117-513: BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) is an LST-542 -class tank landing ship that is an active duty commissioned vessel under the Philippine Navy . Originally known as USS LST-821 , it was renamed to USS Harnett County (LST-821/AGP-281) , built for the United States Navy during World War II . She was named for Harnett County, North Carolina and was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear
234-459: A 12 by 32 ft (3.7 by 9.8 m) ramp that was hinged at the main deck. This allowed vehicles to be driven directly from the main deck down to the tank deck and then across the bow ramp to the beach or causeway, speeding the process of disembarkation. Changes in the later LST-542 class included the addition of a navigation bridge; the installation of a water distillation plant with a capacity of 4,000 imperial gallons (18,000 L) per day;
351-455: A South Vietnamese pilot decided to defect, and jettisoned his ordnance along the only runways still in use (which had not yet been destroyed by shelling). Under pressure from Kissinger, Martin forced Marine guards to take him to Tan Son Nhat in the midst of continued shelling, so he might personally assess the situation. After seeing that fixed-wing departures were not an option (a decision Martin did not want to make without firsthand knowledge of
468-459: A South Vietnamese woman might be able to squeeze on board with her. "Lady Ace 09" from USMC squadron HMM-165 and piloted by Berry, took off at 04:58—though he didn't know it, had Martin refused to leave, the Marines had a reserve order to arrest him and carry him away to ensure his safety. The embassy evacuation had flown out 978 Americans and about 1,100 Vietnamese. The Marines who had been securing
585-444: A concern in the administration over whether the use of military forces to support and carry out the evacuation was permitted under the newly passed War Powers Act . Eventually White House lawyers determined that the use of American forces to rescue citizens in an emergency was unlikely to run afoul of the law, but the legality of using military assets to withdraw refugees was unknown. While American citizens were generally assured of
702-587: A few thousand people were stranded at the embassy, including many Vietnamese. Additional Vietnamese civilians gathered outside the embassy and scaled the walls, hoping to claim refugee status. Thunderstorms increased the difficulty of helicopter operations. Nevertheless, the evacuation from the embassy continued more or less unbroken throughout the evening and night. At 03:45 on the morning of 30 April, Kissinger and Ford ordered Martin to evacuate only Americans from that point forward. Reluctantly, Martin announced that only Americans were to be flown out, due to worries that
819-469: A high priority throughout the war. Since most shipbuilding activities were located in coastal yards that were mainly used for construction of large, deep-draft ships, new construction facilities for the LSTs were established along inland waterways, some converted from heavy-industry plants, such as steel fabrication yards. Shifting the vessels was complicated by bridges across waterways, many of which were modified by
936-485: A high priority was assigned to the construction of LSTs that the previously laid keel of an aircraft carrier was hastily removed to make room for several LSTs to be built in her place. The keel of the first LST was laid down on 10 June 1942 at Newport News, Virginia , and the first standardized LSTs were floated out of their building dock in October. Twenty-three were in commission by the end of 1942. The LST building program
1053-462: A highly specialized design that enabled ocean crossings as well as shore groundings. The bow had a large door that could open, deploy a ramp and unload vehicles. The LST had a flat keel that allowed the ship to be beached and stay upright. The twin propellers and rudders had protection from grounding . The LSTs served across the globe during World War II, including in the Pacific War and in
1170-517: A military presence at the site. The Chinese coast guard frequently patrols the area and attempts to prevent the monthly resupply of these Filipino marines. In 2013, The New York Times visited the site and reported on the life of the handful of marines stationed there, and the vessel's role in the geopolitics of the South China Sea. It was inferred that Sierra Madre would never sail again, but had gained importance due to her role as an outpost in
1287-433: A month, final working plans were developed that further stretched the overall length to 328 feet (100 m) with a 50-foot (15 m) beam and a minimum draft of 3.8 feet (1.2 m). This scheme distributed the ship's weight over a greater area, enabling her to ride higher in the water when in landing trim. The LST could carry a 2,100 short tons (1,900 t) load of tanks and vehicles. The larger dimensions also permitted
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#17328485012421404-493: A plan between the extremes in which all but 1,250 Americans—few enough to be removed in a single day's helicopter airlift—would be evacuated quickly; the remaining 1,250 would leave only when the airport was threatened. In between, as many Vietnamese refugees as possible would be flown out. American evacuation planning was set against other administration policies. Ford still hoped to gain additional military aid for South Vietnam. Throughout April, he attempted to get Congress behind
1521-511: A proposed appropriation of $ 722 million, which might allow for the reconstitution of some of the South Vietnamese forces that had been destroyed. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger was opposed to a full-scale evacuation as long as the aid option remained on the table because the removal of American forces would signal a loss of faith in Thiệu and severely weaken him. There was also
1638-482: A shallow draught sufficient for easy unloading. As a result, each of the three ( Boxer , Bruiser , and Thruster ) ordered in March 1941 had a very long ramp stowed behind the bow doors. The ships were built at Harland and Wolff from 1941 and the first completed early in 1943. Work was delayed by the complexities of an entirely new type of design and German air raids on Belfast. Bruiser and Thruster took part in
1755-424: A simple way to leave the country just by showing up to an evacuation point, South Vietnamese who wanted to leave Saigon before it fell often resorted to independent arrangements. The under-the-table payments required to gain a passport and exit visa jumped sixfold, and the price of seagoing vessels tripled. Those who owned property in the city were often forced to sell it at a substantial loss or abandon it altogether;
