Benner (DD 807) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 69 text:

Unfortunately, like all good things, the time in Hong Kong sped by and soon BENNER was again underway for Yankee Station Th ' . e second period that BENNER spent as a part of Operation Sea Dragon proved to be quite different than her first. In the interim between January 23 when BENNER departed and February 10 when she returned, new policies had been set down and BENNER l , a ong with USS STRAUSS and USS CANBERRA began operations against major shore installations along the North Vietnamese coast. In the past it had been the practice to return gunfire only when a ship had been fired upon but with the new policy, chosen targets were taken under fire in support of air operations being conducted by the Air Force d N ' ' ' ' an avy against inland sites in the North. It was the job of the Task Group to eliminate certain targets that had been t k' h a ing a eavy toll on our aircraft enroute to their bombing missions and while they were returning to their bases, The new targets included surface to air missile sites, railroad bridges,fuel and ammunition dumps, and anti-aircraft gun emplacements along the coastline. The expanded operations took BENNER and the remainder of the Task Group further North than any other US. warships had previously ventured and at last the fire power ofthe United States Navy was brought to bear against the North Vietnamese for the first time in the Conflict. Q J ' ' ' Approaching the North Vietnam Coast. In compan with USS CANBERRA C ' C AG-21, USS JOBSEPH A. STRAUSS fDDG- 165, and patrol aircraft from the USS BENNINGTON QCVS-201 and the USS KITTY HAWK fCVA-631

Page 68 text:

r in ,X 4 .ff I NAND' ' fi, 1 ff 1 gs' it ., if div: N , H-, wx' .. , 2 f.'w- K 5-JK I fn ,,,k 'V I .f ' -,W I' ,J 3' V 511, 15? T! f .V ' 51 ' Ill? ' sw . nm 2 11,1- f .,r gms ., N + A Q, , :A N M ,- 'qi ij N. N df,-si X 1 if 'E I 4 N.-N J ,Yi 3, mf , ,ff X770 f 7 f,,f,7 Jf N4 , nv , f Q 1 ,, f M X ,,x1.x, s Q. ,1

Page 70 text:

Lookout reports counterbattery gun- fire coming from the beach. The five-inch guns of BENNER and STRUASS, along with the eight-inch guns of CANBERRA, found their mark as targets along the 00.-asf Were deSt1'03'id one after algofher. For a time it seemed as if the Task Group WELS 301118 to be allows O mam up an down the St firin at will Without any return of fire when suddenly counterbatteries opened up oiiotfllie threegships and the first sustained duel between navalBXg2I?Ui?1i Egffeghigg Ibagtiiries took place, During an eight minute Period OH February 26' O n S,Of five-inch ammunition in destroying an enemy gun Slte that had fcaken the three Shlps under fire It was Hanoi's boast that one of the ship's had been set afire and sunk by their guns but in retiring at 27 knots all three ships left a trail of heavy black smoke which possibly lead Hanoi to believe that their guns had found the mark, N0116 Of the Sh1PS SUSta1I1ed any damage from the encounter. Time and again the three ShlpS were taken under counter- battery but the only damage to any of the three was light damage to CANBERRA when she took an air burst close aboard. Each time fire from BENN ER and the other two ships silenced the shore batteries. General Quarters is sounded as the ships steal toward the coast under the cover of the early morning fog. CANBERRA opens fire on shore targets with her eight-inch guns. Bridge p e r - sonnel s u r ve y the coast line,