The Tonkin Gulf Incident

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The Tonkin Gulf Incident

• Making the Vietnam War Official

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Gulf of Tonkin Incident

• two separate incidents involving naval forces of
  North Vietnam and the US in the waters of the
  Gulf of Tonkin
• On August 2, 1964, the USS Maddox engaged three
  North Vietnamese torpedo boats, resulting in
  damage to the three boats.
• On August 4 the Maddox reported a second
  engagement with North Vietnamese vessels.
• This second report was later concluded to be
  incorrect

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Background

• The Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred during the
  first year of the Johnson administration
• Johnson's supported military escalation in
  Vietnam
• After Kennedy's assassination, Johnson ordered in
  more American forces to support the Saigon
  government

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Background

• According to the U.S. Naval Institute, covert
  actions against North Vietnam had begun under the
  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1961.
• The night before the launching of the actions
  against North Vietnam facilities, a covert team
  was captured in North Vietnam territory
• Also that night two flights of CIA-sponsored
  Laotian fighter-bombers attacked border outposts
  well within southwestern North Vietnam
• The Hanoi government assumed that they were all
  a coordinated effort to escalate military actions
  against North Vietnam.

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The 1st Incident

• On July 31, 1964, the Maddox had begun its
  intelligence collection mission in the gulf
• The Maddox was under orders not to approach
  closer than eight miles from the North's coast
• On August 2, Maddox claimed it was attacked by
  three North Vietnamese patrol boats 28 miles away
  from the North Vietnamese coast in international
  waters

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The 1st Incident

• Maddox evaded a torpedo attack and opened fire
  with its guns, forcing the patrol craft away
• U.S. aircraft were launched then attacked the
  retiring patrol boats, claiming one as sunk and
  one heavily damaged
• Maddox, suffering very minor damage retired to
  South Vietnamese waters

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The 2nd Incident

• On August 4, another North Vietnamese patrol off
  the North Vietnamese coast was launched
• This time the Maddox was to close to no more than
  11 miles from the coast of North Vietnam
• During an evening and early morning of rough
  weather and heavy seas, they received radar,
  sonar, and radio signals that they believed
  signaled another attack by the North Vietnamese
  navy

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The 2nd Incident

• For some two hours the ships fired on radar
  targets and maneuvered vigorously amid electronic
  and visual reports of enemies.
• At 130 am Washington time, Maddox sent a cable
  in which he admitted that the attack may never
  have happened and that there may have been no
  Vietnamese craft in the area
• One hour later, Maddox sent another cable,
  stating, "Entire action leaves many doubts except
  for apparent ambush at beginning. Suggest
  thorough reconnaissance in daylight by aircraft."

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The 2nd Incident

• At 6 pm Washington time, Maddox cabled yet again,
  this time stating,
• "the first boat to close the Maddox probably
  fired a torpedo at the Maddox which was heard but
  not seen. All subsequent Maddox torpedo reports
  are doubtful in that it is suspected that
  sonarman was hearing ship's own propeller beat"

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Consequences

• President Johnson, who was up for election that
  year, launched retaliatory air strikes and went
  on national television
• Although Maddox had been involved in providing
  intelligence support for South Vietnamese Defense
  Secretary McNamara denied that the U.S. Navy had
  supported South Vietnamese military operations in
  the Gulf
• He thus characterized the attack as "unprovoked"
  since the ship had been in international waters

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Consequences

• As a result of his testimony, on August 7,
  Congress passed a joint resolution titled the
  Southeast Asia Resolution, which granted
  President Johnson the authority to conduct
  military operations in Southeast Asia
• The Resolution gave President Johnson approval
  "to take all necessary steps, including the use
  of armed force, to assist any member or protocol
  state of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense
  Treaty requesting assistance in defense of its
  freedom."

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The Aftermath

• Just a few days after the incident, President
  Johnson commented privately "For all I know, our
  Navy was shooting at whales out there."
• In 1981, Captain Herrick of the Maddox
  re-examined the ship's log and determined that
  the first torpedo report from August 4th, which
  Herrick had maintained had occurredthe "apparent
  ambush"was in fact unfounded