US Seventh Fleet, Vietnam 1964-75

This is a terrific history of the Seventh Fleet's vital service to the United States in the Vietnam War, remarkably researched and interpreted.

Combining a crisp text by the leading authority on the subject with well-chosen contemporary photographs, new maps, and excellent artwork, this book serves as an excellent introduction to a complex conflict and the operational lessons learned.

It is 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, requiring all the capabilities of the fleet.

This book is the first overall examination of how the 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. In addition to the carrier operations, it 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.