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. However, they were soon stopped by strong PAVN defenses; after two days the Vietnamese Marines had only advanced 400 meters. Sightseeing can include the ornate Imperial Citadel, colorful Thanh Toan Bridge, royal tombs and the Forbidden Purple City. 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. She is named for the Battle of Hu, fought in the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968 by the 1st . . He has served twenty-six years in the Canadian Armed Forces, which included operational tours to the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and Afghanistan. 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. Greenway, a photographer embedded with the Marines . Due to the Tt holidays, large numbers of ARVN forces were on leave and the city was poorly defended. power. [16] While a new supply port was being constructed on the coast, the Division relied on the Marine supply base at Tn M and supply convoys along Highway 1 from Da Nang. About Hue. [9]:27273 On the morning of 4 February the Marines launched their attack on the Treasury. The PAVN-VC could not afford to engage in a firefight at this point, and they succeeded in sneaking away without raising further alarms. The world is urban and thats where youre going to fight and its up to you to ensure that you prepare yourself. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History. Richmond,Virginia23220, Galleries, Store, & Caf daily 10:00 am-5:00 pm The company also helped a group of sappers seize the Treasury Building (162754N 1073524E / 16.465N 107.590E / 16.465; 107.590), the post office and a radio station a few blocks to the north. The PAVN/VC crossed the river without incident on the evening of 30 January, but the delay meant that only the 1st and 2nd Sapper Battalions and an 82mm mortar company would be in their forward positions when the offensive began. [9]:125 While a few joined the PAVN-VC and others supported them by digging fortifications and preparing food, most of the population either tried to flee behind the ARVN-U.S. lines or took shelter in their homes or in churches and pagodas, which they hoped would be safe. [9]:34749 On 9 February 5/7th Cavalry resumed their advance with artillery support from PK-17 and naval gunfire; they overran Lieu Coc finding PAVN bodies and fighting positions. 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. In the early morning hours of 1 February the PAVN withdrew and at midday a Hac Bao unit led the Airborne force into Mang Ca. [8]:70, ARVN losses were 452 killed and 2,123 wounded, while U.S. losses were 216 killed and 1,584 wounded. [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. With the building secured the Marines then methodically cleared out the spider-holes, shooting their occupants. 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. One of the aircraft returned safely; but the other, flying through dense fog, crashed into a mountain, losing all on board. 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 . [9]:269, About 11:00, Company H, 2/5 Marines, crossed the An Cuu Bridge in an armed convoy. ), participated in the battle for Hu as a company commander and will present a first-hand account of the conflict. 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. [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]. Hue City,, Vietnam, 1968 Photo of me in Hue City. The reconnaissance platoon, having made its way back into the city, defended the Imperial Palace but eventually had to retreat to Mang Ca. On the afternoon of 29 January, the main body of the southern wing, the 804th Battalion, the 1st Sapper Battalion, the 815th and 818th Battalions of the 5th Regiment, the southern wing command group, and various supporting units descended from their mountain staging area and headed for the T Trch River, which stood between the attacking force and Hu. As the PAVN-VC area of control within Hu shrank, the pace of executions increased to prevent the "enemies of the people" being freed by ARVN or U.S. forces or identifying the VC who had revealed themselves. 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. Near the MACV Compound, the Marines came under heavy machine gun and rocket fire. [18], On the morning of 22 February, the 1/7th Cavalry, remained in Thon Que Chu and Thon La Chu to mop up pockets of resistance while the remaining units under 3rd Brigade control began marching toward the Citadel. [8] Hu had great symbolism, having been the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The enemy usually pulls them all together and tries to build a buffer, said Christmas. 