1872-581: A tearful televised announcement in which he denounced the United States for failing to come to the aid of the South. The North Vietnamese front line was now just 26 mi (42 km) from downtown Saigon. The victory at Xuân Lộc, which had drawn many South Vietnamese troops away from the Mekong Delta area, opened the way for PAVN to encircle Saigon, and they soon did so, moving 100,000 troops in position around
1989-607: Is commonly used in Western accounts. It is called the " Ngày mất nước " (Day we Lost the Country), " Tháng Tư Đen " (Black April), "National Day of Shame" ( Ngày Quốc Nhục ) or "National Day of Resentment" ( Ngày Quốc Hận ) by many Overseas Vietnamese who were refugees from the former South Vietnam. In Vietnamese, it is also known by the neutral name "April 30, 1975 incident" ( Sự kiện 30 tháng 4 năm 1975 ) or simply "April 30" ( 30 tháng 4 ). The rapidity with which
2106-687: The Binh Duong front, to the north, was the responsibility of the 5th Division ; the Bien Hoa front, to the northeast, was defended by the 18th Division; the Vung Tau and 15 Route front, to the southeast, were held by the 1st Airborne Brigade and one battalion of the 3rd Division ; and the Long An front, for which the Capital Military District Command was responsible, was defended by elements of
2223-693: The European theatre . The first tank landing ships were built to British requirements by converting existing ships; the UK and the US then collaborated upon a joint design. The British ships were used in late 1942 during the Allied invasion of Algeria . In 1943, LSTs participated in the invasion of Sicily and mainland Italy . In June 1944 they were part of the huge invasion fleet for the Normandy landings . Over 1,000 LSTs were laid down in
2340-798: The Newport Bridge ( Cầu Tân Cảng ), about five kilometres (three miles) from the city centre, the VC seized the Thảo Điền area at the eastern end of the bridge and attempted to seize the bridge but were repulsed by the ARVN 12th Airborne Battalion. As Bien Hoa was falling, General Toan fled to Saigon, informing the government that most of the top ARVN leadership had virtually resigned themselves to defeat. At 18:06 on 28 April, as President Minh finished his acceptance speech three A-37 Dragonflies piloted by former Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) pilots, who had defected to
2457-703: The Provisional Revolutionary Government (PRG) had indicated, on 2 April, that the PRG might negotiate with a Saigon government that did not include Thiệu. Thus, even among Thiệu's supporters, pressure was growing for his ouster. President Thiệu resigned on 21 April. His remarks were particularly hard on the Americans, first for forcing South Vietnam to accede to the Paris Peace Accords , second for failing to support South Vietnam afterwards, and all
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#17328485012422574-527: The Republic of Vietnam Navy under the Security Assistance Program on 12 October 1970 and renamed RVNS My Tho (HQ-800). My Tho would continue to serve in the riverine war until April 1975. At that point, the fall of Saigon was seen as inevitable. During the fall of the South Vietnamese capital, My Tho was fully loaded with more than 3,000 refugees from the city and set sail downriver towards
2691-581: The Salerno landings . Later all three were intended to be converted to fighter direction ships in order to have ground-controlled interception of enemy aircraft during landing operations but only Boxer was converted and it took part in the Normandy landings. The U.S. were to build seven LST (1) but in light of the problems with the design and progress with the LST Mark II the plans were cancelled. Construction of
2808-631: The Sierra Madre mountain range . The ship continued to operate as an amphibious transport for the next decades through the 1990s. In 1999, the Philippine Navy intentionally ran her aground on the Second Thomas Shoal in order to maintain the Philippines' territorial claim in the area. Since then a detachment of Filipino marines have been continuously stationed on board Sierra Madre to provide
2925-698: The Spratly Islands to serve as an outpost of the Philippine Marine Corps to affirm the Philippines' exclusive economic zone amid its dispute with China over the Spratly Islands , and she still serves such function as of 2024. USS LST-821 was laid down on 19 September 1944 at Evansville, Indiana by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company. The ship was launched on 27 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson, Sr.. LST-821
3042-613: The Spratly Islands dispute . On 11 March 2014, the Philippine government protested to the Chinese chargé d'affaires in Manila that the Chinese Coast Guard had on 9 March prevented two civilian vessels hired by the Philippine Navy from exchanging personnel on, and delivering supplies to the Sierra Madre . This was the first time that Chinese forces had interfered with resupply. On 13 March,
3159-539: The United States Navy 's Bureau of Ships with regard to development of ships and the possibility of building further Boxer s in the US. During this meeting, it was decided that the Bureau of Ships would design these vessels. As with the standing agreement, these ships would be built by the US so British shipyards could concentrate on building vessels for the Royal Navy . The specifications called for vessels capable of crossing
3276-694: The Viet Cong , under the command of General Văn Tiến Dũng , began their final attack on Saigon on 29 April 1975, with the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces commanded by General Nguyễn Văn Toàn suffering a heavy artillery bombardment. By the afternoon of the next day, the PAVN and the Viet Cong had occupied the important points of the city and raised their flag over the South Vietnamese presidential palace . The capture of
3393-576: The Vietnamese People's Air Force at the fall of Da Nang, dropped six Mk81 250 lb bombs on Tan Son Nhut Air Base damaging aircraft. RVNAF F-5s took off in pursuit, but they were unable to intercept the A-37s. C-130s leaving Tan Son Nhut reported receiving PAVN .51 cal and 37 mm anti-aircraft (AAA) fire while sporadic PAVN rocket and artillery attacks also started to hit the airport and air base. C-130 flights were stopped temporarily after
