Naval history of Vietnam

Throughout thousands of years, wars played a great role in shaping the identity and culture of people inhabited the land which is modern day Vietnam.

From the beginning of the founding of the Vietnamese Nation in the 1st millennium BC, the Hùng Vương period spawned many legends of fighting against seaborne invasions of Quynh Chau (now China) from the north and Ho Ton (later to become Champa) from the south.

In the 6th century, Emperor Lý Nam Đế built naval forces to fend off the invasion of Liang dynasty's (China) forces in the Tô Lịch River, Dien Triet lake; and then, King Triệu Quang Phục used guerrilla tactics against the Chinese military at Da Trach lagoon (Khoái Châu, Hải Dương).

To retaliate, the Song dynasty of China mustered a huge invasion force, with a naval arm to provide support to land operations.

They were already fearful of Vietnam's reputation at sea combat, thus a large enough force was organised so as to "not lose even if they can't score a win".

This victory demonstrated the successful tactics of war and active defence of the famous Admiral Lý Thường Kiệt who faced a naval force numerically superior to his own.

[citation needed] In the Nguyễn dynasty period, 19th century Nguyen Emperor Gia Long used his new Chu Su Naval workshop to improve the Vietnamese Navy.

For reasons that remain unclear, two of the vessels fled in the midst of battle against the Tây Sơn, while angry Vietnamese soldiers killed the third crew.

The first group of 61 sailors under Hoang Khac Nhuong was to attack a nearby pro-French village to provoke an incident and lure the French forces into an ambush.