On August 2 and 5, 1964, the Vietnamese People's Navy faced off against the U.S. Navy and Air Force for the first time. They fought valiantly, driving the USS Maddox out of Vietnamese waters and shooting down eight aircraft over the northern seas and skies. This established the tradition of "winning the first battle" and the determination to "dare to fight, know how to fight, and resolve to win" in the Navy, marking a historical milestone in the "decisive battle, decisive victory" tradition of the heroic Vietnam People's Army.
On the night of July 31 and the early morning of August 1, 1964, our torpedo boat squadron was training in Van Hoa (Quang Ninh) waters when they received orders to arm torpedoes and proceed urgently to Hon Me (Thanh Hoa) waters to intercept the USS Maddox. The squadron consisted of three boats, numbered 333, 336, and 339, and Captain Nguyen Xuan Bot, then 34 years old with the rank of lieutenant, was the squadron commander and captain of the boat 333.
At that time, the forces were vastly unequal, akin to "eggs fighting rocks," as the USS Maddox was one of the most modern and advanced destroyers in the U.S. Navy. In contrast, each of our torpedo boats was equipped with only two torpedoes, a 14.5mm gun, and submachine guns for sentry duty. However, this disparity did not diminish the fighting spirit of the Vietnam People's Navy soldiers. Though 60 years have passed, the vivid memories of that battle remain clear in veteran Nguyen Xuan Bot's mind.
Alongside many other historical witnesses, Captain Nguyen Xuan Bot will be featured in the program "Guarding the Homeland's Seas and Skies." This program, produced by VTV, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the first victory of the northern army and people against the destructive war to defend the Socialist North (August 2 and 5, 1964 – August 2 and 5, 2024), and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2024).
Let's revisit these historical memories through the program Guarding the Homeland's Seas and Skies, which will be broadcast live at 20:10 on August 3, 2024, on VTV1!
