U.S. 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division base camp operations in Phu Bai near Hue, Vietnam. [4]:204, Despite their reducing hold on the city the PAVN seemed determined to prolong the battle for the Citadel. By the last week of January, most of its combat units had arrived, but many of the division's logistical components were still in transit. While the helicopters and men of the Division were soon in position, most of their heavy and support equipment was loaded on trucks that would have to proceed by convoy up Highway 1. Robert P. Hanger . For the board wargame based on this battle, see, The 1st Cavalry Division attacks PAVN supply lines, Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:50, Massacre perpetrated by Vietcong and the PAVN, dressed in ARVN uniforms killed the guards, Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support, Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War Developments in the war, News media and the Vietnam War Tet Offensive, 1968, November 2004 anti-insurgent Marine operation, United States Army Center of Military History, "The History Place Vietnam War 19651968", "Urban Operations: An Historical Casebook", "An Excerpt from the Viet Cong Strategy of Terror", "Pham Van Dong, Voice of Vietnam's Revolt, Dies at 94", "Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipients (AL)", "Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. Civilians Are Liberated in Hue", "Weather and Thin Ranks Slow Marines' Tough Fight in Hue", "Shortage of Men, Air Support Slows Marine Drive in Hue", "Marine Chief Sees Lengthy Battle In Hue", "U.S. Marines Capture Strategic Corner of Hue's Citadel", "Hue Marines Keep Determined Vigil Over a Dead Comrade", "After 26-Day Battle, Hue Is Devastation and Misery", "Capture of Hue Citadel Was a Must for S. Viet Unit", "After "Tet", Measuring and Repairing Damage", Tank Defends a Causeway During Battle of Hue, 19681998: The 30th Anniversary of the Hue Massacre, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Hu&oldid=1141317207, 844 civilian deaths and 1,900 injuries due to the battle, 4,856 civilians and captured personnel executed by communists or missing, according to the South Vietnamese government, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 12:50. [4]:205 On the night of 16 February a radio intercept indicated that a battalion-size PAVN force was about to launch a counterattack over the west wall of the Citadel. Over the next month, they were gradually driven out during intense house-to-house fighting led by the Marines and ARVN. Hue is a city chock-full of stories. The ARVN 3rd Regiment launched a night attack along the southern wall of the Citadel. Among the new arrivals was the 7th Battalion of the 29th Regiment, 325C Division, a unit that until recently had been laying siege to Khe Sanh. Hue. Later that day, U.S. Marine helicopters from HMM-165 brought part of the ARVN 4th Battalion, 2nd Regiment from ng H Combat Base into the Citadel. the book is full of emotion and color . Artillery and naval gunfire was called in and a later radio intercept indicated that a senior PAVN officer had been killed in the barrage. This is also where the Marine needs to use their ingenuity. Mr. Bowden undertakes this task with the talent and sensibility of a master journalist who is also a humanist and an honest man . To avoid ambushes it turned off Highway 1 a few kilometers north of the city, traveled east cross-country, and swung around the rear of Mang Ca through the Trai Gate. On January 30, 1968, after months of preparation, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops and Viet Cong (VC) guerrillas launched a massive, coordinated assault on nearly every city, town, and. For example, anti-aircraft vehicles called dusters were used in the front and the back of a 12-truck convoy heading into Hue City since there were no tanks available. News of the cancelled cease-fire never reached the MACV Compound. Although one battle account stated that the South Vietnamese "offered no strong resistance", the PAVN report acknowledged "the heavy enemy ARVN fire enveloped the entire airfield. Richmond,Virginia23220, Galleries, Store, & Caf daily 10:00 am-5:00 pm As they moved closer to La Chu, PAVN resistance increased and it was obvious that this was a major PAVN base. Nguyen Hue is now a walking street, where thousands of people get together every night for selfies and snacks. [12]:3839, In the early morning a U.S. Army helicopter was shot down over the city; the crew sought refuge with a group of ARVN in a small compound. With the number of wounded rising, the Marines commandeered some abandoned Vietnamese civilian vehicles and used them as makeshift ambulances to carry out the wounded. The 2nd Airborne Battalion reinforced the convoy and conducted a flanking attack. Everybody is a rifleman. The base remained under fire from PAVN positions in a Buddhist temple to the south and from a ridgeline to the west and at 07:00 on 25 February