Cam Ranh Bay

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Cam Ranh Air Base
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type Military
Location USAF/SVNAF/ Russian Navy
Elevation AMSL 39 ft / 12 m
Coordinates 11°59′53″N 109°13′10″E / 11.99806, 109.21944
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
02L/20R 10,000 3,048 Paved
02R/20L 10,000 3,048 Paved
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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in the province of Khánh Hòa. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers / 180 miles northeast of Hồ Chí Minh City / Saigon.

Cam Ranh is often considered one of the finest such seaports in the world. The continental shelf of Southeast Asia is relatively narrow at Cam Ranh Bay, bringing deep water close to land.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Historically, the bay has been significant from a military standpoint. The French used it as a naval base for their forces in Indochina. It was also used as a staging area for the Imperial Russian fleet under Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky prior to the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, and by the Japanese Imperial Navy in preparation for the invasion of Malaysia in 1942. In 1944 U.S. Naval Task Force 38 destroyed most Japanese facilities and it was abandoned.

In 1964 U.S. Navy seventh fleet reconnaissance aircraft, the seaplane tender Currituck (AV-7), and Mine Flotilla 1 units carried out hydrographic and beach surveys and explored sites for facilities ashore.

This preparatory worked proved fortuitous when a North Vietnamese trawler was discovered landing munitions and supplies at nearby Vung Ro Bay in February 1965; the incident led the United States to develop Cam Ranh as a major base.

The United States Air Force operated a large cargo/airlift facility called Cam Ranh Air Base and it was also used as a tactical fighter base. It was one of three aerial ports where United States military personnel entered or departed South Vietnam for their 12 month tour of duty.

The United States Navy operated a major port facility at Cam Ranh, and the United States Army had a major presence there as well. The Navy flew various aircraft from Cam Ranh and other bases, conducting aerial surveillance of South Vietnam's coastal waters.

The APO for Cam Ranh Air Base was APO San Francisco 93638.

[edit] USAF use of Cam Ranh Bay

[edit] 12th Tactical Fighter Wing

The airfield at Cam Ranh Bay was opened on 1 November 1965, and the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing was assigned there on from 8 November 1965 from MacDill Air Force Base Florida. The 12th TFW would be the host unit at Cam Ranh AB until the airfield's closure on 30 March 1971.

The initial operational squadrons of the 12th TFW were:

  • 391 Tactical Fighter: 26 January 1966 - 22 July 1968 (F-4C Tail Code: XD/XT)
    (TDY from 366th TFW, Phan Rang Air Base, aircraft transferred to 12th TFW 558th TFS July 1968 (F-4C Tail Code: XD/XT)
    (Former 391st TFW aircraft reassigned to 475th TFW, Taegu AB, South Korea, July 1968 as Det 1., 558th Tactical Fighter Squadron)
F-4C Serial 63-7542 of the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron. This aircraft survived the war and eventually was sent to AMARC for scrapping 12 July 1988
F-4C Serial 63-7542 of the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron. This aircraft survived the war and eventually was sent to AMARC for scrapping 12 July 1988

At Cam Ranh Bay the wing carried out close air support, interdiction, and combat air patrol activities over both Vietnams and Laos. Following the capture of the USS Pueblo, the 558th TFS was sent TDY to augment the 475th TFW in South Korea. When that later became a permanent assignment, the 558th and 391st traded designations.

On 30 March 1970, as part of the Vietnamization process and phase out of the F-4C, fighter operations at Cam Ranh Bay AB were halted and the 12th TFW was deactivated. The 557th, 558th and 559th TFS were deactivated in place and the F-4C's transferred to the Air National Guard.

On 31 March 1970 the 37th TFW at Phu Cat Air Base was re-designated the 12th TFW in a name-only transfer.

[edit] 483rd Tactical Airlift/Composite Wing

The 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing was activated on 15 October 1966. With the deactivation of the 12th Tactical Fighter wing, the 483d became the host wing at Cam Ranh Bay on 31 March 1970. The wing was established to receive ex-Army CV-2B "Caribou" light transports. Upon transfer to the USAF, the aircraft was redesignated as a C-7B. The 483d TAW mission was to provide cargo and logistical support to U.S. Army and allied ground forces throughout South Vietnam.

