The Deadliest Naval Strike Since WW2
As the clock ticked towards midnight on May 9, 1972, the waters near Haiphong Harbor churned with unease. Amidst the darkness, USS Hanson, a battle-tested Gearing-class destroyer, took her position in the line of battle, prepared for the challenges that lay ahead in Operation Custom Tailor.
In the final moments before the new day, Hanson united with her sisters from Destroyer Squadron 31, part of a powerful assembly that marked a historic strike, bringing together the most powerful cruiser-destroyer fleet the Western Pacific had witnessed since the days of World War 2.
Under the guiding hand of their commanding officer, Captain Zartman, the ships slipped into formation. At 3:45am, the leader’s voice cut through the tense silence, his words crackling over the Navy Red channel: (QUOTE) "Mark Point Alfa."
In an instant, the five warships pivoted as one, their guns aligning with razor-sharp precision on their primary target: Cat Bi airfield, a vital hub for North Vietnamese aircraft and military operations.
Forged too late to prove herself in the battles of World War 2, USS Hanson proved herself in Korea, and now, in Vietnam, she was about to carve her name in the pages of naval history.