Operation Sea Dragon (Vietnam War)


Operation Sea Dragon occurred during the Vietnam War and was a series of American-led naval operations beginning in October 1966 to interdict sea lines of communications and supply going south from North Vietnam to South Vietnam, and to destroy land targets with naval gunfire. Sea Dragon assets were a part of Task Force 70.8, whose mission was naval shore bombardment. The U.S Navy Seventh Fleet destroyers USS Mansfield and USS Hanson commenced operations on 25 October 1966 off the coast of Quang Tri Province to intercept and destroy waterborne supply craft which were attempting to carry supplies and personnel from North Vietnam to areas south of the Demilitarized Zone in South Vietnam. Although the initial sweep by the two destroyers was unproductive, by February 1967 raids had been conducted as far as 230 miles north of the DMZ to the 20th parallel. At the height of the operation in May 1967 2 cruisers and 12 destroyers were assigned Sea Dragon missions. Targets included radar stations, boat repair facilities, bridges, and surface-to-air missile sites. Seventh Fleet calculated that after one year of operations that Sea Dragon assets had sunk or damaged 2000 logistics craft. During the operation lifetime there were 29 Sea Dragon ships damaged by shore battery fire with 5 sailors killed and 26 wounded. In April 1968, the area of operations was reduced to that below the 19th parallel, only 150 miles north of the DMZ. The operation ended on 31 October 1968 when Seventh Fleet assets withdrew to south of the DMZ

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