Tactical Airlift Squadrons of the 483d were:

  • C-7B Squadrons
    • 457 Tactical Airlift (Cam Ranh) (Tail Code: KA)
    • 458 Tactical Airlift (Cam Ranh) (Tail Code: KC)
    • 459 Tactical Airlift (Phu Cat) (Tail Code: KE)
    • 537 Tactical Airlift (Phu Cat) (Tail Code: KN)
    • 535 Tactical Airlift (Vung Tau) (Tail Code: KH)
    • 536 Tactical Airlift (Vung Tau) (Tail Code: KL)
    • Royal Australian Air Force, Transport Flight Vietnam / 35 Tactical Airlift (Vung Tau)
  • C-130B Squadrons (TDY from the 463d Tactical Airlift Wing Clark AB Philippines)
    • 29th Tactical Airlift (Tail Code: QB)
    • 772d Tactical Airlift (Tail Code: QF)
    • 773d Tactical Airlift (Tail Code: QG)
    • 774th Tactical Airlift (Tail Code: QW)

C-130E Squadrons (TDY from CCK Taiwan) C-130A Squadrons (TDY from Naha Okinawa)

C-7B Serial No 63-9725 of the 535th Tactial Airlift Squadron - October 1971. It is believed that this aircraft along with other C-7s from the 483d TAW was tranferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force in 1972 after the 483d was deactivated.
C-7B Serial No 63-9725 of the 535th Tactial Airlift Squadron - October 1971. It is believed that this aircraft along with other C-7s from the 483d TAW was tranferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force in 1972 after the 483d was deactivated.

Note: The C-130 squadrons rotated frequently from Clark AB were operated as Detachment 1. 463d Tactical Airlift Wing.

The 14th Aerial Port Squadron and 608th Military Airlift Support Squadrons of the 483d Wing operated the Military Airlift Command terminal facilities at Cam Ranh, moving personnel and cargo in and out of South Vietnam. C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy aircraft were the main transport aircraft used. Once passengers and cargo were unloaded the C-130 Hercules and C-7 Caribou squadrons provided transportation in-country.

The 463d and 483d at Cam Ranh formed the 834th Air Division.

In April 1971 the aerial port at Cam Ranh Air Base moved 80,522 passengers and 10,425 tons of cargo. Also handled were 712 tons of mail and 10,939 Vietnamese travelers.

The unique capabilities of the C-7 for short landing and takeoff made Caribou transports absolutely vital to the war effort. On many occasions the C-7s flew emergency airlift missions to airstrips and combat areas that no other aircraft could reach. Most notable were those in support of special forces camps in the central highlands.

In June 1968 the wing flew a record 2,420 combat troops in three days between Dak Pek, Ben Het and Dak To.

In August 1968 pinpoint night airdrops were accomplished at Duc Lap, Ha Thanh and Tonle Cham Special Forces camps. Ammunition and medical supplies were parachuted into 75-foot-square drop zones while the camps were under attack.

In June 1969 during the siege of Ben Het more than 200 tons of ammunition, POL, rations, water and medical supplies were airdropped into a 100 x 200-foot zone with every load on target and 100 per cent recovered.

Again in April 1970, the 483rd helped break the siege of Dak Seang. The wing flew 100 air-drop sorties under heavy hostile fire in ten days delivering some 400,000 pounds of vital supplies.

During their five years' flying for the 483rd, the C-7 Caribous carried more than 4.7 million passengers, averaging more than one million a year during 1967, 68 and 69. At the same time the wing averaged more than 100,000 tons of cargo each year.

In 1971 several squadrons from other deactivating units were assigned to Cam Ranh. The 483d was renamed as the 483d Composite Wing.