3510-553: The public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . The entry can be found here . LST-542-class tank landing ship A landing ship, tank , ( LST ) is a ship first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks , vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto a low-slope beach with no docks or piers . The shallow draft and bow doors and ramps enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach. The LST had
3627-689: The 1970s. Some LST (3)s were converted to LST (A) (A for "assault") by adding stiffening so they could safely carry the heaviest British tanks. Two LST (3)s were converted to command vessels, LST (C): LST 3043 and LST 3044 . Post war they became HMS Messina (L112) and HMS Narvik (L114). They were better armed with ten 20 mm Oerlikons and four 40 mm Bofors. Fall of Saigon American intervention 1965 1966 1967 Tet Offensive and aftermath Vietnamization 1969–1971 1972 Post- Paris Peace Accords (1973–1974) Spring 1975 Air operations Naval operations Lists of allied operations The fall of Saigon
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3744-528: The Atlantic, and the original title given to them was "Atlantic Tank Landing Craft", abbreviated as "Atlantic (T.L.C.)". Calling a vessel 300 ft (91 m) long a "craft" was considered a misnomer and the type was re-named "Landing Ship, Tank (2)", or "LST (2)". The LST (2) design incorporated elements of the first British LCTs from their designer, Sir Rowland Baker , who was part of the British delegation. One of
3861-472: The Chinese Coast Guard used what the Philippines Navy described as a military grade laser to temporarily blind crew. On 6 August 2023, Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannon at a Philippine Coast Guard ship resupplying the Sierra Madre . Increased encounters with Chinese patrols has coincided with a change in foreign policy from Philippines President Bongbong Marcos who has increased cooperation with
3978-567: The DAO refused to leave without their Vietnamese friends and dependents, who included common-law wives and children. It was illegal for the DAO to move these people to American soil, and this initially slowed down the rate of departure, but eventually the DAO began illegally flying undocumented Vietnamese to Clark Air Base in the Philippines . On 3 April, President Gerald Ford announced " Operation Babylift ", which would evacuate about 2,000 orphans from
4095-492: The EMD engines could have provided. However, the only engines available were very heavy steam reciprocating engines from frigates that had been cancelled. These delivered two and a half times the power of the diesels. So large were they that significant changes had to be made to accommodate them. Lack of welded construction facilities meant that the hull had to be riveted. This combination of heavy hull and heavy engines meant that speed
4212-502: The Ford administration had also begun planning a complete evacuation of the American presence. The planning was complicated by practical, legal, and strategic concerns. The administration was divided on how swift the evacuations should be. The Pentagon sought to evacuate as fast as possible, to avoid the risk of casualties or other accidents. The U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam , Graham Martin ,
4329-642: The LCT was ready for operation. This method was used for moving LCT5s from Britain to the Far East, although there seems to be no reference to LST (3)s being used, most being completed late in or after the war. Even at the end of the war there was a need for more ships able to carry minor landing craft, and two of the LST (3)s then completing were specially fitted to carry LCM (7). These craft, which were 58 ft (18 m) long and weighed about 28 tons, were carried transversely on
4446-612: The LST (1)s took until 1943 and the first US LST (2) was launched before them. At their first meeting at the Atlantic Conference in Argentia , Newfoundland , in August 1941, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill confirmed the Admiralty's views. In November 1941, a small delegation from the Admiralty arrived in the United States to pool ideas with
4563-711: The LST (2), but suffered from a deeper draught, and, to some extent, from the haste of construction. The first orders were placed in December 1943 with British builders, and 35 with Canadian builders. Swan Hunter delivered the first ships in December 1944. During 1944, follow up orders were placed in Canada for a further 36. These programmes were in full swing when the war ended, but not all vessels were completed. The ships were numbered numbers LST-3001 to LST-3045 and LST-3501 to LST-3534 . LST−3535 and later were cancelled. Fifteen 40-ton tanks or 27 25-ton tanks could be carried on
4680-498: The LST shipyards. The Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. built the most LSTs of any shipyard, with 171 constructed at Evansville, Indiana . Chicago Bridge and Iron 's shipyard in Seneca, Illinois , launched 156 ships and was specifically chosen because of their reputation and skills, particularly in welding. The American Bridge Company in Ambridge, Pennsylvania , built 119. By 1943,
4797-494: The LST(2) had the same slow speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), but given the much larger numbers of the LST(2), that had to be accepted. The Boxer class was a scaled-down design from ideas penned by Prime Minister Winston Churchill . In order that it could carry 13 Churchill infantry tanks , 27 other vehicles and nearly 200 men (in addition to the crew) at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), it could not have
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4914-578: The Navy to permit passage. A dedicated Navy "Ferry Command" orchestrated the transportation of newly constructed ships to coastal ports for final fitting out. Of the 1,051 LSTs built during the war, 670 were supplied by five "cornfield shipyards" in the Midwest. Dravo Corporation 's facility at Neville Island, Pennsylvania , designated the lead shipyard for the project, built 145 vessels and developed fabrication techniques that reduced construction time and costs at all of
5031-488: The Navy, the balance of the procurement was handled centrally by the Material Coordinating Agency—an adjunct of the Bureau of Ships—so that the numerous builders in the program would not have to bid against one another. Through vigorous follow-up action on materials ordered, the agency made possible the completion of construction schedules in record time. The need for LSTs was urgent, and the program enjoyed
