Tonkin Gulf and the Escalation of the Vietnam War

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox (DD-731) began a reconnaissance cruise off the coast of North Vietnam on July 31, 1964. On August 2, three North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked the ship. On August 4, the Maddox and another destroyer, the USS Turner Joy (DD-951), saw what they interpreted as hostile torpedo boats on their radars and reported themselves under attack. The United States bombed North Vietnam in retaliation. However, a careful examination of the other forms of evidence, including intercepted North Vietnamese naval communications, interrogations of North Vietnamese torpedo boat personnel captured later in the war, and the destroyers' detailed records of the location and duration of radar contacts, lead the author to conclude that no attack occurred that night.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 400 pages
\n Publication date: 30 June 2019
\n Publisher: Naval Institute Press
\n

On July 31, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Maddox (DD-731) embarked on a reconnaissance cruise off the coast of North Vietnam. However, things took a turn for the worse on August 2, when three North Vietnamese torpedo boats launched an attack on the ship.

On the night of August 4, the Maddox and another destroyer, the USS Turner Joy (DD-951), anticipating an attack, spotted what they believed to be hostile torpedo boats on their radars and reported themselves as under attack. The following day, in retaliation, the United States launched a bombing campaign against North Vietnam.

Congress swiftly passed a resolution granting President Lyndon Johnson the authority to take all necessary measures to deal with aggression in Vietnam. This incident, known as the August 4 Incident, is the focal point of this book. The author conducted extensive interviews with numerous Americans who were present during that fateful night.

At the time of the interviews, there were more doubters than believers among the witnesses. However, those who still held the belief in the occurrence of an attack were more confident in their opinions. When considering the degree of assurance expressed by the witnesses, it can be said that they were divided right down the middle on the fundamental question of whether an attack took place.

To arrive at a conclusion, the author conducted a meticulous and thorough examination of a range of evidence, including intercepted North Vietnamese naval communications, interrogations of North Vietnamese torpedo boat personnel captured later in the war, and the detailed records of the location and duration of radar contacts maintained by the destroyers.

After analyzing all available information, the author concluded that no attack occurred on that night. The evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the absence of any hostile activity, casting doubt on the initial reports of an attack.

The August 4 Incident remains a controversial topic, with some believing that an attack did take place and others disputing the author's conclusion. However, the meticulous analysis and comprehensive evidence presented in this book provide a compelling case for the absence of any attack on August 4, 1964.

\n Weight: 774g\n
Dimension: 164 x 237 x 30 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781682474242\n
Edition number: 2 Revised edition\n