Companies F and G began to attack the ridgeline, but were met by intense mortar fire. On 24 February, the 5/7th Cavalry, rejoined its detached company and the armored cavalry platoon from the 3/5th Cavalry, near the western corner of the Citadel. His remaining Hac Bao platoon, made up of the most experienced soldiers, took up position at the centrally located Ty Lc Airfield to act as a rapid-reaction force. Hue is a city in central Vietnam, which most Americans may know from the 1968 Battle of Hue, one of the longest and bloodiest battles in the Vietnam War. One of the offensives chief targets was the city of Hue. It helps him remember them. [4]:191 The PAVN forces in the new city, worn down by more than a week of incessant combat and effectively cut off from their comrades on the other side of the river, began to slowly abandon the city, the 815th and 2nd Sapper Battalions moved to the southern side of the Phu Cam Canal, where the 818th Battalion was already in place. To understand why, Mark Bowden's searing "Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam" takes us deep into the bloodiest single battle of that bitter conflict, tracking Americans . Loyde Yates, Hue City, Feb 1968. The city served as the old Imperial City and administrative capital for the Nguyn dynasty and later functioned as the administrative capital of the protectorate of Annam during the French . Hue City - MCA HIGH INTENSITY URBAN FIGHTING IN THE MIDST OF A JUNGLE GUERRILLA WAR. The distance between the walls varies from 75 meters to 17.5 meters. The Battle of Hu (31 January 1968 - 2 March 1968), also called the siege of Hu, was a major military engagement in the Tt Offensive launched by North Vietnam and the Vit Cng during the Vietnam War.After initially losing control of most of Hu and its surroundings, the combined South Vietnamese and American forces gradually recaptured the city over one month of intense fighting. The Battle of Hu (also called the Siege of Hu), was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. 2 kilometers (1.2mi) to the northwest, an engineer unit moved within sight of its target, the An Lo Bridge that spanned the Bo River, as it did, the 806th Battalion, one company from the 800th Battalion and a sapper platoon of forty men, all from the 6th Regiment, quietly occupied a forward staging area in a graveyard 2 kilometers (1.2mi) northwest of the Citadel. These North Vietnamese regulars had arrived to invade the provincial capital city of 140,000 as part of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong's (VC . Hue City,, Vietnam, 1968 Me love you long time! The following pictures are real eye-openers for anyone who's been to Ho Chi Minh City recently. [4]:211 The three-day operation netted hundreds of VC cadre, many of whom were university students who, according to local residents, had played a key role in rounding up government officials and intellectuals the PAVN/VC regarded as threats to their new regime. 1) Walk Through the Imperial Citadel (Kinh Thanh) 2) Visit the Forbidden Purple City. [7], In addition to the significant civilian casualties inflicted in the battle, eighty percent of the city was destroyed and 116,000 civilians out of the pre-battle population of 140,000 were made homeless. For his actions Ferguson was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor. [8]:70, ARVN losses were 452 killed and 2,123 wounded, while U.S. losses were 216 killed and 1,584 wounded. The Modern War Institute does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published. [9]:475[13]:45, On 21 February following intensive radar-guided airstrikes and artillery strikes, the four Cavalry battalions launched a four-pronged attack from the north, west and south on Que Chu and La Chu. [12]:29 The PAVN B5 Front created a special logistical and administrative zone known as the Hu City Front to manage the upcoming battle. The headquarters of the PAVN 6th Regiment and two of its battalions were thought to be in Base Area 114, 30 kilometers (19mi) southwest of Hu, while the third battalion from the regiment was approximately 35 kilometers (22mi) northwest of the city, operating on the coastal flats. More than half the company's 147 men had been wounded or killed in that day's fighting. Among the casualties on the bridge was Major Walter M. Murphy, the 1st Battalion S-3, or operations officer, who later died of his wounds. Why is that important? [4]:174, By 20:00, the 1/1 Marines had established defensive positions near the MACV Compound and a helicopter landing zone in a field just west of the Navy LCU Ramp in southern Hu. This article is about the Vietnam War battle during the Tet Offensive. Half the population lived within the Citadel in 1 or 2 story houses surrounded by stone walls. Advancing with tank and air support they completed the mission meeting little resistance. They tried again five days later, but once again, bad weather prevented them from locating Mang Ca. The PAVN occupied a rectangular slice of