5148-535: The North Vietnamese chipped away more and more at South Vietnam, internal opposition to President Thiệu continued to accumulate. For instance, in early April, the Senate unanimously voted through a call for new leadership, and some top military commanders were pressing for a coup. In response to this pressure, Thiệu made some changes to his cabinet, and Prime Minister Trần Thiện Khiêm resigned. This did little to reduce
5265-564: The North Vietnamese would soon take the city and the Ford administration's desire to announce the completion of the American evacuation. Ambassador Martin was ordered by President Ford to board the evacuation helicopter. The call sign of that helicopter was "Lady Ace 09", and the pilot carried direct orders from President Ford for Ambassador Martin to be on board. The pilot, Gerry Berry, had the orders written in grease-pencil on his kneepads. Ambassador Martin's wife, Dorothy, had already been evacuated by previous flights, and left behind her suitcase so
5382-540: The North Vietnamese. By 8 April, the North Vietnamese Politburo , which in March had recommended caution to Dũng, cabled him to demand "unremitting vigor in the attack all the way to the heart of Saigon." On 14 April, they renamed the campaign the "Hồ Chí Minh campaign", after revolutionary leader Hồ Chí Minh , in hopes of wrapping it up before his birthday on 19 May. Meanwhile, South Vietnam failed to garner any significant increase in military aid from
5499-507: The North rebuffed out of hand, Tran resigned on 28 April and was succeeded by General Duong Van Minh . Minh took over a regime that was by this time in a state of utter collapse. He had longstanding ties with the Communists, and it was hoped he could negotiate a ceasefire; however, Hanoi was in no mood to negotiate. On 28 April, PAVN forces fought their way into the outskirts of the city. At
5616-490: The Philippines conducted an aerial resupply mission to the marines. On 1 April 2014, the Philippine Navy succeeded in getting a fishing boat with resupply and replacement marines past the Chinese blockade. In September 2014, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes , reporting for the BBC , visited Sierra Madre which remained blockaded by the Chinese coastguard. At this time supplies for the garrison of 11 Filipino marines were dropped by air. The ship
5733-541: The South Vietnamese position collapsed in 1975 was surprising to most American and South Vietnamese observers, and probably to the North Vietnamese and their allies as well. For instance, a memo prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and U.S. Army Intelligence , published on 5 March, indicated that South Vietnam could hold out through the current dry season—i.e., at least until 1976. These predictions proved to be grievously in error. Even as that memo
5850-404: The South Vietnamese, the United States brokered an agreement by which it would ensure that all operable ships moored at Subic Bay would transfer ownership to the Philippines. The ship sat moored at Subic Bay for nearly a full year. The Philippine Navy officially acquired the ship on 5 April 1976 and renamed her BRP Dumagat (AL-57). She was quickly renamed again to BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) after
5967-567: The US military. In February 2023, he announced an expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement . In October 2023, repairs and retrofitting to the BRP Sierra Madre started. The Philippine government aimed to improve the living conditions inside the ship by repairing the existing sleeping quarters, adding a modern kitchen, and access to the internet. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from
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#17328485012426084-639: The United States during World War II for use by the Allies ; the United Kingdom and Canada produced eighty more. The British evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 demonstrated to the Admiralty that the Allies needed relatively large, ocean-going ships that could handle shore-to-shore delivery of tanks and other vehicles in amphibious assaults upon the continent of Europe. As an interim measure, three 4,000 to 4,800- gross register ton " Lake tankers ," built to pass over
6201-481: The United States were former members of the South Vietnamese government and military. Though most expected to find political and personal freedom in the United States on account of their anti-Communist bonafides, they often encountered an unexpected and complex resettlement process, involving stays in U.S. military-operated processing centers for varying lengths of time before they could begin their new lives in America. As
6318-439: The United States, snuffing out President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 's hopes for renewed American support. On 9 April, PAVN forces reached Xuân Lộc , the last line of defense before Saigon, where the ARVN 18th Division made a last stand and held the city through fierce fighting for 11 days. The ARVN finally withdrew from Xuân Lộc on 20 April having inflicted heavy losses on the PAVN, and President Thiệu resigned on 21 April in
6435-479: The VC had targeted ARVN officers, Catholics , intellectuals, businessmen, and other suspected counterrevolutionaries . More recently, eight Americans captured in Buôn Ma Thuột had vanished and reports of beheadings and other executions were filtering through from Huế and Đà Nẵng, mostly spurred on by government propaganda. Most Americans and citizens of other countries allied to the United States wanted to evacuate
6552-776: The Vietnam War. Along with the other tank landing ships Garrett County , Hunterdon County , and Jennings County , Harnett County was updated to be a floating base in the Mekong Delta as part of the Mobile Riverine Force . As part of this refit, the ship was equipped with a landing area and maintenance facilities for UH-1B Seawolf gunships, patrol boat (PBR) mooring facilities, and more modern communications equipment. The ship would support ten PBRs and two gunships, and could provide close fire support with its 40mm guns. Harnett County reported for this role on 12 January 1967 and
6669-403: The air attack but resumed at 20:00 on 28 April. At 03:58 on 29 April, C-130E, #72-1297, flown by a crew from the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron , was destroyed by a 122 mm rocket while taxiing to pick up refugees after offloading a BLU-82 at the base. The crew evacuated the burning aircraft on the taxiway and departed the airfield on another C-130 that had previously landed. This
