PRELUDE

Last year in the Indochina war, one can say that the conflict took a chaotic turn for the worst for all sides. The United States has escalated its bombardment campaign in Vietnam resorting to carousel bombing runs on much of the North Vietnamese rural areas and front. Towns and cities were wiped off the face of the planet by the might of the US Air Force causing thousands of Vietnamese to go homeless and seek shelter and refuge elsewhere. Nguyen Thinh Cuong, once known as the brightest mind of Southeast Asia, died under suspicious circumstances. Thailand made a devil’s gambit with the VietMinh and the Kuomintang in exchange for an end to their woes in Laos and Cambodia only to backfire and worsen the situation significantly in both territories with the Thai armies on the backfoot against an emboldening insurgency. Meanwhile, the Viet Minh waits and plots to make their next move…

Part 1:

THE QUESTION OF THE PARTISANS

The TRA was paralized by multiple worker strikes and partisan activity within major settlements under US occupation for months now to a point where their activity has led to an increased attrition and supply issue in the front. The drug epidemic has reached its fever pitch with thousands of drug addicts loitering the streets and US troops hooked up on opium to cope with their deployment. Thus to address these issues, The United States has made several reforms within the TRA. The United States would establish commissaries where they would distribute a large quantity of foodstuffs and critical supplies to the Vietnamese population in the area as well as luxuries and commodities the Vietnamese public would find great pleasure with. Alongside these commissaries and distribution offices, great sums of cash and vouchers would be given liberally to the Vietnamese public to be used at American commissaries while keeping a quota where no individual can take more than a household’s worth of resources. The US would also establish Foreign Claims offices to address cases of personal injury, death, or property damage caused by, or incident to non-combat activities of United States military personnel with payments done at the bill of the US Federal government. They will also send voucher payments to credible informants to flush out Viet Minh partisans and instituting a gun purchasing system where individuals who report activity or lay down their arms can receive amnesty and payout in commissary vouchers. The process took some time but immediate effects were significant, with partisan activity dropping down to 80% barring some stubborn chapters. American efforts towards fighting the drug epidemic has had a negligible effect towards its treatment, as a significant selection of drug addicts simply used their vouchers and cash handouts to purchase drugs and nicotine, repeating the cycle of addiction. Some manage to escape through US aid, others do not. A concerted effort towards policing the drug trade and providing treatment and avenues to drug addiction as a social and medical emergency is crucial to effectively combat the epidemic.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD

As troop rotations continued throughout the recent months, Le Duc Tho noticed a significant redeployment of US marines away from his territory. Suddenly less and less armored vehicles and LVTs were around the Mekong, with American soldiers becoming increasingly sparse, taking away their supplies with them. While Le Duc Tho was not exactly aware while feeling an odd sense of dread as to why the Marines were withdrawing from his swampland, he knew the change of US strategy once State of Vietnam troops crossed the Mekong down south through Cam Tho. Informed by moles within the city, Le Duc Tho exploited the lull period to the maximum extent possible.

Taking advantage of the relative inexperience by the part of South Vietnamese forces in terms of the irregular combat it demands, The State of Vietnam experienced significant casualties on the onset of fighting. Using US equipment, armor and air support from Saigon, the Vietnamese army were capable of eradicating most of the incursions from Le Duc Tho’s small army despite their early campaign during the early months of 1954. Le Duc Tho then once again retreated to his usual hit and run strategy, raiding storage sites for supplies, and keeping the initiative in guerilla combat. He nevertheless faced much trouble with recruitment as the locals were getting fed up with his authority, creating a network of informants for the SoV against Le Duc Tho. Years of isolation has forged Le Duc Tho into just another petty warlord with a red taint, massacring supposed enemies of the revolution, destroying estates and plantations while gaining notoriety from Cochinchina’s ruling class. The early months saw significant gains from Le Duc Tho but at the same time significant losses in materiel and men becoming little more than a mild annoyance for the State of Vietnam as Le Duc Tho’s power and influence diminished. Knowing that his position was of immense danger for his own life and the Revolution.

REVENGE OVER THE YOKE

The Kampuchea People’s Liberation Committee knew they had a limited time window until the Thai reorganized after the bombings performed by the United States. They nevertheless gathered enough volunteers from the massacres that followed the Thai occupation throughout the years to make their next move. Gathering supplies given from the Viet Minh and interdicted from the supply lines to Silhanoukville. The KPLC’s Western army group launched an offensive to retake the major port from the Thai. It was a bold if not risky move as the Thai army outnumbered the Cambodians 3 to 1 in the sector. Nevertheless, the KPLC commanders noticed a chokepoint they could exploit in the Kampong Speu pass, controlling the only paved road towards Sihanouk. With the devastation in the port exacerbating the dangerous supply situation for the Thai defenders. The time was ripe for them to make their first move.

