A coordinated interception of four North Vietnamese arms-smuggling trawlers by U.S. and South Vietnamese naval forces under Operation Market Time in 1968.
Key Facts
- North Vietnamese trawlers intercepted
- 4
- Trawler hull length
- 100 feet
- Trawler armament
- 57mm recoilless rifles and machine guns
- U.S. Coast Guard cutters involved
- 7
- Swift boats (PCFs) involved
- 7
- Initial detection date
- 28 February 1968
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
North Vietnam sought to resupply Viet Cong forces during the Vietnam War by dispatching four steel-hulled, armed trawlers loaded with weapons and ammunition toward the South Vietnamese coast from north of the DMZ. A U.S. Navy SP-2H Neptune aircraft on routine patrol detected the first vessel on 28 February 1968, and three more were identified by the following morning.
On 1 March 1968, Operation Market Time forces executed a surprise interception of all four trawlers. The force comprised seven U.S. Coast Guard cutters, seven swift boats, two South Vietnamese navy junks, a South Vietnamese patrol boat, and two U.S. Army helicopter gunships. Because the trawlers flew no flags, their North Vietnamese origin was confirmed only once the engagement began.
All four trawlers, each carrying arms and ammunition destined for the Viet Cong, were intercepted and prevented from completing their resupply mission. The action demonstrated the effectiveness of Operation Market Time's coastal surveillance and interdiction network in blocking North Vietnamese seaborne logistics along the South Vietnamese coast.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent