Koh Tang

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Koh Tang
កោះតាង
Island
Koh Tang
Location of Koh Tang in Cambodia
Coordinates: 10°18′N 103°8′E / 10.300°N 103.133°E / 10.300; 103.133
Country  Cambodia
Province Preah Sihanouk
Aerial view of Koh Tang in May 1975

Koh Tang (កោះតាង) (also known as Tang Island) is an island off the coast of Preah Sihanouk Province in the Gulf of Thailand. The island is approximately 43 km southwest off the coast of Cambodia. The inhabitants on the island are Cambodian military personnel.

The Khmer word Koh(កោះ), means 'island' translated into English.

History

Mayaguez Incident

Main article: Mayaguez incident
Assault on Koh Tang during the rescue of the SS Mayaguez

The island is the site of the last combat action of the Vietnam War and the only ground combat between U.S. forces and the Khmer Rouge. On May 15, 1975, U.S. Marines on board U.S. Air Force helicopters landed on Koh Tang in the hope of freeing the crew of the SS Mayagüez which had been captured by Khmer Rouge gunboats on May 12, 1975. The crew of the Mayaguez was not on Koh Tang, but had been taken to the Cambodian mainland and were released during the rescue operation. In the course of the operation the Khmer Rouge shot down three CH-53 helicopters on or near Koh Tang and 15 Marines and Air Force crewmen were killed and another 3 Marines were inadvertently left behind and later executed. An estimated 13-25 Khmer Rouge were killed during the battle.

Capture of the Foxy Lady

On the evening of 13 August 1978 the Foxy Lady, a Chinese sailing junk which had been blown off course while sailing from Singapore to Bangkok, was discovered taking shelter on the western side of Koh Tang by Khmer Rouges gunboats. The Khmer Rouges fired on the Foxy Lady killing Canadian crewman Stuart Glass. The other two crewmen, Englishman John Dewhirst and New Zealander Kerry Hamill dived into the water and were picked up by the Khmer Rouges boats. Dewhirst and Hamill were later transported to S-21 prison in Phnom Penh where they were tortured and forced to write confessions. Dewhirst was executed in late August and Hamill was executed in October 1978.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Susan Pepperell (5 April 2009). "Brotherly love: Rob Hamill wants justice for brother killed by Khmer Rouge". Sunday Star Times. 

Coordinates: 10°18′N 103°08′E / 10.300°N 103.133°E / 10.300; 103.133

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