government role in the economy was huong dan or ‘to guide’, and was based on the French policy of Dirigisme. The actual concept was inspired by Nguyen van Thien a French trained economist who had retained close relationship with the French bureaucracy. These ideas were suggested by the newly created Ministry of Economy Development and Trade (MEDT). Through the support of patrons such as the Rockefeller Institute, MEDT attracted such luminaries as Peter Drucker and William Deming to review their industrial policy and to conduct an annual lecture at the Saigon Business School.

Huong Dan in its practical form meant smaller companies in key industries were urged to merge and create larger companies that could become competitive on an international level. Several leading economic scholars have suggested the Vietnamese model inspired the Berkley Mafia under the Suharto government and later industrialisation in Malaysia.

MEDT also induced certain public and private corporations to respond to mandated government reforms. This meant using various incentives such as tax holidays and government subsidies to expand key industries. An example of this was the expansion of light industry within Vietnam, which was used to subsidise land reform. Absentee landlords had two options: they were allowed a tax loss equal to the value of the land acquired over a twenty year period or they were provided a manufacturing license in textiles, cement, or glass. Those landlords that accepted were provided access to low interest loans, with the ability to have their interest capitalised or to have a repayment holiday of one year after construction had been completed.

Tarrifs were established by the Government, which contributed to a economic development fund earmarked to provide subsidies to companies in key industries. An example of this would be if a project was deemed to be in the national interest the company would be provided a tax holiday for two years after construction had completed. This provision was contingent upon due diligence checks being conducted and construction indicators being met. If they were not met then the government reverted to the original plan of only the interest of the loan being eligible for a tax holiday.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The Laotian quagmire

7:16 a.m. over Eastern Laos, 4 November 1958

Thieu Uy (Second Lieutenant) Le Hung of the Vietnamese Airborne Regiment looked out of the Royal Vietnamese Air Force DC-3 and saw that the air was clear with stray shafts of sunlight gilding the paddy fields below, with scattered tiny figures littering the fields. Smoke from the myriad of village fires rose vertically, which he quietly gave a blessings that at least today for his unit there no heavy crosswinds over the drop zone today.

He looked down the fuselage at his platoon and envied the ability of his subordinates to lightly doze or to chat with their comrades. In contrast, he was attempting to remember his objectives and to commit the small map to memory. The paratroopers of the Airborne Regiment wore American helmets and webbing, and most still had a Model 43 submachine gun or Duck strapped to their thigh rather than the M – 1 carbine.

His reverie was rudely interrupted by the order to ‘Stand up and Hook up.’ Figures lurched against each other, snapping the spring hooks of their webbing static lines over the cable running down the fuselage roof and jerking to make sure they were secure.

‘Equipment check!’ Each man focused on the parachute pack of the man in front, particularly the static line attachment. The red light flicked on and an icy blast accompanied by a deafening noise through an open cargo door went through the fuselage. 2LT Le stood in the doorway and composed himself waiting for the green light. The green light buzzed and simultaneously he was slapped on the shoulder by the jumper master, reacting on instinct he pushed himself out of the door and into the blue sky.

One one thousand

Two one thousand

Three one thousand

Four one thousand

Five one thousand

With a physical jolt his parachute deployed and he looked at the other canopies covering the morning sky. Now where was the form up point again…

Background:

The Vietnamese government had watched with trepidation as the precarious balancing act between the Neutralist, Pathet Lao and the Royalist faction had been destroyed with the untimely death of the Neutralist Prime Minister. Without his guiding personality the Neutralist faction disintegrated with their members joining either the Pathet Lao or the Royalists. At this moment the Laotian civil war was inevitable, it was waiting for the right cause, which was to occur with the Royalist Leader Prince Boun Oum recognising the looming conflict withdrew from the capital and unilaterally declared Champasak to be an independent state. The basis for his declaration was due to the increasing amounts of Communist Chinese advisors and although initially greeted with skepticism by many in the West, recent releases from the Chinese Politburo indicate that there was truth to his claim. Unfortunately he overestimated the ability of his forces and the estimates provided by the Vietnamese and Thai ‘advisers’ was that the Kingdom of Champasak would not survive without foreign intervention.