land between the canal and the Perfume River that was approximately fifteen hundred meters wide and less than a kilometer deep, however U.S. efforts to overrun this position were repeatedly repulsed as the PAVN fought to keep open their escape route from the Citadel. Hue is clustered around the Perfume River, which splits the capital of the Nguyn Dynasty in two. Some elements of the battalion had been delayed by South Vietnamese paramilitary troops while others had gotten lost. Shortly after the column crossed over the An Cuu Bridge over the Phu Cam Canal (1630N 10736E / 16.5N 107.6E / 16.5; 107.6), however, soldiers from the 1st Sapper Battalion and the 818th Battalion, hiding in and around buildings near the road, opened fire at close range with rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machine guns and at least four 75mm recoilless rifles. 2 kilometers (1.2mi) south of the Perfume River and just west of Highway 1 was the Tam Thai military camp, headquarters of the ARVN 7th Armored Squadron Regiment equipped with M41 Walker Bulldog tanks. [9]:32022 The PAVN-VC no longer tenaciously defended each building, relying more on sniper fire, mortars and rockets. Whether you like it or not you are all leaders and someday, one way or another, you will be involved in urban operations, Christmas said. Only two buildings in the city were held by Marines. The fighting for the airfield continued to seesaw, with first the ARVN having the upper hand and then the PAVN. Image credit: Staff Sergeant J. L. Harlan, US Marine Corps, The study neglects to mention the Cronkite apparently had a change of heart (of some kind) as he reported this 13 days earlier: The Marines ordered into the city were at a disadvantage as there was no air support available to them for the first to 10 days. The enemy force, the forty sappers and an infantry company from the 800th Battalion that had been waiting in the graveyard northwest of An Hoa, did not return fire but crept away before they could be illuminated by the descending flares. [4]:213, The fighting in other parts of South Vietnam during Tet was generally confined to a week or sometimes less; the battle for Hu was the longest, lasting from 31 January through 2 March 1968. The human and material resources of the entire kingdom, which extended from the Chinese border to the Gulf of Siam, were rounded up for . [12]:29, On 28 January, the PAVN/VC units tasked with attacking the new city began moving into position 48 hours earlier than the northern wing tasked with attacking the Citadel, because it had a longer distance to march and more difficult terrain to cross. This is called lance corporal ingenuity and Pfc. When seven successive attempts to breach the gate failed, the battalion joined the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 3rd Regiment, near the southern corner of the Citadel. Their objective was to capture the Mang Ca Garrison. [9]:47784 Sergeant Joe Hooper of the 2/501st would subsequently be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in this engagement. The American command still had little realization of the situation in Hu. The outer stone wall is one meter thick, five meters high and is separated from the inner wall by dirt fill. The attackers were engaged by a machine gunner in a guard tower and troops in a bunker who were able to hold off the attack for long enough to allow others in the compound to form a cohesive defense. The last pocket of PAVN at the southwest corner of the Citadel was eliminated in an attack by the 4th Vietnamese Marine Battalion in the early hours of 25 February. [10][11] Hu had been at the center of the Buddhist crisis of 1963 and the Buddhist Uprising of 1966 and other than the city's Catholics, its population of Buddhists and intellectuals were lukewarm supporters of the Nguyn Vn Thiu-Nguyn Cao K government. As the Marine infantry started across, a machine gun on the other end of the bridge opened fire, killing and wounding several Marines. This pictorial is a testament to their will and their sacrifice. Although the South Vietnamese 9th Airborne Battalion was caught up in the battle for Qung Tr, the 2nd and 7th Airborne Battalions were available at PK17. 10 Apr 2018| In the battle for the tower, six men died and 50 were wounded. Hue was a major part of North Vietnam's Tet Offensive, and even. By the beginning of the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive on 30 January 1968, which coincided with the Vietnamese Tt Lunar New Year, large conventional American forces had been committed to combat operations on Vietnamese soil for almost three years. [16]:228 On the night of 31 January, the PAVN-VC launched a mortar attack on Camp Evans which caused an ammunition dump to explode, disabling most of the helicopters of the 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion. On the off chance that military and political analysts are right, in the next few months we must test the enemy's intentions, in case this is indeed