... the Gulf of Tonkin. At the time though, the two battleships were about 70 nautical miles north east of the mainland. The next night around 9:30pm the Maddox reported radar contact with unidentified vessels. The Maddox fired star shells when the contacts were within 8,000 yards, and the C. Turner Joy began firing when the contacts were within 6,000 yards. Visual confirmation of the contacts was never made because it was a cloudy night, with rough seas ... , and Iraq's failure to allow weapon inspectors complete and total access to the country stating that "this is a regime that has someth...

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• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: High School