6786-419: The approaching PAVN. At dawn on 29 April, two A-1 Skyraiders began patrolling the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut at 2,500 ft (760 m) until one was shot down, presumably by an SA-7 missile. At 07:00 the AC-119 was firing on PAVN to the east of Tan Son Nhut when it too was hit by an SA-7 and fell in flames to the ground. At 06:00 on 29 April, General Dũng was ordered by the Politburo to "strike with
6903-456: The asking price of one particularly impressive house was cut 75 percent within a two-week period. American visas were of enormous value, and Vietnamese seeking American sponsors posted advertisements in newspapers. One such ad read: "Seeking adoptive parents. Poor diligent students" followed by names, birthdates, and identity card numbers. A disproportionate fraction of Vietnamese in the 1975 wave of emigration who later achieved refugee status in
7020-407: The basic design for the more than 1,000 LST (2) that were built during World War II. To meet the conflicting requirements of deep draft for ocean travel and shallow draft for beaching, the ship was designed with a large ballast system that could be filled for ocean passage and pumped out for beaching operations. An anchor and mechanical winch system also aided in the ship's ability to pull itself off
7137-431: The beach. The rough sketch was sent to Britain on 5 November 1941 and accepted immediately. The Admiralty then requested that the United States build 200 "LST (2)" for the Royal Navy under the terms of lend-lease . The preliminary plans initially called for an LST 280 feet (85 m) in length; but, in January 1942, the Bureau of Ships discarded these drawings for a slightly longer ship of 290 feet (88 m). Within
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#17328485012427254-416: The bow doors and ramp were electrical, but otherwise, steam auxiliaries replaced the electrical gear on the LST (2). The general arrangements of the tank deck were similar, but the design increased headroom and added a ramp to the top deck, as in later LST (2)s. Provision was made for carrying LCA on gravity davits instead of the American built assault boats. The arrangements were generally an improvement over
7371-417: The bow. By January 1942, the first scale model of the LST had been built and was undergoing tests at the David Taylor Model Basin in Washington, D.C. Provisions were made for the satisfactory ventilation of the tank space while the tank motors were running, and an elevator was provided to lower vehicles from the main deck to the tank deck for disembarking. In April 1942 a mock-up of the well-deck of an LST
7488-472: The city before it fell, and many South Vietnamese, especially those associated with the United States or South Vietnamese government, wanted to leave as well. As early as the end of March, some Americans were leaving the city. Flights out of Saigon, lightly booked under ordinary circumstances, were full. Throughout April the speed of the evacuation increased, as the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) began to fly out nonessential personnel. Many Americans attached to
7605-418: The city by 27 April. With the ARVN having few defenders, the fate of the city was effectively sealed. The ARVN III Corps commander, General Nguyễn Văn Toàn , had organized five centers of resistance to defend the city. These fronts were so connected as to form an arc enveloping the entire area west, north, and east of the capital. The Cu Chi front, to the northwest, was defended by the 25th Division ;
7722-445: The city was preceded by Operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation of almost all American civilian and military personnel in Saigon, along with tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians who had been associated with the Republic of Vietnam regime. A few Americans chose not to be evacuated. United States ground combat units had left South Vietnam more than two years prior to the fall of Saigon and were not available to assist with either
7839-440: The city, which had been fairly peaceful throughout the war and whose people had endured relatively little suffering, was soon to come under direct attack. Many feared that once the communists took control of the city, a bloodbath of reprisals would take place. In 1968, PAVN and VC forces had occupied Huế for close to a month. After the communists were repelled, American and ARVN forces had found mass graves . A study indicated that
7956-506: The commanding officer of the first U.S. LST to drive his ship onto the beach at full speed of 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h). The LST(2) was built as the LST-1 class and the LST-491 class . In three separate acts dated 6 February 1942, 26 May 1943, and 17 December 1943, Congress provided the authority for the construction of LSTs along with a host of other auxiliaries, destroyer escorts , and assorted landing craft . The enormous building program quickly gathered momentum. Such
8073-400: The construction time for an LST had been reduced to four months. By the end of the war, this had been cut to two months. Considerable effort was expended to hold the ship's design constant, but, by mid-1943, operating experience led to the incorporation of certain changes in the new ships. From LST-513, the elevator to transfer equipment between the tank deck and the main deck was replaced with
8190-465: The country. One of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy planes involved in the operation crashed , killing 155 passengers and crew and seriously reducing the morale of the American staff. In addition to the over 2,500 orphans evacuated by Babylift, Operation New Life resulted in the evacuation of over 110,000 Vietnamese refugees. The final evacuation was Operation Frequent Wind which resulted in 7,000 people being evacuated from Saigon by helicopter. By this time
8307-442: The defense of Saigon or the evacuation. The evacuation was the largest helicopter evacuation in history. In addition to the flight of refugees, the end of the war and the institution of new rules by the communist government contributed to a decline in the city's population until 1979, after which the population increased again. On 3 July 1976, the National Assembly of the unified Vietnam renamed Saigon in honor of Hồ Chí Minh ,
8424-517: The demolition of the DAO office, American equipment, files, and cash. Air America UH-1s also participated in the evacuation. The original evacuation plans had not called for a large-scale helicopter operation at the United States Embassy, Saigon . Helicopters and buses were to shuttle people from the embassy to the DAO Compound. However, in the course of the evacuation it turned out that