Using unconventional tactics learned from advisors from the Viet Minh and advanced munitions from the Sihanouk route, the KPLC West Irregular Corps stormed through the city from multiple directions, from insurgents feigning as rice farmers with hidden rifles and grenades, to fishermen carrying LMGs. The Thai army was surprised at the coordination of the KPLC’s army, and due to the overstretched capacity of the 9th Infantry Division, tasked with reconstruction and counterinsurgency, pressure from the KPLC forced the Thai to withdraw from Sihanouk to regroup.

THE SPRING-SUMMER OFFENSIVE (May 5th 1954)

At long last, the fruits of months of planning, organizing, procurement and mobilization from the Viet Minh has finally culminated. Forward operating bases, artillery installations, anti aircraft batteries, and an army to match, the Viet Minh has gone a long way from its near annihilation in 1947. From a petty insurgency in Viet Bac to the strongest and most motivated Vietnamese conventional armies to date. Years of development and survival had led to this. Vo Nguyen Giap and the central committee of the Viet Minh declare this day as the true beginning of the modern Vietnamese nation, the day the might of the Vietnamese armies loyal to the Revolution cast down the American invaders back to the sea and the final victory achieved. 200,000 Viet Minh soldiers stand at the ready, with high morale anticipating the end to the war in sight. Make no mistake, facing down the American juggernaut is no easy feat. Thus Giap sent his final orders in and slated the offensive to begin May 5th Even with the enthusiasm and high morale between the troops knowing they will for the first time face the US head on for their homes and families, an odd sense of dread settled in as in a bad omen of things to come.

The roar of mass artillery barrages deafened the silence of the North Vietnamese jungle. United States aligned forces in the area were caught off guard by the creeping barrage from the Vietnamese 308th and 304th Division. Some of the best shock troops the Viet Minh had to offer, complete with engineers, sappers and heavy weapons stormed through the Red River Delta for the first time in years. Encountering vanguard troops from Nguyen Van Thong’s warlord army, the firepower levied against them was vicious, tearing apart through Van Thong’s army like a knife through butter, In the first few days, mutinies and desertions that have plagued the warlord armies for so long had finally delivered a knockout blow to the former VNQDD forces in the Delta. Van Thong’s army was routed and destroyed with only 500 soldiers managing to survive from the skin of their teeth out of a contingent of 6,000 soldiers.

With Van Thong’s troops in utter disarray, the path was wide open for Hanoi, up until the intervention from the 9th and 12th US Infantry Divisions preventing a total collapse of the front. The arrival from US armor and air support ensured any further gains would be done so with a heavy price. Vo Nguyen Giap’s 3rd Army launched a diversionary offensive in the south towards Ninh Binh with the intent to keep the III Amphibious Corps occupied. The 101st Mountain Regiment alongside Irregular troops pushed through the Hoa Binh mountains. The territorial gains however were sharply limited due to the concentration of US firepower in the region and terrain with the majority of the gains being from the north by the II Irregular Infantry Corps taking advantage of lightly defended US lines and Doan Quoc Dien suffering catastrophic routing into Banh Ninh. The Viet Minh is applying pressure on all sides of the Hanoi front with multiple openings breached by the Viet Minh through US lines threatening a breakthrough. The situation is not looking good for the US as logistical damage from partisan activity and the subsequent battles take their toll. While US reinforcements from the South are on the way, the clock is ticking.

OPERATION AURORA BOREALIS

May 12th,1954

Clark Air Base, Luzon Island

An intelligence officer asks for a closed door meeting with Lieutenant General Samuel E. Anderson in regards to developments on the front.

“Sir, we have intel which you should be aware of or Operation Aurora.”

The officer hands the general a manila envelope containing aerial reconnaissance pictures and GHQ photographs of who they believe to be Marshal Vo Nguyen Giap and his bunker.

“And we have confirmation that he is in this building?”

“We do, Sir. Our informants on the ground and our boys at the GHQ are sure that this is his stronghold. He seems to have stayed in the building long enough, and it's where he has been planning from.”

“Well done, I shall inform High Command at once, At ease.”

May 15th, 1954

Clark Air Base, Luzon Island

Late in the night, Military Police trucks arrived at Clark Air Base. Civilian contractors were told to leave the airbase by morning and only military personnel were to remain. The base was placed on total lockdown and all soldiers were restricted in their movements around the Air Base.

The next morning aircraft landed and were quickly surrounded by MPs. No soldiers, not even high ranking officers, were allowed near the aircraft. Only designated ground crews were allowed to transport the contents of the aircraft into highly secured hangars.

Soldiers across the base waited, wondering what was occurring and why the additional security was present.

May 20th, 1954

Clark Air Base, Luzon Island

Twenty one airmen sat in the briefing room, each one being hand picked by their commanding officers based on their experience. Eighteen of them were from the Navy, and three were from the Air Force. No one had any clue what they were waiting for, or why they had been summoned.

It was at that moment that two figures entered the room. First to enter was Lieutenant General Samuel E. Anderson, Commander of the Fifth Air Force, and behind him was Vice Admiral Stuat Ingersoll, Commander of the Seventh Fleet. The airmen stood at once, saluting some of the highest ranking officers in the US military.

“At ease soldiers!” Anderson said, sitting down as Ingersoll walked to the chalkboard behind and wrote out the words: “OPERATION AURORA AUSTRALIS”

“Gentlemen, to put it simply, you're the best of the best and have been hand selected by your commanders to take part in a top secret and vital mission. However, before we begin the briefing we have two points to make.”

“First, every man here must willingly volunteer for this mission. If anyone wishes to drop out at any time they are free to do so, so long as they are willing to stay on the base in their barracks for some time.”

“Second, every man who completes the mission will be given a $1,500 cash bonus.”

There was a brief pause as the airmen looked at each other.

“Now does anyone wish to leave before we begin?”

None left.

“Excellent, now let us begin.”

May 25th, 1954

“This is Captain Jonathan Watt, requesting permission to commence Operation Aurora.”

A brief moment passed Captain Watt’s radio crackled in response.

“You’re clear to take off. Godspeed, Captain.”

The six AJ Savage bombers lined up on the flight deck of the USS United States, and a quick radio call from the flight control deck in the USS Northampton gave the green light for take off. The pilots turned on the engines of the bomber, shaking the very hull of the carrier, as they prepared for takeoff.

One after another, the bombers took off into the sky above - circling above to group up before heading on their flight vector towards Indochina. The flight was unusually silent, every man doing their job without the small talk. They knew their duty..

Flight control was also in silence, only relaying the key information to the bombers. The sky was clear, with no sign of storms or major turbulence.

“United States, this is Captain Watt. We are now approaching 30,000 feet, and are prepared to commence the bombing run. Requesting permission to execute.”

Captain Jonathan Watt once again reached out to Clark Air Base for confirmation. The request was approved, the Rubicon was crossed. No going back now.

“Permission granted, execute.”

One by one, each AJ Savage broke off formation, going to their respective target zones. Accompanying them was a lone B-47, flying from Clark Air Base.

“Approaching target.”

Any potential second thoughts by the crew of each bomber were thoroughly wiped out as they were on approach. Captain Watt looked down at the flight controls, checking over the dials to ensure that everything was in order, a picture of his wife and newborn child taped nearby. Letting out a sigh, he moved the bomber into its designated path.

“Preparing bombing bay.”

The bomb rack hold opened up from below, the hellish sounds of metal straining against the wind filling the aircraft as it shook. The unnatural sound provoked a growing sense of dread in each of the airmen onboard.

“Target Zone acquired. Initiating countdown, Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...”

“Release”

Out of the aircraft the payload fell, rapidly descending into the lush green forests of Vietnam.

“Payload dropped.”

10 seconds passed.

The aircraft turned away from the target zone, yawing east, quickly accelerating to full speed once the turn had been completed to put as much distance between itself and the payload as possible.

20 seconds.

The crew waited with bated breath. Captain Watt wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead.

30 seconds.

Captain Watt looked once again at the picture of his family, knowing that any moment now the bombs would hit the ground.

40 seconds.

…

…

Suddenly, a deafening silence dominated the scene as a flash of light brighter than the Sun lasted for seconds. Then, the shockwave hit - rattling the hull of the aircraft with its horrific power. A massive cloud began to rise from the ground, rising kilometers into the air and blotting out everything below it.

“Look!”

The crews watched over the windshield as other blinding flashes of light occurred all over Vietnam, and clouds just like the one behind them began to rise into the sky.

Across northern Vietnam, aimed at selected Viet Minh headquarters and strongpoints, six 16 kiloton airburst detonated nuclear bombs and one 25 kiloton surface detonated nuclear bomb were detonated in the second ever utilization of nuclear weapons - one of the most destructive and significant events in human history. Yet again, the world has irreparably changed… forever.

MAP