▁forced ▁to ▁turn ▁back ▁and ▁defend ▁Nam y it ▁Island ▁instead . ▁Having ▁achieved ▁their ▁initial ▁objective , ▁the ▁V PN ▁command ▁sent ▁out ▁the ▁transport ▁ship ▁T 6 4 1 , ▁to ▁carry ▁all ▁the ▁captured ▁AR V N ▁soldiers ▁back ▁to ▁Da ▁N ang . ▁With ▁South west ▁C ay ▁firm ly ▁in ▁their ▁hands , ▁the ▁V PN ▁command ▁set ▁their ▁s ights ▁on ▁the ▁next ▁three ▁targets : ▁Nam y it , ▁Sin ▁C owe ▁and ▁Sand ▁C ay . ▁ ▁Sand ▁C ay ▁The ▁V PN , ▁however , ▁were ▁d eter red ▁from ▁attack ing ▁Nam y it ▁Island ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁element ▁of ▁surprise , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁strong ▁presence ▁of ▁several ▁R V N ▁fr ig ates ▁surrounding ▁that ▁island . ▁So , ▁instead ▁of ▁attack ing ▁Nam y it , ▁the ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁selected ▁Sand ▁C ay ▁as ▁their ▁next ▁target . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁April ▁ 2 4 , ▁under ▁the ▁observation ▁of ▁the ▁Taiwan ese ▁military , ▁V PN ▁transport ▁ships ▁sa iled ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁column ▁passed ▁the ▁Taiwan ese - occup ied ▁island ▁of ▁It u ▁Ab a ▁towards ▁their ▁next ▁objective . ▁Again , ▁following ▁the ▁same ▁pattern ▁of ▁operation , ▁the ▁ships ▁anch ored ▁near ▁Sand ▁C ay ▁and ▁prepared ▁for ▁their ▁assault . ▁At ▁ 1 . 3 0   am ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁three ▁pl ato ons ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 2