Battle of the Paracel Islands

Coordinates: 16°30′N 111°38′E / 16.500°N 111.633°E / 16.500; 111.633
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Battle of the Paracel Islands
Part of the Vietnam War
Date19–20 January 1974
(1 day)
Location
Paracel Islands
Result Chinese victory
Territorial
changes		 China establishes full control over the Paracels.
Belligerents
 China
  South Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Zhang Yuanpei (张元培)
Wei Mingsen (魏鸣森)		 Colonel Hà Văn Ngạc
Strength
2 minesweepers (#271 and #274)
2 submarine chasers (#389 and #396)[1]
Unknown number of marines
Unknown number of maritime militia		 3 frigates
1 corvette
1 commando platoon
1 demolition team
1 militia platoon
Casualties and losses
18 killed
67 wounded
2 minesweepers damaged
2 submarine chasers damaged		 75 killed
16 wounded
48 captured
1 corvette sunk
3 frigates damaged[2]

The Battle of the Paracel Islands (Chinese: 西沙海战, Pinyin: Xisha Haizhan；Vietnamese: Hải chiến Hoàng Sa) was a military engagement between the naval forces of China and South Vietnam in the Paracel Islands on January 19, 1974. The battle was an attempt by the South Vietnamese navy to expel the Chinese navy from the vicinity. The confrontation took place towards the end of the Vietnam War.

Prior to the conflict, part of the Paracel Islands was controlled by China and another part was controlled by South Vietnam. The battle resulted in a victory for China over South Vietnam. Consequently, the PRC occupied the portion formerly controlled by South Vietnam and established full de facto control over the Paracels.

Background[edit]

Main article: Paracel Islands § Territorial disputes and their historical background

The Paracels are in the South China Sea approximately 300 kilometers south of China and 370 kilometers east Vietnam. The islands are divided into the northern Amphitrite Group, and the Crescent Group 80 kilometers to the southwest. The islands were subject to overlapping territorial claims by multiple countries. By the early 1970s, the Amphitrite Group and Crescent Group were controlled by China and South Vietnam respectively, and both countries were engaged in hydrocarbon exploration.[3]

Tensions between China and South Vietnam in the South China Sea increased starting from the summer of 1973. South Vietnam claimed additional islands in the Spratlys to the south, and Chinese fishing ships established operations in the Crescent Group. Confrontations between the fishing ships and Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN) warships began in November 1973. On 14 January 1974, RVNN frigate HQ-16 fired warning shots at Chinese fishing ships near Robert Island and shelled the Chinese flag erected on the island. The frigate was joined by destroyer HQ-4 on 17 January, which landed commandos to remove more flags on Robert and Money Islands. The frigate HQ-5 and fleet minesweeper HQ-10 arrived in the evening.[4]

China deployed forces after the RVNN presence was reported by fishing ships. On 16 January, two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Kronshtadt-class submarine chasers, 271 and 274, were ordered to Woody Island in the Amphitrite Group from the Yulin Naval Base in Hainan. They resupplied and embarked Maritime Militia at Woody the next day before proceeding to the Crescent Group. A Shenyang J-6 escorted the ships south, but it was operating at extreme range and had only five minutes of loiter time over the Paracels. The ships were ordered not to cause trouble, not to fire first, and not to "get the worst of it." Four ten-member militia platoons deployed onto Duncan, Drummond, and Palm Islands early on 18 January.[5]

More distant PLAN ships were ordered south as 271 and 274 reached the Crescent Group: the Guangzhou-based T010 minesweepers 389 and 296, and the Shantou-based Hainan class submarine chasers 281 and 282. 389 had just finished major repairs and had not yet been cleared for service. The South Sea Fleet's two Type 065 frigates were out-of-service due to mechanical problems.[6]

The RVNN had larger ships, and larger guns with longer range. To this the PLAN's ships had maneuverability and speed.[7]

Naval engagement[edit]

On the morning of 19 January, the RVNN divided into two groups — HQ-4 with HQ-5 and HQ-10 with HQ-16 — which approached the PLAN from different directions. The first group was monitored by 271 and 274, and latter was shadowed by 389 and 396. HQ-16 forced its way through, ramming and damaging 389, and launched boats with commandos toward Duncan and Palm Islands. The Chinese militia killed one commando and wounded three others; the commandos retreated back to their ship.[8]

