[9]:47784 Sergeant Joe Hooper of the 2/501st would subsequently be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in this engagement. Vietnamese young boys and girls fill sandbags during 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division base operations in Phu Bai. While the Marines seized the surrounding wall easily, the area between the wall and the building was covered by fire from every window and from spider-holes in the grounds. To say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic, yet unsatisfactory, conclusion. PAVN soldiers also fired 130 82mm mortar rounds into the Mang Ca Compound the opening minutes of the battle. There are endless must-see historic sites, especially those that are UNESCO World Heritage designated. attacked the compound from the east, but failed to penetrate the compound. In one village, the troops dismounted and cleared the houses on either side of the main street before proceeding. Meanwhile, the other two IL14s, which had been modified to drop bombs, had orders to bomb Mang Ca. Attacking in a southeasterly direction, the two battalions would then attempt to close the PAVN-VC supply line into Hu. By John Walker. Helicopter gunships and artillery and the pair of Dusters systematically leveled any structure that appeared to serve as a strong point. Operated by the United States Army Signal Corps 513th Signal Detachment, 337th Signal Company, 37th Signal Battalion, it was the main communications link for the Hu area, the DMZ and for the besieged Khe Sanh Combat Base. Company B joined the assault and after six hours the Marines had secured the base of the gate and later the entire gate, at a cost of six Marines killed and 50 wounded and 20 PAVN killed. I live with that to this day, Christmas said. Three of these regiments were believed to be involved in the siege of Khe Sanh. Over the next month, they were gradually driven out during intense house-to-house fighting led by the Marines and ARVN. [21][4]:216[22], The PAVN-VC were generally greeted with little enthusiasm by the population of Hu. [14]:99101 On 13 February Companies F and H crossed the bridge again with the aim of securing the entire area. After failing to take Mang Ca and the MACV Compound in their initial assaults, the PAVN-VC did not attempt to seize them again, instead keeping them under fire and generally adopting a defensive posture, this tactical mistake allowed the ARVN and U.S. to bring in the reinforcements that would eventually clear the city. On 10 February 1968, CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite visited southern Hu to film footage for a special report on the Vietnam War. Beginning in February 1968, in the South Vietnamese city of Hue, 11 battalions of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), two U.S. Army battalions, and three U.S. Marine Corps battalions, for a total of 16 battalions, defeated 10 battalions of the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong. . Then, you need to select where you enter the city, then you can determine what you are going to use to take the city. The 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry was to arrive in the landing zone first, followed by the 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry to be inserted near PK-17. They tried again five days later, but once again, bad weather prevented them from locating Mang Ca. See my book, "The Cat from Hue: a Vietnam War Story." 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. This time they crossed the An Cuu Bridge into the new city. The PAVN-VC forces rapidly occupied most of the city. The General Offensive was to comprise conventional and guerilla military action aimed primarily at the "puppet" South Vietnamese military and government, attempting to destroy their legitimacy among the South Vietnamese population. The lightly armored dusters did not provide as much armor as a tank, but they were effective. The operational plan was for the Marines to move west from Ty Lc and then turn south. He essentially made a memorial of each Marine by keeping a book in which he wrote down the names and dates of all Marines killed and injured during the battle. [34] In his analysis of the Battle of Fallujah, Jonathan F. Keiler, a military historian and former officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps wrote:[36]. 4) Take in a Performance at the Royal Theatre. Christmas says theres not a day that goes by that he doesnt think about two mistakes he made during the Battle for Hue City. 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. The 2/12th Cavalry withdrew to a night defensive perimeter, but at dawn on 3 February following a mortar barrage the PAVN attacked their position. He proceeded to gather the necessary equipment including M20 Bazookas, M40 106mm recoilless rifles mounted on M274 Mules, C-4 explosive, flamethrowers, tear gas and gas masks. [9]:370, On 11 February Company H, 2/5 Marines secured a bridge over the Phu Cam Canal (162725N 1073441E / 16.457N 107.578E / 16.457; 107.578) and the block on the opposite side of the canal. A 40-man assault team that was tasked with attacking Mang Ca through a sewer found the entrance blocked and moved around to assault the Huu Gate (162758N 1073405E / 16.466N 107.568E / 16.466; 107.568) at the southwest corner of the Citadel; they were engaged by an ARVN machine gun and lost 24 men before seizing their objective. On Feb. 15, 1968, U.S. Marines carry out an assault on Dong Ba Tower in Hue, South Vietnam. U.S. Marines and Vietnamese troops move through the grounds of the Imperial Palace in the old citadel area of Hue, Vietnam, on February 26, 1968, after seizing it from Communist hands. RM JA01HR - Crowd at Ba Tang Cemetery where more than 400 victims of