Vietnamese Navy
In 1975 the South Vietnamese Navy was involuntarily discharged from the world’s
naval community. The Officers and men never enjoyed a happy and victorious
ending. They suffered loss and humiliation. In April 1975 their small fleet
arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines without identity. The US Navy painted over the
Vietnamese Navy (VNN) ships hull numbers. The fatherland’s flag was forced to be
lowered from the masts. And by all accounts the South Vietnamese Navy ceased to
exit.
On January 19, 1974 this proud Navy fought against the huge Chinese Navy in
Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) archipelagos without any help or support from the
U.S. Seventh Fleet. Sailors who abandoned ships scattered to the sea. The U.S.
Navy offered no assistance. U.S. Naval Historians have never mentioned a word
about this sea battle.
The ill-equipped former DER Foster (VNN HQ 4), with torpedo tubes without
torpedoes, long range radar that had been stripped off after changing hand from
the US Navy, was all but useless. Former U.S. Coast Guard WHEC craft, with slow
5’’ guns, could not get the upper-hand on the high speed Chinese gunboats. The
aftermath was VNN PCE (HQ 10) was sunk. Two Chinese gunboats were sunk and some
were damaged. The Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) were lost.
After 1973 the U.S. sharply reduced its support. The VNN had to use its
ammunition sparingly. A victory at Tuyen Nhon changed the Viet Cong’s movements
towards Saigon. The Viet Cong commander offered millions of dong for Lt.
Commander Le Anh Tuan’s head.
On April 1975 Task Force 99 blocked a Viet Cong attack on Saigon from Tay Ninh
and alerted a surveillance post for the VNN fleet to evacuate via the Long Tao
waterway to safety.
On April 30, 1975, after Duong Van Minh called Republic of Vietnamese Armed
forces to surrender, Lt. Commander Le Anh Tuan committed suicide when his river
flotilla was ambushed by Russian made T-54 tanks. Many boats were abandoned in
Vung Tau and in South Vietnams waterways. Officers and enlisted sailors felt
betrayed by their comrades and allies. The only way they could save their
miserable lives was to draw close to their families. Sadly, Commander Ha Ngoc
Luong killed his wife, children and then committed suicide at the Nha Trang
Naval Academy.
After April 30, 1975 some LST crewmen, with AK-47s held behind their backs,
trained Viet Cong sailors to run those types of ships. They did so while
watching dirty pigs and chickens feeding on the former proud ships decks.
Officers were separated from their families. They had to do duty in forced labor
Re-education Camps for years. They tried to escape Vietnam by all possible ways.
With their experiences as sea going sailors, many were successful. Some
succeeded in reaching free countries and began rebuilding their lives.
The Viet Cong Navy updated the former DER Foster (HQ 4) and began using her as a
training ship. They armed WHECs with missiles. Today they are still using some
former VNN LST for cargo ships. Their fleet has dozens of gas turbine Petya gun
boats with torpedo launchers. The Ukraine is planning on selling them some 2,000
ton Gepard frigates and Molniya missle boats equipped with Moskit supersonic
anti-ship missiles under Ukrainian license. Vietnamese shipyards will build
these type of ships for Viet Cong Navy.
Hai Tran, LT, Vietnamese Navy
In Memory of the Brave SVNN
Sailors lost in the Paracel Islands
Ceremony - Silver Strand Beach, Coronado, California - January
19, 2007
Vietnamese Navy Veterans Association members
