THE HISTORIC SEA BATTLE OF PARACELS BETWEEN VIETNAM

THE HISTORIC SEA BATTLE OF PARACELS BETWEEN VIETNAM AND CHINA (1974) Presented by: Captain Kiem Do (VNN) LCDR. Tran Do Cam (VNN) Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam

Captain Kiem Do • Commandant VNN Midshipmen School – 1962 • Deputy Fleet Commander – 1966 • Fourth Coastal Zone Commander – 1969 • Chief of Staff – VNN Mobile Riverine Operations – 1972 • Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations – VNN Headquarters (1973) 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 2

LCDR. Tran Do Cam • PT Boat Captain (1965 -1970) – Coastal Security Services – MACV/SOG Sea Commandos, OPLAN -34 A operated in the Gulf of Tonkin • Commanding Officer of River Assault Group 31 (Vinh Long) and 26 (Long Xuyen) – Mekong Delta River area (1970 – 1975) Email: camtran 11@yahoo. com 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction (Capt. Kiem Do) 2. The Paracels: Geography and History (Lcdr. Tran Do Cam) 3. The Battle (Capt. Kiem Do) 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 4

The Paracels – Geography • Coordinate: - LAT. 16. 30 North - LONG. 111. 30 East • Located at the entrance of the Gulf of Tonkin; control the East Sea; • Crossroad of main N-S & E-W sea lanes • Distances: - Da Nang: 175 nautical miles - Hai Nan: # 185 nautical miles • Extension of VN continental shelf 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 5

The East Sea – Satellite Image EAST SEA 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 6

The Paracels Islands • 2 groups: Amphitrite & Crescent • VN garrison on Pattle island since 1930 • Lighthouse and weather station (World Meteorological Org. # 48. 860) 11/30/2020 EAST SEA Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 7

The Paracels – Crescent Groups • Coral, 3 -5 m ASL • 0. 5 sq mile or less 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 8

East Sea – Shipping Lanes Paracels EAST SEA 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 9

Paracels History: Vietnam Sovereignty • • • Nguyen Dynasty’s maker (1816) VN garrison on Pattle island since 1930 Lighthouse and weather station (World Meteorological Org. # 48. 860) San Francisco Conference Sept. 7 th, 1951 Chinese Expansion vs United Nations Conventions on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS – Jamaica 1982)) 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 10

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CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER PROGRAMME • Purchased Retired HMAS Melbourne 1985 • Purchased two ex-Soviet Navy Kiev-class aircraft carriers, Minsk and Kiev, in the late 1990 s. Both carriers were developed into floating tourism parks based in Shenzhen and Tianjin respectively • In early 1998 a Macau-based tourist and amusement company bought the unfinished (70%) 67, 500 t ex-Soviet Navy Kuznetsov class aircraft carrier Varyag for US$20 million • Use Chengdu J-10 aircraft as carrier-based fighter • Possible that China will purchase the Russian Su-33 (Su-27 modified) naval fighter aircraft Su-27 J-10 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 12

VARYAG in Dailian shipyard MELBOURNE 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 13

Capt. Kiem Do’s Presentation 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 14

General Situation • US – Sino rapprochement – President’s Nixon trip to China – Feb. 1972 • Paris Peace Agreement - Jan. 27 th, 1973 • Watergate Scandal – April 30 th, 1973 • US Congress Church Amendment – June 1973 • Budget for Vietnam cut by US Congress • Deterioration of Military situation as consequence • The oil discovery 1969 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 15

THE CONFRONTATION 1. 2. • • • 3. N Day January 19 th, 1974 • • • 4. HQ-16’s mission and report of the Chinese invasion (Jan. 16 th). Vietnamese Navy Reactions Re-assessment of Chinese intention Re-enforcement HQ-4, HQ-5, HQ-10 (Jan. 17 th & 18 th) Established Advanced Command Post at Danang with Vice CNO Admiral Lam Nguon Tanh. Designated Captain Ha Van Ngac as OTC with staff on board HQ-05 Present Course-Of Action to Commander-In-Chief President Nguyen Van Thieu Order to fight by President Thieu Order of Battle The failed negotiation The Battle The Aftermath Capt. Ha Van Ngac, VNN OTC 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 16