Unable to dislodge the Chinese, the RVNN opened fire on the PLAN, and aimed for bridges. 247's political commissar, Feng Songbai, was killed. 389 was set on fire and began flooding. The faster PLAN closed the range to tens of meters, sheltering in the blind spots of the RVNN's deck guns and negating the RVNN's firepower advantage. At such ranges the PLAN's smaller guns were effective. The Chinese aimed at command posts, and communications and sensor equipment. 271 and 274 attacked HQ-4, which began filling with smoke. 389 and 396 forced HQ-16 to retreat, then attacked HQ-10; HQ-10's magazine exploded and her captain was killed by small-arms fire. HQ-4, HQ-5, and HQ-16 retreated to the west and did not reengage. 389's fire could not be extinguished and she was beached on Duncan Island. 281 and 282 arrived after noon and sank HQ-10 south of Antelope Reef.[7]

The Chinese occupy the Crescent Group[edit]

The next day, Chinese aircraft from Hainan bombed the three islands, and an amphibious landing was made. The outnumbered South Vietnamese marine garrison on the islands was forced to surrender, and the damaged navy ships retreated to Đà Nẵng.

During the battle, the South Vietnamese fleet detected two more Chinese warships rushing to the area. China later acknowledged these were the Hainan-class submarine chasers 281 and 282. Despite South Vietnamese reports that at least one of their ships had been struck by a missile, the Chinese insisted what the South Vietnamese saw were rocket-propelled grenades fired by the crew of #389 and that no missile-capable ships were present, and the Chinese ships closed in because they had no missiles. The South Vietnamese fleet also received warnings that U.S. Navy radar had detected additional Chinese guided missile frigates and aircraft on their way from Hainan.

South Vietnam requested assistance from the U.S. Seventh Fleet, but the request was denied.[9][10]

Result[edit]

Letter from South Vietnam's General Staff of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, dated 02-18-74, concerning Lieutenant Huynh's heroic death during the Battle of the Paracel Islands.

Following the battle, China gained control over all of the Paracel Islands. South Vietnam protested to the United Nations, but China, having veto power on the UN Security Council, blocked any efforts to bring it up.[11] The remote islands had little value militarily, but diplomatically the projection of power was beneficial to China.[12][13]

South Vietnamese casualties[edit]

The South Vietnamese reported that the warship Nhật Tảo was sunk and Lý Thường Kiệt heavily damaged, while Trần Khánh Dư and Trần Bình Trọng were both slightly damaged. 75 South Vietnamese soldiers, including Captain Ngụy Văn Thà of Nhật Tảo, were killed, and 16 were wounded.[2] On January 20, 1974, the Dutch tanker, Kopionella, found and rescued 23 survivors of the sunken Nhật Tảo. On January 29, 1974, South Vietnamese fishermen found 15 South Vietnamese soldiers near Mũi Yến (Qui Nhơn) who had fought on Quang Hòa island and escaped in lifeboats.

After their successful amphibious assault on January 20, the Chinese held 48 prisoners, including an American advisor.[1] They were later released in Hong Kong through the Red Cross.

Chinese casualties[edit]

The Chinese claimed that even though its ships had all been hit numerous times, none of them had been sunk. Warships 271 and 396 suffered speed-reducing damage to their engines, but both returned to port safely and were repaired. 274 was damaged more extensively and had to stop at Yongxing Island for emergency repairs. It returned to Hainan under its own power the next day.[14]

389 was damaged the most by an engine room explosion. Its captain managed to run his ship aground and put out the fire with the help of the minesweepers. It was then towed back to base. Eighteen Chinese sailors were killed and 67 were wounded in the battle.[14]

Aftermath[edit]

A potential diplomatic crisis was averted when China released the American prisoner taken during the battle. Gerald Emil Kosh, 27, a former U.S. Army captain, was captured with the South Vietnamese on Pattle Island. He was described as a “regional liaison officer” for the American embassy in Saigon on assignment with the South Vietnamese Navy.[11] China released him from custody on January 31 without comment.[15][16]

The leaders of North Vietnam gave a glimpse of their worsening relationship with China by conspicuously not congratulating their ally. An official communique issued by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam mentioned only its desire for a peaceful and negotiated resolution for any local territorial dispute. In the wake of the battle, North Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Cơ Thạch told the Hungarian ambassador to Hanoi that "there are many documents and data on Vietnam's archipelago." Other North Vietnamese cadres told the Hungarian diplomats that in their view, the conflict between China and the Saigon regime was but a temporary one. However, they later said the issue would be a problem of the entire Vietnamese nation.[17]