the 1968 Communist Tet Offensive lie in a mass grave, Hue, Vietnam, 1968. The 804th Battalion, 4th Regiment, began marching from Ph Lc to a mountain camp 20 kilometers (12mi) south of Hu where the majority of the southern wing was gathered. As LaHue later wrote: "Initial deployment of forces was made with limited information. [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. The Marines of Charlie Company were based at Lang Co Village, which was located adjacent to the Lang Co Bridge situated at the northern approach of the Hai Van Pass. 604 Hue 1968 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 604 Hue 1968 Premium High Res Photos Browse 604 hue 1968 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Christmas was leading Hotel Company into Hue City from the south. In the early morning hours of 31 January 1968, a division-sized force of PAVN-VC soldiers launched a coordinated attack on the city of 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. The Battle of Hu began on 31 January 1968 and lasted a total of 26 days. At about 04:00 a PAVN company attacked the ARVN security detachment defending the Highway 1 bridge over the Truoi River (161916N 1074623E / 16.321N 107.773E / 16.321; 107.773) and the nearby CAP H-8. At 10:45 on 11 February Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines was airlifted aboard Marine CH-46s into Mang Ca, but enemy fire forced several of the helicopters to return to Phu Bai. The American command still had little realization of the situation in Hu. [12]:27 The 1st Division's units were spread throughout I Corps, two battalions of the 3rd Infantry Regiment were west of Hu, one on a routine sweep mission and the other undergoing training at the Van Thanh center, while the remaining two battalions of the regiment were searching for the PAVN-VC near the coast southeast of Hu. The 815th Battalion had been delayed because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the battalion at a river crossing three kilometers south of the city. This could mean going through the same holes and breaches that you have been through. For his actions Ferguson was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor. New Hue was located on the southeast bank of the river. Vietnam War veterans and retired Marines Lt. Gen. George Ron Christmas and Brig. CALL: 804.340.1800 or 800.358.8701 [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. About 2 kilometers (1.2mi) to its southwest was the 101st Engineering Company compound (162613N 1073455E / 16.437N 107.582E / 16.437; 107.582). The highway also provided access to the Perfume River (Vietnamese: Sng Hng or Hng Giang) at the point where the river ran through Hu, dividing the city into northern and southern parts. On 2 March 1968 the Marines concluded Operation Hu City. On the 7th the 3rd Regiment, which had been futilely trying to break into the southeast corner of the Citadel, was moved by Mike boats to Mang Ca to reinforce his units inside the Citadel. And more than a half century on, what lessons should we take from the battle as we prepare for a future of warfare that is increasingly likely to be urban? 33. 7) Walk Around the Thai Hoa Palace. Country Maps. 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 PAVN-VC failed to hold the city or spark a general uprising, but they had undermined confidence in the Thiu-K government and the prospect of victory. Quantico Marines enrolled in Marine Corps University have also toured the city to learn from the history of the battle, a common way for Marines to learn leadership and learn from the Marines who came before them. [5][6][21], 844 civilians were killed and 1,900 wounded during the battle. The 6th Battalion, 24th Regiment, 304th Division, originally located near Khe Sanh, reached the Citadel after following a route that took it through Base Area 101, Base Area 114 and Thon La Chu and the 7th Battalion, 90th Regiment, 324B Division, was due to arrive a few days later after a forced march from the DMZ. At the Chanh Tay gate (162826N 1073340E / 16.474N 107.561E / 16.474; 107.561) on the west wall of the Citadel, a six-man PAVN sapper team dressed in ARVN uniforms killed the guards and opened the gate. The Hu City Sapper Unit and the 12th Sapper Battalion were also located in Base Area 114. Shortly after 04:30, a column of M41 tanks and M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs) left the compound and headed up Highway 1. The cultural and historical capital city, Hue was the centerpiece of Hanoi's 1968 Tet Offensive, a surprise attack by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong that sought to win the war in one stroke . God Bless these two Marines , who in the heat of battle, find the opportunity to escort this blind local girl to safety. The initial press statements by MACV played down the events in Hu, claiming that only a part of the city had fallen to a small enemy force, that the city would soon be fully restored to South Vietnamese Government control and that the main attack would be directed against Khe Sanh. The 804th Battalion and the 1st Sapper Battalion remained south of the canal near the An Cuu Bridge while the 810th Battalion began preparing to sneak west across the Perfume River by raft and boat to Gia Hoi Island. He split up two more platoons to reinforce security at the various gates leading into the Citadel. The PAVN-VC lost somewhere between 1,042 and 5,133 killed, while Allied forces lost 668 dead and 3,707 wounded. Company B then walked into an ambush north of Que Chu and was pinned down in the open with little cover, they were only able to withdraw after calling in close artillery support. News of the cancelled cease-fire never reached the MACV Compound. During this action Sergeant Gonzalez was killed while firing on PAVN machine gun positions. The 2nd Airborne Battalion reinforced the convoy and conducted a flanking attack. The United States and other allied nations fought on the side . [4]:18586 PAVN tactics were to hold the Marines close, negating the use of artillery and air support. 