Aug. 4, 1964 - The Hanoi radio said today in its first comment on Sunday’s attack on the United States destroyer Maddox that the incident occurred in North Vietnamese territorial waters two days ago. (Pictured below is a photograph taken from the Maddox Aug. 2 in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. It shows a North Vietnamese torpedo boat and, behind it, what is likely spray or smoke from shells shot by the Maddox.)
“Our boats came into action to protect our territorial waters and our people and to chase the enemy ship out of our waters,” the radio statement said.
It accused the United States Seventh Fleet of aggressive action and said the United States was attempting to cover up its “aggression” with a story of a so-called “unprovoked attack” by North Vietnamese boats.
The broadcast contained a warning that North Vietnam would take the necessary steps in case of what it called “further American aggressive acts.”
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