SHIPS DEPLOYMENT 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 17

N Day January 19 th, 1974 1. Order of Battle § Vietnamese ships • HQ-4 “Tran Khanh Du” • HQ-16 “Ly Thuong Kiet” • HQ-5 “Tran Binh Trong” • HQ-10 “Nhut Tao” § 11/30/2020 Chinese ships • 2 Kronstads ” 271 & 274” • 2 T-43 s” 386 & 389” • 2 Armed fishing boat “ 402 & 407” • 2 Hainan class submarine chaser “ 281 & 281” reinforcement Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 18

VNN Ship – HQ-4 “Tran Khanh Du” • Ex-USS Forster (DER 334, transferred June 2 nd, 71) • Dimension (ft): 306 x 37 x 14 • Armament: (2) 3” • Speed: 21 knots • CO: CDR. Vu Huu San 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 19

VNN Ship – HQ-5 “Tran Binh Trong” • Ex USCGC Castle Rock (WHEC 383, transferred Dec. 21 st, 71) • Dimension (ft): 310 x 41 x 14 • Armament: (1) 5”, (2) 40 mm • Speed: 18 knots • CO: CDR. Pham Trong Quynh 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 20

VNN Ship – HQ-16 “Ly Thuong Kiet” • Ex USCG Chicoteague WHEC 375, transferred Dec. 6 th, 71) • Dimension (ft): 310 x 41 x 14 • Armament: (1) 5”, (2) 40 mm • Speed: 18 knots • CO: CDR. Le Van Thu 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 21

VNN Ship – HQ-10 “Nhut Tao” • Ex-USS Serene (MSF 300, transferred Jan. 1964) • Dimension (ft): 185 x 33 x 10 • Armament: (1) 3”, (2) 40 mm • Speed: 14 knots • CO: LCDR. Nguy Van Tha 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 22

Chinese Ships • Kronstad – Dimension (ft): 170 x 22 x 9 – Armament: (1) 3” 9, (2) 37 mm – Speed: 27 knots • T-43 – Dimension (ft): 192 x 28 x 7 – Armament: (4) 37 mm – Speed: 17 knots • Hainan – Dimension (ft): 193 x 27 x 14 – Armament: (4) 57 mm (twin) – Speed: 16 knots 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 23

HQ-4 & Chinese Fishing Boat 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 24

TACTICAL ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES 1. VNN Side • • • Slightly superior in fire power Ship crews well trained through ACTOV prog. Experienced in accurate gunfire support High profile + slow moving = Good targets Battlefield not chosen. Too narrow Technical condition less than desirable 2. Chinese side • • • Higher speed + High maneuverability Smaller + lower on water = Hard to hit targets Smaller gun caliber (100 mm vs 127 mm) 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 25

The Battle – Jan. 19 th, 1974 § § Ships’ disposition • VNN: around Pattle • Chinese: around Duncan Maneuvering: • VNN: TG North and South • Chinese: one vs one The engagement: • Started: 10: 25 AM • Ended: 10: 55 AM The disengagement • HQ-16: West • HQ-4 & HQ-5: Southwest • HQ-10 sunk at 14: 25 PM 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 26

The Aftermath 1. The Result § Damaged from VNN side • • • § Damaged from Chinese side • • • 2. HQ-10 sunk HQ-4, HQ-5, HQ-16 damaged 3 dozen unaccounted for, 26 wounded, 48 captured Kronstad 274, T-43 389 sunk Kronstad 271, T-43 396 damaged 18 death, 64 wounded (Sino websites) The Rescue Operation 11/30/2020 DAO’s civilian employee Emile Gerald Kosh released Jan. 31 st, 1974 (Hongkong) Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 27

Chinese Casualty Chinese ship listing badly with many gasping holes on port side, beached on coral to prevent from sinking 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 28

Thank You - Q & A Session 11/30/2020 Paracels Sea Battle / Kiem Do & Tran Do Cam 29

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