  • 90th Special Operations 1 January 1971 (A-37B Tail Code: CG)
  • 360th Tactical Electronic Warfare 31 August 1971 (EC-47N/P/Q Tail Code: AJ)
  • 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare 31 August 1971 (EC-47N/P/Q Tail Code: AL)
  • 362d Tactical Electronic Warfare 31 August 1971 (EC-47N/P/Q C-47H Tail Code: AN)

The 90th SOS inactivated in place 31 May 1972; the 360th TEWS was reassigned to 377th Air Base Wing at Ton Son Nhut Air Base 1 February 1972; the 361st was deactivated in place 1 December 1971 and the 362d was assigned to the 366th TFW at Da Nang Air Base on 1 February 1972.

The 483d Composite Wing was inactivated on 15 May 1972. For its service in Vietnam, the 483rd was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

[edit] U. S. Navy use of Cam Ranh Bay

Cam Ranh Bay became the center of coastal air patrol operations with the establishment in April 1967 of the U.S. Naval Air Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, and the basing there of P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion patrol aircraft. That summer, Commander Coastal Surveillance Force and his staff moved their headquarters from Saigon to Cam Ranh Bay and set up operational command post to control Market Time effort. Country wide coordination also was enhanced with establishment of the Naval Communications Station.

In the beginning the shore facilities at Cam Ranh Bay were extremely limited, requiring interim measures to support assigned naval forces. Army depots provided common supplies, while Seventh Fleet light cargo ships Mark (AKL-12) and Brule (AKL-28) delivered Navy-peculiar items from Subic Bay in the Philippines. Until mid 1966 when shore installations were prepared to take over the task, messing and quartering of personnel were handled by APL-55, anchored in the harbor. Also, a pontoon dock was installed to permit the repair of the coastal patrol vessels. Gradually the Naval Support Activity, Saigon, Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, improved the provision of maintenance and repair, supply, finance, communications, transportation, postal service, recreation, and security support.

While the concentration at Cam Ranh Bay of Market Time headquarters and forces during the summer of 1967, the demand for base support became extraordinary. Accordingly, the Naval Support Activity Saigon, Detachment Cam Ranh Bay, was redesignated the Naval Support Facility, Cam Ranh Bay, a more autonomous and self sufficient status. A greater allocation of resources and support forces to the shore installation resulted in an improved ability to cope with the buildup of combat units. In time, the Cam Ranh Bay facility accomplished major vessel repair and dispensed a greater variety of supply items to the anti-infiltration task force. In addition the naval contingent at the Joint Service Ammunition Depot issued ammunition to the coastal surveillance, river patrol and mobile riverine forces as well as to the Seventh Fleet’s gunfire support destroyers and landing ships. Seabee Maintenance unit 302 provided public works assistance to the many dispersed Naval Support Activity, Saigon detachments.

As a vital logistic complex, Cam Ranh Bay continued to function long after the Navy’s combat forces withdrew from South Vietnam as part of the Vietnamization of the war. However, between January and April 1972 the Naval Air Facility, and the Naval Communications Station turned over the their installations to the Vietnamese Navy and were duly disestablished.

[edit] Capture of Cam Ranh Bay

After the American withdrawal from South Vietnam in 1973, the South Vietnamese Air Force used the airfield at Cam Ranh Bay as a storage facility for many of their propeller-driven aircraft (A-1E, T-28). The aircraft were kept in flyable storage while the large amount of jet F-5s and A-37s were used in operations against the North Vietnamese army.

By the early spring of 1975 North Vietnam realized the time was right to achieve its goal of re-uniting Vietnam under communist rule, launched a series of small ground attacks to test U.S. reaction.

With the fall of the Central Highlands and the northern provinces of South Vietnam, a general panic had set in. By 30 March order in the city of Da Nang and in Da Nang harbor had completely broken down. Armed South Vietnamese deserters fired on civilians and each other. Forward North Vietnamese fired on American vessels in Da Nang harbor and sent sappers ahead to destroy port facilities, and refugees sought to board any boat or craft afloat.

Initially, Cam Ranh Bay was chosen as the safe haven for these South Vietnamese troops and civilians transported by boat from Da Nang. But, even Cam Ranh Bay was soon in peril. Between 1 and 3 April, many of the refugees just landed at Cam Ranh reembarked for further passage south and west to Phu Quoc Island in the Gulf of Siam, and ARVN forces pulled out of the faciilty.