8541-403: The designers to increase the width of the bow door opening and ramp from 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 m) in order for it to be able to accommodate most Allied vehicles. As the dimensions and weight of the LST increased, steel plating thickness increased from 1 ⁄ 4 -inch (6.4 mm) to 3 ⁄ 8 -inch (9.5 mm) on the deck and sides, with 1-inch-thick (25 mm) plating under
8658-446: The elements provided for sufficient buoyancy in the ships' sidewalls so that they would float the ship even when the tank deck was flooded. The LST (2) gave up the speed of HMS Boxer , at only 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), but carried a similar load while drawing only three feet (91 cm) forward when beaching. Within a few days, John C. Niedermair of the Bureau of Ships sketched out an awkward looking ship that proved to be
8775-530: The embassy followed at dawn, with the last aircraft leaving at 07:53. 420 Vietnamese and South Koreans were left behind in the embassy compound, with an additional crowd gathered outside the walls. The Americans and the refugees they flew out were generally allowed to leave without intervention from either the North or South Vietnamese. Pilots of helicopters heading to Tan Son Nhat were aware that PAVN anti-aircraft guns were tracking them, but they refrained from firing. The Hanoi leadership, reckoning that completion of
8892-469: The engine to be turned end to end to suit either port or starboard side fitting. When the LST (3)s were ordered, the LST (2) programme was in full swing, and similar arrangements were made to enable the LSTs to carry the 112 feet (34 m) long LCT5 or LCT6 that were being built in America for the Royal Navy. The LCT needed lifting onto the deck of the ship, being carried on wedge-shaped support blocks; at
9009-651: The facilities to maintain the landing craft (which the Dock Landing Ships provided). The Landing Craft Assault were wooden-hulled vessels plated with armour, 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m) long overall, 10 ft (3.0 m) wide, and displacing 13 tons fully loaded. Draught was 2 ft 3 in (0.69 m), and normal load was 35 troops with 800 lb (360 kg) of equipment. A pair of Scripps marine conversions of Ford V8 engines gave it speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h) unloaded, 8 knots (15 km/h) service speed, 3 knots (5.6 km/h) on one engine. Range
9126-538: The greatest determination straight into the enemy's final lair." After one day of bombardment and general offensive, the PAVN were ready to make their final push into the city. At 08:00 on 29 April Lieutenant General Trần Văn Minh , commander of the RVNAF and 30 of his staff arrived at the DAO Compound demanding evacuation, signifying the complete loss of RVNAF command and control. The continuing rocket fire and debris on
9243-527: The late Chairman of the Workers' Party of Vietnam and founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). Various names have been applied to these events. The Vietnamese government officially calls it the " Day of liberating the South for national reunification " ( Vietnamese : Giải phóng miền Nam, thống nhất đất nước ) or "Liberation Day" ( Ngày Giải Phóng ), but the term "fall of Saigon"
9360-538: The major cities of northern South Vietnam at the end of March— Huế on the 25th and Đà Nẵng on the 28th. Along the way, disorderly South Vietnamese retreats and the flight of refugees—there were more than 300,000 in Đà Nẵng —damaged South Vietnamese prospects for a turnaround. After the loss of Đà Nẵng, those prospects had already been dismissed as nonexistent by American CIA officers in Vietnam, who believed that nothing short of B-52 strikes against Hanoi could possibly stop
9477-421: The military situation. Ambassador Martin's hope was that North Vietnam's leaders would be willing to allow a "phased withdrawal" whereby a gradual departure might be achieved to allow helpful locals and all Americans to leave (along with full military withdrawal) over a period of months. Opinions were divided on whether any government headed by Thiệu could effect such a political solution. The foreign minister of
9594-618: The name. She served the United States Navy in World War II and the Vietnam War . She was transferred to South Vietnam 's Republic of Vietnam Navy , which named her RVNS My Tho (HQ-800) . After the Vietnam War, Harnett County was transferred to the Philippine Navy, which named her BRP Sierra Madre . In 1999, the Philippine government deliberately had her run aground on Ayungin Shoal in
9711-527: The need for an all-new design incorporating a sleeker hull . The Boxer class was the first purpose-built LST design. This work was started before any of the converted Maracaibo class were in service, so there was no opportunity to learn from the effectiveness of that design. The urgency in building the Boxers was that the Maracaibos were considered to be too slow for operational requirements. As events turned out,
9828-516: The opposition to Thiệu. On 8 April, a South Vietnamese pilot and communist, Nguyễn Thành Trung , bombed the Independence Palace and then flew to a PAVN-controlled airstrip; Thiệu was not hurt. Many in the American mission—Martin in particular—along with some key figures in Washington, believed that negotiations with the communists were still possible, especially if Saigon could stabilize
9945-494: The order was given by CINCPAC to commence Operation Frequent Wind. The American radio station began regular play of Irving Berlin 's " White Christmas ", the signal for American personnel to move immediately to the evacuation points. Under this plan, CH-53 and CH-46 helicopters were used to evacuate Americans and friendly Vietnamese to ships, including the Seventh Fleet , in the South China Sea. The main evacuation point
10062-539: The problem, but heavy grounding skegs and the N.L. pontoon causeways were finally accepted as standard; the pontoon causeways were formed of pontoons 7 ft (2.1 m) × 5 ft × 5 ft (1.5 m), made up into strings and rafts. When offloading, the rafts were secured to the fore end of the ship, and the load discharged directly onto the shore, or towed on the raft to the shore. The ships were fitted out for service in both very cold and tropical conditions. The accommodation provided for both crew and army personnel
10179-499: The re-formed 22nd Division . South Vietnamese defensive forces around Saigon totalled approximately 60,000 troops. However, as the exodus made it into Saigon, along with them were many ARVN soldiers, which swelled the "men under arms" in the city to over 250,000. These units were mostly battered and leaderless, which threw the city into further anarchy. The rapid PAVN advances of March and early April led to increased concern in Saigon that
