This operation should not be confused with the earlier Battle of Haiphong Harbor

Battle of Haiphong Harbor

The Battle of Haiphong Harbor, or Operation Lions Den, was an engagement fought in 1972 during the Vietnam War. On August 27, four United States Navy warships and a pair of naval attack aircraft launched a raid against the North Vietnamese forces protecting the port of Haiphong...

.

Operation Custom Tailor was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

 and destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

 strike force that conducted a daring raid at Haiphong

Haiphong

, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...

, North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

, in May of 1972. It was a history making strike that involved the most formidable cruiser/destroyer fleet in the Western Pacific since World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. During the strike, military targets within four miles of Haiphong were hit and enemy opposition was heavy.

Operation

Among the ships present was the USS Hanson

USS Hanson (DD-832)

USS Hanson was a of the United States Navy, named for First Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson , a United States Marine Corps quintuple ace who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously....

, a destroyer that received the Meritorious Unit Commendation

Meritorious Unit Commendation

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

 for its participation in this operation and later saving the lives of an Army detachment of 120 men being overrun by enemy forces in Mộ Đức District. Also present were the USS Buchanan

USS Buchanan (DDG-14)

USS Buchanan , named for Admiral Franklin Buchanan, was a Charles F. Adams class guided missile armed destroyer in the United States Navy....

, USS Newport News

USS Newport News (CA-148)

The second USS Newport News was a in the United States Navy. Newport News was laid down 1 November 1945; launched on 6 March 1948 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News, Virginia. The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. Homer L. Ferguson upon commissioning on 29 January 1949,...

, USS Providence

USS Providence (CLG-6)

USS Providence , a Cleveland-class light cruiser was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named after the city of Providence, Rhode Island.-Construction and commissioning:...

 and USS Oklahoma.

During the raid, the USS Hanson entered Haiphong Harbor to supress hostile shore batteries while enabling other United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 forces to mine the Haiphong Harbor entrance. This made the Hanson the last American warship to enter Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

and the last one out.