The Vietnamese General Staff had war gamed a similar situation several months earlier when a Laotian Civil War had emerged as a possibility. Vietnam did not relish a Chinese proxy state on their long porous border with Laos and the possibility of another safe area for the Viet Cong guerillas. Accordingly, the confluence of events was right for Vietnamese incursion. Their intervention was predicated on two goals the first to stop the Communist advance and the second to stabilise the front. Their recommendation was to intervene in the dry season to facilitate their advance due to lower temperatures and with rainfall. The logistical hub for the Vietnamese advance was a smaller output located at Khe Sanh the main arm would thrust into Lao Bao, Ban Dong with the Airborne Regiment used to secure the bridges at Xepon. The operation was dubbed ‘Gio Dong’ or ‘Eastern Wind.’ Ultimately the planning for ‘Gio Dong’ was assisted by American advisors, who also provided access to additional jump support with C – 119 Boxcars in concert with the venerable DC – 3.

For the most part the Gio Dong stabilized the southern kingdom and was largely achieved without bloodshed with the exception of the C Company 3rd Airborne Battalion at Xepon.

Xepon, Laos 4 November 1958

Charlie Company (C Coy) of the 3rd Airborne Battalion moved towards Xepon in a classic ‘two up, one back’ formation with 8 and 9 platoons leading and 7 platoon in support. As C Coy moved through the valley they were observed from the Pathet Lao force in the village and came under heavy machine gun fire and briefly indirect fire from mortars. Without any organic indirect fire support the OC of the Company Major Trinh launched an immediate attack.

8 platoon moved into a fire support position with 9 platoon performing a right hand flanking attack into the village with 7 platoon in support. The maneuver element then struck headlong into the Pathet Lao fighting positions and promptly stalled, due to the excellent layout and camouflage of the fighting positions.

The Platoon Commander of 9 Platoon 2LT Le identifying that he needed to keep the attack moving, crawled through the withering enemy fire and towards the fighting positions. He crawled up to the lip of the fighting position and threw a grenade. Afterwards the grenade exploded, he then personally led the attack on the remaining fighting positions. By 16:45 the village of Xepon and the bridges were in Vietnamese hands. During the fighting they had captured several prisoners to their horror, they realised one of the Pathet Lao officers was Chinese.

The following day C Coy was attacked by three T-34 tanks, one was incapacitated with a sticky bomb and at which stage the other two withdrew. The attack into fortified positions and the T-34 atack illustrated the need for organic fire support to be available for any Airborne operation. The Battle of Xepon is still celebrated in the Airborne regiment today.

 

[La Rouge Beret]

The Royal Vietnamese Air Force and the French Lady

The history of the Vietnamese Air Force and its modern shape can best be attributed to a single man General Nguyen Van Hinh, who was a French Lieutenant General and had commanded an air group in Italy during the Second World War. It was his experience in the assistance that an air force could play in shaping the battlefield for the army. Although seen as possessing openly close bonds with the French, his pragmatism won out.

His appointment as the Chief of the Air Force was seen as a way of uniting those that had previously fought with the French and those against them. It was to be a prudent move, ever the opportunist he organized the remaining Japanese aircraft into two squadrons for self defence with one based in Hanoi and the second near Haiphong. Both squadrons were required to send detachments to Saigon or as needed. Noting the benign tactical condition of having a friendly neighbor to the North caused the government to not allocate sufficient funds to modernize the aircraft in use until after the fall of the Nationalist regime in 1949.

The emphasis on a tactical air force was borne by the realization the military due to the problems with roads and inability to reinforce people quickly. Air supremacy and the ability to act as flying artillery would be critical to any successful engagement. This had been illustrated both with the liberation of Vietnam and the British Army involvement in Burma during WW II.

