It was a covert operation that would go down in history as a stark illustration of vulnerability and resilience. In the pre-dawn stillness of May 2, 1964, a pair of Viet Cong commandos quietly emerged from a Saigon Port sewer, their mission clear and their cargo lethal. The target: the USNS Card, a World War II-era escort carrier that had survived German U-boats only to face a new threat in the waters of Vietnam.
This attack represented a chilling milestone: the last time an American aircraft carrier has been sunk by enemy action. The Viet Cong operatives, each burdened with nearly 90 pounds of high explosives, attached their deadly cargo to the Card’s starboard side, setting timers before disappearing into the dark waters from whence they came. Their plan was executed flawlessly, and the ensuing explosion not only claimed the lives of five civilian crewmen but also dealt a psychological blow to U.S. naval might.
The Viet Cong’s triumph was not merely a military victory but also a significant propaganda coup. North Vietnam commemorated the sinking with a postage stamp issued later that year, broadcasting their David-versus-Goliath success against American Goliath to the world. Meanwhile, U.S. officials, perhaps keen to downplay the incident, insisted the Card had only sustained damage—a claim contradicted by the undeniable reality of the carrier’s descent to the harbor floor.
Despite the initial success of the Viet Cong, the story of the USNS Card did not end at the bottom of Saigon Port. Demonstrating the resilience that has often characterized American naval efforts, salvage teams raised the vessel in a mere 17 days. In a testament to their resourcefulness, and perhaps reflecting a broader determination intrinsic to military efforts, the Card was repaired and returned to service within six months, continuing her logistical support role for another six years.
The sinking of the Card offered a stark preview of the threats that would continue to challenge naval forces, as demonstrated by the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. This incident, which resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors, echoed the warnings sounded by the loss of the Card more than three decades earlier: that even the most formidable warships are not immune to the ingenuity and determination of a low-tech adversary.
Such events reinforce the point articulated by naval historian and analyst James Holmes, a naval historian and analyst: “We shouldn’t get carried away with thinking of warships as ‘castles of steel,’ or latter-day dreadnoughts, or whatever.” A modern warship’s vulnerabilities, as the Card’s fate exemplified, must be acknowledged as an inherent part of naval warfare strategy and defense.
Relevant articles:
– In 1964, Viet Cong Commandos Sank an American Aircraft Carrier, The National Interest, Dec 8, 2021
– Attack on the USNS Card, Military Wiki | Fandom
– The Attack on the USNS Card, U.S. Naval Institute
– The Forgotten Story of How Viet Cong Commandos ‘Sank’ an ‘Aircraft Carrier’, The National Interest, Dec 3, 2023