4) Take in a Performance at the Royal Theatre. The initial assault was on the left flank by Company A, 1/1 Marines which was tasked with securing a Catholic chapel and the Jeanne d'Arc High School (162754N 1073528E / 16.465N 107.591E / 16.465; 107.591). At the end of January in 1968, the Viet Cong launched an offensive that turned the tide of the Vietnam War. [4]:208 Company L, 3/5 Marines was then tasked with clearing the area to the Thuong Tu Gate and out to the Trng Tin Bridge. Task Force X-ray including 1/5 and 2/5 Marines (2,500) and 1st ARVN Battalion. Meanwhile, the ARVN 3rd Regiment fought off a PAVN counterattack in the northwest corner of the Citadel. [14]:2930 East of the MACV Compound, a heavy weapons team from the 2nd Sapper Battalion attempted to destroy the communications facility. Within Hu, approximately 100 U.S. Army advisers and administrative personnel, as well as a few Marine guards, were headquartered in the new city in the lightly defended MACV Compound (162758N 1073531E / 16.466N 107.592E / 16.466; 107.592) a block and a half south of the Perfume River on the east side of Highway 1. We take care of civilians, added Downs. One had to do with machine guns, which he didnt elaborate on. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. [24], The PAVN-VC's actions were based on a series of orders issued by the PAVN High Command and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (PRG). Its pretty easy to get emotional, but what leaders get paid for is to stand above the emotion. These ambushes killed 20 Marines and wounded 39. He and Sergeant Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez led the Marines in the defense of the convoy, actions for which both men would later be awarded the Medal of Honor. 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. Take advantage of all the exciting benefits that membership offers including access to member-only publications. [4]:168[12]:4344, The ARVN 3rd Regiment had an even more difficult time. 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. Hu (Vietnamese: ()) is the capital of Tha Thin Hu province in central Vietnam and was the capital of ng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. 1) Walk Through the Imperial Citadel (Kinh Thanh) 2) Visit the Forbidden Purple City. This is where their training to fight in any clime and place, and adapting to and overcoming situations proved essential. None of that was available. He has been involved in urban operations training for two decades and is an urban operations subject matter expert and urban warfare historian, having participated in, planned, executed, and intensively instructed on urban operations for the past seven years. [12]:6970, By 20 February the 1/5 Marines advance had stalled and after conferring with his commanders Thompson decided to launch a night attack against three PAVN strongpoints that were blocking further movement with the entire battalion attacking at daybreak. The Hu City Sapper Unit and the 12th Sapper Battalion were also located in Base Area 114. The strategic objective at Hu was to capture (or "liberate") and hold the city, leading to the establishment of a revolutionary government. The Modern War Institute recently launched an Urban Warfare Project Case Study Series. [12]:3132, On the afternoon of 30 January Trng dispatched a Hac Bao platoon and an Australian Army adviser to scout the north bank of the Perfume River which provided the simplest route from Base Area 114 into the city. Robert P. Hanger . At 06:30, Hughes ordered the company to reinforce the Truoi River Bridge. Maj. John Canley's actions during the battle of Hue City, Vietnam, in 1968 have him one step away from receiving the nation's highest award for combat valor, the Medal of Honor. Beginning at 1:15 AM January 31, 1968, 2 battalions of the 6th NVA Regiment spookily sauntered through the Chanh Tay Gate west of the Imperial Citadel in Hue, Vietnam. In one instance, Downs says there was a machine gun directly down a street that his Marines needed to cross to advance their attack. During the night, the battalion called helicopter into the landing zone to take out the most badly wounded. 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. [4]:168, Three USMC battalions were protecting Phu Bai Combat Base, Highway 1 and all western approaches to Hu. 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. Built within a two year span, it has been severely damaged on three occasions. 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. Hu City was in active service from 14 September 1991 to 23 September 2022. On 4 January 1968, MACV J-2 (military intelligence staff) received a report that a Vietcong sapper team had obtained jobs at the Tan Son Nhut airbase from which they planned to attack MACV. [34][35] Both battles were fought in close quarters in an urban setting where the enemy ensconced itself in the midst of civilians. Gravel met with Army Colonel George O. Adkisson, the senior U.S. advisor to the ARVN 1st Division. 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. [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. He split up two more platoons to reinforce security at the various gates leading into the Citadel. Research Library open Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, EMAIL: Info@VirginiaHistory.org attacked the compound from the east, but failed to penetrate the compound. 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. 3) Stroll Through the Imperial City. With darkness approaching the attack was postponed until the next morning. Cheatham then joined his company commanders in Hu University and they proceeded to develop the tactics to be used in recapturing southern Hu. On 2 March 1968 the Marines concluded Operation Hu City. The year 1968 was the year of the Tet Offensive including Khe Sanh and Hue City. 