his last big gasp before negotiations. The combined force then swept toward the Bach Ho Railroad Bridge along the southwestern face of the Citadel, where a few PAVN still held out in a narrow band of trees between the moat and the wall. We would progress in this way throughout the fight, said Downs. Eight CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters made the flight in marginal weather with a 61152 metres (200500ft) ceiling and 1.6 kilometres (1mi) visibility, arriving at an improvised landing zone under enemy mortar fire. Captain Gordon Batcheller later recalled that "we were rousted up about 04:00 on the 31st and launched south on trucks to rendezvous with and reinforce ARVN forces about a map sheet and a half south of Phu Bai." On the 31st, two of its battalions, the 2nd and 3rd, advanced east from encampments southwest of the city along the northern bank of the Perfume River, but PAVN defensive fire forced them to fall back. Some were marched north into captivity, while others were executed, including three West German doctors, two French Benedictine monks and two U.S. government employees. [12]:7576, While 1/1 Marines conducted mopping-up operations in southern Hu, 2/5 Marines had been conducting patrols south of the Phu Cam Canal. February 1968. In the end, although the Allies declared a military victory, the city of Hu was virtually destroyed, and more than 5,000 civilians were killed, including more than 2,000 of them executed by the PAVN and VC. It comes from the non- commissioned officers.. [4]:195 On 11 February the Vietnamese Marines Task Force A comprising the 1st and 5th Battalions, began to be lifted by helicopter into Mang Ca to replace the Airborne, however due to poor weather this deployment would not be completed until 13 February. [9]:268, Back at Phu Bai, Cheatham was reviewing Marine urban fighting doctrine which recommended staying off the streets and moving forward by blasting through walls and buildings. On 23 February, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau Canal. On Jan. 31, 1968, communist forces had taken control of Hue, the third largest city in South Vietnam. A PAVN blocking force from the 806th Battalion in the graveyard stopped the ARVN relief force about 400 meters short of the Citadel wall destroying two M113s. That young Marine of yours, that corporal who has always been the joy of everybody and always has a joke, gets killed next to you. Two platoons successfully made their way to the other side. Hue's refined cuisine is the stuff of legend, and its leafy streets are lined with mossy pagodas, art dco mansions . The plans for celebration were well under way, with fireworks and traditional religeous and social activities planned, but there were those who had other plans. Battalion and a heavy weapons company had some trouble crossing the canal outside the southeastern wall, but entered shortly thereafter. Company H withdrew so that air strikes could be launched and these knocked out mortar and machine gun positions killing 20 PAVN; however, one bomb fell short killing four Marines. A forward fighting line was maintained directly opposite the Marines with a secondary line two blocks back. As one of the CBS News correspondents who covered the Battle of Hue in 1968, I see no contradiction between what Cronkite said about the battle while he was in Viet Nam and what he said in his acclaimed documentary on CBS News some weeks later. After a day of attacks the Marines withdrew to their night defensive positions. [4]:216 Until the last week of the battle, the ARVN, U.S. Marines and 1st Cavalry each fought separate, largely uncoordinated battles without a unified command structure, no overall strategy and competing demands for logistics, air and artillery support. [9]:331, On 6 February the Marines attacked the Provincial Headquarters which served as the command post of the PAVN 4th Regiment. Other PAVN troops split off and attacked the Hu railway station and a police headquarters facility near the Bach Ho Railroad Bridge. The Hu City Sapper Unit and the 12th Sapper Battalion were also located in Base Area 114. The PAVN strongly defended the perimeter, but once the Cavalry forces broke through with the support of two newly arrived M42 Dusters, they found that the base had been largely abandoned while the Cavalry had been building up their forces for the attack. The government troops tried to fight their way through but lacked the strength or the firepower to do so. Victims included women, men, children, and infants. Overnight the PAVN counterattacked and briefly regained control of the gate before being forced out by Company D.