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Description Operation Market Time was the United States Navy’s effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing by sea from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was one of four Navy duties begun after the Tonkin Gulf Incident, along with Operation Sea Dragon, Operation Sealords and naval gunfire support.
Operation
Seaplane tenders USS Currituck (AV-7), USS Pine Island (AV-12), and USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13) served as flagships for Market Time.
A VP-40 SP-5B Marlin on patrol in 1965.
An SP-2H Neptune of VP-1 flying over Vietnamese junks.
When a trawler was intercepted landing arms and ammunition at Vung Ro Bay in northern Khánh Hòa Province on 16 February 1965 it provided the first tangible evidence of the North Vietnamese supply operation. This became known as the Vung Ro Bay Incident.
North Vietnamese mine laying ships attempted to close the entrance to the bay but were turned back by U.S. Marine helicopters modified with anti-ship missiles launching daring close range attacks on the vessels, braving intense machine gun fire from North Vietnamese commandos on the decks of the ships.
P5M seaplane Patrol Squadrons, Navy destroyers, ocean minesweepers, PCFs (Swift boats) and United States Coast Guard cutters performed the operation. Also playing a key role in the interdictions were the Navy’s patrol gunboats (PGs). The PG was uniquely suited for the job because of its ability to go from standard diesel propulsion to gas turbine (jet engine) propulsion in a matter of a few minutes. The lightweight aluminum and fiberglass ships were not only fast but highly maneuverable because of their variable pitch propellers. Most of the ships operated in the coastal waters from the Cambodian border around the south tip of Vietnam up north to Dà Nẵng. Supply ships from the Service Force, such as oilers, would bring mail, movies, and fuel.
Of the many vessels involved in Operation Market Time, one of the more notable was the USCGC Point Welcome (WPB-82329) which, on 11 August 1966, was brought under fire by a number of United States Air Force aircraft. This incident of a "blue-on-blue" engagement killed two members of the cutter’s crew (one of whom was the commanding officer) and wounded nearly everyone on board.
Operation Market Time was established by the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff after the 1965 Vung Ro incident to blockade the vast South Vietnam coastline against North Vietnamese gun-running trawlers. The trawlers, usually 100-foot-long Chinese-built steel-hulled coastal freighters, could carry several tons of arms and ammunition in their hulls. Not flying a national ensign that would identify them, the ships would maneuver “innocently” out in the South China Sea, waiting for the cover of darkness to make high-speed runs to the South Vietnam coastline. If successful, the ships would off load their cargoes to waiting Viet Cong or North Vietnamese forces.
To stop these potential infiltrations, Market Time was set up as a coordinated effort of long range patrol aircraft for broad reconnaissance and tracking. These aircraft, initially SP-5 seaplanes, later P-2 and SP-2 Neptunes and P-3 Orions, were armed with Bullpup air-to-surface missiles and were therefore capable of engaging these craft directly. Under normal conditions, however U.S. and allied surface forces intercepted suspect ships that crossed inside South Vietnam’s 12-mile coastal boundary. On the aviation side, some of the patrol squadrons that were involved and flying from South Vietnam, Thailand, or Philippine bases were: VP-1, VP-2, VP-4, VP-6, VP-8, VP-16, VP-17, VP-22, VP-26, VP-28, VP-40, VP-42, VP-45, VP-46, VP-47,VP-48, VP-49 and VP-50.
A significant action of Market Time occurred on 1 March 1968, when the North Vietnamese attempted a coordinated infiltration of four gun-running trawlers. Two of the four trawlers were destroyed by allied ships in gun battles, one trawler crew detonated charges on board their vessel to avoid capture, and the fourth trawler turned tail and retreated at high speed into the South China Sea. LT Norm Cook, the patrol plane commander of a VP-17 P-2H Neptune patrol aircraft operating from Cam Ranh Bay, was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for discovering and following two of the four trawlers in the action.
Market Time, which operated day and night, fair weather and foul, for eight and a half years, succeeded in denying the North Vietnamese a means of delivering tons of war materials into South Vietnam by sea.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1965
To Month/Year
December / 1970
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories
USS CONFLICT (MSO-426) APO SAN FRANCISCO 96601
27 June 1969
From: Commanding Officer, USS CONFLICT (MSO-426) To: All Hands, USS CONFLICT (MSO-426)
Subj: Letter of Appreciation
1. During the period 28 April - 3 May 1969 this ship participated in helicopter recovery operations in the area of Nha Trang, Vietnam.
2. The following comments are extracted from a letter from the Commander 201st Aviation Company (Corps), U.S. Army:
"1. I wish to take this opportunity to express the appreciation and gratitude of myself and the members of the 201st Aviation Company (Corps) to...the men of the USS CONFLICT.
"2. On the evening of 27 April 1969 this unit lost four men and two UH-1H helicopters in the Bay of Nha Trang. The USS CONFLICT was assigned the mission to search for and recover the helicopters and lost crewmen. Through your complete knowledge of your ship, you were able to maneuver the USS CONFLICT into what could have been perilous waters for a less experienced crew, thereby completing the recovery of the lost helicopters. Without the willing assistance of this crew and their complete knowledge of the capabilities of the ship this task could not have been successfully accomplished.
"3. The professional attitude and devotion to duty of the ships entire crew observed by members of my rescue coordinating personnel and the hospitality rendered to them by ... (the) crew, were indeed the deciding factors in making this recovery operation a success.
"4. The high degree of professionalism and devotion to duty certainly bring great credit to ... your crew, and the United States Navy. Again I speak for my unit when I say "Thank you" for a job well done."
/s/ Ronald S. Holasek, MAJ, CE Commanding
3. The following endorsement was written by Commander Mine Division NINETY-ONE:
"The USS CONFLICT's continuity of outstanding achievements is noted with extreme pleasure. The performance and skill displayed in exploiting the potential of the AN/SQQ-14 mine hunting sonar, in an immediate operational contingency situation illustrates a high degree of training, operational ability and command performance for which you and your crew are to be commanded. Well Done to all hands."
/s/ R. N. Peterson
4. This operation was one which required great individual effort and teamwork on the part of all hands. The operations task was called upon for long hours of mine hunting, and difficult seamanship evolutions were performed which required maximum readiness and response of engineering personnel and equipment. It was a fine team effort, and it is with the greatest of pleasure that I extend my appreciation to all hands. Well Done.