10296-399: The removal of the tank deck ventilator tubes from the center section of the main deck; the strengthening of the main deck in order to carry a smaller Landing Craft Tank (LCT); and an upgrade in armor and armament, with the addition of a 3"/50 caliber gun . The LST (2) design was successful and production extensive, but there was still a need for more LSTs for British operations. As such, it
10413-407: The restrictive bars of Lake Maracaibo , Venezuela , were selected for conversion because of their shallow draft . Bow doors and ramps were added to these ships, which became the first tank landing ships, LST (1): HMS Misoa , Tasajera and Bachaquero . They later proved their worth during the invasion of Algeria in 1942, but their bluff bows made for inadequate speed and pointed out
10530-406: The runways at Tan Son Nhut caused General Homer D. Smith , the U.S. defense attaché in Saigon, to advise Ambassador Martin that the runways were unfit for use and that the emergency evacuation of Saigon would need to be completed by helicopter. Originally, Ambassador Martin had intended to effect the evacuation by use of fixed-wing aircraft from the base. This plan was altered at a critical time when
10647-410: The sea. She joined a fleet of other South Vietnamese ships to rendezvous with USS Kirk (DE-1087). The situation aboard the ship was desperate, with food and medical supplies running so low that a helicopter left the ship and landed aboard Kirk in order to resupply. The flotilla arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines where the refugees were disembarked. In exchange for the assistance in harboring
10764-494: The ship supported the occupation of the country. On 11 December she sailed back to the United States where she was decommissioned and placed into reserve on 8 July 1946. On 1 July 1955 all remaining LSTs were given names of U.S. counties ; LST-821 was named USS Harnett County (LST-821). Recommissioned on 20 August 1966 at the Mare Island Navy Yard , Vallejo, California , Harnett County saw extensive service during
10881-449: The ships were expected to land would be very flat, but it was not possible to produce a satisfactory vessel with a 3 ft (0.91 m) draught forward, and very little keel slope, so the 1 in 50 keel slope was maintained. It was known that the 1:50 slope would often result in the LST grounding aft on a shallow beach, resulting in the vehicles being discharged into comparatively deep water. Various methods had been investigated to overcome
10998-409: The situation on the ground, in case the helicopter lift failed), Martin gave the green light for the helicopter evacuation to begin in earnest. Reports came in from the outskirts of the city that the PAVN were closing in. At 10:48, Martin relayed to Kissinger his desire to activate Operation Frequent Wind , the helicopter evacuation of U.S. personnel and at-risk Vietnamese. At 10:51 on 29 April,
11115-401: The stuffing boxes, and all pistons fitted with packing rings and springs. The high-pressure valve was of the piston type, whilst the remaining ones were of the balanced type. The main engines were designed to develop 2,750 hp (2,050 kW) at 185 rpm continuously. With the ships being twin screw, the engines were fitted with a shaft coupling to the crank shaft at the forward end, allowing
11232-536: The tank deck with an additional fourteen lorries on the weather deck. Steam was supplied by a pair of Admiralty pattern 3-drum water-tube type boilers , working at 225 pounds per square inch (1,550 kPa). The main engines were of the 4-cylinder triple expansion 4-crank type, balanced on the Yarrow -Tweedy-Slick system, the cylinders being as follows: The common stroke was 30 inches (760 mm). The piston and slide valve rods were all fitted with metallic packing to
11349-430: The time of launching she was set down on the "launch ways" by simply slacking off bolts in the wedge blocks, allowing the launch way to take the weight. To carry out a launch, the LST was heeled over about 11 degrees by careful flooding of tanks in the hull. The height of the drop was about 10 ft (3.0 m). Once launched in this way, the propeller shafts were reconnected (together with some minor "unpacking" work) and
11466-450: The upper deck of the ship. They were hoisted on by means of a specially fitted 30-ton derrick; This 30-ton derrick replaced a 15-ton derrick, two of which were the standard fit of the LST (3). The 30-ton derrick was taller and generally more substantial than the 15 ton one. The LCM (7)s were landed on trolleys fitted with hydraulic jacks. These ran on rails down each side of the deck, and were hauled to and fro by means of winches. The stowage
11583-485: The upper deck, and the ship was enlarged to accommodate the more bulky machinery. Provision was made for carrying the British Landing Craft Assault (LCA) in gravity davits , instead of American assault craft. Provision was also made for carrying Landing Craft Tank (LCT) and Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM), and NL pontoon causeways . When the design commenced, engineers knew that the beaches where
11700-404: The while asking South Vietnam "to do an impossible thing, like filling up the oceans with stones." The presidency was turned over to Vice President Trần Văn Hương . The view of the North Vietnamese government, broadcast by Radio Hanoi, was that the new regime was merely "another puppet regime." On 27 April, Saigon was hit by PAVN rockets—the first in more than 40 months. With his overtures to
11817-610: Was commissioned on 22 November 1944. During World War II, LST-821 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater, spending most of the remainder of World War II ferrying supplies around Western Pacific ports like Eniwetok , Okinawa , Iejima , Ulithi , and Guam in advance of the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands . LST-821 earned one battle star for her World War II service. Following Japan's surrender in September 1945,
11934-431: Was 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m), and propulsion was provided by a pair of Hudson Invader petrol engines, later replaced with Grays diesels, both sets providing 290 bhp (220 kW), giving a speed of 9.8 knots (18.1 km/h). The main requirement of the design was to carry a 40-ton Churchill tank or bulldozer at 10 knots (19 km/h). 140 had been completed when the war ended, and some saw service through to