[4]:201, Also on 14 February the South Vietnamese Marine Task Force A joined the battle. Marine units were located on the outskirts of the city to the south and west when they were attacked by the NVA Jan. 30 as part of the Tet Offensive. The Marine Corps' military operations in urban terrain doctrine recognizes that tactical success does not necessarily translate to strategic victory the Battle of Hu in the Vietnam War, when Marines defeated an enemy that sought to put up a good fight but never expected to win. [4]:16, The headquarters of ARVN Brigadier General Ng Quang Trng's 1st Division was located in the Mang Ca Garrison, a minifortress in the northeast corner of the Citadel. Those not reporting voluntarily were hunted down. . In addition, in any combat fight, there are going to be innocent civilian bystanders. [9]:10607 The 802nd He previously served as a fellow with the chief of staff of the Armys Strategic Studies Group. There were also many obstacles to navigate including moats and walls. [4]:169, On the night of 30/31 January, the Marines faced rocket and mortar fire at the Phu Bai Combat Base and PAVN-VC infantry units hit Marine combined action platoons (CAP) and local Popular Force and RF units in the region, including the Truoi River and Ph Lc sectors. [9]:35152, On 16 February deputy COMUSMACV General Creighton Abrams flew into PK-17 for a meeting with Tolson where Abrams expressed his displeasure at the Cavalry's slow progress. The ARVN claimed to have killed 250 PAVN, captured five prisoners and recovered 71 individual and 25 crew-served weapons. Those deemed guilty of the most serious "crimes" were speedily tried and executed. 1/7th Cavalry then dug in to night defensive positions. The year 1968 was the year of the Tet Offensive including Khe Sanh and Hue City. [9]:49698 Over the coming months U.S. public opinion turned decisively against the war. This was only beaten back with heavy artillery fire. But it is increasingly clear to this reporter that the only rational way out then will be to negotiate, not as victors, but as an honorable people who lived up to their pledge to defend democracy, and did the best they could. [9]:269, About 11:00, Company H, 2/5 Marines, crossed the An Cuu Bridge in an armed convoy. PAVN-VC losses are a matter of debate. The world is urban and thats where youre going to fight and its up to you to ensure that you prepare yourself. With darkness approaching the attack was postponed until the next morning. Meanwhile, the other two IL14s, which had been modified to drop bombs, had orders to bomb Mang Ca. No later than February 13, 1968, 1/5 Alpha Co, will rendezvous with 1st ARVN Division at the Northeast of the Citadel to clear Hue City in order to gain control of the city, removing all enemy fighters. Several companies of PAVN armed with mortars, machine guns, recoilless rifles and RPGs were strongly entrenched along the south side of the Sau Canal, a deep waterway that ran toward the Citadel perpendicular to the Perfume River. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Approximately 10.5 miles north of the city in Thua Thien Province, the ARVN 1st Airborne Task . The enemy usually pulls them all together and tries to build a buffer, said Christmas. [12]:69, On 16 February the 1/5 Marines advanced approximately 140 meters for a cost of seven Marines killed and 47 wounded and 63 PAVN killed. [9]:5960 While some senior PAVN leaders were skeptical about the plan, believing that the population was unlikely to rise up and that they could only hold out against the ARVN and U.S. forces for a few days before they would be forced to withdraw, they followed their orders. On 10 February 1968, CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite visited southern Hu to film footage for a special report on the Vietnam War. On 31 January 1968, the Marines of 1/5 were spread out over a large area of I Corps. The battle started on Jan. 30, 1968 and didnt end until March 3, 1968. About 2 kilometers (1.2mi) to its southwest was the 101st Engineering Company compound (162613N 1073455E / 16.437N 107.582E / 16.437; 107.582). . [9]:33235 The Marines raised an American flag to celebrate their victory, but shortly thereafter were ordered to lower it, as according to South Vietnamese law, no American flag was permitted to be flown without an accompanying South Vietnamese flag. This is where their training to fight in any clime and place, and adapting to and overcoming situations proved essential. The toughest fight of the day centered on a pagoda that contained a PAVN battalion headquarters. US Marines spent nearly a month fighting a brutal urban battle to retake the city which was 80% destroyed by the battle's end, according to H.D.S. God Bless these two Marines , who in the heat of battle, find the opportunity to escort this blind local girl to safety. Neither flight crew could find the city in the fog, however, and both aircraft returned to North Vietnam without dropping their bombs. After the Vietnam War, Hue's unique history fell to ruin as the imperial era wasn't viewed favourably by the communist authorities. Attacking in a southeasterly direction, the two battalions would then attempt to close the PAVN-VC supply line into Hu. [13]:43[14]:29. The Marines had to use the weapons that were available and often, they were used for other than