On 3 April 1975 North Vietnamese forces captured Cam Ranh Bay and all of its military facilities.

[edit] Uses after 1975

After the fall of Saigon and the unification of Vietnam, Cam Ranh Bay became an important cold war naval base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet.

In 1979, the Soviet government signed an agreement with Vietnam for a 25-year lease of the base. Cam Ranh Bay was the largest Soviet naval base outside the Soviet Union, allowing the Soviet Union to project increased power in the South China Sea.[citation needed] by 1987, they had expanded the base to four times its original size and often made mock attacks in the direction of the Philippines, according to intelligence of the United States Pacific Fleet. Analysts suggested that the Vietnamese side also saw the Soviet presence there as a counterweight against any potential Chinese threat. The Soviet Union and Vietnam officially denied any presence there.[1] However, as early as 1988, then-Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze had discussed the possibility of a withdrawal from Cam Ranh Bay, and concrete troop reductions were realised by 1990.[2][3]

The Russian government continued the earlier 25-year arrangement in a 1993 agreement that allowed for the continued use of the base for signal intelligence, primarily on Chinese communications in the South China Sea. By this time, most combat troops and naval vessels had been withdrawn, with only support personnel for the listening station remaining. As the original 25-year lease was nearing its end, Vietnam demanded $200 million in annual rent for the continued operation of the base. Russia balked at this, and decided to withdraw all personnel. On May 2, 2002, the Russian flag was lowered for the last time. Currently, Vietnamese officials are considering turning the base into a civilian facility, similar to what the Philippine government did with the American Clark Air Base.

With the Russian withdrawal, the United States in recent years has been negotiating with the Vietnamese government to declare Cam Ranh Bay to be open to port calls by foreign warships, as it already has done with the ports of Haiphong in northern Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

Such an arrangement would not be exclusive to the United States but would allow warships from any nation to use the port.

There are also talks about a possible Indian naval base at Cam Ranh Bay.

In his blockbuster 1986 techno-thriller Red Storm Rising, author Tom Clancy mentions that at the time of the escalating crisis between the Warsaw Pact and NATO, Cam Ranh Bay is empty of Soviet Pacific Fleet ships and aircraft, as well as Red Air Force units, thus suggesting that the scenario laid out in the book would not escalate outside of Europe, Scandinavia and the North Atlantic.

[edit] Ba Ngoi Port

Bangoi port is an international commercial port located in inside Cam Ranh Bay, which has advantageous natural conditions and potentials for developing services of seaports, such as: the depth of anchorage area, airtight and wide bay, nearby International Marine route (about 10 km), Cam Ranh Airport (about 25 km), National Highway No.1A (about 1.5 km) and National Railway (about 3 km). Therefore, it has been being an important centre of marine traffic covering the economic zone of south Khanh Hoa and neighbouring provinces for a long time.

[edit] Cam Ranh Airport

On May 19, 2004, after major reconstruction, Cam Ranh Airport received its first commercial flight from Hanoi. Today, the facility operates as an interal airport, taking over all air traffic which previously headed to Nha Trang Airport.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Trainor, Bernard E.. "Russians in Vietnam: U.S. sees a threat", The New York Times, 1987-03-01. Retrieved on 2007-01-04. 
  2. ^ Mydans, Seth. "Soviets Hint at Leaving Cam Ranh Bay", The New York Times, 1988-12-23. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. 
  3. ^ Weisman, Steven R.date=1990-06-04. "Japanese-U.S. Relations Undergoing a Redesign", The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. 
  • Endicott, Judy G. (1999) Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. CD-ROM.
  • Martin, Patrick (1994). Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings. Schiffer Military Aviation History. ISBN 0887405134.
  • Mesco, Jim (1987) VNAF South Vietnamese Air Force 1945-1975 Squadron/Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-193-8
  • Mikesh, Robert C. (2005) Flying Dragons: The South Vietnamese Air Force. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0764321587
  • Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0912799129.
  • [1] USAF Historical Research Division/Organizational History Branch - 12th Fighter Wing
  • [2] VNAF - The South Vietnamese Air Force 1951-1975
  • USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present[4]

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_Ranh_Bay"
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