Although air superiority was emphasized the ability to effectively and accurately support their soldiers was gradually implemented as both time, money and training allowed. This also allowed the 1st squadron Royal Vietnamese Air Force to deploy to the Republic of Korea under the auspices of the UN. There Ki – 43 Hayabusas were very nearly worn out by the time of their deployment and were replaced by Vought Corsairs. Although the Corsairs best matched the requirements to be able to conduct air superiority and close air support. The sobriquet of the “Angel of the Okinawa” was replaced by the title of the Angel of Moune Phine.

But the emphasis placed on the ability to conduct tactical and strategic lift, due to the paucity of roads any pilots were used by the National Airline were automatically commissioned with the Air Force as reservists. Although when the DC – 3’s were replaced with Caribous this also assisted.

The first jet aircraft of the RVNAF consisted of a single squadron of the North American F-86 Sabre purchased under the Foreign Military Sales in 1955 and were seen by many as a reward for the Kingdom’s participation in the Korean War. However as the 1950’s progressed it became increasingly obvious that although the Sabre was an incredibly capable day fighter, it had become superseded with the introduction of the Mig 19 and Mig 21 into service with the People’s Liberation Air Force. This obsolescence became apparent with several reconnaissance overflights across RVNAF air fields in 1959.

A replacement fighter program was launched to regain air superiority and considered several aircraft including the predecessor to the Northrop F – 5 the N-156F, the F – 104 Starfighter, the English Electric Lightning and belatedly the Dassault Mirage III. The F – 5 and the Lightning were both ruled out due to their performance of either being inadequate with the case of the F – 5 or having inadequate range for the Lightning.

The final two competitors consisted of the Dassault Mirage III and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Both aircraft were supported by their respective governments, not only for the potential sales but also for the likely combat experience to be gained. Despite the Mirage III being superior in most respects, the Starfighter seemed to be the leading contender for the program. However evidence of massive bribes from Lockheed to the Vietnamese was uncovered by Mr Thomas Fowler of the London Times and the Minister of Defence and the Chief of the Air Force General Nguyen were forced to resign. The scandal caused the government to reverse their position and the ‘French Lady’ from their first delivery in 1965 and involvement with the second Laotian emergency proudly guarded the skies of Vietnam for close to three decades.


Dogfights – Season 2, Episode 4: An Auspicious start

Good Evening viewers, I am standing outside of the Yen Bai airbase and looking at the Mirage III positioned here as the gate guardian. This is the same aircraft that was flown by the former Chief of the Air Force General Nguyen Van Coc. We interviewed the former Chief of the Air Force several days ago about the start of his successful liaison with the French lady on that fateful day on 30 April 1965.

We had ferried the first four Mirage III’s to Yen Bai a week prior and were still integrating the ‘French Lady’ into our Air Defence system. Due to the limitations of our Sabre squadrons the Chinese Air Force had taken to sending several aircraft to penetrate our air defence system.

It was 8:15 a.m. from memory when a quartet of Mig 19’s were detected by Ground Control and myself and my wingman First Lieutenant Gao Quang Dung (later a Brigadier General). We vectored to meet the MiG and we were set up in a beautiful position. I was the first to establish eye contact and advised Lieutenant Gao.

The four Mig 19’s separated into two pairs, and Gao and myself took the higher pair. Gao pursued but did not close, and I assumed the lead closing to missile range. I fired my Sidewinder from around 800 meters directly astern of the Mig. The sidewinder detonated close to the MiG, and I was certain that he was fatally damaged. I continued scanning the sky, and then closed toward another Mig and fired a snap shot with my cannon but missed.
I then separated from the engagement to regain altitude and speed. I confirmed that I was clean and and realised that I had lost Gao in the general melee. Realising this I returned to the fray and saw a pair of MiGs, went in after them, closed to a range of 200 meters and shot off all my remaining ammunition. I literally peppered his underside and he speared in, with the remaining Mig deciding that discretion was the better part of valour and departed.

Our controller instructed us to return to base and despite my success I just felt frustrated as we had let two Migs escape. But after that day the Chinese were certainly more wary of straying into our airspace.