Mayaguez Incident

Mayaguez incident
Part of the Vietnam War
Top to bottom: An aerial surveillance photo showing two Khmer Rouge gunboats during the initial seizing of the SS Mayaguez; U.S. Marines from 1st Battalion, 4th Marines boarding the ship shortly after
Date May 12–15, 1975 Location Koh Tang, Democratic Kampuchea Result Successful release of SS Mayaguez and crew
Belligerents
United States	Khmer Rouge
Commanders and leaders
Randall W. Austin	Em Son
Strength
~220 Marines plus air and naval support	85–100
Casualties and losses
15 killed in action 3 missing in action and presumed dead 23 killed en-route in helicopter failure 50 wounded 3 CH-53 helicopters destroyed	13–25 killed in action on Koh Tang, unknown killed on swift boats and Cambodian mainland 15 wounded in action 4 Swift Boats sunk

The Mayaguez incident took place between the Democratic Kampuchea and the United States from May 12–15, 1975, less than a month after the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital Phnom Penh ousting the U.S. backed Khmer Republic. It was the last official battle of the Vietnam War. The names of the Americans killed, as well as those of three U.S. Marines who were left behind on the island of Koh Tang after the battle and were subsequently executed by the Khmer Rouge, are the last names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The merchant ship's crew, whose seizure at sea had prompted the U.S. attack, had been released in good health, unknown to the U.S. Marines or the U.S. command of the operation before they attacked. Nevertheless, the Marines boarded and recaptured the ship anchored offshore a Cambodian island, finding it empty.

The crisis began on the afternoon of May 12, 1975, as the American container ship SS Mayaguez, owned by Sea-Land Service Inc., passed nearby Poulo Wai island en route to Sattahip, Thailand, in waters claimed as 12 nautical miles of territorial waters by Cambodia. The U.S. did not recognize 12 nautical miles territorial waters claims at that time, recognizing only 3 nautical miles, and characterised the location as international sea lanes on the high seas. U.S. military reports state that the seizure took place 6 nautical miles off the island, but crew members brought evidence in a later legal action that Mayaguez had sailed about two nautical miles off Poulo Wai and was not flying a flag.

At 14:18, a Khmer Rouge naval forces "Swift Boat" was sighted approaching the Mayaguez. The Khmer Rouge fired across the bow of the Mayaguez and when Captain Charles T. Miller ordered the engine room to slow down to maneuvering speed to avoid the machine-gun fire, the Khmer Rouge then fired a rocket-propelled grenade across the bow of the ship. Captain Miller ordered the transmission of an SOS and then stopped the ship. Seven Khmer Rouge soldiers boarded the Mayaguez and their leader, Battalion Commander Sa Mean, pointed at a map indicating that the ship should proceed to the east of Poulo Wai. One of the crew members broadcast a Mayday which was picked up by an Australian vessel. The Mayaguez arrived off Poulo Wai at approximately 16:00 and a further 20 Khmer Rouge boarded the vessel. Sa Mean indicated that the Mayaguez should proceed to Ream on the Cambodian mainland, but Captain Miller showed that the ship's radar was not working and mimed the ship hitting rocks and sinking. Sa Mean radioed his superiors and was apparently instructed to stay at Poulo Wai, dropping anchor at 16:55.

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Wikipedia