spartans_in_darkness

TOP SE6RETII60MIIHIIX1
which insisted that the Vietnamese
boats fired first.
CU) A few minutes later the
Maddox resumed fire. Through the
shellfire, the DRV boats bore in on
the Maddox. But their attacks were
ineffective. Within fifteen minutes of
Maddox's first salvo, jets from the
carrier Ticonderoga had arrived and
attacked the Vietnamese boats, leaving
one dead in the water and the
other two damaged. As for the
Maddox, she was unscathed except
for a single bullet hole from a
Vietnamese machine gun round.
CU) There would continue to be
confusion over losses for some time.
The DRV claimed that two aircraft
had been shot down. In reality, one
of the navy's jets had sustained wing
damage during its maneuvering for
the attack and was escorted out of the
area by another jet. Both
aircraft departed the
area under full power,
the black exhausts trailing
from their engines
probably appeared as
battle damage to the
Vietnamese sailors."
The damaged navy jet
would be forced to land
at Danang.
\
,. \
1336 • \\
80: