Joseph Conrad - the victim of Vietnam
December 20, 1972, the U.S. planes bombed Polish ship m / s "Joseph Conrad", moored in the North Vietnamese port of Haiphong. okoboji hotels As a result of the attack killed four crew members, and the unit has been damaged.
Reporting on these events, "The People's Tribune" dated 21 December 1972 years thundered about "pirate bombings okoboji hotels of American aviation" and "barbaric attack". Do not explained, however, that the presence of Polish okoboji hotels vessel in Vietnamese port was the result of aid - including military - Warsaw which gave the government in Hanoi. The communist authorities did so under pressure from Moscow, though okoboji hotels Poland was a member of the International Commission for Supervision and Control, established in order to end the conflict in Indochina, so it should not arm any of the warring parties. But the Kremlin has pressured the socialist countries, to more involved in lending to North Vietnamese comrades.
Over the years the Polish military equipment delivery included ("automatic AKM", "plastic explosive", "truck STAR 660M", "truck GAZ 63"), food and medical accessories ("snakes for blood transfusions and needles"), and even musical instruments ("50 okoboji hotels pieces of pianos and 200 pieces of the violin") and ... cars circus. The Vietnamese depended primarily okoboji hotels on weapons. "I led a conversation with a delegation of the Vietnamese. The information okoboji hotels is emphasized that we are lacking mainly meat and housing, they wanted us to mostly machine guns - described Deputy Joseph Tejchma in January 1973 contacts Polish-North Vietnamese. - They gave our government a rifle with the following okoboji hotels dedication: "This rifle has been provided by the Government of the Polish People's Republic and the Polish nation for assistance to the Vietnamese okoboji hotels people fighting against the American aggressors for national salvation. In September of 1972 years the rifle attacked okoboji hotels a convoy of military vehicles on the road N.14 on the Central Plateau, destroyed 27 vehicles including 9 tanks of the enemy. '"
Goods are normally transported by ship and unloaded okoboji hotels at the port of Haiphong. Among the units were used to, among others, "Joseph Conrad", built in Yugoslavia in 1961, The ship came to Vietnam in May 1972, and at the same time, when the Americans decided to zaminowaniu port of Haiphong.
As reported by the Polish ambassador in Hanoi: "9 bm. 7.30 at the port of Haiphong was mined 12 mine dumps on parachutes. In the port are two of our ships, "Kiliński" and "Kosciuszko", and the roads with free access to the port - "Conrad". Our PLO-so [a representative of the Polish Ocean Lines, ed. ed] reports that allegedly between mines left for three days for the exit passage of ships, which at the moment the Vietnamese authorities have not confirmed ". Leave the port by Polish vessels actually okoboji hotels was possible. The United States authorities have set for the term deprotection min (and dropping next) on May 11, leaving this time leave the port open.
The Polish authorities have not made use of this possibility. Even 9 May ambassador in Hanoi announced that it is in constant contact with the Soviet ambassador and other representatives of the countries of the Warsaw Pact. "We are of the opinion - he wrote - that the ships K [heavens] S [ocjalistycznych] should not leave the port, otherwise the port will be defenseless, what Americans expect." Most probably socialist vessels treated as human shields. "Joseph Conrad" crossed the roadstead to the port, and a few months later became a victim of the U.S. raid. CALM BEFORE THE NIXON But before okoboji hotels that happened, the Polish okoboji hotels party filed a formal okoboji hotels protest okoboji hotels against zaminowaniu port. In response, the U.S. ambassador in Warsaw, somewhat cheekily okoboji hotels explained that: "The United States understands Polish concern caused by the fact that commercial vessels Polish and Polish citizens may be exposed to the difficulty and danger" and "regret that no concrete steps can now be taken to ensure safe passage of ships from the port Polish flag. "
He explained also that the United States' desire to avoid any accidental damage to the Polish vessels in the zone of military operations. " He also asked to submit "any available information identifying the ships and their exact berth in the port of Haiphong," suggesting that "as far as possible the ships were moored or anchored in close proximity to military installations, such as fuel tanks, warehouses, etc artillery positions. ".
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