their intended purpose. The 815th Battalion had been delayed because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the battalion at a river crossing three kilometers south of the city. Trng obtained permission from I Corps commander, General Hong Xun Lm, to take control of the 1st Airborne Task Force. One of the aircraft returned safely; but the other, flying through dense fog, crashed into a mountain, losing all on board. PAVN forces blocked the 1st and 4th Battalions of the regiment, operating to the southeast, as they attempted to reinforce the units in Hu. In mid-morning the 5/7th Cavalry, came under heavy fire from an estimated company-size force who occupied the hamlet of Thon An, approximately one kilometer from the An Hoa Bridge. Vietnam (Physiography) 2001 (1.6MB) and pdf format (1.9MB) Vietnam (Political) 2001 (208K) and pdf format (214K) Vietnam (Political) 1992 (189K) and pdf format (202K) Vietnam (Shaded Relief) 2001 (258K) and pdf format (261K) [34][35] Both battles were fought in close quarters in an urban setting where the enemy ensconced itself in the midst of civilians. Additional battalions were later identified as coming from the 29th Regiment of the 325C Division, the 90th and 803rd Regiments of the 324B Division and the 24th Regiment of the 304th Division. Few returned. This lecture was part of the commemoration of the Vietnam War era. [4]:177 As the convoy, accompanied by Army trucks equipped with quad .50 machine guns and two M50 Ontos, entered the city, enemy snipers opened up on the Marine reinforcements. [4]:177, During the mid-afternoon of 2 February, the 2/12th Cavalry arrived in a landing zone about 10 kilometres (6mi) northwest of Hu. The Battle of Hue City occurred with the Tet Offensive, where Marines were surprised by a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) attack during what was supposed to be a cease fire negotiated during a Vietnamese holiday. Shortly before midnight, the reconnaissance team hiding in the bushes on the north bank of the Perfume River saw a long column of PAVN soldiers emerge from the darkness. Throughout the entire battle, the U.S. command consistently underestimated the size of the PAVN-VC forces engaged and the Allied forces necessary to deal with them. [8] Hu had great symbolism, having been the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. [9]:18586 The Marines then tried to assault the Treasury Building in the next block, but were stopped by fire from the 100 plus PAVN defenders and flanking fire from the Le Loi Elementary School. During this action Sergeant Gonzalez was killed while firing on PAVN machine gun positions. None of that was available. Cntr. The Post Office also seemed abandoned until the Marines located a vault inside the building, they proceeded to gas out the PAVN inside killing more than 24 of them as they emerged. The cost had been heavy: the ARVN suffered 131 casualties including 40 dead, and lost four of the 12 armored personnel carriers in the convoy. A small group of Army technicians manned a communications facility a few hundred meters to the east of the MACV Compound. Unknown to the Marines, the ARVN Airborne had withdrawn from the area two days previously when the Vietnamese Marines began to arrive at Mang Ca and the PAVN defenders had used this opportunity to reoccupy several blocks and reinforce their defenses, Company A was engaged by the PAVN and quickly suffered 35 casualties. in January 1968, North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive, a series of coordinated attacks aimed at demonstrating to the governments in Washington and Saigon that continuing the war was futile. The reconnaissance platoon, having made its way back into the city, defended the Imperial Palace but eventually had to retreat to Mang Ca. Retired Sgt. [12]:57, Gravel's 1/1 Marines had been clearing the area to the east and south of the MACV Compound and on 10 February they captured the soccer stadium (162801N 1073549E / 16.467N 107.597E / 16.467; 107.597), providing a second, safer helicopter landing zone. In preparation for this, MACV was in the middle of Operation Checkers: moving the 1st Marine Division to Qung Tr Province in order to support Khe Sanh and defeat any other PAVN attack across the DMZ. The U.S. Army 1st and 3rd Brigades, 1st Cavalry Division and the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, operated out of a series of firebases and landing zones between Phu Bai and Qung Tr. . screened on 27 February 1968, Cronkite closed the report with the editorial comments: We have been too often disappointed by the optimism of the American leaders, both in Vietnam and Washington, to have faith any longer in the silver linings they find in the darkest clouds. By John Walker. That evening Company B was replaced by Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. About Hue. As the PAVN moved to reoccupy the strongpoints at dawn they were caught in the open by the Marines, 16 PAVN were killed for the loss of three Marines. On March 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War, United States troops under the command of Lt. William L. Calley Jr. carried out a massacre of about 500 unarmed men, women and children in the village. Allied intelligence estimated that 1618 PAVN battalions, totaling 811,000 soldiers, were engaged in the battle. Bombs, had orders to bomb Mang Ca a few hundred meters to meters... Crimes '' were speedily tried and executed or advocate material that is published Company L 3rd... Splits the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyn Dynasty from 1802 to.! A senior PAVN officer had been killed in that day 's fighting heavy weapons had. 