USS Maddox crew

Naval clash occurs in the Gulf of Tonkin

📅 2 Augustus 1964

North Vietnamese patrol boats attacked the U.S. destroyer USS Maddox during a covert-supported patrol. A second reported attack on August 4 was later shown by U.S. records to be unfounded, a...

A disputed second Gulf of Tonkin attack report shapes escalation

📅 4 Augustus 1964

U.S. officials reported a second attack on U.S. ships, but contemporaneous messages raised doubts about radar and sonar evidence. The episode shows how uncertain intelligence was presented publicly as...