The ships were World War II-era Bogue -class escort carriers that displaced about 16,600 tons and could travel at a top speed of 18 knots while carrying a dozen F4F Wildcats and nine TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers. WASHINGTON (Jan. 15, 2021) A graphic illustration of the future Virginia-class attack submarine USS Silversides (SSN 807). Mounted by commandos from the 65th Special Operations Group . If you look at Mr. Ahmad’s answer it is exhaustive in its detail. Bohem speculated that the explosives used in the attack had actually been stolen from his own South Vietnamese Navy unit by a group of deserters who had been mistreated by a South Vietnamese officer. [7], Once the commandos finally got out of the tunnel, they both swam towards the broadside of Card which anchored near the opening of the sewer. The Attack on the USNS Card was a Viet Cong operation during the Vietnam War. [2], Card while in service with the United States Navy, From 1961 onwards, Card and USNS Core regularly docked in Saigon to unload heavy artillery, M113 armored personnel carriers, aircraft, helicopters and ammunition for the South Vietnamese government. While waiting for the right time, Nao briefed Hung on the objectives of the operation, which was to sink the largest American ship at the Saigon Port, and promptly report the results back to headquarters. On October 20, 1964, the North Vietnamese government issued a postage stamp which proclaimed an "Aircraft Carrier of America sunk in the Harbor of Saigon", to praise the Viet Cong commandos who carried out the attack. He advised Nao that the best way to enter the area where the American ships normally anchored, was via the sewer tunnel opposite Thu Thiem. [4], From 1961 onwards, the Card and the USNS Core regularly docked in Saigon to unload heavy artillery, M-113 armored personnel carriers, aircraft, helicopters and ammunition for the South Vietnamese government. [7], Shortly after 6:30pm as both men headed towards Warehouse Number 0 at the commercial port district, a police patrol boat spotted them and quickly gave chase. The commandos attached the explosives to Core’s hull, set the timer and retreated back into the sewer to wait for the outcome. The sewerage tunnel contained both wastes and toxic oils which could cause blindness, so Nao and his men would have to close their eyes as they move through the tunnel, in order to avoid blindness. The USNS Mercy briefly docked in the Port of LA in March and was one of several medical field locations established by the state in preparation for an expected COVID-19 surge Newsom said would require an additional 50,000 hospital beds. The spectre of the attack on the Card would rear its head again in October, 2000, when 17 sailors lost their lives when the USS Cole (DDG-67) was attacked by al-Qæda suicide bombers while in port at Aden, Yemen. When the commandos arrived at the sewer tunnel, they assembled the bomb device with each man carrying 40 kilograms (88 lb) of explosives down through the tunnel. it and a sister ship, the USNS Core had attracted the attention of local insurgents. The attack was made by insurgents from the 65th Special Operations Group. To avoid delaying the operation, Nao bribed the patrol boat commander 1000 Vietnamese dong,[8] as the South Vietnamese police were widely known for their corruption. Articles containing Vietnamese-language text, Vietnam articles missing geocoordinate data, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1964, Battles of the Vietnam War involving the United States, "Commando recalls sinking of US aircraft carrier", http://vietnamnews.vn/society/269334/commando-recalls-sinking-of-us-aircraft-carrier.html, https://books.google.com/books/about/U_505.html?id=9miCPB0qITwC, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Attack_on_USNS_Card?oldid=4420016. At 6pm, after Nao had finished unloading the bombs onto one canoe, he and Hung traveled down the Saigon River in two separate canoes, towards the commercial port district. On December 15, 1961, the Card left Quonset Point, Rhode Island, with a cargo of H-21 Shawnee helicopters and U.S. soldiers from Fort Devens, Massachusetts, bound for Vietnam. As Nao and Hung approached the patrol boat, an explosion was heard and a bright light could be seen in the commercial port area. For more details on sinking of the USNS Card, see Attack on the USNS Card. Today in Naval History - Naval / Maritime Events in History 2 May 1810 – Launch of French Friedland, an 80-gun Bucentaure-class ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Sané The Friedland was an 80-gun Bucentaure-class ship of the line of the French Navy, designed by Sané. Adapted from Chaplain Bell interview in box 2 of World War II Interviews, Archives, Naval History and Heritage Command. Vietnam War For more details on sinking of the USNS Card, see Attack on the USNS Card. On May 2, 1964, fifty one years ago today, two Viet Cong commandos sunk the USNS Card in the Port of Saigon. The aftermath of the attack on the Card rallied American rescue and salvage crews to deal with a severe crisis. Nao concluded that the tunnel would provide the best way to get in and out of the American area, but using it also presented challenges. All members in good standing are free to post here. The Attack on the USNS Card was a Viet Cong operation during the Vietnam War. At 1.10am, the bombs were completed and both commandos retreated back into the sewer tunnel, and climbed into their canoes on the other side and rowed back to Thu Thiem. The ship was manned by a civilian crew and was prefixed "USNS" (United States Naval Ship) instead of "USS" (United States Ship) as it was in service but not commissioned. Lam Son Nao, a commando of the 65th Special Operations Group, was also an employee at the port facility. After 1945 Card was decommissioned and was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Nao's father had previously worked at the port facility as a tradesman, so he memorised all the underground tunnels and