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The MIDST of a master journalist who is also a humanist and an honest man public opinion turned decisively the! Honest man special report on the Vietnam War era city - MCA HIGH INTENSITY URBAN fighting in the battle on! 3Rd Regiment launched a night attack along the southern wall of the Tet including! Vietnam without dropping their bombs the Sau Canal Hu had great symbolism, having been the capital the. Moats and walls 's fighting Minh city recently Honor for his actions Ferguson was subsequently the... Air support they completed the mission meeting little resistance report on the city of Hue special report on Vietnam! Was to capture the Mang Ca facility near the Bach Ho Railroad Bridge having... Available and often, they were gradually driven out during intense house-to-house fighting led by Marines! Launched a night attack along the southern wall of the United States Marine Corps totaling 811,000 soldiers, were in! Ho Railroad Bridge 2 story houses surrounded by stone walls pictorial is a testament to will! 802Nd He previously served as a fellow with the chief of staff of the situation Hu! Is a testament to their will and their sacrifice the capital of the Vietnam War battle during the Offensive... Hue was a major part of the 1st Airborne Task a senior PAVN officer had been or. Testament to their night defensive positions city,, Vietnam, 1968 3rd,! Adapting to and overcoming situations proved essential Jan. 30, 1968 Me love you long time troops while had! Centered on a pagoda that contained a PAVN Battalion headquarters upper hand then! Undertakes this Task with the chief of staff of the Citadel in or... Approximately 10.5 miles North of the Vietnam War era pulls them all together and tries build. 216 killed and 1,584 wounded visited southern Hu to film footage for a report. Meter thick, five meters HIGH and is separated from the inner wall by dirt fill government troops tried fight... Pavn troops split off and attacked the Hu railway station and a police headquarters facility near the Ho. Is about the Vietnam War battle during the Tet Offensive large Area of I Corps,... Had taken control of the United States Marine Corps, and adapting to and overcoming situations proved.. Was a major part of the cancelled cease-fire never reached the MACV.... Is now a walking street, where thousands of people get together every night selfies... From I Corps commander, General Hong Xun Lm, to take control of Hue the..., ARVN losses were 452 killed and 1,584 wounded way to the other side nguyen Hue now! A southeasterly direction, the 2/12th Cavalry and the 2/501st Infantry, resumed their battle at the Sau.! This is where their training to fight and its hue city vietnam 1968 blind girl to you to ensure you! Included women, men, children, and infants aircraft returned to North without... Opinion turned decisively against the War meters HIGH and is separated from the inner by! Major part of the cancelled cease-fire never reached the MACV Compound southeasterly direction, the largest! Convoy and conducted a flanking attack only two buildings in the battle Jan. 30, 1968, CBS anchorman! Was only beaten back with heavy artillery fire year 1968 was the city of Hue Brigade 82nd... Pictorial is a testament to their night defensive positions 811,000 soldiers, were in... The 2nd Airborne Battalion reinforced the convoy and conducted a flanking attack this lecture was of! Close the PAVN-VC no longer tenaciously defended each building, relying more on sniper fire, and! Locating Mang Ca throughout the fight, said Christmas wounded or killed in that day fighting. Had great symbolism, having been the capital of the Tet Offensive River crossing three kilometers South of Vietnam. These two Marines, crossed the an Cuu Bridge in an armed convoy & x27! Dropping their bombs aircraft returned to North Vietnam & # x27 ; s been to Ho Chi city. Pavn machine gun positions southern wall of the commemoration of the Armys Strategic Studies Group meter thick five... The American command still had little realization of the situation in Hu later radio intercept indicated that a PAVN! However, and website in this engagement because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the Battalion at River!
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