US Seventh Fleet: Vietnam 1964–73: American Naval Power in Southeast Asia

Osprey Fleet #4

by Edward J. Marolda, Adam Tooby (Illustrator)

A superbly illustrated examination of how the US Navy's most powerful fleet fought the Vietnam War, covering all of its elements from aircraft carriers and heavy cruisers to minesweepers and oilers.

The US Navy's Seventh Fleet was at the forefront of America's campaign in Vietnam for a decade, from the Gulf of Tonkin Incident that began it all to the final evacuation of South Vietnam. Its mission was highly strategic, and while its primary role was to provide carrier-based air power over North Vietnam – from Rolling Thunder through Linebacker – the fleet's operations were complex, sensitive, and varied, and required all the capabilities of the fleet.

This book is the first overall examination of how US Navy's most powerful fleet fought and operated in Vietnam. Distilled from thousands of declassified secret documents by renowned US Navy specialist Dr Edward J. Marolda, it offers a unique new portrait of how the Seventh Fleet fought the Vietnam War, from the offensive strike power of naval aviation to the vital role of fleet logistics. As well as the carrier operations, he examines the surface combatant fleet's gunfire support role, and its raids against the North Vietnamese coast. Dr Marolda also looks at amphibious warfare, fleet air defense, search-and-rescue, and mining and interdiction operations.

Illustrated throughout with archive photos, 3D diagrams and spectacular new artwork, and informed by never-before-translated official documents, publications, and personal accounts from North Vietnamese, Soviet, and Chinese sources, this is the real story behind the US Navy's Vietnam War.

80 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2023

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Edward J Marolda is a pretty good choice for Osprey Publishing to write this book, Number 4 in their Fleet Series. As a former US Army Officer in Vietnam and an academic scholar of the Cold War Era, he's got the chops to give it to the reader straight- an overall analysis of the combat power and effectiveness of the American Naval effort in the Vietnam War. While the war to support South Vietnam was not a political success in itself- it did mean the the American Sword was sharpened and the American Navy was able to have combat experienced officers and sailors for the rest of the Cold War. Filled with photos, maps, diagrams and those great colour plates from Adam Tooby that highlight key actions from throughout the war the book is a straightforward read. I grew up with this war- 2 years old when it began- 13 when Saigon fell -and learned a few things in these pages I had not known about the war...

As Dr. Marolda points out- the US Navy was there when the war began- did those Gunboats really attack those Destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin? It was also the US Navy that sailed off the coast of South Vietnam at its fall- the salvation all those helicopters sought after they left the US Embassy. In between there were the two Carrier task force locations the Yankee and Dixie Stations with their heavy pace of operations, the Brown Water/Swift Boat Navy in the Saigon Delta, and the blockade and coastal gunnery support missions for Destroyers along the Coast of South Vietnam. Not to mention all those Marines in I Corps by the DMZ- also part of the Navy. Marolda explains the width and depth of the American maritime effort well- and will inform both Navy Buff and general audience readers.

There are a lot of adult themes, mostly political, but no graphic passages, so this is a good read for a Junior Reader over 9/10 years with a historical or nautical interest. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast this is good resource - but one that will inevitably lead to more reading on the topic. The Gamer gets all the Navy's role in the war explained well for use in later Scenario or Campaign development- but no single action covered too deeply- probably needing more study. The Modeler gets a start to a lot of Build/Diorama ideas- but will certainly seek out more colour resources for full execution. The Military Enthusiast is the big winner again- getting a lot of information on all the areas of the Vietnam War that the US Navy pursued. I think general audience readers can also get value from this book, as iconic as the war was effecting culture in the 1970s.

[Michael Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Christmas present from my MIL, who knows what a war nut I am yet likes me anyway. The book of a short treatment of a big chunk of the Vietnam War. The Seventh Fleet was a powerful arm of the US Navy, hopelessly hamstrung by an inept, arrogant administration. It spent way too much in lives and treasure towards dubious goals, but it fought admirably just the same.

[Garrett Olinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

good, but brief due to vast time scale. I was there in 1972-73.