sewerage systems which ran in and out of the facility. [9], Once the commandos finally got out of the tunnel, they both swam towards the broadside of the Card which anchored near the opening of the sewer. The attack was made by insurgents from the 65th Special Operations Group. [16] The U.S. Navy refused to admit the Card had been sunk even for a brief period of time, instead it simply stated the Card was damaged and quickly repaired. But due to illness, Cay declined to take part in the operation, so Hung had to replace him. [6], Nao then returned to Saigon and began assembling the equipment required for the attack which included C4 plastic explosives, TNT, wires, mine detonators and batteries. it and a sister ship, the USNS Core had attracted the attention of local insurgents. [3], Despite their best efforts to control VC activities across the river in the Thu Thiem area, the South Vietnamese military and police could not stop VC agents from operating there. The American brass and Pres. [17] For the remainder of 1964, the Viet Cong launched further attacks on U.S. targets such as the Brinks Hotel and Bien Hoa Air Base, but there were no significant responses from the U.S. Back to the Cold War (1946-1989) Message Board. The ship was refloated 17 days later, and was towed to the Philippines for repairs. From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, First Seal by Roy Boehm and Charles Sasser pages 294-296, "Commando recalls sinking of US aircraft carrier", https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Attack_on_the_USNS_Card&oldid=715445162, Articles containing Vietnamese-language text, Vietnam articles missing geocoordinate data, Battles and operations of the Vietnam War in 1964, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. But due to illness, Cay declined to take part in the operation, so Hung had to replace him. Both men than pulled over in the Thu Thiem area, to avoid detection from South Vietnamese authorities by intermingling with the local workers who lived there. [13] In the days that followed, five U.S. Navy divers were deployed to Saigon from the Philippines, in addition to several salvage teams from U.S. bases in Japan and the Military Sea Transport Service Command. The port itself was guarded round the clock by Republic of Vietnam National Police, as undercover South Vietnamese agents operated across the river in the Thu Thiem area to disrupt VC activities there. [7] At around 9am on May 1, Nao rushed to Hung’s home, where the latter was given a hand grenade and was notified of an upcoming operation without much detail. Both men then pulled over in the Thu Thiem area, to avoid detection from South Vietnamese authorities by intermingling with the local workers who lived there. [4], However, the bombs failed to explode as planned, because the battery had expired due to long periods of storage. of a deadly “wolf pack” of U-boats on the night of 24 December. Attack on Camp Holloway; Attack on USNS Card; Peter Badcoe; Battle of Ban Me Thuot; Battle of Binh Gia; Birdy (film) Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base; Born on the Fourth of July (film) George Scratchley Brown; Cambodian Civil War; Cambodian–Vietnamese War; Cambodian campaign; Coast Guard Squadron One; George Thomas Coker; Commercial Import Program; Battle of Coral–Balmoral; Typhoon Dan … [11] After that Nao stuck the battery onto a pole and connected it to the bombs with wires, then set the timer. (1) USNS Card began life with a Maritime Commission hull number 178, style type C3-S-A1 merchant hull. The USNS Card was a Bogue class escort carrier that had served in the United States Navy with distinction. It also includes a picture of a Carrier Battle Group. Finally on May 1, 1964, Viet Cong reconnaissance teams spotted the USNS Card sailed through Ganh Rai Bay and entered Long Tau River, so they immediately reported the information to the 65th Special Operations Group in Saigon. military. Two ships, the USNS Card and the USNS Core, had been serving as transports for helicopters and other essentials. The ship was reactivated on 16 May 1958 as USNS Card and operated with a civilian crew under Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) control as an aircraft transport. The Card’s hull was laid down on October 27, 1941; originally intended as a cargo ship, the ship was reclassified ACV-11 and converted into an escort carrier with a displacement of 9,800 tons. It took place in the port of Saigon in the early hours of May 2, 1964, and mounted by commandos from the 65th Special Operations Group (Đội Biệt động 65). However, raising Card would be a major salvage operation. The Attack on USNS Card was a Viet Cong (VC) operation during the Vietnam War. For more information, see the TMP FAQ. USNS Card TAKV40: Added: Jul 23, 2012: Captured: IMO: Unavailable: Hits: 2,152: Photo Category: Aircraft Carriers: Description: This is the former WW2 fleet carrier USNS Card (CV11) seen approaching Gibraltar from the West from on board the ST London Valour in the late Summer of 1966. On May 16, 1958, Card re-entered service with the Military Sea Transport Service, under the control of the United States Navy. The police patrol stopped about 20 meters (66 ft) away from Nao’s canoe, and the patrol boat commander questioned both men about their activities during that time of the evening. The ship supported an escalating military commitment of the South Vietnamese government that occurred well before the Tonkin Gulf Incident. As planned, Nao and Hung attached two bombs on the ship, with one near the bilge and one at the engine compartment, just above the water surface. So Viet Cong members of the 65th Special Operations Group were able to watch U.S. and South Vietnamese military activities at the port, while they were preparing to attack American targets. [4] Determined the operation would remain a secret, the commandos snuck back to Core and retrieved the explosive devices. … [9] In response, Nao claimed that he and Hung intended to go to the other side of the river, to buy some new clothes at the market. Shortly after Card was sunk, North Vietnam made full use of the incident for propaganda purposes. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page. Five American civilian workers died, and an escort carrier that had survived years of combat against German submarines in the North Atlantic lay on the bottom, in fifty feet of murky water. During the periods between July and November, the Card’s aircraft and the escort vessels of TG21.14 destroyed a total of five German submarines. USNS Card was a Bogue-class escort carrier that had served in the United States Navy. [5], Shortly after 6:30pm as both men headed towards Warehouse Number 0 at the commercial port district, a police patrol boat spotted them and quickly gave chase. "The Attack on the USNS Card " Topic. Again, the police patrol boat was waiting for Nao and Hung to arrive, because the commander wanted another bribe. He advised Nao that the best way to enter the area where the American ships normally anchored, was through the sewer tunnel opposite Thu Thiem. USS CARD (CVE-11) Card (ACV-11) was launched as AVG 11 21 February 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. Tacoma Wash. under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. J. Perry; reclassified ACV-11 20 August 1942; and commissioned 8 November 1942 Captain J. Meanwhile, the tugboat USS Tawakoni based at Subic Bay in the Philippines was placed on standby, and later received similar orders to head for South Vietnam. Nao then ordered Hung to throw the hand grenade and both men would retreat towards the local village, if their bombs were discovered by the police. Decommissioned in 1945, the Card was reactivated in 1958 and entered service with the Military Sea Transport Service, transporting military equipment to South Vietnam as part of the United States military commitment to that country. [3], On one occasion while he was bathing in the Saigon River, Nao decided to inspect the sewer tunnel, which his father had advised him to use. Viet Cong operation during the Vietnam War. [11] In the days that followed, five U.S. Navy divers were deployed to Saigon from the Philippines, in addition to several salvage teams from U.S. bases in Japan and the Military Sea Transport Service Command. At 6pm, after Nao had finished unloading the bombs onto one canoe, he and Hung traveled down the Saigon River in two separate canoes, towards the commercial port district. (USNS Core delivering helicopters to Saigon in December 1961. On their next patrol, Card and her task group suffered another loss. [2], After 1945 the Card was decommissioned and briefly put out of service when it was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. [7] As usual, the Card docked at the commercial port district in the city to unload another shipment of cargo and military helicopters, as well as upload a batch of helicopters scheduled to be returned to the United States. [11], For the Viet Cong commandos of the 65th Special Operations Group, the explosion on the Card signalled a successful mission. The ship was reactivated on 16 May 1958 as USNS Card and operated with a civilian crew under Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) control as an aircraft transport. [16] Card was returned to service by December 11, 1964 and remained in service until 1970, when she was placed into the Reserve Fleet. [18] The Card was returned to service by 11 December 1964 and remained in service until 1970, when she was placed into the Reserve Fleet. [3] To facilitate the arrival of Card and other American ships which pulled into Saigon, the South Vietnamese military often deployed navy vessels to conduct patrols around the port, while the surrounding shores were protected by an elite Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Airborne battalion. It illustrated how vulnerable naval vessels can be even when faced with a low-tech enemy … and how difficult maintaining port security can be in a war with no real front. Shortly after the Card was sunk, North Vietnam made full use of the incident for propaganda purposes. At top — ‘Card’ in 1944. On May 2, 1964, before even the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that heralded major US involvement in the Vietnam War, a Viet Cong or North Vietnamese frogman placed an explosive charge against the hull of the USS Card (USNS Card at the time of sinking), blowing a hole in the ship and sinking 48 feet as she lay berthed at the dock at Saigon. Bohem speculated that the explosives used in the attack had actually been stolen from his own South Vietnamese Navy unit by a group of deserters who had been mistreated by a South Vietnamese officer. On the evening of December 29, 1963, Nao and Cay managed to carry their bomb devices through the sewer tunnel which had about 80 kilograms (180 lb) of explosives. The commandos attached the explosives to Core's hull, set the timer and retreated back into the sewer to wait for the outcome. An escort carrier that saw distinguished service as a submarine-hunter in the North Atlantic during World War II, during the early morning hours of May 2, 1964, Card was part of U.S. Military Sealift Command. [3] As his unit was assigned with the mission to attack the carrier, Nao took advantage of his position as an employee at the port facility, to reconnoitre Card to design the best strategy to sabotage the ship and all the military hardware on board. Not long afterwards, the Core and its crew sailed out of Saigon, intact without any damage. The ship was manned by a civilian crew and was prefixed "USNS" (United States Naval Ship) instead of "USS" (United States Ship) as it was in service but not commissioned. Vietnamese government that occurred well before the Tonkin Gulf incident meant to treat patients. For more details on sinking of the attack on the ship ’ s Group attacked these subs them. 4 ] Determined the operation would remain a secret, the USNS Cardin port... 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