The Battle of the Paracel Islands on January 19, 1974, was a major twentieth-century naval battle in the East Sea at the Paracel Islands between the Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China. In that battle, 74 officers, non-commissioned officers, and sailors of the Republic of Vietnam Navy gave their lives. Despite lack of preparation in the face of unexpected aggression by the People's Republic of China, minimal manpower, distant bases, and no air support, the Republic of Vietnam Navy fought gallantly against a more powerful enemy. The battle is presented as expressing the indomitable and invincible spirit of the Republic of Vietnam and as confirming the Republic of Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands. It is also placed in the longer history of conflict with China, with the last known major naval engagement identified as the 1288 victory of Supreme Commander Tran Hung Dao over the Chinese armada on the Bach Dang river.