🚨U.S. Hits North Vietnam Hard

Mar. 2, 1965 - United States and South Vietnamese Air Force squadrons, no longer restricted to tit-for-tat reprisals, rained tons of bombs and rockets on two of North Vietnam’s military installations today in the heaviest such strike of the war.

More than 160 land-based planes — jet fighters, fighter-bombers, and Skyraiders — attacked the port of Quang Khe and a munitions depot at Xom Bang. 

U.S. officials estimated from 70 to 80% of the installations were destroyed and said from three to five of North Vietnam’s 30 Soviet-built Swatow class gunboats were sunk at Quang Khe.

They termed the operation a resounding success. They said there will be further action against both the target areas as prime sources of Communist aggression against South Vietnam.

U.S. Ambassador Maxwell Taylor outlined the new ground rules in keeping with a policy declaration of President Johnson in a Washington speech Feb. 17 that continuing aggression would be met by continuing action.

Asked in Saigon whether the new thrust was in retaliation for Viet Cong attacks on American installations, Taylor said: “No, definitely not. These air actions are joint actions by the Vietnamese air force and our own for the purpose of replying to continuous aggressive acts across the 17th Parallel coming from the north. It does not matter whether the immediate victims have been Americans or have been Vietnamese or a combination. Actually, it has been a combination.”

Returning pilots today said North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire seemed light and inaccurate. But not all returned.

In Washington, President Johnson announced that six planes were shot down and that five pilot have been rescued. 

Radio Hanoi broadcast a report that North Vietnamese gunners downed six planes and damaged many others. 

The North Vietnamese broadcast made no mention of casualties or damage, but said the Vietnamese people are determined “to deal the war seekers heavier return blows and foil all their plots of provocation and war.”

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