Did the government escalate the war in Vietnam based on weak information?

Answer 1

1. The North Vietnamese Navy actually did attack US Navy warships with torpedoes and gunfire on 02 August 1964. There are photographs of attacking NVN P4 torpedo boats to prove it. Those photos were taken from the "attacked" USS Maddox and at least two photos were taken by USN F-8 Crusader jet fighter-bombers. The NVN torpedoes missed, but some gunfire struck the US destroyer Maddox. Both the NVN & USN reported the sinking of ONE NVN P4 torpedo boat (probably sunk by the attacking F8 Crusader jets).

But LBJ contacted Hanoi, and wanted to "sweep it under the rug."

2. Then came the 04 August '64 Tonkin Gulf incident. This involved two US destroyers; USS Maddox (again) and the USS Turner Joy (preserved today as a museum in Washington state). This was a confusing situation. With worried, inexperienced (in war) and excited destroyermen operating in a hot zone (the Gulf of Tonkin), the radar system(s) on the destroyers made contact with NVN torpedo boats again. Were they real or malfunctions?

A) Unknown to either the NVN or USN, the reported NVN P4 torpedo boat sunk in the first action...never sunk.

B) Learning of it's survival, the NVN dispateched some NVN P6 torpedo boats to recover the damaged P4.

C) Where these P6s what activated the Turner Joy's radar?

D) Once the P6s departed, but the Turner Joy was already at General Quarters (battle stations), did excited radarmen mis-read their radar; and continue to track targets?

E) Turner Joy's 5" guns commenced firing and continued to do so on the radar targets.

F) US jets arrived on target; and reported no enemy in sight.

This incident went to the White House. This incident started it all.