After the reunification of Vietnam in April 1975, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam publicly renewed its claim to the Paracels by succeeding all claims from the provisional Republic of South Vietnam government, which itself had directly replaced and inherited all rights of the Republic of Vietnam. Hanoi has carefully praised the South Vietnamese forces that took part in the battle, while trying to avoid praising the South Vietnamese regime.[18]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Security Implications of Conflict in the South China Sea: Exploring Potential Triggers of Conflict A Pacific Forum CSIS Special Report, của Ralph A. Cossa, Washington, D.C. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1998, trang B-2
  2. ^ Nhân Dân No. 1653, September 22, 1958 [2]
  3. ^ Dyadic Militarized Interstate Disputes Data (DyMID), version 2.0 tabulations
  4. ^ Hải Chiến Hoàng Sa, Bão biển Đệ Nhị Hải Sư, Australia, 1989, page 101
  5. ^ DyMID
  6. ^ This warship had been USCGC Chincoteague, and was transferred to South Vietnam and renamed RVNS Trần Bình Trọng (HQ-05). It was transferred to the Philippines and renamed RPS Andrés Bonifacio (PF-7) in 1975 when South Vietnam fell.
  7. ^ This warship had been USS Bering Strait, and was transferred to South Vietnam and renamed RVNS Lý Thường Kiệt (HQ-16). It was transferred to the Philippines and renamed RPS Diego Silang (PF-9) in 1975 when South Vietnam fell.
  8. ^ This warship was USS Forster, loaned to South Vietnam on September 25, 1971 and renamed RVNS Trần Khánh Dư (HQ-04). Captured by North Vietnamese after the fall of Saigon and was renamed Dai Ky (HQ-03).
  9. ^ This warship had been USS Serene, and was transferred to South Vietnam January 24, 1964. It was re-designated as RVNS Nhật Tảo (HQ-10).
  10. ^ Counterpart, A South Vietnamese Naval Officer's War Kiem Do and Julie Kane, Naval Institute, Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1998, chương 10.
  11. ^ Thế Giới Lên Án Trung Cộng Xâm Lăng Hoàng Sa Của VNCH. Tài liệu Tổng cục Chiến tranh Chính trị, Bộ Tổng tham mưu QLVNCH, Sài Gòn, 1974, trang 11.
  12. ^ 西沙海战――痛击南越海军, Xinhua, January 20, 2003, online
  13. 西沙海战详解[图], online.

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ "Tài liệu Trung Quốc về Hải chiến Hoàng Sa: Lần đầu hé lộ về vũ khí". Báo Thanh Niên. January 12, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Danh sách các quân nhân Việt Nam Cộng Hòa hi sinh trong Hải chiến Hoàng Sa 1974, Thanh Niên Online, 09/01/2014
  3. ^ Yoshihara 2016, pp. 44–56.
  4. ^ Yoshihara 2016, pp. 46–47.
  5. ^ Yoshihara 2016, p. 47.
  6. ^ Yoshihara 2016, pp. 47–48.
  7. ^ a b Yoshihara 2016, p. 49.
  8. ^ Yoshihara 2016, p. 48.
  9. ^ "U.S. Cautioned 7th Fleet to Shun Paracels Clash". The New York Times. Reuters. January 22, 1974. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  10. ^ "Chinese, Viet Rift Shunned by U.S." Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, NM. AP. January 21, 1974. Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ a b Gwertzman, Bernard (January 26, 1974). "Peking Reports Holding U.S. Aide". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  12. ^ Markham, James M. (January 19, 1974). "Saigon Reports Clash with China". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  13. ^ Shipler, David K. (January 21, 1974). "Saigon Says Chinese Control Islands, But Refuses to Admit Complete Defeat". The New York Times. New York, NY. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Carl O. Schustser. "Battle for Paracel Islands".
  15. ^ "The World: Storm in the China Sea - TIME". Archived from the original on December 14, 2007.
  16. ^ "American Captured on Disputed Island is Freed by China". The New York Times. New York, NY. Reuters. January 31, 1974. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  17. ^ Balázs Szalontai, Im lặng nhưng không đồng tình. BBC Vietnam, March 24, 2009: http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/2009/03/090324_paracels_hanoi_reassessment.shtml .
  18. ^ For an overview of Hanoi's reactions to the Chinese occupation of the Paracels in 1974–1975, see also Chi-kin Lo, China's Policy toward Territorial Disputes. The Case of the South China Sea Islands (London and New York: Routledge, 1989), pp. 86–98.

Sources[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • New York Times, "Saigon Says China Bombs 3 Isles and Lands Troops". 1/20/74.
  • New York Times, "23 Vietnamese Survivors of Sea Battle Are Found". 1/23/74.

External links[edit]

16°30′N 111°38′E / 16.500°N 111.633°E / 16.500; 111.633

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