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. Enjoy exciting benefits and explore new exhibitions year-round. The Rangers swept the island as thousands of local residents came out of hiding and ran through their ranks to escape the battle. The General Uprising was the expectation that the oppressed South Vietnamese population would then spontaneously rise up and overthrow the Thiu-K government and that this would force the United States to withdraw in the face of the will of the people. Theyll pull their heads and you can run the whole company across the street if you want. Thats exactly what Downs decided to do, and it worked. About 2 kilometers (1.2mi) to its southwest was the 101st Engineering Company compound (162613N 1073455E / 16.437N 107.582E / 16.437; 107.582). [12]:59, Also on 7 February, the North Vietnamese tried to bring their own air support into the battle, sending four Vietnam People's Air Force Il-14 transport aircraft from an airfield near Hanoi. But in the 1968 Tet Offensive, the war spilled out of the jungle into the streets of Hue City. Soldiers look on. The convoy was then turned around and sent towards Hu. Then, you need to select where you enter the city, then you can determine what you are going to use to take the city. 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. Only two buildings in the city were held by Marines. [4]:206 On 18 February the 1/8th Cavalry was attacked by elements of the 803rd Regiment 20 kilometers (12mi) northeast of Hu, this second clash apparently convinced the PAVN command that the Regiment could not reach the Citadel. [9]:83, The ARVN and Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) were largely unprepared for the Tet Offensive. [4]:164 On learning of the cancellation of the ceasefire, Trng ordered his headquarters staff to remain at the Mang Ca compound that night, he sent three platoons from the Hac Bao Reconnaissance Company to guard the provincial headquarters, the power station and the prison in the new city. [19] PAVN sappers finally destroyed the Trng Tin bridge restricting movement between the old and new cities. The 815th Battalion had been delayed because South Vietnamese paramilitaries had ambushed the battalion at a river crossing three kilometers south of the city. During this action Sergeant Gonzalez was killed while firing on PAVN machine gun positions. VIETNAM Hue is home to a plethora of intricate imperial structures, such as the Meridian Gate Matthew Pike Writer 26 October 2021 View From 1802 to 1945, Hue was the capital of Vietnam and home to the Nguyen dynasty. These included ARVN soldiers, civil servants, political party members, local religious leaders, schoolteachers, American civilians and other expatriates. The Battle With the departure of Company F about 16:30, the PAVN-VC successfully disengaged and Companies H and E took up night defensive positions. Although the PAVN battalion penetrated the division compound, an ad hoc 200-man defensive force of staff officers and clerks staved off the assaults. Meanwhile, several kilometers to the south, the 2/12th Cavalry, made contact with another PAVN force just before noon. The deteriorating weather forced the squadron to cancel the remaining lifts with about half of the battalion in the Citadel. 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) We would progress in this way throughout the fight, said Downs. The Battle of Hue, part of the Tet Offensive, 1968 The Tet Offensive. Other advisers were in the countryside accompanying ARVN units. You have to work out how to deal with it. Once again, NCOs must think outside of the box to accomplish the mission. The Marines eventually broke into the west building and cleared it room by room. [4]:201 That day at a meeting at Phu Bai between Generals Abrams, LaHue, Trng and South Vietnamese Vice President Nguyn Cao K, K approved the use of all necessary force to clear the PAVN-VC forces from the Citadel, regardless of damage to historic structures. [12]:38, A company each from the 815th and 818th Battalions entered the western edge of the new city around 04:50, eighty minutes behind schedule. Younger soldiers were convinced by the party propaganda that they were on the verge of a great victory that would end the war. 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. One of my more memorable experiences during the monthlong battle for Hue City, February 1968, was when my assistant machine-gunner, Marcus, and I were ordered to stay behind on the enemy's side of . RF soldiers opened fire and radioed a warning to Trng's headquarters. Become a member! This was only beaten back with heavy artillery fire. 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. [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. 