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. At 06:30, Hughes ordered the company to reinforce the Truoi River Bridge. By 22:15 that night, Tolson's command had agreed with III MAF on its designated area of operations in the Hu sector. The cavalrymen fought their way into the PAVN-occupied hamlet and found beneath its shattered remains a honeycomb of tunnels and bunkers and spent the rest of the day searching the ruins for survivors and combing through the adjacent cemetery, where the 806th Battalion had ambushed the ARVN 7th Airborne Battalion on 31 January. Allied intelligence estimated that 1618 PAVN battalions, totaling 811,000 soldiers, were engaged in the battle. Battalion and a heavy weapons company had some trouble crossing the canal outside the southeastern wall, but entered shortly thereafter. Only two buildings in the city were held by Marines. The 4th Battalion ran into a blocking force from the 2nd Sapper Battalion and a company from the 810th Battalion. Also, since it was still monsoon season with heavy rain and low clouds on many days during the battle, it was virtually impossible for the U.S. forces to use air support. But once you get them out you have to take them out the way you came in. The two aircraft radioed that they were scrubbing the mission, then headed out to sea to jettison their bombs. Why is that important? [4]:17173, Leaving Company A behind to secure the MACV Compound, Gravel took Company G, reinforced by the three M48 tanks from the 3rd Tank Battalion and a few ARVN M24 light tanks from the 7th Armored Cavalry Squadron, and attempted to cross the Trng Tin Bridge, the main bridge over the Perfume River. RF soldiers opened fire and radioed a warning to Trng's headquarters. Sightseeing can include the ornate Imperial Citadel, colorful Thanh Toan Bridge, royal tombs and the Forbidden Purple City. The original series of articles which became "Black Hawk Down" earned him the Overseas Press Club's Hal . Downs agreed that the emotional aspect of the fight is important and that he had his own way of dealing with the pain. In February 1968, in the South Vietnamese city of Hu, 11 battalions of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), four U. S. Armybattalions, and three understrength U. S. Marine Corps battalions, for a total of . With Company A, 1/1 Marines as the Phu Bai reserve, Hughes directed Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Gravel to prepare the company for any contingency. Much the same can be said of Fallujah's defenders. [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. Company H attacked a nearby hill meeting a stubborn defense, losing one dead and killing six PAVN. They advanced along parallel tracks, with the 5/7th Cavalry, following the course of Highway 1; the 2/501st Infantry, searching the central route; and the 2/12th Cavalry, sweeping the area to the south. The city of Hue was the capital of a unified Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. Youve got to protect your corpsman, said Downs. With the city finally in sight, the three companies that made up the 804th Battalion headed off in different directions. On 22 February after a barrage of 122mm rockets the PAVN counterattacked the Vietnamese Marines, who pushed them back with the support of the Hac Bao Company. 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. 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. Photo of me in Hue City. 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. Two of the aircraft carrying explosives, antitank ammunition and field telephone cables managed to find an opening in the cloud layer about 10 kilometers (6.2mi) north of Hu. [4]:199 On 14 February the Marines resumed their attack supported by Marine and Navy gun fire and Marine close air support. (Eddie Adams/AP) [4]:20810, To the west, the South Vietnamese forces continued to meet stubborn resistance. This was only beaten back with heavy artillery fire. You have to work out how to deal with it. Once again, NCOs must think outside of the box to accomplish the mission. On 31 January 1968, the Marines of 1/5 were spread out over a large area of I Corps. Advancing with tank and air support they completed the mission meeting little resistance. At 03:00 on 21 February, three ten-man teams from 2nd Platoon of Company A launched their assault, quickly capturing the sparsely defended strongpoints which the PAVN had withdrawn from overnight. The ARVN claimed to have killed 250 PAVN, captured five prisoners and recovered 71 individual and 25 crew-served weapons. The Tet Offensive of 1968 was a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on more than 100 cities and outposts in South Vietnam. The fighting for the airfield continued to seesaw, with first the ARVN having the upper hand and then the PAVN. Part One is entirely about the Battle of Hue. Several local force companies operated in the districts surrounding Hu. During the Battle of Hue City, most of the civilians hid out in buildings, according to Christmas. The fighting in Hue City, Vietnam, was as intense and confusing as anything the Marines there had ever seen. The Battle of Hue City, Vietnam has come to be regarded as one of the most infamous urban battles in Marine Corps history. In buildings, according to Christmas on the Vietnam War veterans and Marines! At a river crossing three kilometers South of the fight is important that. 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