12051-418: Was 50–80 miles (80–130 km) miles on 64 imperial gallons (290 L). Armament was typically a Bren light machine gun aft; with two Lewis Guns in a port forward position. The LCM (7)s that were carried on the LST (2) were considerably larger, 60 ft 3 in (18.36 m) in length, 16 ft (4.9 m) beam, with a hoisting weight of 28 tons, full load displacement of 63 tons. Beaching draught
12168-473: Was being released, General Dũng was preparing a major offensive in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, which began on 10 March and led to the capture of Buôn Ma Thuột . The ARVN began a disorderly and costly retreat, hoping to redeploy its forces and hold the southern part of South Vietnam, south of the 13th parallel . Supported by artillery and armor, the PAVN continued to march towards Saigon, capturing
12285-589: Was completed in three months. This historic building remains at Fort Knox today. Early LST operations required overcoming the 18th-century language of the Articles for the Government of the United States Navy: "He who doth suffer his ships to founder on rocks and shoals shall be punished..." There were some tense moments of concept testing at Quonset, Rhode Island , in early 1943 when designer Niedermair encouraged
12402-476: Was constructed at Fort Knox , Kentucky, to resolve the problem of ventilation within the LST well-deck. The interior of the building was constructed to duplicate all the features found within an actual LST. Being the home to the Armored Force Board, Fort Knox supplied tanks to run on the inside while Naval architects developed a ventilation system capable of evacuating the well-deck of harmful gases. Testing
12519-433: Was decided to build a further 80 of the ships in the UK and Canada to be available in the spring of 1945. The British Staff drew up their own specification, requiring that the ship: Two major problems made a redesign necessary. The preferred light weight medium-speed (locomotive type) Electro-Motive Diesel 12- 567 diesel engines were not immediately available. Staff wanted more power and higher speeds if possible, which
12636-424: Was described as in a poor condition: "The ship's sides are peppered with massive holes. Waves slosh through them right into the ship's hold." In July 2015, Philippine Navy spokesman Colonel Edgardo Arevalo said that they were doing maintenance repair on the ship to ensure its minimum habitability. In November 2021, Chinese Coast Guard ships blocked two civilian boats resupplying the vessel. On February 6, 2023,
12753-413: Was filled from fore to aft as each craft was jacked down onto fixed cradles between the rails. The ships completed to this standard were LST-3043 /HMS Messina , and LST-3044 /HMS Narvik . While these ships were able to carry LCMs, they were only able to carry out loading and unloading operations under nearly ideal weather conditions, and therefore could not be used for assault operations; they also lacked
12870-460: Was greatly improved compared with LST (2). The main hazard, apart from enemy action, was fire on the tank deck. Fire sprinklers were provided, but the water drenching system installed in later American vessels could not be provided. The bow door arrangements were similar to the LST (2), but the design arranged the bow ramp in two parts in an attempt to increase the number of beaches where direct discharge would be possible. The machinery for operating
12987-467: Was only 3 knots (5.6 km/h) faster than the LCT (2). At the same time, other improvements were made—as well as simplifications required so most of the structure could be assembled with rivets . The cutaway hard chine that had been dropped in the American version of the Mark 2 vessels was restored. The tank deck, which was above the waterline, was made parallel to the keel , there was to be no round down to
13104-523: Was redesignated as Patrol Craft Tender (AGP-821) for the duration of its service, until late 1969. On 12 October 1970, the ship was decommissioned in Guam. Over the course of her service in Vietnam, the crew of Harnett County was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for "extraordinary heroism" and "superb" performance. The ship also received an additional nine battle stars and three Navy Unit Commendations . The United States transferred Harnett County to
13221-543: Was technically the field commander for any evacuation since evacuations are part of the purview of the State Department. Martin drew the ire of many in the Pentagon by wishing to keep the evacuation process as quiet and orderly as possible. His desire for this was to prevent total chaos and to deflect the real possibility of South Vietnamese turning against Americans and to keep all-out bloodshed from occurring. Ford approved
13338-422: Was the DAO Compound at Tan Son Nhat; buses moved through the city picking up passengers and driving them out to the airport, with the first buses arriving at Tan Son Nhat shortly after noon. The first CH-53 landed at the DAO compound in the afternoon, and by the evening, 395 Americans and more than 4,000 Vietnamese had been evacuated. By 23:00 the U.S. Marines who were providing security were withdrawing and arranging
13455-492: Was the capture of Saigon , the capital of South Vietnam , by North Vietnam and North Vietnam-controlled Viet Cong on 30 April 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the collapse of the South Vietnamese state, leading to a transition period and the formal reunification of Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under communist rule on 2 July 1976. The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and
13572-435: Was the last USAF fixed-wing aircraft to leave Tan Son Nhat. At dawn on 29 April the RVNAF began to haphazardly depart Tan Son Nhut Air Base as A-37s, F-5s, C-7s , C-119s and C-130s departed for Thailand while UH-1s took off in search of the ships of Task Force 76 . Some RVNAF aircraft stayed to continue to fight the advancing PAVN. One AC-119 gunship had spent the night of 28/29 April dropping flares and firing on
13689-454: Was unique in several respects. As soon as the basic design had been developed, contracts were let and construction was commenced in quantity before the completion of a test vessel. Preliminary orders were rushed out verbally or by telegrams, telephone, and air mail letters. The ordering of certain materials actually preceded the completion of design work. While many heavy equipment items, such as main propulsion machinery, were furnished directly by
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