Da Nang Air Base

On 22 September 1940, the Vichy Government signed an agreement with Japan allowing the Japanese to station troops in Tonkin and use three airfields there. On 14 July 1941, the Japanese sent the French an ultimatum demanding the use of bases in Annam and Cochinchina, the French acquiesced and by late July, the Japanese occupied Cam Ranh Bay, Bien Hoa Air Base and Tourane Airfield. In late 1944, the Fourteenth Air Force based in southern China began raiding Japanese bases throughout Indochina and on 12 January 1945, the United States Third Fleet launched attacks on Japanese coastal bases including Da Nang. ==Indochina War (1945–1954)==

Tourane Airfield was used by the French Air Force during the French Indochina War. In December 1950, pursuant to the Mutual Defense Assistance Act and Program, the US delivered B-26 Invaders to the French and these were used to form the Bombardment Group I/19 Gascogne based at Tourane. In 1953, the US Eighteenth Air Force C-119s were deployed to Tourane to support French military operations. A number of these aircraft crewed by civilians later flew in support of French forces in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. In 1953/54 the French laid a NATO-standard asphalt runway at Tourane. On 6 April the USAF delivered 11 B-26s to Tourane for loan to the French. Following the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu and in anticipation of the Indochina peace treaty, on 23 May the USAF C-119 detachment at Cat Bi Air Base moved to Tourane. On 14 June 1954 Viet Minh troops captured five USAF airmen of the 315th Air Division stationed at Tourane while they were on an unauthorized beach outing. They were held at a small camp about south of Tourane that was ringed by mines and pits with bamboo stakes. The airmen remained in captivity until 31 August when they were released to the French as part of a prisoner exchange. On 19 July 1954 the USAF 6424th Air Depot Wing detachment that had supported French B–26 operations at Tourane completed its closeout and was inactivated. On 6 September the last of the B-26s and C-119s on loan to the French departed from Tourane. ==Republic of Vietnam Air Force use (1955–1970)==

A-1 at Da Nang AB in 1967 By the end of the Indochina War, the French had established a small Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) consisting of 2 squadrons of Morane-Saulnier MS.500 and one of Morane-Saulnier MS.315. On 2 March 1965, twenty A-1s from the base participated in the first attacks of Operation Rolling Thunder, striking the Vietnam People's Navy base at Quảng Khê. On 14 March the VNAF led by General Kỳ participated in attacks on barracks on Hòn Gió island. Also during that year the RVNAF began building family housing at the base for its personnel. ==United States military use (1962–1972)==

Da Nang Air Base was used as a primary entry point for American service members flying into Vietnam fighting in the Vietnam War. It was used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as well as the US Air force (USAF). US Army use From January 1962 until September the 93rd Transportation Company (Light Helicopter) with Piasecki CH-21C Shawnees was based here. During February the company was joined by the 339th Transportation Company (Direct Support). In September 1962, the CH-21's left and were replaced by HMM-362 with the 611th Transportation Company (Aircraft Direct Support). USAF use at Da Nang AB in 1965 Boeing 707 at Da Nang AB in September 1966 HH-53s at Da Nang AB c.1970 In January 1962, the USAF 5th Tactical Control Group was deployed to Da Nang AB to provide air support operations in I Corps. In April 1963, the 777th Troop Carrier Squadron equipped with 16 C-123s was transferred to the base and later that year the base's existing Mule Train operations were redesignated as the 311th Troop Carrier Squadron. The PAVN/VC had killed a guard undetected and then used his unsecured telephone to divert US troops to the far side of the base. In July, the 436th Tactical Fighter Squadron (436th TFS) replaced the 476th TFS. On 1 January 1966, the 4503rd Tactical Fighter Squadron equipped with the F-5A Skoshi Tiger moved to the base for trial operations over North Vietnam and Laos. In May 1967, Detachment 1 38th ARRS operating HH-3s at the base was reassigned to the 37th ARRS. On 8 April 1970, the PAVN shelled and rocketed the base killing one Airman and one Marine and damaging barracks and communications facilities. In late May, the 366th TFW began moving from Da Nang AB to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, with the personnel of the 390th TFS returning to the US while their aircraft were transferred to other squadrons in Thailand. the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines landed at Da Nang AB from Naha Air Base, this marked the first deployment of US combat troops to South Vietnam. In late 1966, VMF (AW)-242 equipped with A-6As was deployed to Da Nang AB. On 14 July the PAVN launched another rocket attack firing over 50 122mm rockets destroying 10 aircraft, barracks and a bomb dump, damaging a further 40 aircraft and killing 8 Americans and wounding 176. At the beginning of 1968, USMC units at Da Nang AB included VMCJ-1, VMF (AW)-235, VMF (AW)-242 and VMFA-122. On 23 February 1969 as part of the Tet 1969 attacks, a PAVN rocket attack destroyed a 450,000 gallon fuel tank beside the base and damaged an A-6. In late January 1970 as part of Operation Keystone Bluejay VMFA-542 departed Vietnam and VMO-2 moved to the base from Marble Mountain Air Facility. On 12 April the base was hit by 122mm rockets killing 14 Vietnamese civilians. On 14 April VMFA-212 arrived at the base followed the next day by H&MS-15. On 8 January 1973, five U.S. jets accidentally bombed the base destroying three fuel tanks, damaging seven aircraft and injuring ten Americans and one South Vietnamese. On 26 January 1973, the date before the Paris Peace Accords were to come into effect, two MAG-15 F-4s were damaged by PAVN rocket fire as they rearmed at Danang AB. ==Capture of Da Nang Air Base (1975)==

On 11 March 1975, faced with the PAVN invasion and the collapse of the South Vietnamese positions in the Central Highlands, President Nguyen Van Thieu decided on a new strategy of "light at the top, heavy on the bottom" which essentially involved only defending III Corps and IV Corps, with the ARVN withdrawing from I Corps and II Corps as necessary in the face of PAVN pressure. Thieu met with Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng in Saigon on 13 March and Trưởng understood that he was authorised to concentrate his forces around Da Nang. On 27 March, the situation at Da Nang AB was becoming increasingly chaotic as panicked refugees surged to board a World Airways flight and began mobbing the other flights, with groups of refugees gathering on the taxiways and runways. The PAVN attack began on the morning of 28 March with an artillery barrage on the city. Probing attacks quickly penetrated the ARVN defenses, and the fragile ARVN discipline collapsed as soldiers began to desert their positions and seek refuge for themselves and their families. On the night of 28 March, Trưởng received intelligence that an all-out PAVN assault against the city would commence the next morning; he decided to abandon Da Nang, and ordered his forces to move to beaches for evacuation by sea. On 7 April the first VPAF transport aircraft began landing at Da Nang AB to support PAVN operations further south. ==Accidents and incidents==

• On 16 March 1970 a U.S. Navy EC-121 Warning Star #145927 of VQ-1 crashed on landing. The aircraft struck a hangar and caught fire killing 22 of the 28-man crew. ==References==