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factor for the Vietnamese boat commander may
have been the much earlier file time of the recall
order; the attack message with the more current
file time probably superseded everything else in
his decision.
(S//SI) At around 1400G, the Maddox's radar
detected the approach from the southwest of the
three P-4 torpedo boats. Forewarned by the SIG­
INT of the Vietnamese intentions to attack, the
Maddox then started turning eastward, then to
the southeast and increased its speed from eleven
to twenty-five knots. The North Vietnamese boats
initially may have missed the turn to the southeast
by the Maddox. They probably had been
visually tracking the American vessel." There is
no SIGINT evidence that their Skin Head radars
were active, though the Vietnamese claimed the
boats used it. Pictures from the action appear to
show the radar masts still upright and not lowered
in a combat position. By the time the
Vietnamese did react to the Maddox's change in
course, they found themselves in an unfavorable
attack position. They were chasing the Maddox
from its rear starboard, that is, from the northwest,
which meant it would take some time, even
with a near twenty-knot advantage in speed, to
achieve an optimal firing position for their torpedo
run - perhaps as long as thirty minutes before
they could execute a turn on an attack heading.
By 1430G, Commander Ogier ordered the
Maddox to go to general quarters.
CD) At about 1440G C0740Z) the Maddox sent
a flash precedence message to various commands
in the Pacific that she was being approached by
high-speed craft with the intention of attacking
with torpedoes. Herrick announced that he would
fire if necessary in self-defense.56 He also requested
air cover from the carrier Ticonderoga, which
was then 280 miles to the southeast. Four F-8E
Crusaders from the carrier, already aloft, were
vectored to the Maddox. The destroyer Turner
Joy CDD-951) was ordered to make best speed to
the Maddox.
CD) For the next twenty minutes, the chase
continued. The Vietnamese boats inexorably
closed the gap between themselves and the
destroyer. At 1500G, Captain Herrick ordered
Ogier's gun crews to open fire if the boats
approached within ten thousand yards. At about
1505G, the Maddox fired three rounds to warn off
the communist boats. This initial action was
never reported by the Johnson administration,
IJ
(V) V55
Ticonderoqs
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