Republic of Vietnam Navy
The former Serene was renamed RVNS Nhật Tảo (HQ-10) in Republic of Vietnam Navy service; nhật tảo translates to “serene”.
On 7 August 1967, North Vietnamese forces began to overrun Coastal Group 16’s base at Sông Trà Khúc River, about 70 miles southeast of Đà Nẵng. Nhật Tảo delivered heavy fire on enemy forces. USS Camp (DE-251) and USS Gallup (PGM-85) arrived in support. After several hours of naval gun fire, one U.S. and two ARVN infantry companies arrived and launched a counterattack retaking the base. Nhật Tảo remained on station through the night provide continued fire support.
Nhật Tảo was sunk in early 1974 during an engagement between Republic of Vietnam Navy forces and those of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy in a dispute over control of the Paracel Islands. During the Battle of the Paracel Islands, Nhật Tảo took a direct hit from a ship-to-ship missile on her bridge and went dead in the water. On fire with her guns silent, crew from below deck cleared the guns and renewed the fight. The Chinese again concentrated fire on Nhật Tảo and again her guns fell silent as she began to sink. A few days later, a Dutch tanker and a Vietnamese fishing boat pulled 37 survivors of the sunken Nhật Tảo out of the South China Sea.
Read more about this topic: USS Serene (AM-300)
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