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. [12]:7577, On 23 February a company from the 5/7th Cavalry, boarded helicopters and flew to the docks near Mang Ca, where it joined a platoon of armored personnel carriers from Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry Regiment, on loan from the 9th Infantry Division which had just arrived in the Phu BaiHu region after redeploying from Long Khnh Province to northern I Corps by sea. The Allied bombardment lasted intermittently from 17:30 until 03:30 the next day, forcing the entire southern wing to postpone the ferry crossing. [12]:37, Responding to the call at PK-17, at 09:00 the 3rd Troop and the 7th Battalion of the Airborne task force rolled out of their base area in an armored convoy onto Highway 1. Several dozen Army technical specialists and military intelligence personnel were billeted in the Huong Giang Hotel several blocks to the west. For his actions Ferguson was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor. At Thon La Chu a South Vietnamese official who was a VC agent had earlier used aid money to build a three-story concrete and steel bomb shelter for local villagers and the command group of the Hu City Front used this as its headquarters. As they moved closer to La Chu, PAVN resistance increased and it was obvious that this was a major PAVN base. 5) Walk Around the Thien Mu Pagoda. The units intended to use a ferry station 10 kilometers (6.2mi) south of the city to cross the river. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. 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. The Treasury building was hit by M-48 and 106mm fire and tear gas, while a M274 Mule-mounted 106mm recoilless rifle engaged the machine gun in the Le Loi Elementary School. The battle started on Jan. 30, 1968 and didnt end until March 3, 1968. "[4]:171, As the Marines approached the southern suburbs of the city they came under increasing fire from the PAVN 804th Battalion. One company occupied a six-way intersection on Highway 1 a few blocks southeast of the MACV Compound to prevent Allied mechanized forces from entering the city. Those not reporting voluntarily were hunted down. 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. 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. U.S. forces began their counterassault at daybreak on Feb. 15 as the Delta Company moved quietly through the maze-like alleyways and courtyards of the ancient Citadel. The government troops tried to fight their way through but lacked the strength or the firepower to do so. Remember, an urban fight is a casualty producing fight. Under cover of supporting fire the Marines secured part of the ridgeline, killing three PAVN for the loss of one Marine killed. [5][6][21], 844 civilians were killed and 1,900 wounded during the battle. The following pictures are real eye-openers for anyone who's been to Ho Chi Minh City recently. 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. [31][32], Militarily, Hu and the entire Tet Offensive were Allied victories. Vietnamese young boys and girls fill sandbags during 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division base operations in Phu Bai. Vietnam War veterans and retired Marines Lt. Gen. George Ron Christmas and Brig. Were all emotional, we care about our Marines. But, the city overall is beautiful. After marching southwest approximately 4 kilometers (2.5mi), the team concealed itself in some bushes near the river and waited. Both generals went back to Hue City decades after the battle. To say that we are closer to victory today is to believe, in the face of the evidence, the optimists who have been wrong in the past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfMocPJZvfQ&t=40s. This blog post will present an American military intelligence map from each era. The Battle of Hu (also called the Siege of Hu), was one of the bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam is Black Hawk Down author Bowden's worthy effort to give the battle its due. The year 1968 marked a crucial turning point in the Vietnam War. This is also where the Marine needs to use their ingenuity. 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. He led an armored column toward Hu, but like the other South Vietnamese units, found it impossible to break through. The two aircraft radioed that they were scrubbing the mission, then headed out to sea to jettison their bombs. 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. 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. The distance between the walls varies from 75 meters to 17.5 meters. Your email address will not be published. The 1st Battalion encountered the 810th Battalion which had been deployed to block the eastern approaches to the new city, running low on ammunition Captain Phan Ngoc Luong, the commander of the 1st Battalion, retreated with his unit to the coastal Ba Long outpost, arriving there with only three eight-round clips per man for their World War II vintage M1 Garand rifles. On Feb. 15, 1968, U.S. Marines carry out an assault on Dong Ba Tower in Hue, South Vietnam. The Modern War Institute does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published. Pavn Base 19 ] PAVN sappers finally destroyed the Trng Tin Bridge restricting movement between the old and cities. Wing to postpone the ferry crossing this action Sergeant Gonzalez was killed while firing on PAVN machine and. Where youre going to fight their way through but lacked the strength or the firepower do! 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